Got DeLorme PN-40 for Christmas

[+scvmeat]

OK...so I got a PN-40 for Christmas from Santa this year! I am really quite excited as I have been eyeing this unit up for months now. I have been using my trusty Garmin Vista HCx and of course it is a bit different than my new PN-40. I am hoping to get some direction from the PN-40 owners in this forum.

 

I did do some searching, but never seemed to be able to find what I needed (sorry...I know some of you will be able to find this stuff with your searching skills!)

 

So...

 

Is Cache Register the easiest way to get my PQs on my PN-40?

 

If I purchase CR, can I download a copy for my PC and Mac, or do I have to purchase a version for each?

 

Is there a free (fairly simple) way to get my PQs on my PN-40? I need to get my paperless on!!!

 

Topo USA 8.0...ummm...I am not a technophobe, but what is the best way to get started on this? I think that it is a very powerful tool, but don't quite know where to start.

 

I think that about does it for this round of questions. Sorry if I annoy anyone with this post as I am sure these questions were all asked before. Looking forward to the assistance!!!

[+Pax42]

Welcome aboard. Here's a few links to help get you started.

 

http://pn-series.wiki.delorme.com/

http://delormepn40.wikispaces.com/

http://pn-series.wiki.delorme.com/Getting+Started

 

Also:

http://delormepn40.wikispaces.com/Map+Layering

 

Great help at the DeLorme Fourm:

http://forums.delorme.com/

 

If you've used GSAK before, you can still use it with your 40, just get the latest update for 40 support. Otherwise CR is the best way to go. You can install CR on multiple computers but I believe you have to choose the PC or Mac version for download. I'm not sure if for one price you can get both versions.

Edited December 27, 2009 by Pax42

[+achtung6]

Is Cache Register the easiest way to get my PQs on my PN-40?

 

If I purchase CR, can I download a copy for my PC and Mac, or do I have to purchase a version for each?

 

Is there a free (fairly simple) way to get my PQs on my PN-40? I need to get my paperless on!!!

 

Topo USA 8.0...ummm...I am not a technophobe, but what is the best way to get started on this? I think that it is a very powerful tool, but don't quite know where to start.

 

I think that about does it for this round of questions. Sorry if I annoy anyone with this post as I am sure these questions were all asked before. Looking forward to the assistance!!!

 

I just got my PN-40 as well. I can't answer all your questions but here goes....

 

When you purchase Cache Register, you download either the PC or MAC version but you don't get both.

 

The free way of getting your PQs (you are now a premium member since DeLorme gifted you a 30 day Premium trial on GC.com) onto your device is by using Topo 8. It's not the most complicated thing but far from practical and is what has me seriously considering getting CR (Cache Register) to perform these transfers. I may have to hold off on this as I'm using firmware 2.7 on my PN and CR may not have full compatibility with this version yet.

 

Practicality aside, it seems to me like Topo 8 is a resource hog and I would rather not run it while using the computer for everything else while I order my PQs, download them, etc.

 

It is necessary, in lieu of using Cache Register, to "process" the .GPX files you download from GC.com with Topo 8 otherwise your data will not appear on the PN like it should.

 

That being said, the sequence I've been following is....

 

1) Receive PQs via email from GC.com

2) Download them, unzip them into a dedicated folder I've created for them. I also rename the file at this time to give them a meaningful name for ease of management.

3) With Topo 8, open the files (the GC and Waypoint files) I just unzipped by going to the Draw tab, then file, then import.

4) Now, you'll see your files in the list in Topo 8 as well as view the waypoints/Geocaches on the map.

5) Click on the PN Exchange Dialog button or use the ALT + E Shorcut to send the two files to the PN.

6) The files will now be visible on your PN device and can be used for finding caches!

 

**This works fine if you don't need to exceed the 1000 cache limit on the PN-40. If you do need to exceed this limit then you'll need to update the device to the 2.7 firmware which will allow you to transfer data between your computer and the PNs SD card which will increase the limit of data to the capacity of your SD card. You'll still be limited to 1,000 waypoints per file but you can have as many of these 1,000 waypoint files as your SD card will handle. I have a 16gb card and as it turns out, this will handle many more caches than I have use for :-)

 

So if you want/need more than 1000 caches/waypoints on your PN device you will need firmware 2.7 which you can obtain here:

 

http://forum.delorme.com/viewtopic.php?f=1...mp;hilit=pn+pro

 

So now, under firmware 2.7, after step 6 you've transferred the files to the PN and you can see your caches and their associated waypoints by toggling between their respective screens on the PN. Assuming you had nothing else loaded on there previously, the Geocache and Waypoint data set you loaded is the only thing on the device. I would suggest starting out this way since this will make for Geocache/Waypoint file sets that contain only the info that you originally intended for them to have when you setup your PQ.

 

Here is where it gets good. You can save the data to the SD card from the Waypoint menu and give it a name. At this moment, the PN "combines" the GC and Waypoint data which was originally separate into one .gpx file.

 

This is nice because from here on out, when you load the data from the SD card after that, you will be loading the combined GC and Waypoint data set for that PQ and will be able to view them both by toggling between the screens as was intended.

 

Further, I would suggest that at this point you use the data transfer feature and save this combined file to your computer for safe keeping. This file can then be removed (or accidentally deleted :-) from the SD card and then restored from the backup you have on your computer to the SD card whenever you need it in the future without having to go through all these steps again.

 

I spent nearly the whole day yesterday and part of today figuring all this out but I got it working now and am a happy camper. I hope it helps speed you through this process!

Edited December 27, 2009 by achtung6

[+Pax42]

Also, You can get PQs on your 40 without purchasing any additional software. Install the TOPO software and follow the steps below.

 

1. Unzip your PQ so you have the raw GPX files

2. Plug in the PN40 (turn it on and press enter for "data exchange" mode) and open TOPO 8.

3. Drag and drop the GPX file onto the map screen of TOPO (If it's a large file be patient. it can take a little bit for a few hundred caches to load to TOPO)

4. Click on the Exchange dialog box at the top of the screen (PN40 icon)

5. Under "Waypoints" on left side of box you will see the file you just loaded to TOPO. Highlight it and click on the send button. After a few seconds (or longer depending on file size) you'll see the file under "waypoints" on the right side of the screen.

 

The caches should now be on your device.

[+achtung6]

You can install CR on multiple computers but I believe you have to choose the PC or Mac version for download. I'm not sure if for one price you can get both versions.

 

Thanks! I've been wondering if I had to buy multiple copies of CR in order to run it on my PC and laptop!

[+Pax42]

Looks like achtung6 beat me to the punch. I would however, recommend avoiding the 2.7 upgrade until you're a little more comfortable with the unit. 2.7 was not specifically intended for geocaching and there are a few tricks to getting the most out of it that you can learn on the Delorme forums. There will be a version 2.8 more specific to caching released this spring.

Edited December 27, 2009 by Pax42

[+achtung6]

Looks like achtung6 beat me to the punch. I would however, recommend avoiding the 2.7 upgrade until you're a little more comfortable with the unit. 2.7 was not specifically intended for geocaching and there are a few tricks to getting the most out of it that you can learn on the Delorme forums. There will be a version 2.8 more sprecific to caching released this spring.

 

Hey Pax, can you give us some pointers regarding using CR for PQ management to/from the device? It seems like it's a simpler way of transferring the data to the PN-40. But are there any limitations or things we should otherwise know going into it?

 

I've been using Topo 8 as you know which has been working well but it seems you use both. Can you give us the pros and cons of using either method?

 

Thanks in advance.

[+Pax42]

To be honest I quit using CR as soon as GSAK began supporting the 40 so I may not be the most knowledgeable.

 

There's very little you need to do with CR. Once you've created PQs on GC.com and checked the box for them to be sent, they will show up in CR as soon as you open it. Just highlight the PQ in CR and click on the sync button and it takes care of everything including sending your field notes to GC.com and then clearing the file from memory.

[+achtung6]

To be honest I quit using CR as soon as GSAK began supporting the 40 so I may not be the most knowledgeable.

 

There's very little you need to do with CR. Once you've created PQs on GC.com and checked the box for them to be sent, they will show up in CR as soon as you open it. Just highlight the PQ in CR and click on the sync button and it takes care of everything including sending your field notes to GC.com and then clearing the file from memory.

 

Thanks. I've been reading about CR and from what I can see, it will transfer GPX files to the PN internal memory but will not write directly to the SD card, is this correct?

 

If so, this means that (on a PN running firmware 2.7) you need to clear the internal memory, load up to 1000 caches onto the internal memory using CR, then save them to the SD card and repeat the process to load more PQs. Is this correct?

 

Will GSAK write GPX files directly to the SD card in the PN? Also, is the program limited in any way (other than the prompt to contribute $25) once the trial period is up?

 

Lastly, is there a reason why GSAK is more attractive to you than CR? I'm curious as to why you suspended the use of CR over GSAK.

Edited December 27, 2009 by achtung6

[+scvmeat]

Wow!

 

Thanks for the great responses!!! I managed to do the drag and drop of my PQ right into Topo 8 and it worked quite well! I can't wait to spend more time with Topo 8 to really see what it can do!

 

I also updated my version of GSAK and tried it and it worked fine as well. I think I may stick with GSAK on my Windows machine and purchase CR for my Mac.

 

As a Mac user, I know how passionate Mac users can be regarding their OS and hardware of choice, even though it may not always be obvious to others who haven't spent enough time to learn the beauty of the OS. It kinda seems that the DeLorme crew is very similar, which is why I really want to get into my PN-40 and the software as soon as I can!

 

Does anyone think I should really worry about the aerial maps? They look cool, but I don't know how useful it will be for caching.

 

Thanks again!

[+Pax42]

To be honest I quit using CR as soon as GSAK began supporting the 40 so I may not be the most knowledgeable.

 

There's very little you need to do with CR. Once you've created PQs on GC.com and checked the box for them to be sent, they will show up in CR as soon as you open it. Just highlight the PQ in CR and click on the sync button and it takes care of everything including sending your field notes to GC.com and then clearing the file from memory.

 

Thanks. I've been reading about CR and from what I can see, it will transfer GPX files to the PN internal memory but will not write directly to the SD card, is this correct?

 

If so, this means that (on a PN running firmware 2.7) you need to clear the internal memory, load up to 1000 caches onto the internal memory using CR, then save them to the SD card and repeat the process to load more PQs. Is this correct?

 

Will GSAK write GPX files directly to the SD card in the PN? Also, is the program limited in any way (other than the prompt to contribute $25) once the trial period is up?

 

Lastly, is there a reason why GSAK is more attractive to you than CR? I'm curious as to why you suspended the use of CR over GSAK.

I'll answer what I can. Version 2.7 was targeted to those using their 40 with Delorme's Xmap software so it does not currently work directly with CR. Delorme has said that a version 2.8 will be released sometime this spring which will give the PN the capabilty to store GPX files on the SD card using CR. Hopefully it will also have a few other new caching features users have been asking for.

 

On the Delorme forums there is a thread discussing how to effectively use 2.7 along with TOPO to get multiple GPX files moving between the sd card and the internal memory. I haven't yet updated to 2.7 so I'm not the best to explain the process. I have nothing against it, I just haven't had a need for it yet so I can wait for 2.8.

 

If you don't mind the nag screen after the GSAK trial period you'll still get full functionality. Most hardcore cachers love GSAK so they're happy to pay the $25 to help Clyde to continue providing such a great tool.

 

GSAK has an advantage over CR in that it allows you to do a lot of special filtering and editing of caches before sending them to your GPSr. I also use GSAK to load caches on to my Nuvi as POIs. I then use my Nuvi to navigate to caches via the road and then switch to the 40 for offroad. Having one program to handle both units makes things a little easier.

Edited December 27, 2009 by Pax42

[+Pax42]

...Does anyone think I should really worry about the aerial maps? They look cool, but I don't know how useful it will be for caching.

 

Thanks again!

It depends. Those who are fortunate to be in areas that have the Hi Res City imagery available swear by it. I'm not much of a fan of parking lot caches but if you have an image on the 40 that clearly shows what lamp post or bush the cache is hidden at, that would definately come in handy. If however, you tend to cache more in the woods, the aerial imagery can be hit and miss. The color imagery seems to be exclusively taken during the spring and summer months when foilage is most full so the image on the 40 is pretty much just a bunch of green tree tops. It has come in handy for me a few times though when I was in a clearing with just a few trees. It's also nice for recording your tracks along trails and then creating a map with the trail layered over the imagery.

[+TotemLake]

...Does anyone think I should really worry about the aerial maps? They look cool, but I don't know how useful it will be for caching.

 

Thanks again!

It depends. Those who are fortunate to be in areas that have the Hi Res City imagery available swear by it. I'm not much of a fan of parking lot caches but if you have an image on the 40 that clearly shows what lamp post or bush the cache is hidden at, that would definately come in handy. If however, you tend to cache more in the woods, the aerial imagery can be hit and miss. The color imagery seems to be exclusively taken during the spring and summer months when foilage is most full so the image on the 40 is pretty much just a bunch of green tree tops. It has come in handy for me a few times though when I was in a clearing with just a few trees. It's also nice for recording your tracks along trails and then creating a map with the trail layered over the imagery.

I'll add take baby steps first. Downloading the imagery can be a daunting task. I posted a video link in another thread Pax Achtung6 started on how to do this. I'll also be posting another link when I have the video created and uploaded on how to transfer the imagery to the PN. Hopefully this will be accomplished today or tomorrow. I have to redo the entire thing to bring it down to a manageable size.

Edited December 27, 2009 by TotemLake

[+Pax42]

...I posted a video link in another thread Pax started on how to do this...

Thanks for the recognition TL but to give credit where credit's due, Achtung6 started that thread.

[+TotemLake]

My mistake. So he did indeed.

[+scvmeat]

...Does anyone think I should really worry about the aerial maps? They look cool, but I don't know how useful it will be for caching.

 

Thanks again!

It depends. Those who are fortunate to be in areas that have the Hi Res City imagery available swear by it. I'm not much of a fan of parking lot caches but if you have an image on the 40 that clearly shows what lamp post or bush the cache is hidden at, that would definately come in handy. If however, you tend to cache more in the woods, the aerial imagery can be hit and miss. The color imagery seems to be exclusively taken during the spring and summer months when foilage is most full so the image on the 40 is pretty much just a bunch of green tree tops. It has come in handy for me a few times though when I was in a clearing with just a few trees. It's also nice for recording your tracks along trails and then creating a map with the trail layered over the imagery.

I'll add take baby steps first. Downloading the imagery can be a daunting task. I posted a video link in another thread Pax started on how to do this. I'll also be posting another link when I have the video created and uploaded on how to transfer the imagery to the PN. Hopefully this will be accomplished today or tomorrow. I have to redo the entire thing to bring it down to a manageable size.

 

I'll take a look at the videos! Thanks again for all the great info!