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Home-brew Pocket Queries??


Klemmer

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Maybe this has been covered before, but I feel like I accomplished something:

I'm new to PDA's, but know a little about computers & software. Got a free little PDA with my Dell a while back - Palm Zire, 2MB RAM - they sell for about $75. Figured out how to put pocket Queries in with Mobipocket. Got the 100 closest to home cache pages in OK. Great! No more paper for caches!

 

UHHH .... Benchmarks.. Hmmmm.....

Downloaded the USGS Datasheets for the four counties I go to usually. Downloaded all their software, and the monthly Datasheet updates needed. Applied updates. Used BMGPX to get GPX files, then put them into into Easy GPS. Huge file (1700 wayoints). Need to slice into 300 - 500 waypoint chunks for GPS. Tried Watcher (by ClayJar). Couldn't get it to save files. Dunno why. :D Back to it someday. OK - slice & dice using Lat/Long in EasyGPS - not bad - works! OK for GPS.

 

Datasheets to Palm: Hmmm... sliced datasheets into same sizes / areas as for the GPS data using DSWIN from USGS. Exported as .txt files. Explored several Txt & rTxt editors for palm. Big! :) Slow! Stumbled onto fact that Mobipocket Reader already used for cache pocket queries has a "Web Companion" (designed for news, etc from web into PDA), but it ALSO has a .txt file converter! Tried it on a 350 benchmark chunk of Datasheets. Used "max compression". Chewed away for a good 10 minutes, but result was a skinny 272KB file for mobipocket reader! Cool! Format close to original. A little warped, but all the dat is there. Searchable using mobipocket find. 3600 pages of mobipocket "eDoc". Now I'm paperless in the GPS and Palm for Benchmarks for the Northeast quarter or so of Orange County (CA). GPS has lots of room for more areas, all four counties, I guess 5000+ BM's (Magellan Meridian w/ 32MB SD card), but I'll need a bigger Palm if I want more than about half the county of datasheets.

 

I know it was quick - but if anyone really interested, I can make the process more "cookbook" style. Not all that hard, really, all software free! No more paper BM prints! Yeah! :D

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Used BMGPX to get GPX files, then put them into into Easy GPS.  Huge file (1700 wayoints).  Need to slice into 300 - 500 waypoint chunks for GPS.  Tried Watcher (by ClayJar).  Couldn't get it to save files.  Dunno why.  :D  Back to it someday.  OK - slice & dice using Lat/Long in EasyGPS - not bad - works!  OK for GPS.

Another thing to try, if you're handy with the command line, would be GPSBabel. It's capable of doing the slice-n-dice thing, too, using filters. Unfortunately, none of the current GUI interfaces to GPSBabel support filters. However, having your sliced-n-diced files in GPX format would let you use...

 

Stumbled onto fact that Mobipocket Reader already used for cache pocket queries  has a "Web Companion"  (designed for news, etc from web into PDA), but it ALSO has a .txt file converter!  Tried it on a 350 benchmark chunk of Datasheets.    Used "max compression".  Chewed away for a good 10 minutes, but result was a skinny 272KB file for mobipocket reader!  Cool!  Format close to original.  A little warped, but all the dat is there.  Searchable using mobipocket find.

 

... my GPXDoc which converts GPX files into PalmDoc files, which you can read with CSpotRun or TealDoc or whatever PalmDoc reader suits your fancy, including MobiPocket (though why anyone would keep MobiPocket on their system is beyond me; the thing seems to like to crash and spew blue smoke at the drop of a hat.) GPXDoc supports the bookmark system that's built in to the PalmDoc format, so you can jump right to the benchmark you want (though GPXDoc doesn't quite understand the IDs that BMGPX puts into GPX files, so the bookmarks will look a little screwy. You'd think that, having written both programs, I'd have made this work better. Maybe when I have some free time...) With this software, 350 benchmarks takes a lot less than 10 minutes to convert, even on my slow old machine, but sadly it compresses to a slightly larger file: 627K.

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Thanks for the feedback, guys! I'm sure there are lots of better ways to do it, which is EXACTLY why I tossed this out there! Working on the "cookbook". It does get involved. I hardly believe it worked! Parkrrr: Hey, cool! Thanks! Will have to try that GPXDoc when I get a bigger PDA. For now, 627KB would kill me. The 272KB Mobipocket file maybe messy & involved to build, but with the little guy I have, it's all I can fit for the moment.

 

Cookbook tonight, maybe. Wife waiting - gotta go.....

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This this is way toooooooo cool, and was hoping it would get going, as of now I do not use a palm for benchmarks but would like to know how with benchmarks. I am not that talented.

 

If everyone could list how they do it here step by step and the programs so maybe and old fart like me could do it.

 

like with whats is all out there to do it with

 

Please step by step Thanks……………….JOE

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Used BMGPX to get GPX files, then put them into into Easy GPS.  Huge file (1700 wayoints). Need to slice into 300 - 500 waypoint chunks for GPS.

I also have a 2MB Palm Zire, but I have completely deserted MobiPocket --- it's such a memory hog, and the Find function never worked quite right.

 

For benchmarks, I also use BMGPX, but then import the result into CacheMate.

 

Unfortunately, the 524 benchmarks in my county alone create a 3.7MB GPX file, which in turn creates a Cachemate PDB that's larger than 2MB.

 

So then I used gpsbabel's filtering option to limit the original GPX to a six mile radius from my home, which trimmed it down to 214 benchmarks (1.5MB GPX), and an 800k PDB for Cachemate.

 

I'd bet that Klemmer's method is still more efficient, because I am storing the entire datasheet for each BM. However, I get the added bonus of CacheMate to manage the BM's along with my caches.

 

On a related note, I also use gpsbabel to convert the GPX to Mapsource, and let it synthesize the waypoint names based on the BM name, not GC's PID.

Edited by bartacus
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Unfortunately, the 524 benchmarks in my county alone create a 3.7MB GPX file, which in turn creates a Cachemate PDB that's larger than 2MB.

 

So then I used gpsbabel's filtering option to limit the original GPX to a six mile radius from my home, which trimmed it down to 214 benchmarks (1.5MB GPX), and an 800k PDB for Cachemate.

 

If you get the latest version of CMConvert then you won't need the GBSBabel step as CMConvert can now filter by radius before producing the PDB file.

 

Jeremy

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Thanks Bartacus, I'll check out Cachemate. This methos does get the whole NGS datasheet into the PDA. Format fair, but usable. I have had no problems with Mobipocket crashing the Zire, yet. Well, it still sounds like my "homebrew" method of getting the datasheets into my baby size 2 MB PDA is pretty size efficient, so here is a more detailed explanation, sort-of Cookbook-ish. Can't guarantee someone without at least some computer skills could follow it, but it's the best I have time for this week. The original is in MS Word 2000, if you would like it for better format, hyperlinks, etc. Just email me with a real email address, because I don't see how to stick a file attached here. At your own risk, I guess I should add. Works for me.

 

Klemmer’s Cookbook: NGS Benchmark Datasheets into a small PDA

 

Introduction: I'm sure there are lots of ways to get a group of NGS datasheets (sort of like the Benchmark Pages on Geocaching.com). This is only one way, and there might be easier ones, which is EXACTLY why I tossed this out there! Better ways to do it are welcome suggestions! It does result is quite small file sizes of the datasheet info, which is good for small size / memory PDA’s.

 

Regarding PDA's: I'm new to them when this was written. Didn't ever use one until about a week before I devised and wrote this up. But, I'm pretty handy with computers & software. Seems like more than the 2MB I have in my Palm Zire may be needed, I'm guessing. Maybe something with an expandable memory module? But it really depends how many datasheets you want to carry in it, and / or cache pages. With this method, I can get in about 700 datasheets (in two files), 100 geocache pages (in the Mobipocket format, from a Pocket Query) and the software to view it all.

 

Geocaching.com benchmark downloading problem: Yes you can get up to 10 mile radius group, which might be 10 benchmarks, or 800, depending on the density in your "play area" (and maybe up to 30 mi radius by changing the number in the URL from 10 to 30 just before doing the search – [saw it on a forum somewhere!]). Problems: I don't play in a circular area. Seems like I always get areas I don't want, and of course, the real missing piece: no paperless datasheets. Another problem: their data is from around 2000. It's getting old. New / updated / officially destroyed benchmarks are happening every month in most areas. Of course, if it’s not on Geocaching.com you can’t log it. Oh well.

 

THE PROCESS: I think it is in these three parts:

 

Part One: Download the data sheet files from NGS, and if needed / desired, update them:

The NGS datasheet page is at: http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/cgi-bin/datasheet.prl

There are many ways to do it. You can do circular or rectangular searches from the "Datasheets" section [they ARE current]. These will be ACROSS counties, and even states. Or - take a whole county at once from the "archives" section [and then update them using the monthly updates, using the DSUPDATE application from USGS: http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/PC_PROD/pc_prod.shtml. While you are there, get the DSWIN application also. You could skip the update part - up to you.

 

Part Two: For the GPS: Now you have some NGS datasheet files (.dat format). You may need to "slice & dice" them into manageable chunks, by some logical area plan. I personally want 300 - 400 waypoint sized pieces for the GPS, as I will likely want to put in some (100 or so) geocache coordinates also. My GPS (Magellan Meridian Platinum) will hold 500 waypoints at a time in “active” memory, but it also has an SD card area with BIG space (limited only by the size SD card you put in).

Next, get the BMGPS application here: http://parkrrrr.com/

It's a DOS application, so I hope you know (remember?) a little DOS. The process is explained in the “Readme” file that comes with BMGPX (Thanks, Parkrrrr).

Covert your datasheet (.dat) files to GPX (.gpx) files.

Get EasyGPS here: http://www.geocaching.com/waypoints/download.aspx

Load in the .gpx file. Look at a map, and decide how you want to "slice & dice" the data. For example, I saw (by starting to "send" to the GPS, then canceling), that I had about 1700 waypoints in Orange County (CA). I sketched up slices through the county to divide it into 5 roughly same sized pieces. I used a - yes - paper map printed from a mapping program – any map of the county with Lat & Long will do). Make the slices on at least even minutes of Lat/Long to keep it simple. Set the preferences on EasyGPS to “Degree, minutes.minutes” in the “files\preferences\coordinates” menu. Using the Lat/Long column in Easy GPS, sort on Lat, trim off the waypoints above & below the range you want. Repeat for Long. Save as a different file name. Save them as .loc files if you want. They are smaller. Even if you save it as a .gpx file from EasyGPS, note that it got a LOT smaller. EasyGPS does not use (and so tosses out) the datasheet data in the .gpx file. Devise a naming system & stick to it! Load the trimmed file to the GPS. Save it to the data card (if you can, like in my Magellan Meridian).

 

Part Three: For the PDA: Details may differ, depending on the PDA & PDA OS. Using DSWIN downloaded from the NGS above, "slice & dice" along the SAME LINES as you did in EasyGPS. Use he menu “Search\MinMax”. Now do a sort on PID, so you have a nice alpha-numeric order in te PDA. Save as a .txt file, using the ‘datasheet” format when asked. Use different file names.

Next, get Mobipocket here: http://www.mobipocket.com/en/HomePage/default.asp. The free (standard) version is OK. Get the right version for your PDA. Also get the Mobipocket Reader for PC. Install both. They give you step-by-step instructions, I think. Seemed easy enough. Using Mobipocket "Web Companion" (appears as an icon in the lower right tray bar), load in the .txt file using the "publish" button. It walks you through the process. I selected "maximum compression" because of the small PDA I have. Took about 10 minutes for a on my 2 year old top of the line (then) gateway computer. Be patient! It’s doing a lot of compression. Load the file to you PDA, using the usual method of HotSync or whatever your PDA calls it. It will go into to Mobipocket Reader. Done! Check it on the PDA, see how it looks. A little messy, but better than paper, I think.

 

Repeat the necessary parts above for the other “chunks” of waypoints & datasheets that you want.

 

Happy Holidays to all!

 

Note: edited 12/22 ~2:30pm PST to add the sort in DSWIN, and changed USGC to NGS. Thanks rogbarn!

Edited by Klemmer
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GPXDoc doesn't quite understand the IDs that BMGPX puts into GPX files, so the bookmarks will look a little screwy. You'd think that, having written both programs, I'd have made this work better. Maybe when I have some free time...

Update: I had some free time. The current version of gpxdoc handles the benchmark IDs correctly. It also fixes another annoying bug with short bookmark names.

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I too use the county files from the NGS site. I run them through BMGPX, then GPX2HTML. GPX2HTML will allow you to filter out marks you have already found if you supply it with a list. I then use Plucker to view the datasheets on my pda.

 

As far as slicing/dicing. I keep both datasheets and waypoints together by county. To date, I haven't found a county with more than 500 waypoints (though I'm sure they're out there).

 

I also use GPilotS on my Palm to store literally thousands of benchmark waypoints (by county). Since I don't have any counties over 500, I can upload the appropriate county to my GPS, and when I cross a county line, wipe them out and load a new county. This requires a cable to connect the gps to the pda, but it beats dragging a laptop along and gives you great flexiblity.

 

GPilotS also will accept data from your gps, so if you have a full track log and need to keep going, just upload to your pda before you clear it. It doesn't strip the data like saving the track in your gps unit's memory does.

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Thanks, guys.

Rogbarn: You bet I meant NGS. Thanks! Just an old-timer slip. Used to have a little to do with (what was then) USGS when I was in the Air Force. Just a time-slip.

Gnbrotz: Sounds good! I guess my handycap was starting with a small PDA and a big county (over 1700 marks). Los Angeles county - I go there sometimes (NORTH part!), but man - 8167 marks. I'm surprized both EasyGPS and Watcher didn't err-- burst(?). I guess I need to look at the GPilotS. Thanks!

 

Important Edit to my "Cookbook": In DSWIN, be sure to do a sort on PID BEFORE saving the "trimmed" file as a .txt file, so it ends up in PID alphanumeric order in the PDA. By the way, neither DSWIN nor BMGPX seem to care if the file name is .txt or .dat. But Mobipocket does care, so use .txt.

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For benchmarks, I also use BMGPX, but then import the result into CacheMate.

 

Unfortunately, the 524 benchmarks in my county alone create a 3.7MB GPX file, which in turn creates a Cachemate PDB that's larger than 2MB.

I also use CacheMate, but I've developed a filter that trims down the description between the datasheets and BMGPX. I've got over 1,000 BM in my palm and I see CacheMate is taking up 2005K of memory. The required MathLib is another 50K The Garmin plug-in is 10K.

 

If any of you have looked at CacheMate before but passed, look again. It's usefulness has increased tremendously.

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I guess my handycap was starting with a small PDA and a big county (over 1700 marks). Los Angeles county - I go there sometimes (NORTH part!), but man - 8167 marks. I'm surprized both EasyGPS and Watcher didn't err-- burst(?). I guess I need to look at the GPilotS. Thanks!

Another thing about GPilotS: When it's connected to your active gps, it will sort waypoints by distance from your current location. If you have a category of 1000 waypoints, I wonder if you can upload just the 100 closest, or if at that point you'd be forced to slice/dice? I'll have to play with that a bit....

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OK, a little more info: If you have an extremely large "category", you can sort by distance (among other things). You can also enter "select mode" and check off just the waypoints you want, not the entire category.

 

The downside is you can "Select all", "Unselect All" or manually check them off 1 at a time. There isn't a fast way to "upload the closest 200" or "upload all within 50 miles"; but hey, it's a free program!

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