Lost in Cache-page-to-Palm hell

[+The AIIM Team]

I am a member of Geocaching.com and I have my Pocket Queries set up. I understand how to get them into my PDA via Mobipocket. This works fairly well. I do not like Mobipocket. It's counterintuitive and the font is hard to read.

 

I have been messing around with Plucker and I love it! It does everything MobiPocket does but better, IMNSHO. However I have been using the homegrown GPX2HTML utility to get info into Plucker and realized there are data shortcomings there. It only gets the cache page that is displayed, so logs are missing. It does not show the hints nor is the text selectable so that I can put them into the Hint Decoder in my Palm.

 

It seems to me that there is one best solution, not a personal preference but a best in class combination for this purpose. Can I get a witness?

 

Please help me I am tired of installing software on my Palm and computer. I have read every thread I could find on the subject around here and I scratch my head wondering how people can use Mobipocket happily and how people can use the Plucker solution happily with data missing.

 

So far I have been using Geoclipping with some success but that takes more work on my part as far as clipping each cache page individually.

 

I also feel like I may have missed the Killer App for this in my reading.

 

What do you think?

 

Complete farking newbie, Jacksonville, Florida

Equipment: Garmin eMap 32MB memory, Rockport hiking boots, VW Jetta Wagon

[+HartClimbs]

Let me qualify my answer by first stating that I'm a complete newbie myself (so hold my white cane and guidedog while I help you cross the street).

 

That being said - I'm also an enthusiastic nerdo who got tired of printing out those cache pages and keeping them in the car. So, I took an old Palm Vx and tried to get the pages there easily.

 

First, having been a long time avantgo user, I went that route. Unfortunately - either I didn't set it up right (or Avantgo custom channels are for @#!!), but all I kept getting was an "An error was detected from your IP address - please contact admin@Groundspeak.com"). So, done with Avantgo.

 

Poking through the forums, I found reference to Plucker. So far, this has been the best solution for me, but the trick has been to setup the inclusion/exclusion lists so you gather the least amount of pages - with the maximum amount of info.

 

First, I setup a simple HTML page (within plucker) that looks for the 25 closest caches to my house (the HIDESEEK link from geocaching). Then, I basically duplicated that link - incrementing the start number (by 25) until I had a page where I could reach the nearest 200 or so cache pages).

 

Then - I determined that the only pages I wanted was the cache info page along with the "what caches are close" page, so I setup the exclusion/inclusion list to exclude EVERYTHING but exactly what I wanted. My setup is as follows (you can just copy this into the plucker config I believe). If you want to copy the "decrypted hint" page for example, just delete the line which excludes urls with "decrypt=y". Anyway, here it is:

 

2:-:http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.*log=n.*

2:-:http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest_cache.asp?ul=.*

2:-:http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest_cache.asp?u=.*

2:-:http://www.geocaching.com/seek/.*decrypt=y.*

0:-:http://*

1:+:http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest.*

1:+:http://www.geocaching.com/my/.*

1:+:http://www.geocaching.com/seek/redir.*R=6$

1:+:http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.*

2:-:http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.*log=y.*

 

It's probably overly complex (I just downloaded/installed plucker a couple days ago and probably missed some very simple tricks), but it's a specific setup that works for me. I hope this helps but I'm very interested in what other answers you get (since I'm thinking this *can't* be the easiest way!). Regardless, last night - I downloaded info on the nearest 200 caches into my Vx - with nothing more than a hotsync. This plucker seems like a very useful program.....

 

Good luck,

 

- HartClimbs

[Strands]

I use the gpxspinner.com site to do a terrific conversion of the gpx file to convert the html pages, then use isilox to convert it and get the pdb ready to install, and isilo reader on my palm. I also have avantgo, but I like isilo better as a reader. Avantgo is ok for USAToday and WSJ...

 

Totally happy with that setup. Mobipocket left me numb and dissatisfied.

 

-G

 

Visit me at http://home.earthlink.net/~piscator

[+IBcrashen]

I use GPX2HTML utility and it gives me a hyperlink to the decrypted hints and also gives me the last couple of logs.

 

[+Sissy-n-CR]

"It only gets the cache page that is displayed, so logs are missing. It does not show the hints nor is the text selectable so that I can put them into the Hint Decoder in my Palm."

 

You are pointing Plucker to your local HTML files that GPX2HTML created, right? You should be able to navigate to the root of the HTML files and double click on the index file and start browsing from there.

 

Then you have to make sure your depth is correct-3 I believe. Also, select the option to not allow spidering off site.

 

I haven't had any problems with either Spinner or GPX2HTML in this respect.

 

CR

 

[+gsdvr]

Originally posted by Ivan L:

I am a member of Geocaching.com and I have my Pocket Queries set up. I understand how to get them into my PDA via Mobipocket. This works fairly well. I do not like Mobipocket. It's counterintuitive and the font is hard to read.

--

 

I'm using GPXSpinner and Avantgo. It's working well for me.

 

Gsdvr

Huntsville

[+The AIIM Team]

It looks like GPXSpinner is essential. I am trying it right now with Plucker.

 

Hart, I will try your method and it has a certain madness to it that appeals to me.

 

COme to think of it there are a lot of new twists on the things I have already tried in your responses. I will reply back with what I think is most effective.

 

edited: I just reviewd my GPXSpinner into Plucker results and they are near perfect. The only thing missing is the ENTIRE LOG. Is this possible since the cache pages only include "recent logs" until you click a show all type link? I am new so I want to see all of the logs.

 

Thank you!

 

Complete farking newbie, Jacksonville, Florida

Equipment: Garmin eMap 32MB memory, Rockport hiking boots, VW Jetta Wagon