Easy GPS program worth the hassle?

[+Oilfieldtrash]

I am new to geocaching, got a Meridian Platinum earlier this week and have already logged two caches. I have looked at the EasyGPS download system that is available for entering waypoints. Is it worth the hassle or am I better off just entering waypoint coordinates by hand that I get off the geocaching cache pages? Any input would be helpful. Thanks.

Befuddled in Texas

[+Desert_Warrior]

Normally, I would not answer a query like this because your "hassle" comment is so unclear and ambiguous. But since you are a fellow Texan, I will share my experience.

 

Are you having trouble downloading the program from the web? Or is it trouble downloading from the GPS to the program? Or is it trouble loading from program to GPS? Soooo... I cannot answer your question.

 

I used EasyGPS for a few days, and I saw the potential it had. So I downloaded the trial version of ExpertGPS and tried it. Within DAYS I bought ExpertGPS. I have tried EVERY other program possible when they are listed in the forums here. Some get close, but I still end up back at ExpertGPS every time. It is worth the price.

 

I also use VisualGPS. It is a fun program to play with on a laptop out in the desert. ExpertGPS and VisualGPS is a hard combo to beat.

 

I don't know what "Hassles" you are experiencing downloading EasyGPS, so I don't know if it is worth it to you or not.

 

Mike. Desert_Warrior (aka KD9KC).

El Paso, Texas.

 

Citizens of this land may own guns. Not to threaten their neighbors, but to ensure themselves of liberty and freedom.

 

They are not assault weapons anymore... they are HOMELAND DEFENSE WEAPONS!

[+Oilfieldtrash]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Desert_Warrior:

Normally, I would not answer a query like this because your "hassle" comment is so unclear and ambiguous. But since you are a fellow Texan, I will share my experience.

 

Are you having trouble downloading the program from the web? Or is it trouble downloading from the GPS to the program? Or is it trouble loading from program to GPS? Soooo... I cannot answer your question.

 

I used EasyGPS for a few days, and I saw the potential it had. So I downloaded the trial version of ExpertGPS and tried it. Within DAYS I bought ExpertGPS. I have tried EVERY other program possible when they are listed in the forums here. Some get close, but I still end up back at ExpertGPS every time. It is worth the price.

 

I also use VisualGPS. It is a fun program to play with on a laptop out in the desert. ExpertGPS and VisualGPS is a hard combo to beat.

 

I don't know what "Hassles" you are experiencing downloading EasyGPS, so I don't know if it is worth it to you or not.

 

Mike. Desert_Warrior (aka KD9KC).

El Paso, Texas.

 

Citizens of this land may own guns. Not to threaten their neighbors, but to ensure themselves of liberty and freedom.

 

They are not assault weapons anymore... they are HOMELAND DEFENSE WEAPONS!

---

 

Was simply wondering if for the novice, just getting starting geocacher, whether downloading the easygps sytem and using it would tend to complicate the ease and fun of the weekend, not pro geocacher. I just want to have the most enjoyment with this newfound sport/avocation. Thanks

[Team Sidewinder]

The whole thing is free so that can't be a bad thing and if you don't like it after you tried it take it off. It sure helps if you are going to download more than a couple of waypoints at a time.

sidwinder

 

LOST AND FOUND DEPT.

[+Cachetrotters]

EasyGPS is for the novice, but is very utilitarian no matter what experience level you are.

It installs easily. It allows you to download the cache coordinates of interest directly from the site. It allows you to then load them directly to the receiver via proper data cable. It allows you to combine several coordinates into a route. This is much easier done on the computer, then shooting them all at once to the receiver as a route already named. It allows you to brings routes and waypoints that you've created in the field back into EasyGPS. You can save your wanderings in "albums" much like photos.

It is worth the minimal effort to become proficient with it, so you can decide whether you would like a program with more features that you'd be willing to pay for (e.g. ExpertGPS).

I don't think you can go wrong, for free.

 

don

[dave and jaime]

for me, i use only easygps to interact with this site and that alone is enough reason to use it. easygps/expertgps are fairly simple database managers that eliminate the potential of human errors when entering waypointsor routes either for caching or any other use for your gps.

 

as for downloading/installation hassle, there really isnt any, simply download the files and execute. the files for easygps (manual, excutable and uninstallation utility) combined are only about 1.2Mb.

 

'Get to the point---speak English!!!!'

[+Olar]

I regularly use five different pieces of software for waypoint manipulation/management with each having its own individual level of importance. I could get along without having EasyGPS but it would be a "hassle" to not have it.

I too started off by entering waypoints manually but it didn't take me long to realize that Easy was "easy".

 

Cheers, Olar

 

"You are only young once but you can stay immature forever"

[+TEAM 360]

I dunno. Even with a Meridian Platinum, I am still old school, and don't like to mess with the computer stuff. I am just too worried that my techno-inefficiency will mess something up. I don't do 20 caches in a day, only a few, so I just enter the coords by hand. I know if I was to use that program and become more familiar with it, I might go that way. But I just always keep a waypoint named "Cache" and change its coords to the one I am going after.

[+Desert_Warrior]

quote:

---

Originally posted by oilfieldtrash:

quote:

---

Originally posted by Desert_Warrior:

I don't know what "Hassles" you are experiencing downloading EasyGPS, so I don't know if it is worth it to you or not.

---

 

Was simply wondering if for the novice, just getting starting geocacher, whether downloading the easygps sytem and using it would tend to complicate the ease and fun of the weekend, not pro geocacher. I just want to have the most enjoyment with this newfound sport/avocation. Thanks

---

 

My response. YES. Of course, you will have some troubles learning the software. But you will find help here. Once you see the use of it, I think you will find it usefull. Two hints. First, disable any palm or PDA software you might be using, they take control of the comm and you will have troubles. You can reinitialize it when you finish. Second, be sure your comm protocol and baud rate are the same.

 

Enjoy.

 

Mike. Desert_Warrior (aka KD9KC).

El Paso, Texas.

 

Citizens of this land may own guns. Not to threaten their neighbors, but to ensure themselves of liberty and freedom.

 

They are not assault weapons anymore... they are HOMELAND DEFENSE WEAPONS!

[Dale_Lynn]

Hassle?... All this time I have been using easyGPS and I didn't know it was supposed to be a hassle.

 

If you are familiar with spread sheet operation easyGPS should be no problem. Its simply a 'acquire' data from file operation, manipulate data (if necessary), then a put (save) data operation. Its a lot easier to grab all the data for maybe 20-30 caches in local area from cache pages, and merely transfer the downloaded file from computer to GPS that to hand manipulate the data through the rather primitive data entry form of keypad manipulation on GPS.

 

I pulled ALL the caches (maybe 75) within a 25 mile radius of my ZIP and have them in GPS so I have a large selction of caches to search at any given time incase one of the "preselected" caches is not "huntable" for some reason. EasyGPs makes this real easy.

 

Dale

 

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I'm Diagonally Parked, In A Parallel Universe.

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[+joefrog]

I recently installed it & downloaded a heap of GC's to my eTrex Vista. Problem I'm having with it is, it REPLACED all the caches I had listed in the GPS as "Geocache found" with plain waypoints. Now I've got to figure out which ones I've found and what I haven't.

 

Is there a way around this, or will it do it to my GPS EVERY time???

 

Joel (joefrog)

 

"Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for ye are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!"

[+quakemap]

If you have a good XP machine and want easy access to tracks and geocaches, quakemap.com is worth a try.

[+Pudman]

Joel,

I use EasyGPS to keep track of all our found caches, as well as dl not found ones for cache hunting trips. I don't recall having this problem, but I usually dl all our finds from the GPS to a Found caches folder before reloading new caches.

 

I've got MS streets and trips preloaded on my new puter, but don't know how to use it yet. I want to use it to make a map with different colored pins for found and Not found yet caches.

I think I will need to convert the files to another format, but thats another topic......and I 'm not very computer literate!!!

[+catcher24]

Oilfield Trash - EasyGPS works great. I also thought it might be too much trouble, but once I got it loaded and working it was incredible to get a list of all the caches within a certain radius, check the ones I want to download, and then find all the data, including names, in my GPSr! One caveat - MAKE SURE you have the Groundspeak version of EasyGPS! I originally went to their website and downloaded the most recent version of EasyGPS. Couldn't get it to download any waypoints through geocaching.com. Then I used the link on one of the cache description pages in geocaching.com to go to EasyGPS, and downloaded that version (it is V1.2.2 Groundspeak Edition). That works great! To make sure you are using the right version, once you download the program and run it, just go to Help and click on About EasyGPS to check the version. Think once you try it, you'll like it. Good luck, and have fun!

 

Catcher24

"You see, you spend a good deal of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." Jim Bouton

[+Pudman]

Am I missing something? What's the difference in the 2? Mine works and it was the latest from TOPOGRAPHIX.?

[+catcher24]

P & P - Don't know what the difference is. When I downloaded the newest version from easygps.com (at that time it was 1.2.3), I was unable to download any waypoints from EasyGPS to my GPSr. Checking the geocaching.com website (one of the cache description pages), I read that the program should be the Groundspeak version of EasyGPS. When I clicked on the link, I ended up downloading version 1.2.2, which on the Help menu, under About EasyGPS, indicates it is the Groundspeak version. I see that the most recent version that is available from EasyGPS at this time is 1.2.5, updated on 5/12/03 (today). So perhaps they have updated to make the most recent version Groundspeak compatible again. Maybe I'll download and try it.

 

Catcher24

"You see, you spend a good deal of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." Jim Bouton

[Vacman]

Well the thing that I don't like about the easyGPS system, is when I d/l the waypoints into my Merdian, I will see just the waypoint listed (I.E. GCD444). I then have to go into the db to find out what that one is called, etc. I wish it would display the name.... maybe just the first 10 characters or whatever.

 

If you drop your keys into molten lava just let 'em go 'cause, man, they're gone.

[+catcher24]

OK, I went to the easygps.com site, downloaded the version updated today (1.2.5). About EasyGPS indicates this is the TopoGrafix edition. I tried downloading some waypoints from geocaching.com, NO PROBLEM. Works fine, so I am now using 1.2.5. Apparently the ability to work with Groundspeak files (geocaching.com) was part of the update. Hope this info helps.

 

Vacman - I don't have that problem. After I have downloaded the waypoints, I go to Menu, select Database, select User. It lists all of the waypoints by number, as you indicate. However, maybe you didn't notice that as you highlight the waypoint number, the name of the waypoint appears in the small box directly below the list of waypoints. Maybe my Magellan is different than yours - I have a Magellan GPS with V4.02 software. Hope this helps.

Catcher24

"You see, you spend a good deal of your life gripping a baseball and in the end it turns out that it was the other way around all the time." Jim Bouton

[+marinor]

I don't have that problem either, I download cache files to my Ipaq, and then carry that and my meridian when going walkabout

 

Life is just an illusion, albeit a very elaborate one.

[+Olar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Vacman:

Well the thing that I don't like about the easyGPS system, is when I d/l the waypoints into my Merdian, I will see just the waypoint listed (I.E. GCD444). I then have to go into the db to find out what that one is called, etc. I wish it would display the name.... maybe just the first 10 characters or whatever.

---

One solution to this is to download the .loc file to your PC and open it with GeoBuddy. You can request GeoBuddy in its preferences to create a waypoint name from the cache name rather than the geocaching identifier. You then can re-save it to Easy and the subsequent download to GPSR will have the first so many letters as the waypoint name.

 

Cheers, Olar

 

"You are only young once but you can stay immature forever"

[+JetSkier]

I tried EasyGPS but I didn't like it. I'm a long time computer user and I like the ability to use Upper/Lower case descriptions. EasyGPS forces the comment to be all uppercase. It also initially creates a mess of the comment when downloading. For example, a cache called 'Use The Force by ASOinFL' gives me a comment of 'US TH FRC ASONFL'. Personally, I would rather see 'Use the Force'. So I simply cut-and-paste the coordinates and name into Mapsend and then upload to my Meridian. I also do it this way because I like to keep a waypoint file in Mapsend of my Found caches as well as ones that I have Pending. Just my 2 cents.

 

JetSkier