Getting the street maps on your PDA for paperless caching.

[+smoke63b]

I'm trying to figure out how to get a map of the area for each cache I'm going after on my pda. Everything is paperless except for this part. I got gsak going and everything else working fine. Got the waypoints on my gps. Got the page info for all the caches on my pda.

If it helps, I have a Palm Zire 31.

Thanks!

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Just wondering ... if you have the caches in your GPSr, why do you need a map of the area for each cache? I must be missing something.

[+smoke63b]

Not all GPSr's have maps on them. I need a map of the streets and such to get me to the area. Wondering if I can get a picture of the map of the area on the pda somehow.

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Ok, makes sense. Hmmm ... can your Palm view PDF files? Or JPG files? You could save a view of the maps in those formats.

[+Indotguy]

Not all GPSr's have maps on them. I need a map of the streets and such to get me to the area. Wondering if I can get a picture of the map of the area on the pda somehow.

 

I consider PDA mapping software an important resource for paperless caching even if you already have maps on your GPS.

You will have to look for a street level PDA mapping program that is compatiable with your palm and also capable of accepting GPX or LOC file imports. I use MS Street and Trips but unless I'm mistaken it only works on devices which run the Windows Mobile OS. Palms are popular with the cache community so I'm sure someone out there will chime in with suggestions. Best of luck.

[+smoke63b]

Thanks for the responses. It can view pdf's. That's going to be a long process to get a map into a pdf file for every single cache though.

[+michigansnorkelers]

One problem you may run into is your screen resolution.

 

The 31 has a 160x160 screen. This will limit the sharpness and size of any images you try to display on it.

 

That is also a problem with the Z22 and a number of other Palms

 

I use a Zire 72 with 320x320 resolution and the screen look exactly like what I see on the computer, once I zoom it twice. Of course, zoomed, you can only see a small section of the screen at any one time so you have to scroll as needed.

 

See this thread for more info.

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=165498

[ISUDogCachers]

I really like viewing the caches in Google Earth. I just had my first paperless trek and had viewed the area in Google Earth first, created a jpg of that image, then put the jpg on the PDA. While it doesn't have the street names on it, it gives me a good bird's eye view of the area as I'm caching. It helps me to know what else is in the area as well.

 

I think having streets on the PDA would be very helpful, though. I'll have to look into that more.

[+smoke63b]

How do you put the jpg on the pda though? That would help a lot. I'm not sure what program I need or exactly how to put them on there.

[+stepshep]

I downloaded VDI Image Viewer: http://okob.net/vdi/

It's freeware and designed for maps. I then open the converter, click the open file, and select the image, check the attributes that work with your Palm. Mine is 16 shade gray scale, so I use that. Click install, and then just HotSync. Also don't forget the first time you do this also check to install the viewer on your palm. The site has a pretty good how to.

 

After a successful installation start the application by clicking on the application icon (or any other way you like). The application window will appear. Make sure to select Install VDI Viewer the first time you install an image to your Palm device. This ensures that the Palm viewer application will also be scheduled for the installation. Select or drag and drop an image file from windows file explorer or MS Internet explorer to the PC Image File area of the VDIVC application window, click the convert (down arrow) button and then, after selecting your sync user name, the install button. You can install multiple images to your Palm device. If you wish, instead of installing, you can save the converted image(s) (PDB) and the viewer application (PRC) as ordinary files in your system.

 

The files prepared by the converter are transferred to your Palm device the next time HotSync operation is performed. The Palm viewer application will be available as "VDI" in your launcher. When you tap on the viewer icon the first time, it starts and automatically loads the first image found.

 

http://okob.net/vdi/usage.htm

 

[+mr_candyman]

anybody know of a way to use the streets and trips maps on the pda to a point you can make a city one map and zoom in or something?

[+Indotguy]

anybody know of a way to use the streets and trips maps on the pda to a point you can make a city one map and zoom in or something?

 

To download maps with waypoints from the PC version of MS Streets and Trips to your PDA you must first have "Pocket Streets" loaded on your PDA. Pocket Streets is a windows mobile version of the MS S&T software that comes with the newer versions of MS Streets and Trips. Pocket Streets lets you export waypoints from GSAK to MS S&T and Sync the map section and waypoints to your handheld.

[+GIDEON-X]

Hi, Myself on my PDA (Palm m500) i use a program (free) called Vikao it works for me in small areas,,,,,towns etc. ..............

[+Haffy]

Also Delorme has handheld maps as well that you can download onto your PDA

[+michigansnorkelers]

How do you put the jpg on the pda though? That would help a lot. I'm not sure what program I need or exactly how to put them on there.

 

It appears that there are different versions of the Palm Desktop, depending on your Palm device. With my Z72, all I do is drag the image from the desktop to the open media page of the Palm Desktop, and it's done. And that's all I do.

[+Miragee]

How do you put the jpg on the pda though? That would help a lot. I'm not sure what program I need or exactly how to put them on there.

From the Palm Desktop, open the Quick Install dialogue box. Choose "File/Open and Navigate to the image file on your hard drive, select it, and put it in the location, either "Handheld" or "Expansion Card," where you want the image to go on the next HotSync.

[rokclmb]

I've used Microsoft Streets and Trips in the past to have maps on my PDA. That was before I was geocaching. It also was able to download all local services (things like places to eat, gas stations, train/subway stations, hospitals, ATM's and banks, and almost anything else you would need). I really liked it.

[+imajeep]

I use Google Earth to generate overview an aerial photo of a hunt area (typically, a hiking trail) with cache markers. I save a screen-shot as a JPG, then load it onto my Palm Z22 using Splash Photo. On the Palm, the program lets me zoom in on an area of the photo (so I can read cache IDs from the cache markers) and pan around the larger picture (by dragging the stylus across the screen).

 

So, as my wife and I proceed down a hiking trail, we can find the next cache on the overview. She punches up the description and logs for the cache on CacheMate, and I punch it up on our GPSr. And off we go! We're pleased with how it works, particularly considering the fact that we're pretty new to the game.

[+smoke63b]

Hey thanks for all the info folks. I'm currently out of town for work and will be trying this when I get back home. Thanks for all the responses!

[+NightPilot]

Just for info, the MS S&T advice won't work. It's a Windows app, and won't run on a Palm. Making a .jpg is the only way I know of to do it on a Z31, and you probably won't be that happy with it when you get it, because of the Z31's lo-res screen. It might work for you, though.