Garmin GPS60csx and Loading/Tracking Caches

[+wrtiii]

Good Morning,

 

Ok, So I just purchased a 60csx. Been fiddling with it most the morning. I've geocached with one before as well as with an iphone before. for the garmin we had sat at home prior to, picked out like 10 caches we wanted to find and loaded just those and then went out and found them.

 

This morning I have been fiddling with loading 50+ caches at once onto the unit and trying to determine how the pocket queries will work with the unit without actually having a pocket query back yet.

 

The biggest problem I am forseeing is that if I load all the geocaches for the entire city of winnipeg and area (or at least 1000 of them) then it will be great because anywhere I go I will be able to find a cache nearby.

 

but I will have no details or data on the cache etc.

 

If I was to go to a thrift store and find myself a old palm pilot or something of the sort is there a way to download the files so I will have logging and info capabilities on a cheap lil palm pilot or something of the sort.

 

Also what is the best method for tracking my finds etc. Is there a way with mapsource I can keep a "MASTER" map?

 

I will continue doing some reasearch and finding out what works for me via trial and error but if anyone a little more experienced has some insight it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Anyone that is established and knows what they are doing in the winnipeg / manitoba area, feel free to let me know if you interested in showing a noob how a pro does it.

 

Thanks,

Bill

[+wycacher]

I used to use a PDA to bring all the info with me. This is the program I use. You can also googlel paperless geocaching with a PDA and you will get some good results.

 

Palm Pilot Paperless Geocaching Sept 2007

CacheMate Displays detailed cache information from GPX or LOC files (requires PC)

List by cache type

Geocaching hint decoder

Easily record found, not found, etc caches for quick logging online

 

As far as a master database of finds, I use Geocaching Swiss Army Knife as you can make multiple data bases (micro, Small + ect..) www.gsak.com

It is free to download but has a nag screen if you do not pay for the software.

 

Hope this helps.

[ao318]

With GSAK, it is a lot easier to filter out an area, type, diff, etc. range of caches you want to look for and then load them onto the GPS. I have a 60csx and it will only load approx 500 geocaches but can load 1000 POI's. Your PDA can hold 1000's of caches and you can get information from it to manually load into your GPS if you are in an area that you haven't loaded into your GPS.

 

The best option, since you said you have one, is to use the GC.com app along with the 60CSX. It can store all of your PQ's and it will give you updates of caches in your immediate area that you can manually enter into the CSX and use the iPhone for the hints and log field notes with. I also do this and find it works the best. I haven't used my PDA since.

[+ShowStop]

I use a Palm Tungsten and the Spinner and Plucker programs to load cache into onto it. The Spinner/Plucker method is a bit complicated to learn, but this page spells it out pretty well:

http://www.geocacher-u.com/resources/paperless.html

 

Another option is to upload limited additional data to the Garmin in the description field. This is limited to 30 char. Use special characters and edit as necessary in GSAK.

http://www.gsak.net/help/hs8100.htm

 

And check out GSAK if you haven't already.

[+scrapes]

I use the 60 CSX, and currently have all of NJ loaded as Custom Points of Interests (6000+ waypoints). A 4 gig card is used to hold these. I use GSAK to load up to a thousand geocaches, I usually load 600 as a working load of geocaches. GSAK is a great program.

 

The waypoints are convenient to have loaded and they are a little different the caches but you get to them the same way.

[+Kermie&MissPiggie]

I use the 60 CSX, and currently have all of NJ loaded as Custom Points of Interests (6000+ waypoints). A 4 gig card is used to hold these. I use GSAK to load up to a thousand geocaches, I usually load 600 as a working load of geocaches. GSAK is a great program.

 

The waypoints are convenient to have loaded and they are a little different the caches but you get to them the same way.

 

I've been trying to figure out how to load POI's to the Garmin 60csx SD card so I could have more than 1000 at one time. Could you tell me how you were able to do that? I have GSAK also.

 

Never mind, just figured it out from another posting. I'm not sure if I like it because I don't get the found button and I use that to keep track of the ones I found and to upload to GSAK. Thanks anyway!

Edited April 25, 2010 by Kermie&MissPiggie

[+cache_r_joe]

With GSAK, it is a lot easier to filter out an area, type, diff, etc. range of caches you want to look for and then load them onto the GPS. I have a 60csx and it will only load approx 500 geocaches but can load 1000 POI's. Your PDA can hold 1000's of caches and you can get information from it to manually load into your GPS if you are in an area that you haven't loaded into your GPS.

 

The best option, since you said you have one, is to use the GC.com app along with the 60CSX. It can store all of your PQ's and it will give you updates of caches in your immediate area that you can manually enter into the CSX and use the iPhone for the hints and log field notes with. I also do this and find it works the best. I haven't used my PDA since.

 

The 60CSx will hold 1000 caches as waypoints without an issue. The only limit to the number of POIs is the size of your card. I at one time had over 24,000 caches loaded as POIs.

 

My suggestion would be to get a palm device, use GSAK (gsak.net) to organize them. GSAK will not only allow you to load your PQs, but will allow you to filter the caches in almost any way. You can also use it to keep track of the caches that you have done before. If you are a premium member you can send yourself the "my finds" PQ weekly, this will update GSAK with your found caches. You could also update them manually.

[+wrtiii]

I am not sure I understand..

 

ARe waypoints and POI's different?

 

It seems to me anything that is preceeded with a GC shows up in the Geocache page of the 60csx. Even if I mark a waypoint and call it GCabc123 then it will show up as a not found cache.

 

But If I use GSAK to create a GPX file with 10 000 caches and then load that into mapsource and transfer to GPS what would happen?

 

I have a 2gb card in my 60.. Does everything automatically go onto the card or does the gps have it's own internal storage as well?

 

Also how large of a card can the 60csx handle? Can I put a 32GB Micro SD Card in it?

[ao318]

I am not sure I understand..

 

ARe waypoints and POI's different?

 

It seems to me anything that is preceeded with a GC shows up in the Geocache page of the 60csx. Even if I mark a waypoint and call it GCabc123 then it will show up as a not found cache.

 

But If I use GSAK to create a GPX file with 10 000 caches and then load that into mapsource and transfer to GPS what would happen?

 

I have a 2gb card in my 60.. Does everything automatically go onto the card or does the gps have it's own internal storage as well?

 

Also how large of a card can the 60csx handle? Can I put a 32GB Micro SD Card in it?

Yes, they are different but they are similar. POI vs Waypoint

 

Edited to add that POI's are usually stored onto the SD card where waypoints are stored onto the internal memory thus the reason for only allowing 1000 waypoints.

Edited April 26, 2010 by ao318