PDA and GPS together

[+Team MonkeyLove]

My question is..... Do you download the .gpx files to both gps and pda or do you download the PQ info to only the PDA and then type coords into GPSR. I need some real direction here. I'm having a hard enough time just trying to figure out the PQ deal. If there are any help sites anyone knows of P-L-E-A-S-E help.

[+briansnat]

I download the files into both. I use GSAK or EasyGPS to send the waypoint info to my GPS and I use Cachemate and its CMConvert program to send the cache pages to my Palm.

 

If you are a bit tech savvy and want one stop shopping, GSAK can do both.

 

In short, you save the PQ file (you want to make sure it's GPX) to your hard drive and then you open it in GSAK or EasyGPS to send it to your unit. To send it to your PDA, open the same file with CMCOnvert or GSAK.

Edited January 3, 2008 by briansnat

[+StarBrand]

On the PPC platform:

Use GSAK to send your GPX directly to your GPSr.

Drop the .GPX file directly onto the PPC via the synch or on a memory card. Open directly in GPXSonar, GPXView or Cachemate PPC.

[+Miragee]

My question is..... Do you download the .gpx files to both gps and pda or do you download the PQ info to only the PDA and then type coords into GPSR. I need some real direction here. I'm having a hard enough time just trying to figure out the PQ deal. If there are any help sites anyone knows of P-L-E-A-S-E help.

I use GSAK to send the waypoints to my GPSr. From GSAK I also Export the .pdb files for my Palm m500. Here is a rudimentary GSAK tutorial that was created a while ago, but you might be able to glean some information from it.

[+Team MonkeyLove]

Thank you to everyone I at least have a place to start now.

-Jess

[+minnesotafox]

on the same topic, I have done (2) 500 waypoint PQ's and loaded them into my palm and Garmin Vista HCx. I now have hit the 1000 waypoint limit on my Vista. Do people add and delete waypoints/geocaches as they plan trips to different areas? People seem to have all of the info with all the time. Thanks for the help.

[+StarBrand]

***new info***

 

The newly announced Garmin Colorado GPS will load all the cache details directly from a GPX file including description, hints, terrain, difficulty owner etc...

 

Looks cool.

[cliff_hanger]

on the same topic, I have done (2) 500 waypoint PQ's and loaded them into my palm and Garmin Vista HCx. I now have hit the 1000 waypoint limit on my Vista. Do people add and delete waypoints/geocaches as they plan trips to different areas? People seem to have all of the info with all the time. Thanks for the help.

 

Some do. That's how I did it with my Merigold (200 wpt limiit) and how I did it at first with my Vista.

 

I also have a Vista HCx. Currently, I don't bother with loading "waypoints" for local geocaching except when I have to manually add them in the field as part of a multi cache. For general local caching, I load the geocache waypoints as Points Of Interest (POI) on the micro SD card, using GSAK, a custom Macro, and Garmin's POI loader. See this thread Read the whole thread, as my understanding evolved over time. I currently have all 3000 caches in Connecticut loaded as custom POI's on my Vista HCx. I think you can have 10k or more custom POI's on your SD card. You may be able to simply use your gpx files along with the POI loader to try this. But, without 3rd party software (GSAK or similar) I don't know how you'd combine the gpx files from your two different pocket queries.

 

When I go caching out of area, I get a PQ, load the caches as regular waypoints and then globally delete them when I get back home - without affecting my "local" POIs.

[+Heather23]

I download the files into both. I use GSAK or EasyGPS to send the waypoint info to my GPS and I use Cachemate and its CMConvert program to send the cache pages to my Palm.

 

If you are a bit tech savvy and want one stop shopping, GSAK can do both.

 

In short, you save the PQ file (you want to make sure it's GPX) to your hard drive and then you open it in GSAK or EasyGPS to send it to your unit. To send it to your PDA, open the same file with CMCOnvert or GSAK.

 

briansnat, are you saying that one doesn't need Cachemate, only GSAK to get info to Palm? Also, I just use the Magellan software to copy my waypoints to the GPSr, is there advantage to using GSAK to do this?

 

Last week I dropped my Zire 71 into my slurpee (my policy up to THAT day was to never get lids for the slurpee, waste of plastic) and now my zire is dead. (it made really odd noises) anyhow, I have a T3 now. I was using plucker and spinner, but found them really clumsy to update.

 

Oh, next time I get a slurpee, I'll get a lid too..

[+Arndtwe]

I download the files into both. I use GSAK or EasyGPS to send the waypoint info to my GPS and I use Cachemate and its CMConvert program to send the cache pages to my Palm.

 

If you are a bit tech savvy and want one stop shopping, GSAK can do both.

 

In short, you save the PQ file (you want to make sure it's GPX) to your hard drive and then you open it in GSAK or EasyGPS to send it to your unit. To send it to your PDA, open the same file with CMCOnvert or GSAK.

 

briansnat, are you saying that one doesn't need Cachemate, only GSAK to get info to Palm? Also, I just use the Magellan software to copy my waypoints to the GPSr, is there advantage to using GSAK to do this?

 

Last week I dropped my Zire 71 into my slurpee (my policy up to THAT day was to never get lids for the slurpee, waste of plastic) and now my zire is dead. (it made really odd noises) anyhow, I have a T3 now. I was using plucker and spinner, but found them really clumsy to update.

 

Oh, next time I get a slurpee, I'll get a lid too..

No, he is simply saying that you do not need to use the PDB converter that comes with Cachemate in order to get the info to your Palm. GSAK can do that. CacheMate is a Palm or Window mobile based program that "sorts out" the GPX info, then displays it in a user friendly way. Without it, you would not be able to read the info. All GSAK does is send it to CacheMate. Personally, I like to team up EasyGPS and the CMconverter to load my PQ's...

 

I do not think there is an advantage to using GSAK to load to your GPS. In fact, the software that comes with it is probably the best, since it was designed specifically for that unit (or brand).

Edited March 6, 2008 by Arndtwe