GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted June 13, 2003 Share Posted June 13, 2003 Hi all, Gimpy helped me out SO much, and so did a few others, when I needed to coordinate my Sony Clie, Avantgo and the Spinner utility. I couldn't have been happier with the way everything was working. Long story short, I had a few personal problems and haven't used the utility or even my GPS for the last few months. I went to "re-learn" how everything was working - I still had my two queries, and everything was still synched. But I also got that "garbledygook" html string before the actual caches on the spun file. I didn't think it would be a problem, but on one query (which Spinner came up with 37 caches) it only put one into my Sony Clie. In short, did I miss something? I did my search, and downloaded the new Spinner, but it just opens a DOS window for about 4 seconds before closing it. I'm real slow at this stuff, but I DO try and do my homework before asking you folks. I've spent all day trying to figure this out, but I'm genuinely lost and I've given it my effort. I feel like I'm back to square one. I see this GPSBabble which I'm not familiar with. I'm using GPS Spinner Classic Version 1.2.7b1. When I download the spun files, they look just fine in EasyGPS. That's what I don't understand. It looks fine on the EasyGPS page, and my Clie synch using Avantgo has worked flawlessly in the past. This took me so long to figure out in the beginning, and I feel like I'm totally lost and back at square one. Gimpy? You were my saviour last time! Can you or anyone else help an "e-challenged" cacher who has at least spent some effort searching the site before asking questions? Thanks so much!! If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
+smithdw Posted June 14, 2003 Share Posted June 14, 2003 The following is a help file that I sent to another one of the local geocachers when he was setting up his Palm m705, hope it helps. Download and install the following programs: 1. GPX Spinner - http://www.gpxspinner.com/ i. Be sure to read the Getting Started page at http://www.gpxspinner.com/help/started.htm ii. And also the Customizing page at http://www.gpxspinner.com/help/customizing.htm 2. Watcher - http://clayjar.com/gc/temp/ 3. Plucker - http://desktop.plkr.org/ Setup a PocketQuery on www.geocaching.com and make sure the format is GPX. When you receive the files, save the GPX file (remember which directory you saved it in), don't load it into EasyGPS, it will mess up the file. Startup Watcher, load the GPX file and view/edit waypoints. Under Options-Coordinates, you can enter the coordinates of your house. Watcher will let you sort, ignore, search and display cache info and merge GPX files. Save the GPX file if you change any of the cache listing. Open the directory where you saved the GPX file and drag it to the GPX Spinner icon on your desktop and wait until it finishes all the processing. Follow the directions on the GPX Spinner Getting Started page to setup and install the Plucker program on the Palm. You should only need to do this once. Select the new channel you just created and do Update Selected Channels to copy the geocache info to the Palm HotSync utility. HotSync your Palm. Open the Plucker program on your Palm and select the name you gave your Channel. I named mine Geocaches. When you get a new GPX file from Geocaching site, save the GPX file, Edit/View in Watcher (you don't need to if you don't want to), drag the GPX file to the GPX Spinner icon, Update Channel in Plucker, HotSync Palm. Send the waypoints to your GPS from the spinner.gpx file that GPX Spinner creates using EasyGPS. "The best way to accelerate a Macintosh is at 9.8m/sec/sec." -Marcus Dolengo Quote Link to comment
GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted June 14, 2003 Author Share Posted June 14, 2003 Thanks so much for the step-by-step. Can I do this even though I use Avantgo? Meaning, can I use both Plucker and Avantgo? This was sort of the "choice" I had the first go-round, and seeing as everything on my Clie synched via Avantgo, I used that to synch the pages created by Spinner; it all used to work perfectly. I'm not familiar with Plucker - and I've heard some folks say they like it much better than Avantgo (no pop-up page), but dropping Avantgo for Plucker would mean I'd lose all my pages that I struggled to set up and get synched. I really understand Avantgo, and I'm really happy with it. I don't think I'm going to nix it for Plucker, just to get spun files... I'd just like everything to work the way it used to... Thanks so much for your help, though... I'm sure things will work out, they did the first time! Heck, if I don't hear differently I'll try the exact steps you recommend and just see if I can't synch both Avantgo and then Plucker, seperately. Or something like that. If you can't tell, it all confuses me, but I'm willing to mess around and try it till I get it right! Thanks again for such a detailed response! If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
+smithdw Posted June 14, 2003 Share Posted June 14, 2003 You're welcome. The Palm won't care about what data and which programs you use, you can load the info on both if you want. The only problem I have seen is to use different file names for each file that you are sending to the Palm. Example, I wanted to send both the Plucker update for the cache listings and a Cetus GPS waypoint file. I inadvertantly used the same filename on the PC and when I tried to double-click the Cetus waypoint file, the hotsync software said I already had a file by that name. I just renamed the file and it was happy. "The best way to accelerate a Macintosh is at 9.8m/sec/sec." -Marcus Dolengo Quote Link to comment
GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted June 17, 2003 Author Share Posted June 17, 2003 Hi, I'm not sure I understand... I don't have a Palm, I have a Sony Clie (but that's not really important, because it uses a Palm OS). Are you saying I can use both Avantgo and Plucker when I hotsync? When I click the Hotsync, does it sync with both of them seperately? Sorry if I'm being confusing, but I haven't deleted the Avantgo yet, and was just waiting for clarification. If the handheld syncs with first Avantgo, and then anything I have from Plucker, that would be awesome. Thanks so much, again, for your patience! If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
+Gimpy Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 quote:Originally posted by GRANDMASTER CACHE:Hi, I'm not sure I understand... I don't have a Palm, I have a Sony Clie (but that's not really important, because it uses a Palm OS). Are you saying I _can_ use both Avantgo and Plucker when I hotsync? When I click the Hotsync, does it sync with both of them seperately? Sorry if I'm being confusing, but I haven't deleted the Avantgo yet, and was just waiting for clarification. If the handheld syncs with first Avantgo, and then anything I have from Plucker, that would be awesome. Thanks so much, again, for your patience! Hey, GRANDMASTER CACHE. How's things. Sorry to jump in late on this, but you've gotten some great advice. And sure, you can run both Avantgo & Plucker. I do it every day. I get my pocket queries in both gpx & prc files, so just for backup, I've got Mobipocket on my Clie' as well. Avantgo sincs on it's own & with Plucker, you just have to update the files in Plucker Desktop, & they'll sinc also. I run a 128 mb memory stick in my Clie', so I can make room for lots of goodies. "Gimpy" --N2GLS-- Quote Link to comment
+Marky Posted June 17, 2003 Share Posted June 17, 2003 I wanted to chime in to just say hi. I have no other helpful info. Joani and I were just wondering how you guys are doing. --Marky "All of us get lost in the darkness, dreamers learn to steer with a backlit GPSr" Quote Link to comment
GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted June 20, 2003 Author Share Posted June 20, 2003 Hi everyone... Thanks again for the time!! Hi Gimpy, and HI MARKY!! Say hi to Joani from us. We've moved... a lot of yuck has sort of happened. But working with this stuff gives me something to do! Well, I have plucker installed, and I've been trying and TRYING to get this right... But the crud that comes out is all yucked up. I've followed the instructions, but I'm just getting garble... I can read a bit of it, but I think there's all this html code or something mixed in with it all. I'm getting the channels I've created, and I've followed the instructions.... It's just the data seems so corrupted. I'm going to keep on trying... I'm trying to get two files onto my PDA. One is of all the caches in my area (300) and the other is just set up to show the new ones in the last week... usually about 30. When I drag one into spinner, it replaces the spun file from the other. I guess I don't know if my plucker channel is getting the right file. I'm pulling my hair out... Yuck... I was just fine with the Classic, and using it through Avantgo... but something yucked that up, too. One day everything was fine... I was gone for a few months, and now everything is yucked up. Well, at least I have this plucker utility... I just need to figure out the right files to go to the channels I create, I suppose. I want the two channels, but the spinner only seems to keep one spun file... I've even been reading the help pages... again and again... Well, I'll take a break, clear my head and delve back into this... Any additional help will of course be so much appreciated.. Thanks in advance, especially for putting up with my S L O W N E S S... Sorry! If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
+Gimpy Posted June 21, 2003 Share Posted June 21, 2003 quote:Originally posted by GRANDMASTER CACHE: When I drag one into spinner, it replaces the spun file from the other. I guess I don't know if my plucker channel is getting the right file. I'm pulling my hair out... GC. Just create a new folder on your desktop. Put the Spinner folders(Spinner,Templates,etc.) into that new folder. Now save your pocket queries from your e-mail inbox to your desktop. Drag the pocket queries into the folder containing Spinner. Now, instead of dragging the individual gpx pocket queries into spinner,(within the folder), just click on Spinner. Spinner will automatically open all the gpx files within the folder & put all the caches in one file named "cache". Open that file & all your caches should be there. Just right click on that file address & copy the address. Open Plucker, then double click whatever channel you've assigned for your caches. For the address for Plucker to retreive the info, use the second line(file folder, not web address). Right click on that & paste the folder address you copied. Now , in Plucker,just click on whatever name you've assigned the cache file & up top, click on "update the selected file". When you sync, all should be there. Hope this helps. "Gimpy" --N2GLS-- [This message was edited by Gimpy on June 21, 2003 at 06:44 AM.] Quote Link to comment
GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted June 21, 2003 Author Share Posted June 21, 2003 Thanks, Gimpy! I had a friend look into it, and we got it working... we weren't going in and getting the INDEX file... The location string didn't have that, I was just using the entire file after I spun it. So now we have the Clie all charged up with the two queries (I have to sync the Clie each time so I can have my two different queries - I'm not wise enough to figure out how to mess with customizing everyting in one whole file). But I have the cache pages, which is all I wanted... Boy, it sure does take a lot longer than the Classic, but I'm just so glad to have the cache pages once again! Now, I just have to figure out how to get my GPSr to "receive" data... This is the first time I'm using it with the laptop, and I'm hoping the adapter is working... I just have to figure out which com port, etc. etc. So I'm still working well into sunup! Thanks so much, Gimpy! If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted June 21, 2003 Author Share Posted June 21, 2003 Well, it took some more fiddling, but I suppose my baud rate was the culprit in getting the waypoints to my GPSr. Once I tweaked it down to 4800 it "took." Wow... What a learning experience. Now, with my luck everything will go and get changed again! Hopefully not. This will take some getting used to, but hopefully all will remain well... Just one more "test" and that is to see that Plucker doesn't "update" when I sync.... I only have the one index file, and it remains as whatever I last "spun." Kinda of confusing? Me too! Off to test... Thanks again! If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
GRANDMASTER CACHE Posted June 21, 2003 Author Share Posted June 21, 2003 All's well. It doesn't sync without being told to update, so as long as I don't neither file overwrites the other. This is good. We're going on a cross-country trip and I wanted to make sure I can have my laptop working with the GPSr so I can update my regions as needed... I'm using the KEYSPAN USB serial adapter... It was a nasty $49. at Fry's, but with all the horror stories about cables not transmitting data to/from GPSrs, I went with one that claimed it did. I know there are others that work fine for less money, but this was all they had (I figured I'd give it a shot and return it if it didn't work). Hopefully all will remain peaceful! Thanks to everyone, again, for your patience! I really do appreciate it - Monty If you hide it, they will come. Grandmaster Cache Tank at: FISH WHISPERER'S LAGOON Quote Link to comment
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