Hints On Gps 60cs?

[+friendly four from felton]

I am sure there is a way to put hints from geocaches on to my gps 60cs. But I cannot figure out how to make them transfer to it. If I go to the notes area it seems that spinner or gsak just send who created the GC and the rating of the GC. Could someone please help me with this. I would love to not cary my gps and my pda. One less thing to drop.

[+TresOkies]

The newest version of EasyMPS, which is available at www.iancowley.co.uk/caching will let you do this.

1. Take the GPX file and drop it on EasyMPS.
   
2. Press the Names/Disp button.
   
3. Check the box marked "Copy Hints to Descriptions"
   
4. Choose "Open in MapSource" from the "Export waypoints" popup.
   
5. Press the Go button. MapSource will launch
   
6. Download waypoints to your GPS.
   

This works with my eTrex and Rino.

 

-E

Edited May 27, 2004 by TresOkies++

[+StormCrow42]

GSAK provides a large list of items you can put into the notes field. It is easy to put the hint in the notes field (read the help on smart tags in the export screen you're using).

[+friendly four from felton]

I still dont understand. Can you please give me maybe a screen print of what i need to be doing? I feel so stupid.

[+arkansas stickerdude]

Is there a certain number of letters that can go in the hints section on the 60c. When I load my caches the hint is cut off does anyone know why?

[+kavuday]

Is there a certain number of letters that can go in the hints section on the 60c. When I load my caches the hint is cut off does anyone know why?

The limit is 30 characters, which isn't very much. Hopefully Garmin will take notice of all the requests to increase the note space sometime soon. As it is, it doesn't seem to serve its purpose very well at all.

Edited May 28, 2004 by kavuday

[CurmudgeonlyGal]

Agreed that the space for 'notes' is very limited which is a darn shame b/c the box right there on the screen is big enough to hold MORE STUFF.

 

I have been playing around with the GSAK and have been putting the GC waypoint name (minus the GC), D/T and container type/size in the notes box. I had originally tried to toss the owners names in there as well, but that took up too much space so some of the info I really wanted was getting pushed off the edge.

 

VERY nice to have the extras when out caching since I rarely take anything with me when I'm out. (The Palm stays in the car 99% of the time... it's too much bother to drag it along.)

 

-=-

michelle

[+kgag]

EASYGPS or any of the others will allow you to input the notes directly into the waypoint before you download it. I just do a quick copy and paste of the highlights of the clue. (To keep under 30 characters) and send it down.

 

kgag.

[+Kitch]

I don't think I would have figured this out on my own....Thanks CarmudgeGal

 

I hope she doesn't yet at me for giving out her tricks!!!!

 

So, I just load up the gpx file into GSAK like normal, then click on the

thunderbolt to upload waypoints to my machine... it pops up with the 'send

waypoints to GPS window:

 

In the left column, I make sure that the 'Geocache' symbol shows up for

"Not Found"

 

In the right column I change the Waypoint name to be a smart name so it

just kinda smashes the name together. The 60 can hold a 10 character

waypoint name but I actually have it truncate the name to 8 characters.

 

In the first box it says:

 

%smart=8

 

Max characters:

 

10

 

I leave the 'problem characters' box blank

 

and then in the Waypoint description format box it says this:

 

%drop2 (%Dif/%Ter) (%typ1/%con1)

 

%drop2 gives you the waypoint designation as gc.com does, without the

initial "GC" on the front - so if your waypoint was GC1234, it would just

read '1234'.

 

(%Dif/%Ter) gives you the difficulty/terrain of the cache you're looking for

 

(%typ1/%con1) gives you the type of cache and the type of container it's

hidden in.

 

There are a billion different ways you can reorganize what appears in your

notes, and there is a nifty little file in GSAK help called 'Special Tags'

or something like that, but instead of making you go find it, I'm including

it here.

[+Olar]

...... The 60 can hold a 10 character waypoint name......

 

Now there's a surprising step backwards for Garmin. The GPS V allows 15 characters which lets GSAK create a very easy to read smartname. With 10 only then the name becomes a little more difficult to decypher.

Also I just had a look at the waypoint note screen and it looks like it has a capacity of around 50 characters.

Garmin should probably re-think this one for the 60c and likely the 76c as well.

 

Cheers, Olar

Edited May 28, 2004 by Olar

[+GOT GPS?]

On the 60C/CS, The notes are only 30 characters, Waypoints only 10 characters long, and the Basemap is cut short also, I think to save on memory use to allow 56 megs to be used for maps. Could be wrong though.