Cache Register now available for PN devices

[+snow_rules]

Delorme just released the Cache Register widget for their PN series devices

 

DeLorme Cache Register

Edited June 3, 2009 by snow_rules

[+hofy67]

Delorme just released the Cache Register widget for their PN series devices

 

DeLorme Cache Register

 

Already downloaded and playing with it.

[+Rockin Roddy]

AWESOME!! Can't wait to give it a try!!

[+hofy67]

For those with the PN-20 please make sure you have the latest firmware loaded. (v1.6 RTM) or it will NOT work.

 

Other than that, WOW worth every penny of $9.95!!!

[+briansnat]

Yeeee ha! What a nifty piece of software. No need to even save play around with GSAK or save PQs to your hard drive. Sweet!

[+hofy67]

Yeeee ha! What a nifty piece of software. No need to even save play around with GSAK or save PQs to your hard drive. Sweet!

 

Actually GSAK will be just as important as ever. Now you can edit your database with filters to create those super custom PQ with it and import them into Cache Register. Good stuff indeed.

[+user13371]

...Actually GSAK will be just as important as ever. Now you can edit your database with filters to create those super custom PQ ...

What kind of custom filtering do you do with GSAK that you can't do directly on GC.com's PQ generator?

[jholly]

...Actually GSAK will be just as important as ever. Now you can edit your database with filters to create those super custom PQ ...

What kind of custom filtering do you do with GSAK that you can't do directly on GC.com's PQ generator?

 

polygon filters come quickly to mind. Sure would like to find out how to do that on the GC site.

 

Jim

[+TotemLake]

...Actually GSAK will be just as important as ever. Now you can edit your database with filters to create those super custom PQ ...

What kind of custom filtering do you do with GSAK that you can't do directly on GC.com's PQ generator?

 

polygon filters come quickly to mind. Sure would like to find out how to do that on the GC site.

 

Jim

Agreed. I use that when I'm boating in Lake Washington and I want to see caches hidden within a half mile of the shore. I can tell it within half mile outside the polygon. It's a nice way to exclude a big expanse like a national park or a lake.

[+user13371]

Two votes for polygons, hmmm...

 

TL: "Within half mile of Lake Washington" would be easy. Do the shoreline as a GPX route -- I'll bet you already have that -- and then use GC's "caches along a route" feature to find all within 1/2 mile.

 

Other polygons might be trickier. "Near the lake" seems easy because you don't need any points INSIDE. For filled polygons you'd have to wrap the inside within certain a distance of the perimeter.

Edited June 4, 2009 by lee_rimar

[+Raider Rodney]

Great piece of software!

[+RRLover]

AND ! . . . Since nobody's mentioned it, this also comes as a dashboard widget for Macintosh users equipped w/Intel processors.

Device(PN-40 I know for sure)firmware upgrades are also being made avail. as .dmg files w/installers.

 

Norm

[+Maingray]

...Actually GSAK will be just as important as ever. Now you can edit your database with filters to create those super custom PQ ...

What kind of custom filtering do you do with GSAK that you can't do directly on GC.com's PQ generator?

 

polygon filters come quickly to mind. Sure would like to find out how to do that on the GC site.

 

Jim

 

Polygons. Storage of solved puzzle caches co-ordinates. Caches with 3+ prior DNFs. Caches in certain counties / Delorme grids. Caches that a group of cachers have as mutual unfounds... etc

 

But as CR can export GSAK-exported gpx files it's kinda moot, just an extra step than going from GSAk directly.

 

CR looks like it has some thought put into it, glad to see it's around for the Delormes. In terms of customisation, certainly not a GSAK-replacer, more a replacement for the PQ page on gc.com. But at least caches can now be transferred easily to the unit. Perfect for ease of use for a large majority of cachers who don;t require much more than a PQ and will go a LONG way to dispel the "OMG IT'S TOPO7/8 .... SOOO STEEEEEP "

Edited June 4, 2009 by Maingray

[+user13371]

... for Macintosh users...Device(PN-40 I know for sure)firmware upgrades are also being made avail. as .dmg files w/installers.

...This last bit isn't precisely true, probably by way of careless editing.

 

Cache Register for the Mac IS distributed as a .dmg package containing an installer.

 

But going slightly off-topic: Firmware update 2.5 for the PN-40 is distributed for Mac as a .dmg file containing the hex update file and instructions on how to copy it to the SD card, etc. Not the same as an installer program -- but to me that's probably better. The BEST approach to firmware updates would be as a zip package containing the hex update file and instructions. Then there'd be no need to differentiate packaging for Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.

 

Slightly further afield: Basemap updates for PN-40 don't seem available at all except the old basemap on the 2.4 "full firmware" package and in Topo 8.

[+dbrakob]

Just curious. What are the main differences between using Cache Register and using Topo 7 to upload your PQs? I have a PN-20 I got 2 weeks ago and although the Topo7 process seems cumbersome it gives me everything I need for paperless caching. (I think)

[+Team CowboyPapa]

Just curious. What are the main differences between using Cache Register and using Topo 7 to upload your PQs? I have a PN-20 I got 2 weeks ago and although the Topo7 process seems cumbersome it gives me everything I need for paperless caching. (I think)

With one exception, the response of those who have used it is extremely positive.

And that proves the rule, there is always the exception to every rule.

 

You might go here and check it out:

http://forums.delorme.com/viewforum.php?f=141

 

Oh yes, the caches come straight to your PN-20 from GC.com.

There is no emailing of PCs, saving to your PC, unzipping, storing as a waypoint layer in Topo 7 and then uploading to PN-20.

One click and they are moving.

Edited June 5, 2009 by Team CowboyPapa

[+TotemLake]

Two votes for polygons, hmmm...

 

TL: "Within half mile of Lake Washington" would be easy. Do the shoreline as a GPX route -- I'll bet you already have that -- and then use GC's "caches along a route" feature to find all within 1/2 mile.

 

Other polygons might be trickier. "Near the lake" seems easy because you don't need any points INSIDE. For filled polygons you'd have to wrap the inside within certain a distance of the perimeter.

I can't speak for the GPX route now, but when I did it, I was able to exclude everything inside the polygon when the GPX route was not able to do this. So all caches I had were outside the polygon and within half mile of the shoreline.

[+fizzymagic]

Oh yes, the caches come straight to your PN-20 from GC.com.

There is no emailing of PCs, saving to your PC, unzipping, storing as a waypoint layer in Topo 7 and then uploading to PN-20.

One click and they are moving.

And, if they happen to be Unknown cache types, wrong.

 

Woo hoo.

[+BANDA]

Just curious. What are the main differences between using Cache Register and using Topo 7 to upload your PQs? I have a PN-20 I got 2 weeks ago and although the Topo7 process seems cumbersome it gives me everything I need for paperless caching. (I think)

 

And TOPO 7 only gives you 800 characters of cache info, whereas Cache Register gives you 2000 on the PN-20.

[+user13371]

I can't speak for the GPX route now, but when I did it, I was able to exclude everything inside the polygon when the GPX route was not able to do this.

Okay -- but if the GPX route traced the outline of a lake -- how many caches would it be INSIDE? Do a lot of folks put caches IN the lake?

[+TheIrishRovers]

Sorry don't mean to be a total newbie here but I got the down load for my pn-40 and am looking foward to getting out to use it soon. However, I cannot figure out how to generate pocket queries or anything else. Can I do this without having my PN plugged in?? And worse for my total NB persona, how do i even start a pocket querie? can some one please help me along to a place where I can find happiness??

 

thanks TheIrishRovers

[+TotemLake]

I can't speak for the GPX route now, but when I did it, I was able to exclude everything inside the polygon when the GPX route was not able to do this.

Okay -- but if the GPX route traced the outline of a lake -- how many caches would it be INSIDE? Do a lot of folks put caches IN the lake?

Lake Washington is 25 miles long and a mile wide. It has an island in the middle of it. I wasn't interested in the island caches. i'm also not interested in any multi's where the coordinates start in the middle of the lake which happens a lot here. In the event there's ever a scuba cache that gets listed there, I won't see that in my list either.

Edited June 5, 2009 by TotemLake

[+pigpen4x4]

Sorry don't mean to be a total newbie here but I got the down load for my pn-40 and am looking foward to getting out to use it soon. However, I cannot figure out how to generate pocket queries or anything else. Can I do this without having my PN plugged in?? And worse for my total NB persona, how do i even start a pocket querie? can some one please help me along to a place where I can find happiness??

 

thanks TheIrishRovers

Log in to your GC page, the one that shows all your finds and so forth.

Scroll down and find "Build Pocket Queries" on the right

Open it and click "Create a new query"

Now, just select what you want to have sent to you.

What day? Tommorrow usually works best.

Just consider the choices, if they are either or and.

Best part of a PM if you ask me.

 

Hey Roddy, I will stop saying the Garmin is easier now!!!!!

 

PP4x4

[+Rockin Roddy]

Sorry don't mean to be a total newbie here but I got the down load for my pn-40 and am looking foward to getting out to use it soon. However, I cannot figure out how to generate pocket queries or anything else. Can I do this without having my PN plugged in?? And worse for my total NB persona, how do i even start a pocket querie? can some one please help me along to a place where I can find happiness??

 

thanks TheIrishRovers

Log in to your GC page, the one that shows all your finds and so forth.

Scroll down and find "Build Pocket Queries" on the right

Open it and click "Create a new query"

Now, just select what you want to have sent to you.

What day? Tommorrow usually works best.

Just consider the choices, if they are either or and.

Best part of a PM if you ask me.

 

Hey Roddy, I will stop saying the Garmin is easier now!!!!!

 

PP4x4

 

[+GadgetMonster]

The register does nothing for pc owners that topo software that comes with the unit does not do. Its understandable if you own a mac.

 

$10 for convenience? it's not worth it. I can transfer a PQ in 1 minute with topo. If it was $.99, ok.

 

Groundspeak only charged $10 for the geocaching app for the iphone. I paid that because its a fully functioning cache tool and it works.

 

I would be willing to bet that sales are not good.

 

If Delorme wanted to see some sales, they should have added functionality in the register that isn't available to PC owners........

 

Example: Allow 2,000, 3,000, or 5,000 caches with the register. Or: Unlimited based on available memory. If it did that, i would probably buy it.

[+Rockin Roddy]

The register does nothing for pc owners that topo software that comes with the unit does not do. Its understandable if you own a mac.

 

$10 for convenience? it's not worth it. I can transfer a PQ in 1 minute with topo. If it was $.99, ok.

 

Groundspeak only charged $10 for the geocaching app for the iphone. I paid that because its a fully functioning cache tool and it works.

 

I would be willing to bet that sales are not good.

 

If Delorme wanted to see some sales, they should have added functionality in the register that isn't available to PC owners........

 

Example: Allow 2,000, 3,000, or 5,000 caches with the register. Or: Unlimited based on available memory. If it did that, i would probably buy it.

 

Let me get this straight, you won't buy it yet you badmouth it without using it? I'm hearing an awful lot of good things about it from people that ARE using it, I'm going to take your comments with a grain of salt!

[+TotemLake]

The register does nothing for pc owners that topo software that comes with the unit does not do. Its understandable if you own a mac.

 

$10 for convenience? it's not worth it. I can transfer a PQ in 1 minute with topo. If it was $.99, ok.

 

Groundspeak only charged $10 for the geocaching app for the iphone. I paid that because its a fully functioning cache tool and it works.

 

I would be willing to bet that sales are not good.

 

If Delorme wanted to see some sales, they should have added functionality in the register that isn't available to PC owners........

 

Example: Allow 2,000, 3,000, or 5,000 caches with the register. Or: Unlimited based on available memory. If it did that, i would probably buy it.

That is one perspective and frankly, only one out of many. It's handy for me to install it on my work PC so I don't have to waste my T8 second seat license on it. In some situations, the CR is going to be more convenient than the T8. If you have the coordinates, but you don't want to plot them on the map, then you direct connect with the CR to GC.com and pull a PQ... voila yer done.

 

So, even if it isn't worth it for you, it's worth it for others and it will be based on their needs, not yours. But thanks for playing.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

 

So, even if it isn't worth it for you, it's worth it for others and it will be based on their needs, not yours. But thanks for playing.

Roger that. So I'm in my third year here as a Premium Member and now that $10 for CR puts me at a total of $100. Sheeesh.

[+user13371]

... I will stop saying the Garmin is easier ...

Yup, for now DeLorme as taken the lead on convenience of loading PQs.

 

Don't expect that to last though. I doubt Garmin is more than a few weeks away from introducing a similar functionality. And over on the caching for iPhone section Josh dropped a hint that the next version of the iPhone GC app would load PQs directly from GC also.

 

The game is called leapfrog and nobody stays in the lead for very long.

Edited June 6, 2009 by lee_rimar

[+The Unpleasables]

Ok, as a non 'fan-boi' for the PN-40 I just wanted to post that I love CR.

 

I live in a fairly rural area and now I have a dozen PQ's set up based on the center of nearby cities / towns. I can now just open CR, d/l the 500 caches (which turns out to be about a 50 mile diameter circle around the larger cities) near the area we want to cache, and off we go. No loading up T8, d/l the PQ, importing the PQ, sending the draw layer over to the PN-40. Saves me a good 15 - 20 min prep time (which I know isn't a lot but was still a fairly tedious task; not difficult, just tedious).

 

I love the child waypoints as well showing parking, areas for multi's specifically marked out, and other info that wasn't getting across before.

 

I notice that I'm not d/l maps as often and making due with the basemap. We're now going off to caches that we weren't initially planning on getting as they are now all on the PN so if one is nearby we can grab it (used to only d/l the maps for the areas we were gonna' aim at and now we can be 10 miles down the road looking for something interesting I didn't notice on the GC site but shows up on the PN cache list list now).

 

Hope this helps those on the fence; $10 well spent in my opinion.

[+Maingray]

... I will stop saying the Garmin is easier ...

Yup, for now DeLorme as taken the lead on convenience of loading PQs.

 

 

Not sure what's easier than dropping a PQ onto the GPS unit through Windows....

 

(not that I do that anyway, as I got bunches of puzzles caches I've solved i need to find)

Edited June 6, 2009 by Maingray

[+pigpen4x4]

... I will stop saying the Garmin is easier ...

Yup, for now DeLorme as taken the lead on convenience of loading PQs.

 

 

Not sure what's easier than dropping a PQ onto the GPS unit through Windows....

 

(not that I do that anyway, as I got bunches of puzzles caches I've solved i need to find)

To understand the comment, you would have had to witness the bantering between Roddy and myself.

(and others )

[+user13371]

... what's easier than dropping a PQ on the GPS unit through Windows ...

Cache Register gets the PQ from GC.com and syncs it directly to the GPS. A tiny convenience, saving the step of downloading it and unpacking it yourself first.

[+LaRobley]

... what's easier than dropping a PQ on the GPS unit through Windows ...

Cache Register gets the PQ from GC.com and syncs it directly to the GPS. A tiny convenience, saving the step of downloading it and unpacking it yourself first.

 

To me its more then a tiny convience. I really like what it does.

[+hofy67]

Dont forget uploading your field notes after you are done caching.

Very nice time saver.

[+coreynjoey]

Dont forget uploading your field notes after you are done caching.

Very nice time saver.

Yes! With CR you don't even need to go to geocaching.com, it just uploads the field notes directly.

[+dakboy]

Dont forget uploading your field notes after you are done caching.

Very nice time saver.

Yes! With CR you don't even need to go to geocaching.com, it just uploads the field notes directly.

You still have to come to the site to post the field notes, else the finds don't count and no one else sees the logs.

[+Rockin Roddy]

Everything I've heard so far has been really encouraging, can't wait to get it and load it up!

[+Rockin Roddy]

Dont forget uploading your field notes after you are done caching.

Very nice time saver.

Yes! With CR you don't even need to go to geocaching.com, it just uploads the field notes directly.

You still have to come to the site to post the field notes, else the finds don't count and no one else sees the logs.

 

Sounds like the steps of opening GC.com, going to Access Field Notes, browsing for the file and uploading them is now gone? This isn't a HUGE effort, but anything to make this easier is GREAT!

[+dakboy]

Dont forget uploading your field notes after you are done caching.

Very nice time saver.

Yes! With CR you don't even need to go to geocaching.com, it just uploads the field notes directly.

You still have to come to the site to post the field notes, else the finds don't count and no one else sees the logs.

 

Sounds like the steps of opening GC.com, going to Access Field Notes, browsing for the file and uploading them is now gone? This isn't a HUGE effort, but anything to make this easier is GREAT!

That's correct. Come home from caching, plug in your PN-40, hit "Sync" on any PQ and it'll also upload your notes (and delete them from the device when done). When it's done it'll pop up a bubble and ask you if you want to go to the Field Notes page to view them. Done.

[+user13371]

Everything I've heard so far has been really encouraging, can't wait to get it and load it up!

Well, get on with it then!

 

Cache Register makes loading caches almost as easy as using an iPhone -- perhaps as easy as it CAN be made for an offline device. The only advantage retained for wireless, always connected devices is being able to get new cache data and log your finds in the field in realtime

[+Rockin Roddy]

Everything I've heard so far has been really encouraging, can't wait to get it and load it up!

Well, get on with it then!

 

Cache Register makes loading caches almost as easy as using an iPhone -- perhaps as easy as it CAN be made for an offline device. The only advantage retained for wireless, always connected devices is being able to get new cache data and log your finds in the field in realtime

 

lol....working on it!

[+Team CowboyPapa]

Everything I've heard so far has been really encouraging, can't wait to get it and load it up!

Well, almost everything RR.

 

As I noted above in post #16:

With one exception, the response of those who have used it is extremely positive.

And that proves the rule, there is always the exception to every rule.

And that one exception is posted above in #18.

 

Outside of that, yes, the responses in this thread have been overwhelmingly positive.

 

(Well, #25 expressed a negative view, but without any evidence that such was based on actual, hands-on, keystroking experience.)

 

It will be interesting to see if DeLorme can expand the functionality of the Cache Register to encompass a wider set of the geocaching community's requirements.

[+Rockin Roddy]

Everything I've heard so far has been really encouraging, can't wait to get it and load it up!

Well, almost everything RR.

 

As I noted above in post #16:

With one exception, the response of those who have used it is extremely positive.

And that proves the rule, there is always the exception to every rule.

And that one exception is posted above in #18.

 

Outside of that, yes, the responses in this thread have been overwhelmingly positive.

 

(Well, #25 expressed a negative view, but without any evidence that such was based on actual, hands-on, keystroking experience.)

 

It will be interesting to see if DeLorme can expand the functionality of the Cache Register to encompass a wider set of the geocaching community's requirements.

 

My statement was correct since I never checked that link!

[+Rockin Roddy]

Everything I've heard so far has been really encouraging, can't wait to get it and load it up!

Well, almost everything RR.

 

As I noted above in post #16:

With one exception, the response of those who have used it is extremely positive.

And that proves the rule, there is always the exception to every rule.

And that one exception is posted above in #18.

 

Outside of that, yes, the responses in this thread have been overwhelmingly positive.

 

(Well, #25 expressed a negative view, but without any evidence that such was based on actual, hands-on, keystroking experience.)

 

It will be interesting to see if DeLorme can expand the functionality of the Cache Register to encompass a wider set of the geocaching community's requirements.

 

My statement was correct since I never checked that link!

[+GadgetMonster]

sorry, weird website error.

Edited June 7, 2009 by escapethematrix

[+GadgetMonster]

I'll buy it if its $1.99 or less.

[+Rockin Roddy]

I'll buy it if its $1.99 or less.

 

Good luck with that!