Geocaching Made So Much Easier

38.2k · June 19, 2004

I've always been ready to give advice (on geocaching and othwerwise), but not so quick to accept it. Shortly after I started geocaching, I began hearing how great EasyGPS was, but I ignored it. My attitude was, "I'm perfectly happy with the way I do it, thank you. "I don't need EasyGPS". I was at this sport well over a year before took the step and downloaded the program. And you know what, I loved it! It sure does make geocaching easier and now I'm the guy in the forums selling it to others, telling them that they don't know what they are missing.

Then came paperless geocaching. I thought it was a great concept from the start so I embraced the idea fairly readily. When I decided go paperless, I went the Spinner and Plucker route because it was free, many other locals used it and Cybret had great instructions on his website. Nevermind that S/P was a bit of a pain to use, I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread and said so in the forums anytime someone asked about going paperless. Others would write glowing posts about something called Cachemate, but I dismissed them. Why pay for something (even if its only $7) if you can use Spinner and Plucker for free and they work perfectly fine?

Well you guessed it, after hearing all this wonderful stuff about Cachemate I finally purchased it and it rocks! It's so much easier to use than Spinner/Plucker and has many more features. I'll be preaching the gospel of Cachemate from now on. Does this mean I'll have to get GCSAK next?

Anyway, is anybody else out there as stubborn as I am and as resistant to change, even if it could make their geocaching life a lot easier? What things do you see others promoting that you are dismissing, or resisting (even if you know deep down that its probably a good idea)? I don't mean just software. It could be using trekking poles, hydration systems,a mapping GPS, paperless geocaching, hiking boots. Anything that could make your geocaching life a lot easier if only you took the plunge.

Edited June 19, 2004 by briansnat

June 19, 2004

Yeah man, I can be really resistant to change as well. But, I went to cachemate early on, and just recently added GSAK. You're right, they do rock!

3k · June 19, 2004

Sliced bread, Brian. How can they assume to know how thick I want my bread sliced?

Just kidding, of course, but thanks for the free advice. I just got the palm (almost 2 months ago!) and have got any of it figured out yet. I may just have to break down, spend the $7 and start out the easier way. Everyone does keep recommending it. Is that a one time fee? Or a once a year fee?

2.2k · June 19, 2004

i don't do paperless caching. i don't have a pda and don't plan on getting one. i don't have a job or lifestyle where i would use one that much and i would much rather spend the money on jewelry. :lol:

2k · June 19, 2004

Anyway, is anybody else out there as stubborn as I am and as resistant to change, even if it could make their geocaching life a lot easier?

Not me, I'm all for anything that will make geocaching easier, now :lol:

I'm still preaty new to geocaching, but it only takes one time of hiking 1 mile in 90 deg. heat with a 8 year old only to run into a river you can't cross to get to the cache.

After that day I thought maybe it would be a good idea to check out the aerial photo maps I have been reading about on the forums.

So I downloaded easygps, cool.

Then I downloaded expertgps, awsome!

I still like the harder to get to caches over the ones you can drive the family car upto and find.

The more info I have in hand befor I go looking for them hard to find caches, all the better.

I have been thinking about going paperless now too. :unsure:

June 19, 2004

Sliced bread, Brian. How can they assume to know how thick I want my bread sliced?

Just kidding, of course, but thanks for the free advice. I just got the palm (almost 2 months ago!) and have got any of it figured out yet. I may just have to break down, spend the $7 and start out the easier way. Everyone does keep recommending it. Is that a one time fee? Or a once a year fee?

$7 well spent, and it's a one time cost, and you keep getting updates on the software.

June 19, 2004

I just got the palm (almost 2 months ago!) and have got any of it figured out yet. I may just have to break down, spend the $7 and start out the easier way. Everyone does keep recommending it. Is that a one time fee? Or a once a year fee?

I believe it is a one time fee. Its pretty cool.

4k · June 19, 2004

Hardhead here. I did finally break down and get the EasyGPS program, and loved it. Then, after getting my premium membership, I also got one of the other suggested free downloads, and hated it. I went back to EasyGPS, and still love it.

I don't have a PDA, either, and don't foresee myself getting one, either. I love my paper printouts!

June 19, 2004

Cachemate and EasyGPS = I''ve been talking about how great these programs are for MONTHS...and only now, do you listen to me?!?!?!?!

Geez, sometimes I feel like I am talking to a wall! :lol:

1k · June 19, 2004

I'm a little lost here. Easy GPS is a program for your computer or your PDA?

June 19, 2004

My wife wanted to try paperless, but we didn't have a PDA and I wasn't sure if spending hundreds for another Geocaching toy was worth it. Besides, I didn't figure a PDA would be that useful for anything else.

So the months went by..........

Then Fry's had a reconditioned Palm IIIxe for $29 - we bought two. (actually our kids got them for us for Mothers and Fathers day - THANKS KIDS!!)

I bought Cachemate without even trying the software first based on everybodys recommendations from the forums. I already had GSAK to load GPX files to my Garmin V.

Installing Cachmate was a snap. And I put in 1000 cache descriptions in only half the Palms 8Meg memory (Garmin - are you listening?)

Last weekend we tried paperless for the first time. FANTASTIC! But it was a little work to have to tell Cachemate where we were for nearest search, so I went to EBAY and bought a clipon GPS for the PALM for less than $40.

And to top that off, I found the Palm to be really usefull at work. The Graffiti pen strokes were easy to learn and I find myself using it all the time.

All for a investiment of less than $80! It won't replace my Garmin V any time soon, but it has replaced my printer!!

Edited June 19, 2004 by Moore9KSUcats

June 19, 2004

Last weekend we tried paperless for the first time. FANTASTIC! But it was a little work to have to tell Cachemate where we were for nearest search, so I went to EBAY and bought a clipon GPS for the PALM for less than $40.

It's actually not too much trouble to get Cachemate to tell you where the nearest cache is. If you've got a page open, go to Record, then Nearest Caches, and it will bring up the coords for that cache. Doesn't matter if that's not where you are, just enter what's on your GPS. Of course, your way works, but if you don't have the clipon, it's a great way.

Paperless, the only way to go.

4k · June 19, 2004

I'm a little lost here. Easy GPS is a program for your computer or your PDA?

Computer, now quit upping your post count outside your home base! :lol: :unsure:

June 19, 2004

Shhhhhhhhhh! Don't tell Mrs. Cat!

I discovered the search from present cache , but now that I found out how wonderful the Palm and Cachemate were, the techno-nerd in me has taken over! One of Cachemates features is reading the GPS directly and I couldn't let that go to waste!

Now, how am I going to convince Mrs. Cat that for only a few hundred we could get expandable memory, built in camera, MP3 player, hi-res color screen, bluetooth, Wi-fi.................

(have I gone off the deep end?)

June 19, 2004

BTW.... Mrs. Cat here.... he DID show me how to find the nearest caches from the PDA... I think he is just spoofing to try to convince me we need MORE techie stuff.... where does it EVER end???? And yes, I am an avid geocacher, too... we work as a team. Actually, it is usually the whole family (if the two college kids are home). AggieCat, our oldest (A & M Aggie) is in Taiwan for the summer, and has the old Garmin 12, and is out trying to snag a couple of caches in Taipei today. :lol:

June 19, 2004

BTW.... Mrs. Cat here.... he DID show me how to find the nearest caches from the PDA... I think he is just spoofing to try to convince me we need MORE techie stuff.... where does it EVER end???? And yes, I am an avid geocacher, too... we work as a team. Actually, it is usually the whole family (if the two college kids are home). AggieCat, our oldest (A & M Aggie) is in Taiwan for the summer, and has the old Garmin 12, and is out trying to snag a couple of caches in Taipei today.

But, you always need more techy stuff!

BTW, spent two years in Taiwan back in the old Air Force days. Pretty cool place back then, would love to see what it's like now.

9.1k · June 19, 2004

I'm stubborn, too.

Immediately after discovering this website, I bought a Garmin GPS V - at the time, a top of the line model, featuring maps and turn-by-turn autorouting. But I never used the maps or the autorouting for my first 15 months of geocaching! For one thing, I didn't have a CD drive on my computer so I could install MapSource. But I could have fixed that pretty quickly. More fundamentally, I wanted to get good at finding the caches based on the compass arrow and common sense, instead of relying just on the high-tech tools. I used my fancy GPS as if it were a yellow eTrex.

Finally, after a powercaching trip out west last fall, and being laughed at by numerous experienced cachers, I broke down, installed maps on my PC and GPS, bought a PDA and started paperless caching. I was already using Watcher for sorting, filtering and managing caches I wanted to do, and I know its developer, ClayJar, from the #geocache chat channel. And CYBret's tutorial, which I badly needed, is geared towards the Spinner/Plucker solution. I know LilDevil from #geocache and otherwise, so I chose Spinner/Plucker and liked it just fine. Finally, I learned how to use GPSBabel, developed by RobertLipe, a frequent contributor here in the forums. I use GPS Babel for translating PQ information so it can display in MapSource.

So I also read all the rave reviews of GSAK and CacheMate. But for now, I am sticking with what I'm using. The system works for me, and I actually enjoy massaging the data through the various programs. My stubbornness, resistance to change, and personal loyalty to the developers of these three pioneering geo-applications makes it highly unlikely that I will change anytime soon.

June 19, 2004

I followed Cybret's paperless instruction to a T and it worked. Lots of steps and mouse clicks but it was working fine. When I found CacheMate it was like light shining down from heaven (okay, that's a little much, but you get the idea). Now with GSAK it's never been so easy. What's next....some sort of direct firewire hook-up to my brain where all the info is sorted and stored?

Can't go wrong with CacheMate & GSAK.....that is, until the NEXT big thing comes alone. You know....something like a program for your palm that leads you to the cache then makes you ham sandwich and calls you "Sir" alot. :-)

Scoob

Edited June 19, 2004 by Scoobie10

3.8k · June 19, 2004

I'm a little lost here. Easy GPS is a program for your computer or your PDA?

For your computer :lol:

June 19, 2004

02 FXD
Garmin eTrex Legend

SONY Clie PEG-SJ22

01 FXD

Garmin Vista

HP IPAC PPC 2215

We got the PPC after we started GCing but, didn't know we could use it store cache pages until about 5 months after we started. Now, after becoming "Premium Members", we do the pocket query thing and go. Its great!! We use GSAK and EasyGPS and have been happy with the setup although EasyGPS has skewed the coordinates a couple of times and put us about 400 ft away from the cache each time :unsure: We found both caches anyway since we had the page in the PPC. :lol:

June 19, 2004

02 FXD
Garmin eTrex Legend

SONY Clie PEG-SJ22

01 FXD

Garmin Vista

HP IPAC PPC 2215

02 FXD

Garmin eTrex Legend

SONY Clie PEG-SJ22

GATOR

:lol:

June 20, 2004

What tools support the USB capabilities of the 60C? ExpertGPS does but it didn't tranfers enough information for me?

38.2k · June 20, 2004

What tools support the USB capabilities of the 60C? ExpertGPS does but it didn't tranfers enough information for me?

You might want to ask this in GPS Units and Software forum. There are people theere always ready to discuss technical issues and software.

June 20, 2004

Anyway, is anybody else out there as stubborn as I am and as resistant to change, even if it could make their geocaching life a lot easier? What things do you see others promoting that you are dismissing, or resisting (even if you know deep down that its probably a good idea)? I don't mean just software. It could be using trekking poles, hydration systems,a mapping GPS, paperless geocaching, hiking boots. Anything that could make your geocaching life a lot easier if only you took the plunge.

I'm still trying to decide two main things:

1) Upgrade from a Garmin 12 to a new 60 with mapping :huh: .

2) Go paperless, ( I'm debating if I want a cheep pda or a mid line) :huh: .

Maybe some day, I'll take the plunge and not get too wet .

I just went high speed from dial up, this past month. It took almost a year to decide.

Maybe I can decide sooner on the rest.

For now, I'll stay the way I am.

Geocaching Made So Much Easier

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Join the conversation