Gpxsonar Manual?

[NeilFord]

I'm currently evaluating GPXSonar and have some numpty questions on it's usage (can it open multiple gpx files, how does it handle updated gpx files (do I lose notes, etc), etc) and was wondering if there was either a manual or some collected wisdom available anywhere.

 

I don't particularly want to fill this forum with numpty questions and a search for 'gpxsonar' brings up a little too much chaff (like the 14 page thread on GSAK, which whilst useful for other reasons, isn't in this case.).

 

Any and all pointers would be appreciated.

 

Thanks.

- Neil.

[NeilFord]

Answering my own question:

 

The online manual can be found at http://home.comcast.net/~fabienroyer/Docs/Index.htm.

 

A zip file of the same can be found here.

 

If anyone else has sources of hints and tips, I'd love to hear about them.

 

- Neil.

[+Lone Duck]

I unzipped that file and loaded the manual on my PDA. It's always there, available when I need it.

[+Rosco Bookbinder]

I unzipped that file and loaded the manual on my PDA. It's always there, available when I need it.

A subject we talked about a few months ago, you can load the help file on your pda in the help file directory of Sonar and rename the help file to be called up by Sonar when you call for it in the program. At this moment I can't remember from what to what but it was something like index.htm to help.html or something like that. You'll see when you are in there.....

 

Then again if you use GPXSonar as much as I do you don't read the manual anymore. You just push the button and use...

Edited April 5, 2004 by Rosco Bookbinder

[+Rosco Bookbinder]

I'm currently evaluating GPXSonar

For who? GPXSonar doesn't need evaluated. It needs to be used. And use it you will if you read the doc, push buttons and see what all it does. And Fabien is always working on improvements. Sometimes he takes a break but he's always there if you need him.

[+DomHeknows]

to answer your questions, yes it does multiple files, but only one at a time.yes your notes are kept seperate so will stay

[NeilFord]

Thanks for that. I'm slowly getting to grips with the software and can see it's potential.

 

It would be cool if you could have multiple notes against a cache, so you could log a DNF and maybe a Found later, but that may well come with time.

 

For now, I'm off to get better acquainted with GPXSonar.

 

- Neil.

[NeilFord]

I'm currently evaluating GPXSonar

For who? GPXSonar doesn't need evaluated.

For me. If I'm going to use a piece of software in anger, then I like to make sure it's up to the job first.

 

A few niggles aside, and a potential showstopper that I'm prepared to live with, it does seem to be a good piece of software.

 

- Neil.

[+-=(GEO)=-]

NeilFord...

 

It would be cool if you could have multiple notes against a cache, so you could log a DNF and maybe a Found later, but that may well come with time.

 

That's unlikely to come with time when you can easily do that already by editing the cache note as you go.

 

A few niggles aside, and a potential showstopper that I'm prepared to live with

 

Do you care to elaborate on those niggles & the potential showstopper?

 

Don't you think you should try to understand the software better and find at least one cache with it before criticizing?

[NeilFord]

It would be cool if you could have multiple notes against a cache, so you could log a DNF and maybe a Found later, but that may well come with time.

 

That's unlikely to come with time when you can easily do that already by editing the cache note as you go.

 

In which case I'm missing something. If I enter a note, maybe to add information discovered as part of a multi, and then go onto find the cache, all that seems to be possible is to change the selected radio button and enter more text. Having seperate field notes would allow for that information to be kept seperate. Or maybe if selecting the radio button put a tag in the body, that would work too.

 

A few niggles aside, and a potential showstopper that I'm prepared to live with

 

Do you care to elaborate on those niggles & the potential showstopper?

 

Don't you think you should try to understand the software better and find at least one cache with it before criticizing?

 

I used the software last week to do the first parts of a multi, Friday to tackle some caches in Central London, on Sunday to do four caches and one on Monday. I'm comparing my experience against that of using Cachemate to do 25 the Sunday before. (So to head off any further questions, I log under SmudgyPixels, with my wife, and the marathon caching session isn't logged yet as I'm still writing up the experienceand I'm trying to avoid TNLNSL, TFTC entries).

 

The potential showstopper is the Today/minimising issue when running on PPC 2002. I use both a bluetooth GPSr (in the car) and a handheld. The Today screen is the easiest way to turn off the bluetooth radio. Having to quit the program to access the Today screen and then reload the relevent file can get a bit wearing on a long day.

 

In light of this, one niggle is that the program doesn't remember the last file it had open and re-open it on restart. I appreciate to some this would be a pain but it's one less step when you are having to reload the program on a regular basis.

 

My comments above about file notes also count as a niggle, though I accept that I may be misunderstanding them. One extra feature there that would be nice would be the ability to quickly add a time and datestamp.

 

The tap and hold access to the menus seems counterintuative to me, personally I would prefer standard menus across the bottom of the screen. It's survivable however and hence just a niggle.

 

So as you don't think I'm just a whinging Brit (though you may already think that), I'd like to end on some positive notes:

 

TB Handling. Once I worked out how this worked, it's a really great feature. A way to enter manual text in the grabbed box would be useful, for those times when your GPX file isn't bang up to date and what's in the cache isn't listed, but entering the details by hand in the note isn't a problem.

 

Centering on a cache: Like this. Works great for working out which cache to move on to next. And it's quick which is superb.

 

The pop-up hints box is a really nice touch (I'm not too proud to use a hint if I've been searching for ages or am likely to attract too much attention if I hang around too much).

 

Of the tools I've looked at on the PPC (GPXView and Spinner being the others), GPXSonar is definitely the best of the bunch in my view. Thank you for putting the time and effort into writing it. Having been a software developer many moons ago, I do appreciate how much work you've put in.

 

- Neil.

 

(For the curious: Why have I moved away from Cachemate and the Palm? Simple answer is maps! The Memory Map OS maps and Street Atlases work well and are easy to use. They meet my needs perfectly and I didn't want to be carrying two pdas all the time (tried that when I was using the bluetooth gpsr in the field with GPSTuner on the iPaq to find caches and Cachemate to look at the descriptions, etc. It's why I now use a Geko 201 away from the car :-) ), and as I already had the 3870 it made logical sense to use that for everything geocaching related.)

[+-=(GEO)=-]

NeilFord...

 

Thank you for the constructive input

 

Now that I have more context, I can see how your points are valid. You'll be glad to hear that I'm addressing the issues that you brought up in v1.2 (which is taking longer than I expected...Life gets in the way).

 

Like a famous compatriot of yours used to sing: "It's getting better all the time"

 

Regards,

-Fabien.

[NeilFord]

Fabien

 

I fully understand the 'Life getting in the way' thing and as I said in my previous post, I appreciate all the work you've done so far.

 

I'll await news on 1.2 with baited breath. You can expect me to be at the head of the queue when it comes to release time. BTW - that can be as long away as it takes. I will commit to GPXSonar now knowing that changes will happen.

 

If I come up with any other bright ideas, I'll post a feature request in the appropriate place.

 

Thank you for listening, not all software developers do.

 

If you'll excuse me, I have some caching to organise :-)

 

- Neil.

[+trippy1976]

Can anyone tell me something? I love sonar. I want to use it. Since I've gotten a 60CS and now use it for routing instead of mapopolis, I can begin to think about using sonar as my paperless caching PQ thing.

 

Any GPS above 500 takes several minutes to load, which is a real drag for me. After loading, it's quite snappy though. It also takes up about all of my available RAM with even 500 caches.

 

Now - I'm not convinced this is an issue with sonar. Looking for some input on people. I'm using a Dell Axim (first version, low end... not sure exact stats, but not a $500 IPAQ)

 

One thing That is missing for me is a link to the nearest caches from a cache page and derned if I can find a search feature.

 

Its other features are really awesome. I love the TB management, I love the notes and export. Those are the things I use most often. Transitioning from iSilo to this the above two things have been the hardest parts as far as usability.

 

The rest is probably my weak PDA

[+Jeeters]

Any GPS above 500 takes several minutes to load, which is a real drag for me. After loading, it's quite snappy though. It also takes up about all of my available RAM with even 500 caches.

My gpx file also is has about 500 caches and is about 3.2MB. I keep it on my storage card and it takes GpxSonar about 12 seconds to load it. And about 15% of my memory. No big deal for me. I have an iPAQ 4150, btw.

[+-=(GEO)=-]

trippy1976...

 

One thing That is missing for me is a link to the nearest caches from a cache page

 

To find the nearest caches from a cache where you are: do a 'tap & hold' on the cache entry in the cache list, select 'Cache Options', select 'Set As Center'. This will cause the cache list to re-organize itself with the current one at the top of the list and the nearest ones below sorted by increasing distance.

 

Check the following link to the online doc on that subject: Set As Center

 

and derned if I can find a search feature.

 

It's there too and you'll get to it this way.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Regards,

-Fabien.

[+Rosco Bookbinder]

To find the nearest caches from a cache where you are: do a 'tap & hold' on the cache entry in the cache list, select 'Cache Options', select 'Set As Center'. This will cause the cache list to re-organize itself with the current one at the top of the list and the nearest ones below sorted by increasing distance.

That is one of the options I use as much or more than anything else. It's very handy for sure!!

[+Team Four Paw]

I use watcher (and learning the ways of GSAK) to combine several gpx files into one. Then I load the gpx file to both my PDA and my GPSr. My current GPX file has around 900 caches.

GPXSonar loads quick enough for me and for the most part I never close it unless I update my PQ with new caches. I use IcBar on my Toshiba 755 which allows me to access the main screen from a "home" button on the bar. It also allows me to switch between programs quickly. When out caching the only two programs I have open are Sonar and Mapopolis and my PDA handles it just fine. I would use the routing on the 60CS, but I found it easier to navigate to different caches with Mapoplis because I can more easily see where they are on the map and their name. In the end My GPSr, Mapopolis, and Sonar all have the same information which makes using both programs and the GPSr almost seamless.

[+Rosco Bookbinder]

When out caching the only two programs I have open are Sonar and Mapopolis and my PDA handles it just fine. I would use the routing on the 60CS, but I found it easier to navigate to different caches with Mapoplis because I can more easily see where they are on the map and their name. In the end My GPSr, Mapopolis, and Sonar all have the same information which makes using both programs and the GPSr almost seamless.

I totally use the same. GPXSonar to see what it is, Mapopolis to see where it is, and my GPSr to show me when I ran over it in my truck. Totally paperless and with GSAK on the desktop sorting and getting the files into the PDA and GPSr it's a wonderful world for sure.