GSAK

[+SLO Blu!]

I'm a premium member of geocaching.com, and I just upgraded to the Garmin 60CSx and wanted to explore areas of geocaching that my primitive unit didn't wallow. Like GPX Xchange files. So I installed GSAK and downloaded a couple files. Looks as if it has the same information as is found on the cache sites of geocaching.com. Here's my question: what is on those files that can't be found at the geocaching website? Or, why use GSAK?

[+trainlove]

There is nothing on those files that didn't come from geocaching.com.

But there are thousands of different ways of sorting and manipulating the information is the form of real advanced searches, and so on. Thusly making the 500 or 1000 waypoint limit on your gps be used more effectively.

Plus the added benefit of essentially being able to bring geocaching.com with you to the middle of the woods (or a caches parking area) miles away from any internet connection.

[+Miragee]

I'm a premium member of geocaching.com, and I just upgraded to the Garmin 60CSx and wanted to explore areas of geocaching that my primitive unit didn't wallow. Like GPX Xchange files. So I installed GSAK and downloaded a couple files. Looks as if it has the same information as is found on the cache sites of geocaching.com. Here's my question: what is on those files that can't be found at the geocaching website? Or, why use GSAK?

Welcome to the Forums!

 

If you live in a cache-rich area, and you do, and want to search for caches on a whim whether you are heading SW or NE, you can use GSAK to filter the caches you are likely to encounter on your drive.

 

In this cache-rich area, I created a "centerpoint" for my Pocket Queries that gives me a 50-mile circle. I created seven PQs by "Date Placed" in order to popluate three databases in GSAK. One is for caches 35 or more miles away from my home in a N and NW direction, a direction I don't normally travel to, but might. The other database is for the desert. Those are 35 or more miles away in the E and NE direction from my home. The other database is Default. It contains the caches fewer than 35 miles away.

 

All together, I have almost 4000 caches in GSAK. I update the PQs weekly, filtering out the caches that have been Disabled or Archived each time I refresh the databases.

 

If a friend calls and says, "Lets go to the desert," I can load my GPSr with nearly 1000 caches in the direction we will be heading within a couple of minutes. Additionally, I can Export the information for all those caches to my Palm m500. On our hastily-planned adventure, I have all the information, Description, Past Logs, and Hint, for each cache in Cachemate. I also have a little screen on which I can record my experience at each cache.

 

GSAK is an incredible program and I cannot imagine trying to cache without it, and Pocket Queries.

[+Airmapper]

GSAK is a very detailed program and capable of many tasks beyond what the average user usually takes advantage of.

 

For example, it can be used to create offline HTML databases which can be regularly updated and cross referenced for multiple uses. I do this so my PDA can use the database to display cache info away from the computer, and a mapping program can access the same database allowing me to click on a cache icon on the map and see the page, internet connection or not.

 

Another advanced feature is Macros, these can shuffle data or make a often used process only take one click. My favorite is called FindStatsGen, it will use the databases of my found and placed caches, and then generate a extremely detailed report full of maps, statistics, and trends of my caching activity.