GSAK

[+hawkeyetob]

Noticed the software called GSAK - Geocache Swiss Army Knife or something like that is used by many veterans for filtering and maintaining information on their found caches.

 

We are using the magellan explorist GC and are premium members.

Currently, we are getting more and more comfortable with the pocket queries.

These pocket queries are what we use to filter the caches we are interested in finding.

 

At this stage, we are essentially paperless except when I print off a "big picture" google earth map for all of our intended targets for the day.

 

I am unsure what GSAK brings to the table which I do not already have?

 

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

Happy Geocaching! - hawkeyetob

[+Lovejoy and Tinker]

I couldn't possibly do it justice in my own words, but I wouldn't be without it now, it does so much and makes everything so much easier.

 

Take a look here

 

Edit: You don't really appreciate all the features and facilities until you have had it a while and think "I wish I could..." then you find that with all your caches in GSAK, you can.

 

It's available as a trial version so you can test it out first.

 

Don't do what I did - take one look at it and think "Crikey, that's way too complicated for my needs".

Play around with it and think about sorting, filtering, exporting (In GPX format, as many 'PQ's" as you like, when you like), generating maps, using some of the many many add on macros...

 

See, I told you I couldn't possibly do it justice in my own words, but thought I would give it a go anyway.

Edited August 23, 2010 by Lovejoy & Tinker

[+cerbera147]

I thought the same until I tried it. You should at least give a try and play around. It is pretty neat

[+ShowStop]

Do you organize and order the caches into a list or just find the next nearest? Creating an ordered list makes for better use of your time, and GSAK can help you create lists like this:

http://www.showstop.org/geocaching/list/tarot.html

[+geodarts]

Before I had a gpsr that directly supports gpx files, I used GSAK to load pocket queries and transfer the information to my unit. In particular, with my Explorist or 60csx, I could make the unit at least partially paperless by letting me know the type of cache and at leas some of the hint.

 

I am not one to keep elaborate databases about caches I have found. And I now use an iphone app (geosphere) for some of the pocket query filtering and mapping features that GSAK once performed for me. But it can come in handy in a number of situations.

 

I use it to manually edit the cache description to put in the final coordinates for a mystery cache so that I can transfer that to my Colorado in one easy step. I can combine multiple pqs and make sure that it contains the specific caches that I want to include in the search -- or see how many more caches I can add to the unit in keeping with its firmware limitations. If I am traveling abroad, I will use an online translator and edit the cache description in GSAK to give me a rudimentary idea about what the cache entails.

 

In short, as a Swiss Army Knife of Caching, you will find some of its tools handy and others less so. But I am glad I use it.

Edited August 23, 2010 by mulvaney

[+musthavemuzk]

i have an explorist GC and i started using vantage point, but quickly found it to be useless. then i decided to give GSAK a go. however there is only so much time to learn it.

i have wondered time and again if i can do this or that or make this quicker...

i am sure in time i will learn more. in the meantime i am using features as i learn them if they work for me.

 

i want to know if there is an easier/quicker way to mark finds and dnf's in gsak? besides manually entering them.

 

is there a way to get gsak to update its info on caches?

 

is there a way to take the cache info and put it on a map with caches in the area showing up on the same map?

 

i am sure there are many other things i have wondered with gsak.

 

Monty

[+Lovejoy and Tinker]

i have an explorist GC and i started using vantage point, but quickly found it to be useless. then i decided to give GSAK a go. however there is only so much time to learn it.

i have wondered time and again if i can do this or that or make this quicker...

i am sure in time i will learn more. in the meantime i am using features as i learn them if they work for me.

 

i want to know if there is an easier/quicker way to mark finds and dnf's in gsak? besides manually entering them.

 

is there a way to get gsak to update its info on caches?

 

is there a way to take the cache info and put it on a map with caches in the area showing up on the same map?

 

i am sure there are many other things i have wondered with gsak.

 

Monty

 

You might be better off having a look round the FAQ and support sections of the dedicated GSAK forum.

 

Then if you can't find answers to your questions ask them there, as there are expert users in that forum.

[riinghai]

I thought the same until I tried it. You should at least give a try and play around. It is pretty neat

[+DanOCan]

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

I use GSAK primarily for filtering out caches before they ever get downloaded to the GPSr.

Some examples of what I do:

 

-- Filter out anything where the last four logs have been DNFs. Cache is likely missing anyway.

-- Filter out any puzzles I don't have solved. No point in loading bogus coordinates into my unit.

-- Filter out micros if I am caching with somone who doesn't like micros.

-- Filter out anything within the city limits if I don't want to urban cache that day.

-- Filter out caches that haven't been found for a year if I want to look for inactive caches.

-- Filter out any cache that hasn't been found since the last major snow storm.

-- Filter out caches from a specific hider.

 

Heck, many times I'll do all sorts of combinations of those filters. It makes it much easier for me to make sure I'm only putting useful data into my GPSr so I don't need to do as much filtering in the field.

 

I also use GSAK for keeping track of caches in the local area that have beeb Archived. This way I can look at a potential hiding spot and say "Wow, there have been a dozen caches in that park over the last xx years -- clearly they don't last so maybe I want to look elsewhere."

Edited August 25, 2010 by DanOCan

[+musthavemuzk]

will have to find more time in the day then to do things i want to and need to do.

 

i have been using GSAK to filter out things, but not near as detailed as yourself.

i do need to figure out the filter to a shape too. that would come in handy for a trip. can pick out a path between places and filter that. looked easy so i tried once but i just couldnt get it. i am using the latest firefox if that makes a dif. dont care for IE.

 

tonight i picked up a 62s so now i get to learn that too.

[+briansnat]

In addition to what has been said here, I use it to combine multiple PQs into a single database and create separate databases for when I'm traveling outside my home area.

[+musthavemuzk]

i did the seperate database thursday night. my gf was headed outside our home area for the weekend so i did some pq's for that and made a seperate DB for those. figured it would be easier.

it was

 

Monty

[+MindyRN6]

I just got the Explorist GC as well. My stupid computer wouldn't open LOC or GPX files when I tried to download multiples, so I had to play around with free downloads that will scan your PC for problems and then offer to fix them for some outrageous amount of money. The GSAK softwear fixed my problem, so I'm now able to use my PQs and my GPS isn't sitting in the box until I get a new computer!