Going Paperless

[+shunra]

I have just received my "new" Palm IIIe, and purchased and installed Cachemate. I have downloaded a 500 cache GMX file via CMConvert into the PDA, and upon trying to upload another one, I found that there was not enough memory, and that nothing was added at all. No problem - I have reduced my PQs from 500 to 400 caches; I think 800 should fit.

 

I see that there is a possibility to export from the PDA to the GPS, and conversely, to import a datum from the GPS in order to determine the nearest caches. This may be a stupid question, but ... how does THAT work? What kind of cable connects the two? Or should I avoid the 'nearest' function in cachemate, and just look for the nearest caches on the GPS, and then find them on the GPS by waypoint?

 

Is there anything else that me, a beginning paperless cacher, should know, install, learn?

 

Thanks!

[+Learned Gerbil]

You can get dedicated leads for some combinations of PDA and GPSr but I have not got one. I use a GPS 320 and a Palm IIIxe. I have serial leads for both designed for communicating with a PC.

 

A null modem adaptor (also called a crossover adapter) is needed to cross over the send and receive lines so the two can talk. Without it both would send on one line and listen on another becasue they expect a PC at the other end. The adaptor ensures that what one sends, arrives on the the line the other device listens on, and and vice versa. Plug both leads into this and the devices will talk to one another.

 

Hundreds of places sell null modem adaptors on the internet, usually for less than $10. Palm III serial leads should be easy to get as the IIIe is just a Palm IIIxe with much less memory as far as I can tell. I bought my lead online about a year ago.

[+The Frantic Cachers]

Try GPS City. They have the cables you need i think.

[+sodajerk]

I do not connect my Palm to my gps. This is what works for me.

1. Get 500 waypoints of regular and multi catches within 30 miles of home in zip gpx pocket query.

2. Unzip to shared network drive on my lan

3. Using spinner and plucker, update a channel called "(date) regular" on my desktop computer.

4. Copy file from step 2 to my laptop, import into easy gps.

5. Upload the 500 waypoints to my Spor Trac Pro using laptop.

6. Get 500 waypoints of all other catches except regular and multi within 45 miles of my home.

7. Unzip to shared network drive on my lan.

8. Using spinner and plucker, update a channel called "(date) other" on my desktop computer.

9. Get all the reverse catches in the 50 states. It is a little less than 500.

10. Unzip to a shared network drive on my lan

11. Using spinner and plucker, update a channel called "(date) Reverse" on my desktop computer.

12. Hot Sync to my Palm IIIc.

13. Copy files in step 7 and 10 to my laptop.

 

I now have 1500 catches on my Palm, 500 local waypoints on my gps and 1500 on the laptop to put into a mapping program, although I do not map the reverse catches.

 

I do not need any special cables, the Hot Sync came with the Palm, and one came with my Sport Trak. My Palm, GPS, desktop and laptop all stay in sync.

 

All I am missing is the 500 "other" on my gps, but it can only hold 500. Next time get one with a memory card.

 

Like I said, works for me, your mileage may vary.

[+Poindexter]

You can just enter your present coordinates into Cachemate on your PDA manually rather than have your GPS hooked up to it if you want. It will then give distance and bearing to the nearest caches.

[+GeckoGeek]

Is there anything else that me, a beginning paperless cacher, should know, install, learn?

Learned Gerbil pretty well covered it. The only thing I would add is to poke around your local Radio Shacks (check more then one) as they have been closing out a portable Palm III cable for $5 (deal!). That way you you don't have to haul the bulky cradle around to connect the GPS to your Palm. I use that cable and the method that LG outlined. A heck of a lot simpler and less to haul then sodajerk's method. Not to mention exposing your laptop to possible theft from your car while you're out hiking.

[+Learned Gerbil]

Also, with my setup I use the Palm for auto navigation and for displaying position on topo maps as my GPSr does not support that.

 

I also recommend Aquapacs for both GPSr and Palm as it helps to keep your hands free.

[+shunra]

Thank you alll, that was very helpful!

Some things I'm still not getting are:

 

1 - What are spinner and plucker, and what would I need them for, if at all, if I use CMConvert to convert and upload the GPX files to the Palm, and EasyGPX to send them to the GPS, or perhaps will use LG's method to send the info from one device to the other?

 

2 - In Cachemate I have the possibility of logging the cache. What happens to that log, when I hotsynch? It surely doesn't get upoaded anywhere, and there is no Cachemate desktop application that would show it to me, as far as I noticed. In the Palm desktop software I see memos and todo items etc , but no cachemate related content appears there.

 

TIA

[+njload]

You don't need spinner or plucker if you are using CacheMate. If you want to use your GPS with your PDA go to Radio Shack to get the null modem and look on Ebay for the cables. That is where I got my equipment.

 

There is no Desktop for CacheMate. When you log a find you can change the category to found. The best thing to do is just play with the program with a few caches loaded until you are familiar with it.

 

Good Luck

 

NJLOAD

[+GeckoGeek]

1 - What are spinner and plucker, and what would I need them for, if at all, if I use CMConvert

Spinner takes a GPX file and makes it into a HTML. Plucker is a HTML web browser for the palm. Just another way to get the info to the Palm, but if you have CacheMate, there really isn't any need for them.

 

2 - In Cachemate I have the possibility of logging the cache. What happens to that log, when I hotsynch?

Not much. It gets backed up. However CM can export your logs to Memo and from there you can hotsync it back to your Palm Desktop app to cut and paste it into CG. If you have a request for another way (it does sound kinda clunky, doesn't it?), you might ask under the CacheMate 3.3 thread and see if Maeglin will add that. I'd like him to add a Desktop component to CM, but he'd have to change the data structure to get that to work.

[+Learned Gerbil]

Also as the Palm IIIe is fairly limited in memory the Cachemate route is probably much more memory efficient than the Spinner Plucker method.

 

As for te Cachemate Logs - I just use them to record things i the field, and then transpose them to GC.com when I get back to a PC.

[+GeckoGeek]

As for te Cachemate Logs - I just use them to record things i the field, and then transpose them to GC.com when I get back to a PC.

Same here. I just record raw data and covert it to English later. I don't care what unit you have, data entry in a Palm does not encourage full sentences much less flowery prose. As such, the lack of a good log export is not that big a deal for me.

Edited January 24, 2004 by GeckoGeek

[+NightPilot]

Your logs do get backed up on the PC when you hotsync. They're in the Cachemate databases, in your \palm\username\backup folder, and not really usable except in Cachemate. Palm Desktop doesn't do anything except for the built-in Palm apps. A tool to convert cache records to ASCII text or some other format readable on a PC would be nice, but I don't know of anyone has requested it.

Edited January 24, 2004 by NightPilot

[+Learned Gerbil]

IIRC Cachemate allows individual records to be converted to Memos which can then be cut and pasted on the Pc from the Palm Desktop.

 

So it is not that Cachemate data can't be used, but it is not automated - but I would not want it to be. My notes in Cachemate will usually be much less detailed than my eventual GC.com logs.

[+NightPilot]

I had forgotten about exporting to a memo.

 

One quirk I've seen is that if you export a cache to a memo, and then reimport it into CM, it doesn't import correctly. Seems strange that it requires one format for imports, but exports differently.

[+bob393]

I still like to keep paper copies of my cache notes with my own notes on the back. It just dosn't seem to work out on my PocketPC.