Sending PQ to TomTom GO 730

[+Greymalkin]

Having used GSAK on the beemer at work to generate an .ov2 file of cache locations, I'd now like to load it into my TomTom 730. I've created a POI category called 'geocaches,' which seems to have created a geocaches.ov2 file on the TT. Can I simply copy my 'geocaches.ov2' file over the one on the TT, or is the process more complicated?

 

Guidance would be much appreciated.

[+ecanderson]

Having used GSAK on the beemer at work to generate an .ov2 file of cache locations, I'd now like to load it into my TomTom 730. I've created a POI category called 'geocaches,' which seems to have created a geocaches.ov2 file on the TT. Can I simply copy my 'geocaches.ov2' file over the one on the TT, or is the process more complicated?

 

Guidance would be much appreciated.

You might want to create a little file called geocaches.bmp to go along with it. I use the geocaching.com logo reduced to the 22x22 size that your TomTom will need. If I could attach mine, I'd send it along! It's not necessary, though.

 

In any case, once you have that OV2 file from GSAK, just copy it right over into your map folder on your TomTom. I forgot to see where you were, but if in the US, the folder will be called North_America_2GB. You can now search and display cache locations like any other POI.

 

You will find that the TomTom gets a little weirded out by certain things in cache names, especially quotation marks and the like, but it usually doesn't mess up the names too much. Here is what I'm using to generate my TomTom file from GSAK:

 

POI Description: %drop2 %con1 %dif/%ter %last4 %name

 

FYI: Your TomTom 730 has a mini-browser that will let you display cache descriptions and hints, etc., as well. If you're interested in that, let me know. It's a neat trick if you're not already in "paperless" mode.

[+Greymalkin]

It's not necessary, though.

 

No worries. It's well within my mad PhotoShop skillz.

 

You can now search and display cache locations like any other POI.

 

Awesome!

 

Here is what I'm using to generate my TomTom file from GSAK:

 

POI Description: %drop2 %con1 %dif/%ter %last4 %name

 

I'm afraid I don't understand what that means. I think I just did an export to TomTom format.

 

Your TomTom 730 has a mini-browser that will let you display cache descriptions and hints, etc., as well. If you're interested in that, let me know. It's a neat trick if you're not already in "paperless" mode.

 

I'm not in paperless mode, but would very much like to be! How do I do that trick?

[+ecanderson]

Here is what I'm using to generate my TomTom file from GSAK:

 

POI Description: %drop2 %con1 %dif/%ter %last4 %name

I'm afraid I don't understand what that means. I think I just did an export to TomTom format.

When you run GSAK, you select "File" "Export" "TomTom POI file..." and you get a screen that allows you to format what and how the info will be sent - same as for nearly everything you can send data to from GSAK. In this case, you unclick the "Use Defaults" and stuff that string above into the space called "POI Description:" and this will determine what is sent and how it is formatted for viewing and searching on your GPS. In this case:

 

1) GC code of cache, less the unnecessary "GC"

2) Container type (M,S,R etc)

3) Difficulty / Terrain (e.g., 1.5/1.5 or 2.0/1.0)

4) Last 4 logs (N = not found, F = found, O = something else)

5) Name of the cache

 

While you're there, you can toss in a big character count like 100 or somesuch. The TomTom will manage the real limits itself.

Your TomTom 730 has a mini-browser that will let you display cache descriptions and hints, etc., as well. If you're interested in that, let me know. It's a neat trick if you're not already in "paperless" mode.

I'm not in paperless mode, but would very much like to be! How do I do that trick?

 

Create a folder in your TomTom's root directory (or better, the root of your SD card if you're using one) called "text" (drop the quotes, and be sure to use lower case). From GSAK, select (another) export - this one will be "HTML files...". Of all of the options, I just generate the index for the GC code - using names to search gets too cumbersome.

 

GSAK will stuff a folder of its own called "Cache" with tons of html files and some GIF files. Copy ALL of the contents of that folder to the "text" folder on your TomTom.

 

Fire up your TomTom, page in a few menu screens and select "Music and Media" and then "Document reader". You'll find your cache index waiting for you. You'll probably want to "zoom up" the size a bit to make it easier to select. I used the closed tip of my caching pens for selections on my TomTom and Dakota anyway.

Edited May 9, 2010 by ecanderson

[+Greymalkin]

Excellent! I'll give that a try, thanks.

[+Greymalkin]

If the root directory is the window that appears when I open Internal (I don't have a flash card ... yet), there's already a 'text' folder there. It appears to be empty, so I used it and it seems to be working fine.

 

Can't wait to get out of work today and try it out.

[+ecanderson]

If the root directory is the window that appears when I open Internal (I don't have a flash card ... yet), there's already a 'text' folder there. It appears to be empty, so I used it and it seems to be working fine.

 

Can't wait to get out of work today and try it out.

Look forward to hearing how it worked out. When you need something, it sure is handy, especially out in the boonies with no cell coverage. I used this technique right up until I got my Dakota 20.

 

You can also use the cache POI list as a way to create an itinerary on that thing, too.

[+Greymalkin]

Well, I think I may have loaded too many files into the text folder, because the GO now crashes every time I try to access the viewer. I'm going to trim them down a bit and see how that works.

 

I love the itinerary thing.

[+ecanderson]

Well, I think I may have loaded too many files into the text folder, because the GO now crashes every time I try to access the viewer. I'm going to trim them down a bit and see how that works.

 

I love the itinerary thing.

I've never had the crashing problem you mention, but the most I've ever loaded into that folder is about 1800 caches. How many did YOU load?!?

 

At what point did the viewer seem to bomb? As soon as you select "Document reader", or after you select the _1index ?

[+Greymalkin]

How many did YOU load?!?

 

uh ... *looks around guiltily* ... 4100...ish. (What can I say, I like to be prepared wherever I might happen to go ;> And there are a lot of caches around here). It crashed as soon as I selected the doc viewer.

 

I'll let you know as soon as I prune it down enough to find the maximum.