Downloading caches to data card for Ifinder Expedition C

[+bobandrobin]

Hello all,

I sure could use some help here, I'm trying to find an alternative to the pocket query for loading a few caches in separate locations, something I have been doing manually but it's a slow process prone to operator error.

I have a Lowrance I finder Expedition C and some data cards, that's it. No cable or mapping software. I do have "Easy GPS" installed but I am still in the learning curve. I'm running Vista/Firefox 3.5 on an HP Pavillion dv9000 laptop. The laptop has a slot for data cards and I have been able to take a pocket query of around 500 caches, transfer it to the card and then to the Lowrance. Gold star for me as I'm not proficient at the computer and have a basic (but improving) understanding of the Expedition C.

What I would like to do is take caches from the find a cache map put them in files and transfer the files to a card. For example this weekend we would like to go to several waterfront parks and these parks have two to five caches in each. I'm not interested in the hundreds of caches in between in the urban areas, it's a lot of clutter and in some areas the icons dominate the screen. Is this possible? And is there a way to get all the cache info on the card? When I run a PQ I get the size, difficulty rating and location, that's pretty much it.

One more question, on the "Easy GPS" program the tutorials just take you around in circles. Is this some sort of initiation? any one want to share the secret?

Thank you very much for your time, I do appreciate the help, Bob.

[+Indotguy]

There are two cache download formats,*.LOC and *.GPX. The GPX format transfers all the cache data. The loc format carries only the basic. You should be able to click the cache icons on the cache map page, click the cache name in the info box and open the full cache page. Download the cache as a GPX file from there. Save them in files and open them in Easy GPS and then transfer them to the SD card.

[+Walts Hunting]

The only way to get GPX files (as opposed to LOC) it through a PQ. When you locate the cache area you want write down the GC number of one of them. When you are done run a PQ for each one and ask for the closest 10 (or whatever number you want). There is a field called Waypoint Name for you to put the GC number in under Origins. As long as you are in the learning stage for EasyGPS I would suggest you get GSAK and learn that. You can drop all those PQ's into one database and then export them. If you don't think you will be running them again then click the Delete after Run button.

[+bobandrobin]

Thanks folks, so far I have been able to download the caches to EasyGPS from the map page as Indotguy described. They are listed as gpx files. I send them to the data card, install the card in GPS and download the info. and all I can read are basics, location, cache size, levels of difficulty. I'm good with this, but it would be nice to have all the cache info- description, hints,logs etc.

Once again I appreciate the help.

How do you run a PQ on demand? The only option I see is to set it up for tomorrow. (?)

[+Indotguy]

The only way to get GPX files (as opposed to LOC) it through a PQ.When you locate the cache area you want write down the GC number of one of them. When you are done run a PQ for each one and ask for the closest 10 (or whatever number you want). There is a field called Waypoint Name for you to put the GC number in under Origins. As long as you are in the learning stage for EasyGPS I would suggest you get GSAK and learn that. You can drop all those PQ's into one database and then export them. If you don't think you will be running them again then click the Delete after Run button.

 

I beg to differ. I often download individual caches in GPX format directly from the cache page to GSAK. I use GSAK to filter and save them as a GPX file. If I don't have too many I copy the gpx file to the SD card and open them in my H20C. I use PQs sometime but they are not the only way to get files in GPX format.

[+Indotguy]

Thanks folks, so far I have been able to download the caches to EasyGPS from the map page as Indotguy described. They are listed as gpx files. I send them to the data card, install the card in GPS and download the info. and all I can read are basics, location, cache size, levels of difficulty. I'm good with this, but it would be nice to have all the cache info- description, hints,logs etc.

Once again I appreciate the help.

How do you run a PQ on demand? The only option I see is to set it up for tomorrow. (?)

 

The unit you have is not designed to display cache descriptions, logs, etc. To have that information in the field you will either have to get a GPS with 'paperless' functionality or a separate device such as a PDA.

To run a PQ on demand, on the "Days to Generate" section at the top of the page, check the day of the week you want the query to generate.

[+DonB]

Hello all,

I sure could use some help here, I'm trying to find an alternative to the pocket query for loading a few caches in separate locations, something I have been doing manually but it's a slow process prone to operator error.

I have a Lowrance I finder Expedition C and some data cards, that's it. No cable or mapping software. I do have "Easy GPS" installed but I am still in the learning curve. I'm running Vista/Firefox 3.5 on an HP Pavillion dv9000 laptop. The laptop has a slot for data cards and I have been able to take a pocket query of around 500 caches, transfer it to the card and then to the Lowrance. Gold star for me as I'm not proficient at the computer and have a basic (but improving) understanding of the Expedition C.

What I would like to do is take caches from the find a cache map put them in files and transfer the files to a card. For example this weekend we would like to go to several waterfront parks and these parks have two to five caches in each. I'm not interested in the hundreds of caches in between in the urban areas, it's a lot of clutter and in some areas the icons dominate the screen. Is this possible? And is there a way to get all the cache info on the card? When I run a PQ I get the size, difficulty rating and location, that's pretty much it.

One more question, on the "Easy GPS" program the tutorials just take you around in circles. Is this some sort of initiation? any one want to share the secret?

Thank you very much for your time, I do appreciate the help, Bob.

You don't say why you want an alternative to a PQ, but the easiest method would be to create a bookmark and bookmark the caches you want then create a PQ and run the GPX file through Lowrance's GPX to USR program. You have to have the file as a USR file for the GPS to use it. I have bookmarks for the different areas I cache in and when I see a cache I might want to do in any one of the areas I save it to that bookmark, and whenever I decide to do some caches in that area I create a PQ. Some people don't like the way this system works but I think it's pretty slick myself, I can have all of the different areas on the SD card and just load the area I want to cache in that day, I don't have to have a couple of hundred waypoints in the GPS I don't need. When I'm done for the day I just delete all of the waypoints from the GPS and load a different area the next time I go out. The nice thing is when you delete them from the GPS you don't really lose them because they are still on the card. With the GPXtoUSR software you can covert the GPX file with different optons, I have it give me the name and GC number on the waypoint list page and on the next option screen it shows me the hint if there is one. I kind of rambled on but I hope this helps.