Caches in pocket query that don't show up in my GPS

[+Douce Us 5]

Hi all,

 

I have been struggling ever since I can no longer use Cache Register to load queries onto my DeLorme PN-40.

 

I've read on here how to copy the wpts.gpx and the .gpx files onto my card and get them into my PN-40.

 

For the most part it seems to work, BUT I'm not getting all of the caches into my PN-40 that show up on the map when I view that query on the Geocaching website.

 

Any ideas what's going on?

[+TomToad]

Have you already found some of the caches? The PN-40 will only list the caches you haven't found unless you choose "Show Found Caches" in the menu.

 

Another problem are some of the unicode characters that appear in some logs are not compatible with the PN-40 causing all caches after that log to be deleted. I have been working on my own version of a Cache Register type program that addresses that issue. It is very much pre-alpha and unfinished at the moment, but you can find it on my website if you want to give it a try. Just follow the link on my sig.

[+KC2WI]

I have experienced similar problems with my Garmin GPSMap 62sc. I can't say DeLorme would act the same but it is possible.

 

Just recently I downloaded and installed a PQ with a slightly expanded radius from the previous time I ran it. When I got to the area where was going to look for caches, the my GPSr showed nothing even though I knew there were caches. In fact it showed no caches at all in the area. It showed caches from other PQs many miles away.

 

I tried re-downloading and installing the PQ but it did not fix the problem. It was only when I reduced the radius to the original, redownloaded and reinstalled again, that all the caches showed up.

 

My conclusion is that there was one or more caches in the expanded PQ that has some faulty coding or maybe unicode characters in the description or something. I tried opening the gpx file in GSAK and also in a generic XML editor and it opened in both, which indicated that there was no invalid XML code.

 

Try doing the PQ with a smaller radius or different center or some other way to get only part of the caches and then installing in your GPS. You might be able to narrow down to one or more caches that are causing the problem.

[+Olddffart]

I just got a new Garmin Montana and ran into the same problem.

Reloading a new (updated) version of the same query caused all caches in that area to disappear from the GPS.

It seems that if you just replace the old files, (either overwrite, or delete old and immediately replace) with files of the same name, then the system doesn't recognize anything in the newly loaded file. It didn't matter if the area was bigger or smaller.

 

Solution 1: if you want to retain the same filename -

Delete old files - disconnect GPS from computer - turn GPS on, which will make it rebuild internal database without old data - then turn off and reconnect to computer and load new version of files. Next time you start up the GPS it will again rebuild internal database with the new data.

 

Solution 2: (haven't tried it, but it should work)

Delete old file - replace with new files using different filenames.

 

I have never had anything to do with a DeLorme GPS, so I don't really know if this will solve you problem or not, but it's probably wortha try.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

There are many reports in these forums relating to the fact that not all caches are always picked up by a PQ.

I have noticed it also, due to the fact that the Other Half now uses an iphone.

The phone will show caches that a (day before) PQ missed. It shouldn't have, but it did.

 

I am guessing that you are not making mistakes in your loading of the GPSr, it just seems that many queries (not all), regardless of number of caches selected, do not always return/download that requested number.

 

I always check the preview and have not noticed any missing numbers, but when the file(s) are loaded to the unit, the numbers just don't always add up to what the preview showed.

 

Just so you know -- you're not alone with this little problem, others are experiencing it also. So, I don't think you are loading wrong.

 

EDIT to add: I use a PN-40, but from other threads, it does not seem to be confined to Delorme units.

Using different named PQ's, I often load two or three queries to the unit. Those queries remain separated and do not overwrite (as long as they are named differently). They remain accessible as individual downloaded GPX files on the SD card. Use that technique quite a bit while traveling.

Edited August 24, 2013 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+JohnCNA]

There are quite a few variables that could cause this. I will copy the same GPX file to 3 different devices and sometimes get different results on each, based on how each device/app parses and then organizes the data.

 

On one outing, my Android app had one more cache than my Garmin. Same GPX file. The Android app had somehow deciphered a parking waypoint as an Unknown (puzzle) cache. In our most recent outing, my wife's iPhone was missing one cache that was present in my Android app and Garmin. Same GPX file on all 3 devices. Her app automatically goes online and updates the status whenever you open the description page and that cache had been archived just that morning.