All you need for easy data transfer between Geocaching.com and Garmin for paperless Geocaching?

[blokeinlondon]

Hi

I am hoping that some out there have a bit more knowledge than I do about paperless geocaching with a Garmin than I do..

Being new to all this I am sure "you" must be out there to direct me.

 

Bit of background.. Been Geocaching a few times mainly with an Iphone and the app.. This seemed to work well but the accuracy of the gps, the battery life and the fact it was not my phone, company one, meant that I needed to get something better if I am to get into GeoC more seriously.

 

Fast forward to today... Researched on many websites and this one. Bought a GPSMAP 62s and have so far downloaded a GB map from openstreetmaps and loaded it.. Seems to work well but have ordered the OS maps of GB, on its way.

Signed up for premium membership to this site to gain the benifits of being able to do pocket queries although I am sure that I have a lot more to learn on this one!

 

So my questions are:

 

If I download pocket queries they come down as gpx files..

How do I get them on the GPSMAP62s with all the additional information like hints etc? (I think that I have worked this out but curious to what answers come back so I can check I am doing this right)

 

Once they are on the GPS and I have started to find caches I mark these as found on the GPS 62s and add comments if I have the time the the input of data using the virtual KB.

 

How do I then upload this information from the GPSMAP62s to geocaching.com?

 

How can I edit the notes in the GPS62s as I cant seem to find this as an option on the hand-held unit?

 

How do I then clean up the cach's that are on the GPS62s so that they are only Cach's that I have not yet found?

 

Is there some easy seamless way of doing this that I have missed?

 

Sorry of all this is out there on the site and I have missed this. A few helpful links to this pre-existing info would be real helpful.

 

My initial thoughts on the GPS62s is that it seems to have been a good buy. Very robust and fairly easy to figure out.

 

Anyone else using this or similar to geocache your thoughts on the way you use this would be most welcome.

 

Its all a bit of a steep learning curve!

 

I hope that I have put this post in the right place.

 

Thanks for reading..

 

Keith

[+Chrysalides]

If I download pocket queries they come down as gpx files..

How do I get them on the GPSMAP62s with all the additional information like hints etc? (I think that I have worked this out but curious to what answers come back so I can check I am doing this right)

Connect your 62s to the computer. The computer will recognize it as a USB Mass Storage Class device (an external drive). Go to that drive, go into the "GARMIN" folder, then the "GPX" folder inside it. Unzip your PQ, and copy the file xxxxxxxx.GPX into that folder. Don't copy xxxxxxxx-wpts.GPX.

 

Once they are on the GPS and I have started to find caches I mark these as found on the GPS 62s and add comments if I have the time the the input of data using the virtual KB.

 

How do I then upload this information from the GPSMAP62s to geocaching.com?

Read up on Field Notes. The file is geocache_visits.txt and can be found in the GARMIN folder (not the GPX folder).

 

How can I edit the notes in the GPS62s as I cant seem to find this as an option on the hand-held unit?

Not sure what notes you're referring to...

 

How do I then clean up the cach's that are on the GPS62s so that they are only Cach's that I have not yet found?

Once you mark them as found, they should not appear when you're doing a search (unless you're trying to show found caches). To delete them entirely, you need to remove the GPX that contains the cache.

 

Is there some easy seamless way of doing this that I have missed?

Not really. There are things that may make it a little easier - I use GSAK a lot.

 

Its all a bit of a steep learning curve!

Unfortunately that is true.

[+Chrysalides]

BTW, this is for the Oregon, but other than user interface stuff (touch screen vs buttons) a lot of it should be applicable. Seems like no one has gotten around to writing one for the 62s yet.

 

http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/Geocaching

[blokeinlondon]

If I download pocket queries they come down as gpx files..

How do I get them on the GPSMAP62s with all the additional information like hints etc? (I think that I have worked this out but curious to what answers come back so I can check I am doing this right)

Connect your 62s to the computer. The computer will recognize it as a USB Mass Storage Class device (an external drive). Go to that drive, go into the "GARMIN" folder, then the "GPX" folder inside it. Unzip your PQ, and copy the file xxxxxxxx.GPX into that folder. Don't copy xxxxxxxx-wpts.GPX.

 

Once they are on the GPS and I have started to find caches I mark these as found on the GPS 62s and add comments if I have the time the the input of data using the virtual KB.

 

How do I then upload this information from the GPSMAP62s to geocaching.com?

Read up on Field Notes. The file is geocache_visits.txt and can be found in the GARMIN folder (not the GPX folder).

 

How can I edit the notes in the GPS62s as I cant seem to find this as an option on the hand-held unit?

Not sure what notes you're referring to...

 

How do I then clean up the cach's that are on the GPS62s so that they are only Cach's that I have not yet found?

Once you mark them as found, they should not appear when you're doing a search (unless you're trying to show found caches). To delete them entirely, you need to remove the GPX that contains the cache.

 

Is there some easy seamless way of doing this that I have missed?

Not really. There are things that may make it a little easier - I use GSAK a lot.

 

Its all a bit of a steep learning curve!

Unfortunately that is true.

 

All very helpful thank you for such a swift answer.

 

How can I edit the notes in the GPS62s as I cant seem to find this as an option on the hand-held unit?

Not sure what notes you're referring to...

I think that these notes are field notes. On the GPS62s when you mark a find then you can add comments. These comments I think are the same as field notes. I cannot see a way of editing these on the handheld 62s but I think that you have already said that these notes simply appear in the file geocache_visits.txt so I can edit from there.

 

I will study tomorrow as it is past midnight here in the UK and I need my beauty sleep!! :-)

 

All the best

Keith

[+Chrysalides]

I will study tomorrow as it is past midnight here in the UK and I need my beauty sleep!! :-)

Good luck - it's pretty straightforward once you get the hang of it, though it's not nearly as streamlined as I would like it to be.

 

When you're entering your log (from field notes), the comments you entered in the field notes are in the log text field, and you can edit the comments bfore submitting the log.

[+kwcahart]

Chrysalides, I'm just curious, why do you recommend that he NOT transfer the xxxxxxx.wpts file? Aren't these the extra waypoints for parking, multi's, etc? Thanks.

[+Chrysalides]

Chrysalides, I'm just curious, why do you recommend that he NOT transfer the xxxxxxx.wpts file? Aren't these the extra waypoints for parking, multi's, etc? Thanks.

Partly it is because I'm not sure how it will appear on the GPSr, as I have not experimented (I use GSAK to transfer my waypoints). The main reason is because sometimes, when people see 2 files in the ZIP file, they pick the wrong one and wonder why the caches don't show up.

 

Can you describe how the extra waypoints GPX show up on the 62s? I'm actually quite curious.

[+bladesedge]

Chrysalides, I'm just curious, why do you recommend that he NOT transfer the xxxxxxx.wpts file? Aren't these the extra waypoints for parking, multi's, etc? Thanks.

Partly it is because I'm not sure how it will appear on the GPSr, as I have not experimented (I use GSAK to transfer my waypoints). The main reason is because sometimes, when people see 2 files in the ZIP file, they pick the wrong one and wonder why the caches don't show up.

 

Can you describe how the extra waypoints GPX show up on the 62s? I'm actually quite curious.

 

This is related to the question I have about seeing waypoints for multis, carparks etc. How can you see them?

[+Chrysalides]

This is related to the question I have about seeing waypoints for multis, carparks etc. How can you see them?

If I use the GSAK macro for loading caches, I can load additional waypoints as waypoints or custom POI. This allows me to see them on the map.

[+kwcahart]

When I unzip a PQ sometimes there will be two files, sometimes only one. When there is two, one of them is the xxxxxx.wpts file. I have found that this small file has the extra waypoints in it for parking, etc. If I get time this weekend I will play with it and maybe get some GCXXXXX examples for you to look at.

[+Walts Hunting]

Just as an example of why you need the wpts file. I have a history driving tour with about 8 stops. They are in the wpts file. If you don't load it then you have to enter them all by hand.