GSAK WHY?

January 6, 2014

Hi,

I have heard and looked up GSAK a little. For those that use it, What is the draw? What makes GSAk worth the time figuring out?

Please share the features you like about GSAK. Any examples would be great.

January 6, 2014

I like the mass or bulk logging of finds, 50 logs and templates makes a two to three hour process go by in 15-20 min! via the live API, love the Live API , oh also like the way it allows refresh saves on The 5 PQ limit means once you have the database its easy to keep up to dat, over all it is well worth the 25 bucks and if you are familiar with spreadsheets GSAK is easy as well. Could go on but at work will look back later sure tgere will be many features I forgot on top of head!

9k · January 6, 2014

It's a godsend if you enjoy working on Challenge caches. Heavy filtering options. API integration makes access to bookmarks and PQs simple. Importing and exporting is wonderful (reportedly - I use Geosphere to maintain my primary cache database via the site, so rarely import/export through gsak).

If you just like caching for the sake of caching, gsak may not add much to your experience. Its strength is in heavy organization and easy transfer of data between devices and the site.(oh and mass logging )

Edited January 6, 2014 by thebruce0

5.7k · January 6, 2014

I gave GSAK a try, or the free trial. I just did not like it as well as the free program EasyGPS to transfer data to my device. GSAK has more than I need, I don't auto log and seldom copy/paste my logs.

7.5k · January 6, 2014

I like the mass or bulk logging of finds, 50 logs and templates makes a two to three hour process go by in 15-20 min!

Are you saying GSAK let's you do a quick copy n paste of the same log in one bulk application? As a CO that saddens me.

I have to tell you that it's really disheartening to see an email in my Inbox for one of our caches that I put a lot of work into, only to read a cut n paste post about who they cached with and how many caches they found that day. Nothing to say whether they even remembered my gnome cache that I spent a couple of weeks working on. It's no different than the nearby leaky margarine tub under the pile of dumped plywood that got the same log.

9.2k · January 6, 2014

Groundspeak API. BIG! database of caches. Can add them to my satnav, so as I drive around I know where the caches are if I get a chance to go and find one!

January 6, 2014

I love the macros and statistics it provides. Now that I have an Oregon 450 the publish logs feature is very nice, gets all the found caches off the GPSr, allows me to create a template and then modify that template for each cache. So for example, if I'm out with other friends I can start each log with Out caching with x, y and z. Then edit each log to fit that find, add TBs that I dipped or dropped and push a button to publish it all.. Very nice.

7.5k · January 6, 2014

I gave GSAK a try, or the free trial. I just did not like it as well as the free program EasyGPS to transfer data to my device. GSAK has more than I need, I don't auto log and seldom copy/paste my logs.

I'm an EasyGPS user too. It truly is easy. I tried the free GSAK but too many bells & whistles for me to grasp, and I didn't even try to figure out macros. I was thinking that I pay for GSAK, and spend more time figuring it out if it had a good way to filter for Favourite Points, but last I heard it doesn't. Recently I found project-gc.com which does a great job at filtering for FPs and I can download the list to my GPS.

Edited January 6, 2014 by L0ne.R

9k · January 6, 2014

Are you saying GSAK let's you do a quick copy n paste of the same log in one bulk application? As a CO that saddens me.

I have to tell you that it's really disheartening to see an email in my Inbox for one of our caches that I put a lot of work into, only to read a cut n paste post about who they cached with and how many caches they found that day. Nothing to say whether they even remembered my gnome cache that I spent a couple of weeks working on. It's no different than the nearby leaky margarine tub under the pile of dumped plywood that got the same log.

Yep. And huge c/p logs annoy me too. I believe it lets you edit individually to make special changes on certain caches if you wish.

Personally, if I c/p anything, it's a short paragraph about the trip as a whole, and then I add something specific for the cache; usually separated by a paragraph break.

Some COs of large series don't put effort into their descriptions; those? I don't care so much about duplicate logs. I only care so much as being a finder and potentially needing a tip and looking back through past logs - that's my main reason for separating cache-specific content from cloned text.

It's just so annoying when someone writes up this huge day-long description of their trip, and posts it the same for every. single. find.

If I'm doing a trail, I might do a longer write-up on the first cache about the day, then if I really want to, link to that log in the others.

There are two factors I really take into account - 1) Could it be annoying to the CO(s)? (once you're a CO, you'll know first hand) and 2) Is it potentially informative to followup cachers, or space-wasting scroll material?

GSAK's ability to auto-post batch logs isn't bad in itself, but I think it just makes it easier for someone to write-up their whole day and post it to every log without even customizing each in some way. And that's annoying.

2.1k · January 6, 2014

Personally, if I c/p anything, it's a short paragraph about the trip as a whole, and then I add something specific for the cache; usually separated by a paragraph break.

Exactly. That's what I do with GSAK.

Wonderful cache management software... looks after many aspects of caching for you. My fave use? Using it to pull down mutual unfounds for me and a bunch of friends to plan a trip.

3.6k · January 6, 2014

Hmmm.. GSAK is very powerful. Maybe too powerful.

API and some macro out there. I love the google map macro thats out there.

I now use the plan a route macro and its way better than the plan a route that GS have.

Indeed, GSAK got a steep learning curve, but believe me, once you master it, you won't go back to the old ways.

2k · January 7, 2014

Stats, stats, and stats. Can help with Challenge caches like Counties, Delorme and any challenge that involves names. Can help you load logs into your GPS, can help you filter on road trips. You can have an entire state in a file and load it on the fly, filtered out to the caches you want or do not want.

Can help you store your puzzle solutions (yes I know Geocaching now does corrected coordinates and notes, but GSAK did it first).

Can help you send friends a database file of the caches you plan to do together that trip

Blah blah blah

3.6k · January 7, 2014

Stats, stats, and stats. Can help with Challenge caches like Counties, Delorme and any challenge that involves names. Can help you load logs into your GPS, can help you filter on road trips. You can have an entire state in a file and load it on the fly, filtered out to the caches you want or do not want.

Can help you store your puzzle solutions (yes I know Geocaching now does corrected coordinates and notes, but GSAK did it first).

Can help you send friends a database file of the caches you plan to do together that trip

Blah blah blah

Are you aware of the Waypoint License Agreement.

8.3k · January 7, 2014

Stats, stats, and stats. Can help with Challenge caches like Counties, Delorme and any challenge that involves names. Can help you load logs into your GPS, can help you filter on road trips. You can have an entire state in a file and load it on the fly, filtered out to the caches you want or do not want.

Can help you store your puzzle solutions (yes I know Geocaching now does corrected coordinates and notes, but GSAK did it first).

Can help you send friends a database file of the caches you plan to do together that trip

Blah blah blah

Are you aware of the Waypoint License Agreement.

The TOU clean way of sharing the group's caches for the day is via bookmark. Why do you think I publish the bookmark for the cache machines instead of making the .gpx file available? With GSAK version 8 making a bookmark is simple.

13.7k · January 7, 2014

I remember someone saying a while ago they used map sharing on project-gc.com to stay tou friendly.

6.5k · January 7, 2014

PQ's are great, but they are limited to circles and 1000 caches. With the 'get geocaches' function I can grab more than the 1000 in a rectangle that I can adjust to fit my targeted caching area, and get fave points with the last 10 logs all in one simple download. (I'm really puzzled as to why fave points aren't available in a PQ.)

I can filter on mutual unfound caches so that we only target caches that haven't been found by anyone in the car.

Once I have my data loaded in GSAK, I can filter, recenter, and adjust it as I see fit before sending it to my GPS.

I can create smart name tags so that the info I really want is sent to my GPS. Currently I have mine set to show me the name of the cache in the search function, not a somewhat worthless GC#. I can also see the cache type, D/T ratings, and last 4 log types at a glance before even selecting a target cache.

As already mentioned, there are powerful macros to help sort through my finds for the necessary listings to qualify for challenges.

Also, after publishing the logs from today's finds, it only took 5 easy clicks to move the listings from my active home base db to my finds db and delete them from my GPS.

Edited January 7, 2014 by wimseyguy

5.6k · January 7, 2014

I gave GSAK a try, or the free trial. I just did not like it as well as the free program EasyGPS to transfer data to my device. GSAK has more than I need, I don't auto log and seldom copy/paste my logs.

I'm an EasyGPS user too. It truly is easy. I tried the free GSAK but too many bells & whistles for me to grasp, and I didn't even try to figure out macros. I was thinking that I pay for GSAK, and spend more time figuring it out if it had a good way to filter for Favourite Points, but last I heard it doesn't. Recently I found project-gc.com which does a great job at filtering for FPs and I can download the list to my GPS.

Well, now you've heard that it does - but you have to use the API functions (Get Caches or Refresh Caches) as Groundspeak has yet to add that to the PQ's.

As for logging, it allows me to - all off line, which is great for trips where internet isn't - download finds from the GPSr (with date/time and order), write the log, write logs/notes for all TB's in or out of the cache, dip my personal TB, find/load/personalize photos and then when I get to the room (or other spot with WiFi) I can send it all to GC.com with the press of a button. This will mark all the caches as found, transfer them to my found DB and number them in order (some of this with a personal macro).

3.7k · January 7, 2014

Main thing I use it for is to keep my puzzle finals organized. I create waypoints in GSAK for puzzles I've solved, but haven't found yet. AS soon as they're found, I correct the coordinates through geocaching.com and delete the waypoint from GSAK. So when I go out, at a glance, I can see which puzzles have been solved and not found and where all the puzzle finals are. Makes hiding caches easier.

2k · January 7, 2014

Stats, stats, and stats. Can help with Challenge caches like Counties, Delorme and any challenge that involves names. Can help you load logs into your GPS, can help you filter on road trips. You can have an entire state in a file and load it on the fly, filtered out to the caches you want or do not want.

Can help you store your puzzle solutions (yes I know Geocaching now does corrected coordinates and notes, but GSAK did it first).

Can help you send friends a database file of the caches you plan to do together that trip

Blah blah blah

Are you aware of the Waypoint License Agreement.

The TOU clean way of sharing the group's caches for the day is via bookmark. Why do you think I publish the bookmark for the cache machines instead of making the .gpx file available? With GSAK version 8 making a bookmark is simple.

Friends send GSAK database files all the time. The TOU covers you not sending the find files stuff from Geocaching.com, not a file that you have made within GSAK.

Edited January 7, 2014 by lamoracke

3.6k · January 7, 2014

Stats, stats, and stats. Can help with Challenge caches like Counties, Delorme and any challenge that involves names. Can help you load logs into your GPS, can help you filter on road trips. You can have an entire state in a file and load it on the fly, filtered out to the caches you want or do not want.

Can help you store your puzzle solutions (yes I know Geocaching now does corrected coordinates and notes, but GSAK did it first).

Can help you send friends a database file of the caches you plan to do together that trip

Blah blah blah

Are you aware of the Waypoint License Agreement.

The TOU clean way of sharing the group's caches for the day is via bookmark. Why do you think I publish the bookmark for the cache machines instead of making the .gpx file available? With GSAK version 8 making a bookmark is simple.

Friends send GSAK database files all the time. The TOU covers you not sending the find files stuff from Geocaching.com, not a file that you have made within GSAK.

The waypoints (GPX or LOC text files) belong to GS. Even if you modified it to another file type. I think we are getting away from the topic but I would enjoy talking more about this on a new thread.

8.3k · January 7, 2014

Stats, stats, and stats. Can help with Challenge caches like Counties, Delorme and any challenge that involves names. Can help you load logs into your GPS, can help you filter on road trips. You can have an entire state in a file and load it on the fly, filtered out to the caches you want or do not want.

Can help you store your puzzle solutions (yes I know Geocaching now does corrected coordinates and notes, but GSAK did it first).

Can help you send friends a database file of the caches you plan to do together that trip

Blah blah blah

Are you aware of the Waypoint License Agreement.

The TOU clean way of sharing the group's caches for the day is via bookmark. Why do you think I publish the bookmark for the cache machines instead of making the .gpx file available? With GSAK version 8 making a bookmark is simple.

Friends send GSAK database files all the time. The TOU covers you not sending the find files stuff from Geocaching.com, not a file that you have made within GSAK.

And what was the source of that stuff? My guess it was from the GC.com database and that is the problem.

Reservation of Ownership and Grant of License: Groundspeak and its licensor(s) retain exclusive ownership of the copy of the Data and Related Materials licensed under this Agreement and, hereby, grant to Licensee a personal, nonexclusive, nontransferable license to use the Data and Related Materials based on the terms and conditions of this Agreement. Licensee agrees to use reasonable effort to protect the Data and Related Materials from unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, or publication.

• Licensee may modify the Data and merge other data sets with the Data for Licensee's own internal use. The portions of the Data merged with other data sets will continue to be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.

Loading it into GSAK does not nulify the TOU.

• Licensee shall not remarket, resell, and/or redistribute the Data or any derived portion(s) of the Data in its digital form to any third party whatsoever.

You can't send your friends the GSAK database legally.

The point of all this is that the *data* you get from Groundspeak is covered under the TOU, not the .gpx file containing the data. Loading that data into GSAK on your computer does not "cleanse" the data and make it transferable.

So, the TOU safe way of transferring a list of caches with the cache data is via bookmarks. And why is that? Because the caches of mine that were on the cache machine route are copyrighted by me and I gave Groundspeak a license to share the data with a individual. I did not give that individual a license to share that data with the world. The bookmark does not contain cache data, it is only a list of caches. A table of contents if you will, not the contents of the chapters.

Do friends share .gpx files from GSAK that contains data from Groundspeak and do this in violation of the TOU? Of course, everyday. If you want to do it in a manner that complies with the TOU then you make a sharable bookmark and send your friends the URL of that bookmark and they can make their own copies legally. Note the bookmark only has to be sharable, not public. As long as they have the URL they can access the bookmark. Has Groundspeak prosecuted anyone from violating the TOU with their friends? Not that I am aware of.

But not to test the limits of Groundspeaks tolerance I publish the bookmarks, I do not make the GSAK derived .gpx file available.

3.6k · January 7, 2014

Main thing I use it for is to keep my puzzle finals organized. I create waypoints in GSAK for puzzles I've solved, but haven't found yet. AS soon as they're found, I correct the coordinates through geocaching.com and delete the waypoint from GSAK. So when I go out, at a glance, I can see which puzzles have been solved and not found and where all the puzzle finals are. Makes hiding caches easier.

Me too, I store solved puzzles, myfinds, challenges, my hides, future trips, use it instead of bookmarks, store certain types like Virtuals and Webcams. Love how you can filter for challenges and create stat pages. And also those who think it's too hard, if I can learn it I am sure you can and I am still way behind others who know more about it then me. I have been using it since 2006 and it's totally worth every penny.

January 7, 2014

GSAK looks great but doesn't work on macs...

3.3k · January 7, 2014

I like the mass or bulk logging of finds, 50 logs and templates makes a two to three hour process go by in 15-20 min!

Are you saying GSAK let's you do a quick copy n paste of the same log in one bulk application? As a CO that saddens me.

I have to tell you that it's really disheartening to see an email in my Inbox for one of our caches that I put a lot of work into, only to read a cut n paste post about who they cached with and how many caches they found that day. Nothing to say whether they even remembered my gnome cache that I spent a couple of weeks working on. It's no different than the nearby leaky margarine tub under the pile of dumped plywood that got the same log.

+1. I agree that I'd rather read a log that tells of the cacher's experience than "out caching with xyz TFTC." (That's how it is for some, though - they're into quickly getting 25 caches & not into writing.) This goes for not just my own caches but also for reading logs of caches I may visit. The cut-&-paste log tells me nothing about a cache.

3.3k · January 7, 2014

GSAK looks great but doesn't work on macs...

I guess you need to dump the mac!

3.3k · January 7, 2014

Hmmm.. GSAK is very powerful. Maybe too powerful.

API and some macro out there. I love the google map macro thats out there.

I now use the plan a route macro and its way better than the plan a route that GS have.

Indeed, GSAK got a steep learning curve, but believe me, once you master it, you won't go back to the old ways.

Good forum thread - I wondered what GSAK was all about. It doesn't seem worthwhile for the occasional cacher.

Edited January 7, 2014 by wmpastor

January 7, 2014

I've been thinking of buying GSAK primarily for the routing ability... I'm sick of doing that manually.

January 7, 2014

GSAK looks great but doesn't work on macs...

I guess you need to dump the mac!

why would I do that? I have an 8 yr old mac thats outlived my last windows machine and it was faster. my windows 7 lasted 18 months… now all thats about is windows 8. well i believe i'd rather set my hair on fire...

2.9k · January 7, 2014

GSAK looks great but doesn't work on macs...

I guess you need to dump the mac!

Or...if it's an Intel Mac, just partition the HDD and install Windows on it. You can also run an emulator as well. I type this on a MacBook Pro that has a clean install on Windows 7 on it. I gave the partition 100GB (far more than it needs really) out of the 1TB HDD and it runs flawlessly.

6k · January 7, 2014

I use it for several reasons including

The last two DNF filter means I can delete them before sending the file to my gps. Runs about 7-10 percent

Corrected coordinates can be made to show on my gps with an addition to the title to indicate they have been solved.

Logging a big day with one log and then adding to some of them as desired. Then one click and done

The API interface. Haven't run a PQ in some time.

When doing challenges like spell caching name with first letter of finds I set up a new db, copy them over, reorder them and they are ready for submission.

Probably some more I can't think of now.

2.9k · January 7, 2014

The last two DNF filter means I can delete them before sending the file to my gps. Runs about 7-10 percent

How do you do this?

1.9k · January 7, 2014

I can have a large database of caches available to choose from (all of them in my area, and also areas I travel to),

but I can filter which ones that I actually send to my GPS unit based on whatever criteria I want.

I can get sets of geocaches in circles or rectangles for areas I will be in or pass through.

I can print out a spreadsheet-like list of critical information for caches I am interested in.

I can build POI files so that I can send thousands of caches to my GPS, and I use smart names and data so that I can include the name, type, size, D/T, and hint on my GPS.

I can generate interesting statistics about my caching history.

9.2k · January 7, 2014

GSAK looks great but doesn't work on macs...

As much as I am fan of Macs...

I bought a windoze laptop so I could run GSAK. :unsure:

5k · January 8, 2014

The last two DNF filter means I can delete them before sending the file to my gps. Runs about 7-10 percent

How do you do this?

The, "Last 2 DNF", filter is a default filter that is part of the installation. Simply select it from the "Select a Saved Filter" dropdown control. If you want to delete then, press delete and then choose "all in filter.

If you don't want to delete them but don't want them sent to your GPSr, select the filter, then click Search/Filter and on the top right, check the reverse filter box.

January 8, 2014

Just to clarify my "bulk logging" Just perusing on the phone noticed many accounts stating C&P operations at play, check out my logs.... Far from C&P, it is customizable per cache and with geosphere templates and my love for word play, makes a great way to log as well as edit as needed, give it a look before ya knock it!

8.3k · January 8, 2014

GSAK looks great but doesn't work on macs...

It does if you run one of the windows emulator products.

8.3k · January 8, 2014

One thing that has not been mentioned is caching with a group of friends. Trying to come up with a list of caches to visit that no one in the group has found is really not possible with the tools on GC.com and is painful to do manually. With the GSAK get geocaches API interface you define and area using the convenient mapping interface to define the area and then you can specify the list cachers the API should ignore if they have found the cache. You end up with a database full of caches no one in the group has found. Once you pare it down to a days worth of caching you send your friends the link to you bookmark of the caches (tou you know) and export the list into Street and Trips to generate the optimum route. Print the .pdf of the S&T map and include that with the bookmark URL and your ready for a day of fun.

1.9k · January 8, 2014

The same reason I use an SLR: Flexibility. I use it to track statistics, filter caches, load the GPS, paperless caching, viewing caches in Mapsource against the Northwest trails mapset, and planning for cache placements with the Google Earth KML Circles macro. It can do all this, and more.

Edited January 8, 2014 by Dgwphotos

6.5k · January 9, 2014

One thing that has not been Reinforcing what was mentioned in posts #10 and #16 is caching with a group of friends. And explained in greater detail since it is such a valuable feature.

Trying to come up with a list of caches to visit that no one in the group has found is really not possible with the tools on GC.com and is painful to do manually. With the GSAK get geocaches API interface you define and area using the convenient mapping interface to define the area and then you can specify the list of cachers the API should ignore if they have found/own the cache. You end up with a database full of caches no one in the group has found. Once you pare it down to a days worth of caching you send your friends the link to you bookmark of the caches (tou you know) and export the list into Street and Trips to generate the optimum route. Print the .pdf of the S&T map and include that with the bookmark URL and your ready for a day of fun.

Fixed if for ya.

GSAK WHY?

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