Flexible Setup Solutions For A Light Traveler

[+shunra]

I will be traveling to Europe in a few weeks. My itinerary is not final, nor do I know during which parts of my trip I will be able to cache, and which caches I will be going for. I will need to take with me info about many more caches than I will actually be able to visit.

 

Before I leave, I will load some PQs into GSAK and create a refined GPX file, but I am pretty sure that I will still end up with more waypoints than fit into my GPS and PDA. Since I will not be taking my laptop, I need to find a way to take with me the rest of the waypoints as well, and upload them to the GPS and to the PDA at random computers on the way, which are likely to belong to my computer-illiterate family members, without stable internet connections.

 

The direction I was thinking in was storing GPX files on a USB key or on a flash card. Would it be possible to keep the GSAK installation file on one of those storage devices, install it from there, upload a new set of waypoints, and uninstall it again? Has anyone ever tried such a thing before? Or is there another good option?

 

As to the PDA, the problem is even worse, since not only would it require that I carry the cradle, but also that I install the Palm software on my hosts' computers. I might be able to circumvent that by using my son's Jornada instead of my antique Palm, which can probably hold information about more than just the 600 caches that fit into my Palm. I'd need to figure out the software aspects first, though - I asked about that in another thread here.

 

Actually, if I could have all the caches preloaded in the Jornada, I wouldn't need the GPX files for uploading the waypoints to the GPSr, and I could do with loc files and save on storage spaces, is that correct?

 

Has anyone ever coped with these questions, and come up with better ideas than I have, or even tried them out?

 

Thanks!

[+NightPilot]

What model Palm do you have? Any model that takes an SD card can hold many more caches than there are in Europe. If it doesn't have an expansion slot, that makes things much more difficult. I know nothing about Jornadas, so I can't help there.

[+-=(GEO)=-]

Shunra...

 

If your GPS is a Magellan Meridian and your have a PPC 2002 or 2003 then GpxSonar is exactly what you need. From the application, you can write out waypoints directly to the SD card that the GPS uses. No cables, no muss, no fuss.

 

If you're not using a Meridian then you should look into CacheMate which supports uploading waypoints to other GPS receivers via a serial cable.

 

Regards,

-Fabien.

[+PDOP's]

Before I leave, I will load some PQs into GSAK and create a refined GPX file, but I am pretty sure that I will still end up with more waypoints than fit into my GPS and PDA.

 

Are you sure? Even a PDA with 8MB will hold hundreds of caches. Using a combination of Plucker for the cache pages and GPilotS or Cetus for storing and transferring the waypoints coordinates to your GPSr should work.

[+shunra]

NightPilot and Geo,

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

My GPSr is a Garmin Map76S, which stores 1000 waypoints,

 

My Palm is really antique It has no slot for cards, and less than 2 MB for software plus data. With Cachemate, it's maxed out at 600 caches, which is less than my GPS will hold. I therefore cannot use the Palm as source for uploading waypoints to the GPS.

 

If I could use the HP Jornada, I might be able to have more caches, but I wouldn't be able to transfer them to the GPS, since the HP Jornada cannot run Cachemate, whle my GPSr does not accept cards.

 

So my solution will have to be a refinement of the following: storing cache info on a flash card or USB key, and upload it via random computers to the GPS, I think.

[+JeepCachr]

You could pick up a cheap laptop.

[+Tail of Two Cachers]

You could pick up a cheap laptop.

 

That's your best advice. Why make things so difficult?

[+shunra]

You could pick up a cheap laptop.

 

That's your best advice. Why make things so difficult?

I have a laptop.

 

The whole purpose of my question is to avoid having to carry it with me.

[+NightPilot]

I understand not wanting a laptop. You should be able to get a Palm M125 or M130, with SD slot and 8MB of memory, very cheaply. That's the solution I would recommend. With a good backup program, like BackupMan, you don't need to be near a PC, and with a card reader, you can use any PC without needing to install any Palm software. You can get an SD card reader that is very small and light, for $10 or so, and then you can use it and your SD card as a USB drive, as well as using it in the Palm.

[+Tail of Two Cachers]

I have a laptop.

 

The whole purpose of my question is to avoid having to carry it with me.

 

You should reconsider and take it with you.

 

I need to find a way to take with me the rest of the waypoints as well, and upload them to the GPS and to the PDA at random computers on the way, which are likely to belong to my computer-illiterate family members, without stable internet connections.

 

Attach a file to an email and email it to a web based email that you can pull up from any computer. Or email the files to your relatives before going.

[+shunra]

I have a laptop.

 

The whole purpose of my question is to avoid having to carry it with me.

 

You should reconsider and take it with you.

 

I need to find a way to take with me the rest of the waypoints as well, and upload them to the GPS and to the PDA at random computers on the way, which are likely to belong to my computer-illiterate family members, without stable internet connections.

 

Attach a file to an email and email it to a web based email that you can pull up from any computer. Or email the files to your relatives before going.

My son has managed to make GSAK work from a USB key, without installing it on a host computer. Next thing will be checking whether this will also allow using a host computer's serial port for uploading to the GPS. If that works as well, I'll travel light!

[+JeepCachr]

You could pick up a cheap laptop.

 

That's your best advice. Why make things so difficult?

I have a laptop.

 

The whole purpose of my question is to avoid having to carry it with me.

Taking a laptop along that could be used at your convenience is a lot easier than trying to find public computers to install software on.

 

Don't get upset when everybody is telling you the same thing. Yes you could do what your attempting to do but it would be so much easier to simply use the right tool for the job.

 

Its been an interesting intellectual discussion but my bet is you'll either bring the laptop or wish you had. If not a laptop at least a better PDA would be a good compromise.

[AJK]

For reference, about 260 caches on my Palm took about 1.5 Mb.

[+Tail of Two Cachers]

Don't get upset when everybody is telling you the same thing. Yes you could do what your attempting to do but it would be so much easier to simply use the right tool for the job.

 

I wasn't trying to upset you either. I suppose from my experience traveling and especially if I was traveling to Europe, i'm used to taking a digital camera (canon g2), gps V, pda (treo600), etc. As well as a light 12 inch screen laptop to transfer pics, maps, and anything else.

[CoyoteRed]

First, I think you're kind of stuck with the Palm that you have. I see you're looking for a solution to carry more caches, but you can't get them to your Palm.

 

Ebay has m105 PDA's every day for less than $50. If you're careful, I've seen them as cheap as $15. They have 8 megs of memory, that should get you plenty of caches. Cachemate is a little slow on this machine though, I recommend GASK or GPXspinner into Plucker or iSilo. I don't know if you can do it in GASK, but in Spinner you can index from locations--it would be helpful to make locations for all of the cities you'll be in/near. That way you're not continually scrolling to find the caches you need--just select the city you're in and go from there.

 

I believe EasyGPS will run without being installed. You can load the GPX file that Spinner creates, make a nearby cache "home," select the furthest caches you don't want to see and hide them. Then upload the caches that are left.

 

You'll end up with all of the caches in your PDA and a way to upload caches to your GPS.

 

I'd say most modern computers have a CDROM. Instead of using a USB key, burn a couple of CDs. Use one and keep another safe in case you run and forget your first one in a computer or ruin it somehow. CDs are cheap and easy to store. If you lose one, no tears, unless you don't have a backup.

 

One last thing, if the reason you're not wanting to take your laptop is you don't want to risk an expensive piece of gear, then pick up a 266 off eBay. They're pretty cheap. Heck, if you look around someone might give you one when they upgrade theirs. That's how we got ours!

 

Hope this helps.

[AJK]

I don't know if you can do it in GASK, but in Spinner you can index from locations--it would be helpful to make locations for all of the cities you'll be in/near.

 

You could do this with GSAK/Cachemate. Create seperate pdb files for each region (by using filters on GSAK). In cachemate create new categories (i.e. instead of just found, not found, add New York, Paris, etc.) Upload each to your palm seperately and when cachemate prompts you to import them just choose the category for that region.