Best Method of loading queries

[+TerryV6]

I have tried Topo 9, CR2 and manually loading PQs to the sd card. They all work. I would like to know how you load your PQs to your gps and why...

 

TerryV6

[+Bear and Ragged]

What? GSAK.

 

Why? Because!

[+TerryV6]

What? GSAK.

 

Why? Because!

 

Is it user friendly? We newbies want to know...

[+Bear and Ragged]

What? GSAK.

 

Why? Because!

 

Is it user friendly? We newbies want to know...

Takes a little getting used to.

Worth taking the time. Things get easier.

 

Loads of various macros and filters to sort out your caches.

ie. Dont like micro's -filter them out.

Want to caches that are rated 1.5/1.5 today, that are multi's?-Filter them!

 

Feel like a challenge and do a 5/5 that's more than 10 miles from home -filter it!

 

Want to produce stats and figures? GSAK. -See my profile for an example of GSAK stats.

 

Got a question about GSAK?

Want to do something with GSAK?

Post on their forums. Clyde who wrote GSAK, lignumaqua or Kai Team are nearly always there and will provide an answer, or another GSAK user will help with an answer.

[+kunarion]

I would like to know how you load your PQs to your gps and why.

I plug the GPSr into the PC via the USB cord, delete unneeded PQs, load new ones, done. I'm too old to use GSAK, it runs upside-down and backwards, it makes absolutely no sense to me.

[+TerryV6]

So far, the easiest and most reliable way for me is the explorer method also. GC sends me the .gpx file, I mount my card as a device and copy the file over to the card.

 

TerryV6

[+Bosn Ski]

Putting in my two cents for GSAK. It is basically a database with loads of features and macro's to filter caches and load the GPSr easy. The GetMail feature is truly 'one click'...my PQ's are downloaded (from a dedicated gmail account) directly into my main database and my My Hides database. I have a database that expands out to 30 miles from my house. I use the various features and a macro that was developed specifically for my needs to filter down to 850ish caches to load on my PN-40.

 

I tried Topo8 and CR...ONCE...and never went back.

 

Support for GSAK in the forums is unprecedented. If you post a question in the forum you will most likely have an answer within a day. Frankly I don't understand how the forum volunteers have time to go geocaching since they are helping so many of us.

 

Ease of use...someone said it already...it takes some practice but the payoff is worth it.

 

Give it a shot!

[+TerryV6]

One thing I found out is that CR and Topo 9 don't play well together.... They also don't like it if you put the gpx files manually on the card..

 

Gsak does seem to have a learning curve.

 

As a relative newcomer to the activity, I am looking for a quick plug and go....

 

TerryV6

 

ps. Actually, learning all of this stuff is sort of like learning to drive a car if you had no instructions.. Lets see.. I will put this knob here (in reverse)... and then find youself backing up into the house.

Edited December 11, 2010 by TerryV6

[+hukilaulau]

bookmark lists of various areas ---> PQ's

PQ's--->GSAK databases

eXplorist 500 SD card ---> cardreader on computer (because I never could get XP to recognize gps using the cable)

"Send to gps" button on GSAK

put the SD card back in the 500 and then turn it on and check to make sure I haven't done something stupid

Edited December 11, 2010 by hukilaulau

[+TerryV6]

I actually have an option on the gps to connect to the computer as: a gps, internal memory, or sd card.. Once I choose one of the last two options, it pops up as an external device on my computer.. Then I can copy the file..

 

TerryV6

[+BuckeyeClan]

I have a PN-40 and usually use Cache Register. I bought it before Topo 9, and since I never use the Topo 8 that I have, I have no need for Topo 9. If you transfer the PQ manually, then CR won't recognize it--you'll have to delete it manually too. I like CR, but it does tend to get broken sometimes when Groundspeak does a site update.

[+kwcahart]

I have a garmin 450T, one PC with Vista (UGH!!), and one laptop with XP. I just hook the GPS to the PC via USB, and drag and drop the new GPX file directly to the GPS. Easy, simple, and Easy!! And I get all the info I need to find a cache which is what I wanted to do in the first place. I used to use EasyGps but that drops a lot of the info ( cache types ) so now I just drag and drop the unzipped file to the GPS and I get all the info. AND, it's easy.

[+ICHTHYS]

CR seems quickest for me. I don't even have to download manually as CR does it for me.

 

Unless I want to filter, CR is great.

[the3gmen]

Here's another vote for GSAK.

 

No, it isn't the easiest piece of software to use right away but it does just about everything you can want to do with waypoints.

 

If you have trouble getting used to GSAK, I would suggest finding another local cacher to sit down with and have them show you how to do the basics.

 

Of course that advice (find another local cacher) is a good idea anyway.

[+kwcahart]

Or, they might make GSAK easier to use, that would be wonderful..

[+rawkhopper]

I use a simple etrex venture hc and for me GSAK is totally the way to go. It is pretty easy to use for basic stuff but can be very powerful.

 

The best thing about it is it can truncate the name of a cache and use that as its label instead of the GCXXXX. Those numbers mean nothing to me and logging finds is hard using the numbers in my opinion. Having at least part of the name visible reminds you which one you are looking for at a glance.