Gpx/loc Hell!

[+The Hokesters]

I am probably being a complete plonker here but I am having a few problems.

 

The kit I am using is;

 

GSAK - to convert LOC/GPX to MS-Streets so I can view the caches downloaded on Autoroute - this works fine.

 

GPXSonar on Pocket PC - If I download a GPX pocket query and drop it straight onto the PPC everything is fine. If I view it first with GSAK then download I lose all the notes, clues and logs?

 

I have tried using .LOC and .GPX with no improvement. It would be ok if yhou could download GPX off the website rather than waiting for a PQ to be generated. I have tried downloading .LOC and using GPSBabel to convert to .GPX but it still misses the extra bits off the cache page

 

The Hokesters!!!

[NeilFord]

LOC files don't contain the data like logs and stuff, so they would be missing.

 

Not quite sure what's happening with the GPX's though. When you say "I view it first with GSAK", do you then mean that you export it from GSAK or do you just copy the GPX file that you imported into GSAK's database on to the PPC?

 

If you are exporting, do make sure you are exporting as a GPX, as I seem to remember that GSAK defaults to LOC, and that of course would strip out all the extra info.

 

I mainly use GSAk to combine seperate GPX files into one database that I then export out to one file for use in GPXSonar.

 

- Neil.

[+Firth of Forth]

Good grief!! Is this goobledegook to anyone else apart from me?? I can download waypoints using EasyGPS, but that's as far as I've got. I can't even work out how to convert the files for Mapsource.

 

Perhaps someone could write a beginners guide to the technical side of all of this?? Or does one exist somewhere already?

[NeilFord]

Apologies, I tried to keep it as gobbledegook free as possible :-)

 

A beginners guide.... umm, a good idea. Excuse me whilst I tried to find some tuits.

 

- Neil.

[+The Hokesters]

Not quite sure what's happening with the GPX's though. When you say "I view it first with GSAK", do you then mean that you export it from GSAK or do you just copy the GPX file that you imported into GSAK's database on to the PPC?

Yes I was exporting so that sorts that one.

 

The Hokesters

[+Volvo Man]

Sounds like you need to tell GSAK to export the logs with the sonar file, when you do the export, there is a +/- button to specify how many logs to export. It defaults to 0

 

At least that's what you have to do for cache mate.

[+Volvo Man]

Apologies, I tried to keep it as gobbledegook free as possible :-)

 

A beginners guide.... umm, a good idea. Excuse me whilst I tried to find some tuits.

 

- Neil.

I have some Square tuits I could lend you, don't know how much use they'd be.

[NeilFord]

Apologies, I tried to keep it as gobbledegook free as possible :-)

 

A beginners guide.... umm, a good idea. Excuse me whilst I tried to find some tuits.

 

- Neil.

I have some Square tuits I could lend you, don't know how much use they'd be.

Well I could always knock the corners off, which would make them kind of round I suppose..... :-)

 

- Neil.

[+dogastus]

Good grief!! Is this goobledegook to anyone else apart from me?? I can download waypoints using EasyGPS, but that's as far as I've got. I can't even work out how to convert the files for Mapsource.

 

I would definately recommend you getting a copy of GSAK (stands for Geocaching Swiss Army Knife), you can get it from http://gsak.net/ and it's free!

 

It is like EasyGPS but does a whole lot more. It is quite user friendly and it will export to all different formats including the Mapsource one that you want.

[+Pharisee]

Good grief!! Is this goobledegook to anyone else apart from me?? I can download waypoints using EasyGPS, but that's as far as I've got. I can't even work out how to convert the files for Mapsource.

 

Perhaps someone could write a beginners guide to the technical side of all of this?? Or does one exist somewhere already?

If it would be any help, I'll have my lap-top with me at the Bash next weekend. I could give you a quick demo of GSAK and show you how to export stuff to MapSource and/or straight to your Etrex.

[+Firth of Forth]

Thanks Pharisee and Dogastus. I have just downloaded GSAK and played around with it for a bit. On first viewing it looks tremendous, but will take some time to get to grips with.

 

A tutorial in Aviemore would help I'm sure.

Thanks

[+Haggis Hunter]

I'll have my lap-top with me at the Bash next weekend.

Does that mean you'll be getting all the FTF as you will be the only one on the internet, whilst we all have to wait until we get home before logging. In my case being Monday night as I'm making it a 4 day outing for myself.

 

Bit of an edit I think, because I just realise that my comment could be construed as being impolite. Taking your laptop and offering to help people is a great idea, and if i owned one I would also take it with me. So humble appologies.

Edited May 21, 2004 by Haggis Hunter

[+Grynneman]

Just started using GSAK, and an excellent bit of software....

 

I tend to export 2 files to my PDA....

 

A .GPX file for use by GPXSonar on the PDA, and then repeat the export, but this time a .loc file for use by GPSTuner, again on the PDA.

 

Haven't used it to export mapsource format yet, mainly because I get that from Geocacheuk download section.

 

as a side note, it does seem the larger the .loc file, the slower GPSTuner runs...

[+Naefearjustbeer]

Will this GSAK convert from autoroute to something I can send to my etrex?

 

Cheers

 

Donnie

[NeilFord]

Not directly. What are you using to get the data in to Autoroute in the first place?

 

- Neil.

[+Pharisee]

I'll have my lap-top with me at the Bash next weekend.

Does that mean you'll be getting all the FTF as you will be the only one on the internet, whilst we all have to wait until we get home before logging. In my case being Monday night as I'm making it a 4 day outing for myself.

 

Bit of an edit I think, because I just realise that my comment could be construed as being impolite. Taking your laptop and offering to help people is a great idea, and if i owned one I would also take it with me. So humble appologies.

Unfortunately it doesn't.... "My" laptop actually belongs to my employers and whilst they don't object to me taking it on holiday with me, they are paranoid about the internet. I can only connect to the outside world when it's sitting on my desk and is plugged into the company Intranet. They won't allow me to have a "dial-up" account on it so any caches / travel bugs I find between this Wednesday morning when I start my leisurely journey up to Aviemore and the following Wednesday when I hope to be back home, won't get logged until Thursday 3rd June at the earliest Apologies in advance to the owners of any travel bugs that I may find during that time.

 

Oh yeah..... apologies not necessary, Haggis Hunter

Edited May 24, 2004 by Pharisee

[+Naefearjustbeer]

Not directly. What are you using to get the data in to Autoroute in the first place?

 

- Neil.

I dont its not for me, A friend of mine wants to get from densole (sp) in the south , I think its near the channel tunnel teminal. Up to the far north of Scotland and he has never travelled through the route before. he has autoroute 2000 and an etrex vista and asked me how to get it to help him home.

[+Huga]

Good grief!! Is this goobledegook to anyone else apart from me?? I can download waypoints using EasyGPS, but that's as far as I've got. I can't even work out how to convert the files for Mapsource.

use GPSBabel, or even better, my program: EasyMPS (www.iancowley.co.uk/caching).

 

EasyMPS has been specifically written to convert LOC/GPX files to MPS (and now GDB) files for use in Mapsource.

 

Download EasyMPS. Run it and set up your favourite options (such as icons, whether you want the cache names showing o nthe maps, that sort of stuff). Then click the option for "open in Mapsource right-click menu item" in the bottom left.

 

Now, you can just right-click a LOC or GPX file in Explorer and select "Open in Mapsource". EasyMPS will process the file and open it in Mapsource for you.

 

You can even use EasyMPS to combine several LOC,GPX,MPS and GDB files and open them as a single Mapsource instance (useful when downloading page after page of waypoints from the search thingie on GC.com).

 

Be warned: EasyGPS will erase the right-click menu thing because it's been written by a bunch of muppets

 

</blowing my own trumpet>

[+oldstah]

Unfortunately it doesn't.... "My" laptop actually belongs to my employers and whilst they don't object to me taking it on holiday with me, they are paranoid about the internet. I can only connect to the outside world when it's sitting on my desk and is plugged into the company Intranet. They won't allow me to have a "dial-up" account on it [...]

 

I've got a similar situation with "my" laptop. I haven't tried this, but it recently occurred to me that one could use a replacement hard drive and swap it out for travel.

 

It seems that the worst risk would be that your laptop would be upgraded. Then, too, there's the cost of another OS.

 

Good luck!

[+The Hokesters]

Unfortunately it doesn't.... "My" laptop actually belongs to my employers and whilst they don't object to me taking it on holiday with me, they are paranoid about the internet. I can only connect to the outside world when it's sitting on my desk and is plugged into the company Intranet. They won't allow me to have a "dial-up" account on it [...]

 

I've got a similar situation with "my" laptop. I haven't tried this, but it recently occurred to me that one could use a replacement hard drive and swap it out for travel.

 

It seems that the worst risk would be that your laptop would be upgraded. Then, too, there's the cost of another OS.

 

Good luck!

Most decent organisations should not be opposed to partitioning your hard drive into two so that you can use your own partition for personal use. The government are also giving tax credits for companies supplying PCs for their employees. Why not ask your employer if this is a possibility?

[+oldstah]

Brilliant! I suppose this will give me the chance to find out if I work for a decent organization or not...

 

I think the real question would be if the IT organization would allow (and support) any special software necessary for dual bootable partitions. I suspect that part of the rationale for preventing dialup outside the firewall is to keep the OS untainted.

 

Thank you, Hokesters, for the excellent suggestion.