+Gary&Vicky Posted February 4, 2004 Posted February 4, 2004 Since we bought our Palm Tungsten C, we are almost completely paperless. I'm looking for a map program that is geocaching friendly. I use a Garmin GSPMAP 76s, if that makes any difference. If I had a Pocket PC I'd continue to use Microsoft's Streets and Trips. Any suggestions? Quote
+PDOP's Posted February 4, 2004 Posted February 4, 2004 Have you looked at Dale DePriest's reviews of Palm OS apps ? Quote
+Stunod Posted February 4, 2004 Posted February 4, 2004 (edited) Check out Delorme's Handheld Street Atlas. It works with their TOPO maps, too. You might want to look into the Mapopolis products, too. Edited February 4, 2004 by Stunod Quote
+EScout Posted February 4, 2004 Posted February 4, 2004 Just got a Sony Clie TJ25 with 320X320 color screen and fast processor ($120 after rebates at CompUSA last week). Displays jpeg files nicely. USB connector makes very fast syncs and downloads. Got a 64MB Memory Stick--can exchange files directly with PC--nice feature. Figured how to take a screen from Streets and Trips with waypoint pins and GC names(after importing .csv file from GPSBabel) convert it to .jpg and view them. This works well if you are wanting an overall view of locations in a given area. Just loaded Street Atlas 2004. Seems OK so far. Does anyone know how to put waypoints/waypoint file in Street Atlas format for PDA, probably a .pdb file? Quote
+sledgehampster Posted February 4, 2004 Posted February 4, 2004 GPSBabel http://sourceforge.net/projects/gpsbabel/ Quote
+oneeyesquare Posted February 4, 2004 Posted February 4, 2004 Best are DeLorme HSA04 or Mapopolis for ease of use and good map content. Good interfaces as well. Caches can be shown on map with the DeLorme product though it takes a bit. Search and ye shall find.... Cachemate now has the ability to import caches into Mapopolis. You will need the "Navigator" version though. I have the older version. Not sure if I want to spend $100 to redownload all the maps again. Works very well and very easy to import a cache on the fly and also to route to. Quote
+EScout Posted February 4, 2004 Posted February 4, 2004 Sledgehampster: Have you done this with 2004 Street Atlas for Palm OS. It does not work for me. What do you name your file. Do you hot sync the .pdb file or copy it directly to the memory card? The file in my PDA appears to be XMapWptsDB.pdb Thanks Quote
+sledgehampster Posted February 5, 2004 Posted February 5, 2004 I am using Street Atlas 2004 Handheld and it worked fine. Cannot speak for PC Street Atlas though. Quote
+EScout Posted February 5, 2004 Posted February 5, 2004 Would someone else like to explain the procedure for taking a .gpx file and making waypoints on the Palm OS, Street Atlas 2004 handheld program. What I have done: .gpx file through GPSBabel, choosing the Delorme XMap HH format, output with a .pdb extension, which is then synced. Does not work. The file in the PDA,which is created when you manually input wayputs is called: WMapWptsDB.pdb My question is how to create this file with the cache waypoints. Quote
+parkrrrr Posted February 5, 2004 Posted February 5, 2004 (edited) .gpx file through GPSBabel, choosing the Delorme XMap HH format, output with a .pdb extension, which is then synced. The XMap HH format that GPSBabel outputs is actually a text file, suitable for importing into Street Atlas or dropping into some directory or other that the XMap HH conduit can sync with. I don't have XMap HH myself, or I'd be able to provide more details. If you can track down dboggny, he should be able to tell you how it all works. I haven't seen much of him around lately, though. I've reverse-engineered the PDB format, but if we supported it, we'd run into the same sort of problems you get with Nav Companion. Edited February 5, 2004 by parkrrrr Quote
+-=(GEO)=- Posted February 5, 2004 Posted February 5, 2004 I'd highly recommend Mapopolis. Just my 2 cents... Fabien. Quote
+CacheCreatures Posted February 5, 2004 Posted February 5, 2004 I'd highly recommend Mapopolis. Just my 2 cents... Fabien. True, however if the comments here and elsewhere can be trusted, I think the Palm version is far less developed than the PPC version. I swear by the PPC version, but have never used the Palm version. Try searching this board for more info. Just a heads up. Quote
dboggny Posted February 5, 2004 Posted February 5, 2004 .gpx file through GPSBabel, choosing the Delorme XMap HH format, output with a .pdb extension, which is then synced. The XMap HH format that GPSBabel outputs is actually a text file, suitable for importing into Street Atlas or dropping into some directory or other that the XMap HH conduit can sync with. I don't have XMap HH myself, or I'd be able to provide more details. If you can track down dboggny, he should be able to tell you how it all works. I haven't seen much of him around lately, though. I've reverse-engineered the PDB format, but if we supported it, we'd run into the same sort of problems you get with Nav Companion. i do the conversion to xmap via gpsbabel, and drop it into Street Atlas (not the hand held addition)... then use the exchange function to get it into the palm as a waypoint file. there is a way to get it in via street atlas handheld but its kind of convoluted. this thread from about a year ago will explain better then i can how it works. this works with both topo and SA hand held, i think? Quote
dboggny Posted February 5, 2004 Posted February 5, 2004 (edited) I'd highly recommend Mapopolis. Just my 2 cents... Fabien. True, however if the comments here and elsewhere can be trusted, I think the Palm version is far less developed than the PPC version. I swear by the PPC version, but have never used the Palm version. Try searching this board for more info. Just a heads up. the palm version IS much less developed then the ppc version. the deficiencies can be overcome if you also have a program such as cetus. i prefer using street atlas handheld over cetus becuase i prefer such programs all in one where i can look on my laptop and stuff before i send it to the palm. what bothers me the most, is that i cannot input mass waypoint files into the Best mapopolis maps as one can for the ppc version. when i questioned the company they gave me some cock and bull story about how more geocachers use ppc then palm and therefore they dont support the palm version as much. the reality of the situation seems to be that someone using a ppc version wrote the program for them and the old palmprogram (called mapconvert) isn't supported anymore and only works with the maps that aren't as high end. i wonder if gpsbabel works with them? i tried, a while ago to figure out how to convert mapopolis stuff in babel but coulnd't. Robert could you help a little here to explain the mapopolis functionality of babel, please? i have the platinum maps, but as is mentioned here, you can only use mapconvert with the navigator maps. te platinum maps allow for routing where as the navigator maps dont Edited February 5, 2004 by dboggny Quote
dboggny Posted February 5, 2004 Posted February 5, 2004 Would someone else like to explain the procedure for taking a .gpx file and making waypoints on the Palm OS, Street Atlas 2004 handheld program. What I have done: .gpx file through GPSBabel, choosing the Delorme XMap HH format, output with a .pdb extension, which is then synced. Does not work. The file in the PDA,which is created when you manually input wayputs is called: WMapWptsDB.pdb My question is how to create this file with the cache waypoints. i can try to explain this... convert the gpx file to an xmap file gpsbabel -i gpx -f whatever.gpx -o xmap -F whatever.txt then, open Street atlas, not the handheld addition. go to the draw tab on the bottom, click on "file" then "import" drag your newly created file into that box that pops up and open it... the waypoints shoudl appear on the map. Quote
+oneeyesquare Posted February 5, 2004 Posted February 5, 2004 GPS output file from Babel (using the frontend) is: C:\Delorme Docs\Mobile Maps\Wpts Transfer\XMapHHWptsSend.txt using the "DeLorme XMap HH Native.WPT setting. Once the file is landed in this folder the PC side program should take care of the transfer automatically during Hotsync. My 500 cache query looks really cool on the map, but sorting thru them is painfully slow on a 200mhz Sony PDA. Might want to keep the query sizes smaller.. Quote
+EScout Posted February 6, 2004 Posted February 6, 2004 Thank you to everyone for their responses. Everything working fine now-- Cache waypoints are now in Street Atlas on my Sony PDA (Palm OS). Still playing with the program. Seems OK so far, but somewhat slow and the "Find" feature (for streets, places, etc.) is not working like I would expect. Quote
+NightPilot Posted February 6, 2004 Posted February 6, 2004 Mapopolis for Palm has fewer features than the PPC version, but it works just fine. You just have to work a little harder to do the map management, and the user interface looks like something from 1985 DOS. For finding your way to addresses in one county, it's hard to beat. You don't need a PC at all. Just load the appropriate county map & you can navigate to any address, with audible directions and automatic rerouting. GPS mapping software is the one area I see in which PPC is far ahead of Palm. There just aren't many worthwhile Palm apps for that - in fact, Mapopolis is about the only viable option. Delorme XMap is worthless, IMO. The interface sucks big wind, and it crashes my Palm almost every time I try to use it. Mapopolis is orders of magnitude better. For PPC, I have no opinion, since I don't own one. Quote
+oneeyesquare Posted February 6, 2004 Posted February 6, 2004 Delorme SA04HH works very well on my Palm OS5 device. I even have it running under as hack program to stretch it to 320x480 with only minor interface issues. I also have overclocked it with an app to 375 mhz and it draws fairly quickly. The interface lacks a bottom tool bar and thus everything requires a "menu" tap to get to functions. Routing is Ok speedwise and decent in it's dtermination of roads. Biggest bonus is being able to load Topo4 maps on it which are really quite gorgeous. Add to that all the caches showing on the map it's a pretty cool map. Mapopolis has a much better interface with it's bottom toolbar esp. with the ability to draw a zoom box. Routing is significantly better. Now with Cachemae you can import caches into the map. Pretty cool though it adds to the address book. Not 100% sure I want my addy book cluttered with caches, but it's pretty easy to load from Cachemate and it even gives you the option to stay in Mapopolis. If they had Topo maps... or state packs for the new version ($50 wasn't bad, $100 is steep esp. as I've already downloaded the entire US already). Mapopolis' biggest flaw on the Plam OS is the inablility to auto load maps from card memory. The PPC version is flawless in this aspect. I wish there was more development in the map app areas. I really don't want to fool around with map conversion apps. Tryed a couple but they require SO much frogging around. These two seem to be the best so far. Coupled with Cetus they work fairly well for caching sans dedicated GPS. Quote
+Team PEZ Posted February 7, 2004 Posted February 7, 2004 i, too, just bought a tungsten c pda to go paperless on my hunts. i went to the local microcenter store to purchase a mapping program for my palm os pda. the salesperson told me that since this is one of the newest models of pdas out there, i need to purchase an additional "yellow gps thingy" to attach at the bottom of the pda and then to hook up to my garmin emap. i thought when i bought this pda, i wouldnt have to buy anything else, besides the program. does this make sense??? and what kind of mapping program can i use? argh! so many questions. thanks for reading! -TP Quote
+EScout Posted February 7, 2004 Posted February 7, 2004 Team Pez: If your PDA has a serial connector (instead of or in addition to a USB connector), you can connect it directly to your GPSr, through a null-modem connector/converter. The map program will get your position data from your GPSr. Quote
+Team PEZ Posted February 7, 2004 Posted February 7, 2004 Team Pez:If your PDA has a serial connector (instead of or in addition to a USB connector), you can connect it directly to your GPSr, through a null-modem connector/converter. The map program will get your position data from your GPSr. im afraid it only has the serial connector Quote
+NightPilot Posted February 8, 2004 Posted February 8, 2004 The only PDA that has a built-in GPS is the Garmin iQue. If you buy that, you don't need a separate GPS. If you just want mapping, without the GPS to show you where you are on the map, then the T|C will do that, and there are lots of mapping programs available. I recommend Mapopolis. Assuming you have been geocaching already, and have a GPS, then you can connect the GPS to the Palm with a cable which you can buy from numerous sources. A search for Palm GPS cable on Google will give you a wide selection. With this and Mapopolis Navigator, you get verbal door-to-door directions with automatic rerouting. Cachemate will export your caches to Mapopolis, and you'll see the caches on the map. I use it for driving directions to the caches, then use my Garmin to walk to the cache from where I park my vehicle. Quote
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