Magellan Explorist GC and Pocket Queries

[+BouncingChecks]

Is there a way that I can download pocket queries onto my Magellan GC instead of loading the caches one by one?

Edited May 7, 2010 by BouncingChecks

[+madmikess]

You can use Vantage Point and have the software go straight to geocaching.com and grab them for you and load them on the GC when you do a sync. Or you can download the PQ, load it in GSAK and send the list of caches to the GC. Make sure you are using the latest build of GSAK so you can see attributes, as well, make sure your geocaching account is set to download GPX 1.0.1.

[+miniwhip]

Or you can drag and drop a GPX file directly to the GC, or multiple GPX files for that matter.

[+Moose Mob]

Or you can drag and drop a GPX file directly to the GC, or multiple GPX files for that matter.

Extract teh ZIP file and put the GPX file into the Geocaches folder and the Waypoints in the Waypoints folder. Be sure to delete the old files off the eXplorist on occasion or you will be searching for the same caches over and over.

[+BouncingChecks]

You can use Vantage Point and have the software go straight to geocaching.com and grab them for you and load them on the GC when you do a sync. Or you can download the PQ, load it in GSAK and send the list of caches to the GC. Make sure you are using the latest build of GSAK so you can see attributes, as well, make sure your geocaching account is set to download GPX 1.0.1.

 

Can I download vantage point off the internet?

[+madmikess]

You can use Vantage Point and have the software go straight to geocaching.com and grab them for you and load them on the GC when you do a sync. Or you can download the PQ, load it in GSAK and send the list of caches to the GC. Make sure you are using the latest build of GSAK so you can see attributes, as well, make sure your geocaching account is set to download GPX 1.0.1.

 

Can I download vantage point off the internet?

 

Yes, you can download it from magellan for free.

[+BouncingChecks]

Or you can drag and drop a GPX file directly to the GC, or multiple GPX files for that matter.

 

I have tried this but I can't get it too work. I must be doing something wrong.

[+BouncingChecks]

Or you can drag and drop a GPX file directly to the GC, or multiple GPX files for that matter.

 

I have tried this but I can't get it too work. I must be doing something wrong.

[+geojibby]

Here you go my friend, check out this page and enjoy drag & drop cache madness!

GC Screenshots!

 

Or you can drag and drop a GPX file directly to the GC, or multiple GPX files for that matter.

 

I have tried this but I can't get it too work. I must be doing something wrong.

[+Moose Mob]

GSAK 7.7.1 supports native exports the GC. I will give a try soon.

[+BouncingChecks]

Thank you everyone for your help. My brain has a hard time wrapping itself around computer stuff lately. We finally got it to work and am loving the fact that I can drag and drop. It is so easy now that I know how to do it. I just hope I don't forget.

[+SPat ABQ]

So, lets revive this thread.

 

Vatage point no longer works.

 

How are you guys downloading pocket quaries into the Explorist GC?

[+HHL]

 

23 minutes ago, SPat ABQ said:

How are you guys downloading pocket quaries into the Explorist GC?

Please read post #3 and #4 in this thread. ;-)

[+SPat ABQ]

So I got the file downloaded, but it seems to want to use gsak

 

I don't know how to unzip it.

 

 

[+SPat ABQ]

Why is it a gsak data file?

 

I don't want to use gsak.

 

Just want to put the pocket quary into the explorist.

 

[+SPat ABQ]

So my pocket querys are all going to gsak format.    Trying to download a cache into the eplorist downloads to gsak format.        weird.

 

Can I kill gsak?   It is like a virus.

[+SPat ABQ]

Gotta figure out how to at least put a geocache in this thing from the website...................funny that it downloads gsak.

 

gottta be a setting I'm missing.

[+Mineral2]

The file downloads as a .zip file. You can unzip that natively by just double clicking on it.

The files inside are .gpx files. It's likely that your computer has this extension associated with GSAK. All you need to do, though, is drag the .gpx file into the proper folder on your GPS as described above.

The GPS, when plugged in, *should* mount as a mass storage device with its own drive letter or name, just as a USB thumb drive or external hard drive would do.

[+kunarion]

21 hours ago, SPat ABQ said:

So my pocket querys are all going to gsak format.    Trying to download a cache into the eplorist downloads to gsak format.        weird.

 

Can I kill gsak?   It is like a virus.

 

If you don't use GSAK, either delete it, change the file associations, or work with your files in a way that doesn't run GSAK.  My PC has file associations set to run Notepad if I double-click a GPX file, and that works fine.

 

As Mineral2 said, you unzip a pocket query zip file to get the GPX file(s).  In Windows 10, one way to do this is by right-clicking the zip file, and selecting "Extract All".  A new window pops up with one or two GPX files.  Copy GPX files into the "geocaches" folder on a Magellan Exporist GC.

[+SPat ABQ]

17 hours ago, kunarion said:

 

As Mineral2 said, you unzip a pocket query zip file to get the GPX file(s).  In Windows 10, one way to do this is by right-clicking the zip file, and selecting "Extract All".  A new window pops up with one or two GPX files.  Copy GPX files into the "geocaches" folder on a Magellan Exporist GC.

So I am using windows 7, I don't know if that matters.

 

There is no prompting to unzip the folders.     

 

I deleted gsak, and put another program called  EasyGPS.   It downloads the gpx file and I can even see the individual geocaches, but they don't download individually into the GPS.   

 

I think I'll get rid of the new program and see if I can unzip the file.      I could move them if I could individualize them.   Drag and drop makes sence, but the programs take over the process.        I'm gonna get rid of the programs.

 

Thganjs for the help.

[+kunarion]

17 minutes ago, SPat ABQ said:

So I am using windows 7, I don't know if that matters.

 

It's the same with Windows 7.  Right-click the zip file, and selecting "Extract All".  A new window pops up with one or two GPX files.  Copy GPX files into the "geocaches" folder on a Magellan Exporist GC.

 

You could instead double-click a zip file as Mineral2 mentioned, but that depends on what you've changed with file associations, or what special programs you've installed that I can't guess.

 

Good luck!

[+SPat ABQ]

4 minutes ago, kunarion said:

 

It's the same with Windows 7.  Right-click the zip file, and selecting "Extract All".  A new window pops up with one or two GPX files.  Copy GPX files into the "geocaches" folder on a Magellan Exporist GC.

 

Good luck!

 

 

I appreciate your help.

 

I don't see the individual geocaches.     When I open it, there is just one file there.   It goes to the GPS, but there are no geocaches when I start the unit.  I look in explorer and there is just one file there.   I think it is the compressed file, that it does not read as a geocache.

 

This used to be easier.     I am missing a simple process in this.   I want to see the individual geocaches.     I guess I can do one at a time and see if that works.    It is still a download to computer, then move to unit.     Geocaching.com no longer downloads direct to the gps.

 

 

[+kunarion]

17 minutes ago, SPat ABQ said:

 

 

I appreciate your help.

 

I don't see the individual geocaches.     When I open it, there is just one file there.   It goes to the GPS, but there are no geocaches when I start the unit.  I look in explorer and there is just one file there.   I think it is the compressed file, that it does not read as a geocache.

 

This used to be easier.     I am missing a simple process in this.   I want to see the individual geocaches.     I guess I can do one at a time and see if that works.    It is still a download to computer, then move to unit.     Geocaching.com no longer downloads direct to the gps.

 

 

 

 

You can save a single GPX cache file to the "geocaches" folder of a Magellan GPS, by using the "GPX File" button on a cache page.

 

If you unzip a Pocket Query, you get typically two GPX files, caches and waypoints, full of all the cache information.  You'd manually place Geocache GPX files into the "geocaches" folder, and the waypoints GPX file into "waypoints".  If you don't see any caches, be sure files are in the correct folders.

 

There are helper programs that can move files to a Megellan.  GSAK is one.  But I don't know if I'd ever figure out GSAK.  I've been lookin at it off and on for years with no luck.  So I can't even guess what would be best for you.  But if you can learn and configure GSAK, you can certainly move a file manually.

[+SPat ABQ]

1 hour ago, kunarion said:

 

 

You can save a single GPX cache file to the "geocaches" folder of a Magellan GPS, by using the "GPX File" button on a cache page.

 

If you unzip a Pocket Query, you get typically two GPX files, caches and waypoints, full of all the cache information.  You'd manually place Geocache GPX files into the "geocaches" folder, and the waypoints GPX file into "waypoints".  If you don't see any caches, be sure files are in the correct folders.

 

 

OK, I got all that going.

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Happy caching!

[+Mineral2]

Honestly, GSAK might be your better friend in this case. The program lets you manage a database of geocaches and send them to your GPS with a customized export function specific to the GPS model that you have. GSAK can also just grab your pocket queries directly from the website with no need to download the .zip file first, and will update the caches in your database accordingly. You can update any additional caches with the API (say, to find and mark archived caches, for example, which won't show up in a pocket query). Then set up a filter to exclude caches you don't want on your GPS, such as archived, disabled, found, and owned caches, but also to include a specific area. Then export that filtered set to your GPS using the Magellan Explorist GC export.

It may take some time to play around and figure out the program, but in the long run, it may be easier going forward to use GSAK, especially if you are going to use older GPS models.