nlrwrangler Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 Please recommend the best software to download caches from the web then transfer them through Garmin mapsource. It seems that Garmin controls what can be loaded to their units more than others. Am I right or wrong? I would love as much info that you know!!!! Thanks Chase Quote
+Hynr Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 At the geocaching website click on Resources and follow the software link. Most of the software there can do what you are asking for. Personally I find GSAK to do everything I need to do. It can load waypoints directly to your GPSr. But if you want to go through Mapsource, it can do that too. Quote
Clan Riffster Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 Gotta agree with Hynr about GSAK. It's a great tool, and well worth the $20 registration fee to get rid of the nag screen. My weekly PQ's go straight to a GSAK file called "Local", and autoerases the old data. From there, I hit "Ctrl-U" which exports it to Mapsource, then from Mapsource into the 60CSx. Another export sends it to my PDA. Quote
+The Leprechauns Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 I also just did the Ctrl-U thingie in GSAK to export thousands of fresh caches to my Mapsource software. Next, I'll plug in the GPS and load up with hundreds of fresh waypoints after a few mouseclicks in GSAK to center the caches on the nice State Park I'll be visiting today. Youi've got a terrific GPS and it's easy to squirt caches onto it. Life is good! Quote
+imajeep Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 (edited) Please recommend the best software to download caches from the web then transfer them through Garmin mapsource. It seems that Garmin controls what can be loaded to their units more than others. Am I right or wrong? AFAIK, Garmin doesn't "control what can be loaded to their units" any more than other manufacturers. Maybe this will help: Garmin MapSource can open proprietary Garmin files (GDBs), Geocaching.com files (LOCs) or industry-standard files (GPXs). I think most other units load their proprietary formats, or GPXs. So you don't need any special software to load cache waypoints into your Garmin unit. Simply download the LOC file for the cache (there is a button to do this on each cache page), and open the LOC file in MapSource and download to your GPSr. If you enter coordinates for a lot of caches at once, then use a Pocket Query (requires premium membership) to create a single GPX file of all the caches you want to load. Then, simply open the GPX file in MapSource and download all coordinates in bulk to your GPSr. GSAK is a nice program, but you don't need it to download coordinates to your GPSr. What GSAK does is maintain a local database of caches on your machine. Some people download all caches in an area (dozens or hundreds) to GSAK, and then they work from that. Other people (like me), simply download the caches they want to hunt on a particular day (a dozen or so) directly from geocaching.com to MapSource. It's really a matter of preference. Edited July 21, 2007 by imajeep Quote
+Miragee Posted July 21, 2007 Posted July 21, 2007 There is a variety of software available for you. EasyGPS is very easy to use when you are dealing with a few .loc files from your Search downloads. However, once you become a Premium Member . . . you will want to . . . you will have access to Pocket Queries. That is when you will find GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) to be invaluable. From it you can Export to your Mapsource maps for planning your caching adventures. You can also send the sliced, diced, and filtered waypoints to your GPSr, and if you have a PDA, you can Export the data in the correct format so you can cache "paperless." Quote
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