How do you move PQ from computer to palm?

[+familyfunfor6]

I have Plucker and CacheMate installed on my Palm. I have downloaded the PQ from my e-mail and have used Spinner on it. I just can't figure out how to move it with HotSync from the computer to the palm.

 

Stefanie

[+Arndtwe]

I have a pretty long post here for you. It is a file on the computer so I will just paste it into here. It sounds like you have worked out some of the bugs I will go through in my post, so I am sorry about that. Try to read the things you don't know about and if there are any questions you have that are not answered then just ask!

 

Paperless caching info

 

Intro:

Have you heard of CacheMate? It is an $8 program for palm PDA's and handheld PC's. It comes with a little program that converts a pocket query into a palm .PDB file. All that means is that it will be compatible with your Palm PDA. I personally think this is the best way to go. It sounds a little complicated, but in reality, once you get started it only takes 7 mins to load 500 caches to my PDA and GPS.

 

Here I will go into detail on how to get started will CacheMate using a Palm PDA. First thing you do when you get your PDA is to setup the software that came with it. This is fairly self explanatory. After you have done this, go to www.smittyware.com then go the CacheMate link. Go through the process of purchasing it. then you should be able to download a .zip file (I can't remember if it comes in the email, or if you get it from the website). "unzip" this file then load the necessary files to your PDA. It will tell you which files to load inside the .zip file, so don't worry about knowing which ones to load. Okay, now that you have the program on your PDA, you can download a PQ to put into it. Go to the GC.com site and go through the PQ process, then make sure at the bottom of the PQ page that you have selected it to send you the .GPX version NOT the .LOC file. wait a few minutes and you should get an email with the results.

 

The PQ comes in a .zip file as well, so you need to unzip it. inside you will find to .GPX files, one with a string of numbers and one that has a string of numbers with a "wpts". For your first time, don't bother with the one that has the "wpts". Just delete it (you may find that you want to use it in the future, but that's just another thing to add to this, so don't mess with it). Now that you have that figured out, open your GPS managing program (either EasyGPS or GSAK) and load the .GPX file. Then send it to your GPS. Now don't delete that .GPX file yet. Open the program that came with CacheMate, it should be titled "CMConvert" and click (in the upperleft) "file", "load" then select the .GPX file. then highlight all of the below loaded caches and click "file", "export PDB". Name it what ever you like. Now hotsync that PDB file your PDA. Next time you turn oe your PDA and go into the program CacheMate, it will ask you to put that file into a category. And now you're done!

 

Tools:

I would suggest using EasyGPS to load Cache to your GPS and GSAK for specific filtering of caches. EasyGPS does not have a map at all, just caches, this may be a little wird but you don't really need one anyway, you only really need a map on GPS.

 

Here is some Q and A:

Q-How does the info open up on the palm, like a word doc? or pdf? Does it look just like the web page? are the hints unscrambled? What about the map?

A-The way that you view the cache sin CacheMate is simply a list of the caches. You can sort them by cache name or by the GCXXXX code. Once you have decided which to sort by you can find the cache you want to view in the list then jut click on it. A new screen will pop up with the name, GCXXXX, difficulty, terrain, type. Then a line break and the owner, size. Then another line break and the description. Another line break and the hint. Another line break and the first log and how ever many you choose when exporting the .PDB file earlier(I think that you can only go up to 5). You can choose for the hint to be scrambled or unscrambled, which ever you choose. Sadly, there are no maps that come with CacheMate, but you can get another Palm program called EarthComber (that one will need its own little thread) it is completely free and has very good detail.

 

Q-What is the max size of SD card supported? I searched on it and got 1 gig. Does that sound about right? I dont figure that the PQ will fit the on board memory.

A-You actually don't need to get one to do CacheMate. The exported .PDB file takes VERY little space. The max SD memory will very depending on which unit you get. My Tungsten T3 will take a gig, but the Tungsten TX will take 4. The older ones might not have any SD slot in the first place. Any Palm PDA can hold (on its internal memory) at least 5 PQ's. Chances are that they will hold more, that's 5000 cache records! More than anyone would ever need!

 

Q-Is there a way to change all my waypoint names to the actual names on my GPS instead of the code? It would be nice to see the cache name on the GPS instead of the code name.

A-For EasyGPS, simply open it then click "edit" and at the bottom select "preferences". A new little box will open up with a few different tabs one of which says "my GPS receivers", click on that one. Now you should see more buttons in this order "remove", "geocaching...", "settings", "add GPS". Click on "Geocaching..." and a new window will open. At the top you should see "waypoint:" with a drop down window next to it. Change the drop down from "geocache ID" to "geocache name". And now you are done. For GSAK, I have no clue . You will have to ask someone else

 

Q-Can I store (separate) pocket query's on my palm and just load them (within in the palm) one at a time? Right now when ever I load different pocket query's they just keep getting added in together. I did install a one gig SD card just to have it in there thinking that I could just load separate queries from there, but I can’t get it to work from there either.

A-Yes. You have to make a new waypoint database in the Palm before you import the data into the palm, open that database and it will create a separate file for those waypoints. (Depending on how you have your palm set up, it may also merge the waypoints into the default database, too).

[+chancerider]

I came into this forum today to ask the very same question! and within a couple of threads find this one! Very timely for me. Thanks for the detailed information... I'm pretty computer illerate but going to give this a shot. I have a Garmin 60CSx and a Palm Zire 72.

 

Thanks again!

[gitarmac]

Thanks for posting that. Paperless caching seems confusing at first.

 

Why do you need to use easygps to load the cache to your pda, why not do it all with GSAK?

 

Do you just overwright the new pocket query from the one from a previous date?

Edited May 31, 2008 by gitarmac

[+Arndtwe]

Thanks for posting that. Paperless caching seems confusing at first.

 

Why do you need to use easygps to load the cache to your pda, why not do it all with GSAK?

 

Do you just overwright the new pocket query from the one from a previous date?

I don't use EasyGPS to load the caches to the PDA, I use it for GPS. CacheMate comes with a little program called CMConvert which will make the .GPX file into a .PDB file which can be sent to the PDA.

 

When you add new info it is simply merged with previous data. What I do is I delete all the caches in my PDA before I add a new PQ.

[+Trucker Lee]

I do use GSAK to load my caches. After PQ is imported to GSAK, it is filtered to my satisfaction. Then, open the file tab, export, and the first listing prepares the file for the PDA, and sends it to my hot-sync program.

[+Miragee]

Here is a rudimentary GSAK tutorial that, although it was created a while ago, should be helpful.

 

I use GSAK for all the filtering, slicing, and dicing of the data, then Send the Waypoints to my GPSr, Export in the correct format for Cachemate, then Export .gpx for Garmin's POI Loader. GSAK is the only program I need to use to manage the PQ data.

[+Prime Suspect]

I have Plucker and CacheMate installed on my Palm. I have downloaded the PQ from my e-mail and have used Spinner on it. I just can't figure out how to move it with HotSync from the computer to the palm.

 

Stefanie

You want to download a program called Sunrise XP, and install it to your PC.

 

When you run Spinner, it creates a series of HTML pages, one page per cache, plus a few extra pages that contain indexes, and another set that contains the decoded hints.

 

What Sunrise XP does is take those pages and converts them into a file that can be hotsynced to your Palm. It can also pull in other info, such as images, from the internet. Whether or not you want to do that depends on how much memory your Palm has, and whether or not you have a fast internet connection.

 

After installing, start up Sunrise XP. What you're going to do is create a property file that describes what you want to happen. Under the File menu, select "New SXL", then select "New Document" from the Edit menu.

 

In the Document section enter a name such as "Geocaches" in the appropriate box.

 

In the Source section, you need to tell it the where to find the main HTML page that it will start with. If you put the Spinner.exe program in the "Program File" directory, then this most likely will be:

C:\Program Files\Spinner\cache\index.htm

 

Set the Link Depth to 6.

 

If you have a lot of memory, and a fast Internet connection, and you want to download cache page images, then set use the "Restrict to Domain" setting in the drop-down selector. If you don't want images downloaded, set it to "Restrict to directory".

 

Be sure to check the "Update Only If Source Changed" box. Very Important!

 

If you're downloading images, set the Max Image size a little smaller than whatever your Palm screen size is.

 

Click the Output tab at the top.

 

You don't want to set up a schedule, so skip that section.

 

You do want to set up a Destination. Click the "New" button under the Destination box. Select "HotSync". In the drop-down, select where you want the files to go. If your Palm doesn't have a removable memory card, there will probably only be one destination listed. If you do have a card, you probably want to select that. Leave the two check boxes unchecked.

 

That's about it. Click the OK button to accept your setting. Then under the File menu, use "Save as", and save the SXP file somewhere. It doesn't matter where, but you'll need to remember it in the next step.

 

Close Sunrise XP, and start up the HotSync Manager on your PC, if it's not already running. Double click the tray icon to bring up the interface.

 

Click on "Application", on the left hand side of the window. You should see Sunrise XP listed. Highlight the name by clicking on it, then click the Configure button. Click the "Add" button. What you're adding is the SXP file you created above, so type in the path and file name, or browse to it. Click OK. The file should be added to the list. Make sure the box next to it is checked. Click OK. You should be back at the Applications list. Make sure the box next to Sunrise XP is checked.

 

That's it. It's a bit of work (maybe 10 minutes) to initially set up, but once done, all you have to do to update the info in your Palm is to run Spinner, then HotSync your Palm. Everything else will happen automagically.

 

If you selected to download images, that will happen when the HotSync Manager runs Sunrise XP, so you need to be connected to the Internet at that point.

 

To view the documents, you will need to download and install on your Palm the Plucker Viewer. Scroll down to the Plucker Palm Applications section, and download one of the zip files. Unzip it, and HotSync it to your Palm.

[+familyfunfor6]

Thanks eveyone. I did it!!! I got one batch in to Cachemate. I am organizing them now. I am going to add more. Thanks so much for all the help.

 

Stefanie

[gitarmac]

Yeah thanks! I've been saving links to all the hints and tutorials for when my palm comes in.

[+timcr810]

Yeah thanks! I've been saving links to all the hints and tutorials for when my palm comes in.

 

I hope your smarter than me cause the whole process is kicking my butt.