Going Paperless

[+Perrin]

Here's where to find the walk through.

[+Perrin]

Any suggestions for how to get the GC wps onto the mapopolis maps? I've heard it can be done with cachemate, but how about getting it done without cachemate?

 

I used a gpx file and sent it through the maplet program from mapopolis, but I can't get the maplet loaded onto the pda. Tried bringing it in through plucker, but only got gibberish out of it.

[+webscouter.]

I recently took the result of a pocket query and shoved it through 'Spinner' and on into 'Plucker' - I was very pleased with what I saw. For a while anyhow.

I then took the same set of results and shoved them into EasyGPS and downloaded them into my eTrex. The next thing was to get the GPSr to indicate the nearest cache to home. This it did with no problem at all. However! When I entered the cache name (as in the eTrex) in to the 'Plucker' search page it said that no entry could be found! That was when I found that all of the caches in the GPSr were referenced with GCXXXX while the 'Plucker' lists were LCXXXX, MCXXXX, TCXXXX, UCXXXX and VCXXXX.

I feel quite silly that it took me some time to resolve this and to realize that all I had to do was miss out the first letter when entering the search data to Plucker!

I do understand the reason for the L, M, T, U, and V being there by the way.

 

Anyhow, if this saves any new user a few moments of frustration then that is good.

One of the things I did with Spinner is reverse the GC and the number part of the cache.

 

I take the GC.com waypoint of

GC439R (made up number for example)

and change it to

439RMC for a multi

439RVC for a virtual

439RTC for a traditional

etc.

 

This has an advantage of allowing me to search by name quicker. If you have all waypoints starting with GC you have to enter GC and the next digit before it even starts to search. This way you can sometimes get your cache with only two places entered.

 

This is changed in the GPX Spinner.ini file.

 

Take

# Waypoint is the name for waypoints in your GPS receiver.

# Historically, this has been the equivalent of %C%I

# But you may find it more useful too show the actual

# name of the cache instead. You could also include the

# placer and/or the difficulty/terrain ratings if you

# desire. See the table of Format Specifiers above for

# more information.

 

Waypoint_Format = %C%I

Waypoint_Max_Length = 15

Waypoint_Allowed_Chars = +-

# (use \s for space)

 

And change this line

Waypoint_Format = %C%I

to

 

Waypoint_Format = %I%C

 

Also make sure you upload the "Spun" file to the GPS instead of the original.

[bug and snake]

I am new to trying to go paperless!!!!! Does any one have any links to where you download cachemate and the walk thru from cybret?????

Click on Cybret's name in the forum and then on his profile follow on to his website. The 'walkthrough' etc is right there. It is VERY well done.

[bug and snake]

Webscouter, thanx! That is good stuff.

[+MaestroPCG]

A LOT of interesting reading has been posted on this topic...and, I'm sure that I'm going to be blasted for this statement, but...

 

I've gone "paperless" every time that I've been geocaching. But not because I have a PDA or other such device to assist me. I put the coordinates into my GPSr and head out with nothing else but my feeble mind. It's worked pretty well, and I've learned to trust the GPS to a point, and to trust my instincts the rest of the way.

 

I guess I'm wondering what people use paper for anyway. Can someone give me some insight as to why paper vs. paperless is even an issue?

 

Thanks in advance...

 

PCG

[+PSUPAUL]

I've gone "paperless" every time that I've been geocaching. But not because I have a PDA or other such device to assist me. I put the coordinates into my GPSr and head out with nothing else but my feeble mind. It's worked pretty well, and I've learned to trust the GPS to a point, and to trust my instincts the rest of the way.

 

I guess I'm wondering what people use paper for anyway. Can someone give me some insight as to why paper vs. paperless is even an issue?

 

Thanks in advance...

 

PCG

For most puzzle type of caches you need info from the web page to find them. Sometimes the coordinates just take you to a sign with no clue what to do then.

[+Perrin]

A LOT of interesting reading has been posted on this topic...and, I'm sure that I'm going to be blasted for this statement, but...

 

I've gone "paperless" every time that I've been geocaching. But not because I have a PDA or other such device to assist me. I put the coordinates into my GPSr and head out with nothing else but my feeble mind. It's worked pretty well, and I've learned to trust the GPS to a point, and to trust my instincts the rest of the way.

 

I guess I'm wondering what people use paper for anyway. Can someone give me some insight as to why paper vs. paperless is even an issue?

 

Thanks in advance...

 

PCG

Some of us like to have the hints along as well, but we don't want to know what it says until we've looked to the point of frustration. Then its nice to have something with the hint around.

 

Also in the case of Faile and myself, we don't have the cable for the gps (I know, shame on us). Typically I would print off all the caches we wanted to do, we had some idea which city we were heading towards and while I drive, Faile puts all the coords into the gps. It gives her something to do

[+MaestroPCG]

For most puzzle type of caches you need info from the web page to find them.  Sometimes the coordinates just take you to a sign with no clue what to do then.

Now that makes perfect sense...I've read the cache pages for some puzzle caches, but haven't done any yet. In this instance, I can see a distinct need for printing out the clues/directions.

 

Thanks,

PCG

[+webscouter.]

I travel around a two state area. If I have some extra time I like to search for the nearest cache. It is helpful to know if it is a multi cache or a virtual or traditional cache.

[bug and snake]

I tried the hint from Webscouter above. I think that I must have a different version of Spinner coz the 'line to change' is not there in the config file. I did change the equivalent line but to no effect.

[+NightPilot]

GSAK will do pretty much everything for you - change the names, upload to the GPS, generate html files for Plucker (with more control and options than Spinner), generate mapsource and mapsend files (actually, almost anything GPSBabel will do), export to Cachemate, you name it, it does it. See the GSAK thread in the GPS Units and Software forum for details.

[+Mastercacher & Geo"K"]

After reading responses to "paperless" geocaching, I purchased a used Handspring Visor Deluxe and it works perfectly. I have been able to download from the geocaching site in .loc format but it doesn't contain all the information I need ie: difficulty, terrain, hints, previous logs. I discovered that I need software other than EasyGPS so I downloaded Watcher but when downloading from the site, I still only get .loc files instead of .gpx files. Any suggestions about how to get the .gpx files to download instead of .loc?

[+Mastercacher & Geo"K"]

If anyone has the answer to my previous post, please respond to kdpeddie@nettally.com. Thanks so much!

[+harleycache]

After reading responses to "paperless" geocaching, I purchased a used Handspring Visor Deluxe and it works perfectly.  I have been able to download from the geocaching site in .loc format but it doesn't contain all the information I need ie: difficulty, terrain, hints, previous logs.  I discovered that I need software other than EasyGPS so I downloaded Watcher but when downloading from the site, I still only get .loc files instead of .gpx files.  Any suggestions about how to get the .gpx files to download instead of .loc?

Pay the $30 to become a premium member. Get pocket queries in .gpx.

 

Pay $7.00 for Cachemate and you can't go wrong

[+Cache Krewe]

Try www.smittyware.com you can download a unregistered version of cachemate here. The thing that threw me about registering cachemate was that I had to do it on the pda.