+rmckenzi Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 I have recently started to switch my life away from Palm products (don't ask me why, I dislike Windows greatly), the one thing I can't seem to find for the pocket pc is a tool similar to CacheMate for Palm. Currently I need to carry both my Palm and PPC units with me when I go out, it would be nice to only have to have one. Does anyone know of any Geocaching software that will also interact with a GPS (I use a Clip-On Bluetooth GPS). As I live in UK the only mapping software that I use on my Pocket PC is ViaMichelin used for in-car navigation. Unfortunaly this software is a bit rubish at anything but basic navigation and won't even allow for the importing of waypoints or storage of past routes. It works, but not well, and of little use for Geocaching. Quote Link to comment
+-=(GEO)=- Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 (edited) For paperless caching, use GpxSonar (the counterpart of CacheMate on the PPC), for auto-routing, check out Mapopolis. For dynamically plotting caches on maps from GpxSonar, use MSFT Pocket Street & Trips or MapPoint. There are others but this combo works great for me. Edited June 27, 2004 by -=(GEO)=- Quote Link to comment
+rmckenzi Posted June 28, 2004 Author Share Posted June 28, 2004 Thanks, I actually already have GPXSonar and GPXview, I was really looking for something like the CacheNav plug-in for CacheMate. I like the idea of 1 tool (with the plugin) and being able to do paperless caching and gps nav in the same app. Looks like it's not possible on the PPC. Quote Link to comment
+-=(GEO)=- Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 What's the problem with combining GpxSonar and something like GPS Tuner or Pharos Ostia or one of the many other GPS software available for the PPC? Have GpxSonar export a cache file in one of the formats that it supports to them and off you go. Quote Link to comment
+JeepCachr Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 GPS Tuner and Vito Navigator II both are both good programs. GPS Tuner recent upgrade to being able to open GPX files is one less thing to convert. Combined with GPX Sonar's able to open GPX files you don't need to convert anything. Tuner also has an excellent averaging mode for taking accurate readings. My favorite programs are Mapopolis combined with GPX sonar. Mapopolis has excellent maps and routing along with spoken voice prompts for navigation. You can use the GPS view screen to get right to the cache. It doesn't give you as much information as some of the other GPS programs like tuner and navigator. To have your caches show up in mapopolis you do have to convert your GPX file to a maplet but they have a nice utility that does that for you and can even copy the maplet to your PPC at the same time. Quote Link to comment
+rmckenzi Posted June 28, 2004 Author Share Posted June 28, 2004 I've looked at GPS Tuner, however I just have a hard time parting with $35 for the software. If it was half that price I'd jump on it. This is another reason I went kicking and screaming from PalmOS.. looks like I'll have to stick with PalmOS for GeoCaching, I bought CacheMate and CacheNav for like 1/4 of that price. Sigh, overpriced software, the bane of every computer related hobby. Quote Link to comment
+JeepCachr Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 I've looked at GPS Tuner, however I just have a hard time parting with $35 for the software. If it was half that price I'd jump on it. This is another reason I went kicking and screaming from PalmOS.. looks like I'll have to stick with PalmOS for GeoCaching, I bought CacheMate and CacheNav for like 1/4 of that price. Sigh, overpriced software, the bane of every computer related hobby. I think it was only $30 when I registered it but it still seemed steep to me for a PPC application. Vito Navigator is only $20 but lacks some of the features found in Tuner. I think the advanced stuff in Tuner is worth it but it depends on what you need it for and how your going to use it. GPX Sonar for the PPC is an incredible program and its free. GSAK for the pc is also incredible and free. I think we as geocachers are spoiled with the amount of free and inexpensive software choices that we have. Quote Link to comment
+rmckenzi Posted June 28, 2004 Author Share Posted June 28, 2004 I think it was only $30 when I registered it but it still seemed steep to me for a PPC application. Vito Navigator is only $20 but lacks some of the features found in Tuner. I think the advanced stuff in Tuner is worth it but it depends on what you need it for and how your going to use it. It's $35 now and $75 if you want the Pro version.. I paid nearly that ($75) for a package of all street level maps of Europe that came on 4 CD's. Not just a PPC program that displays GPS data on user supplied maps and the like. I'd consider the $20 option, but $35 is a bit much to expect for a hobby use program. GPX Sonar for the PPC is an incredible program and its free. GSAK for the pc is also incredible and free. I think we as geocachers are spoiled with the amount of free and inexpensive software choices that we have. I use GPX Sonar and GPX View (I actually prefer GPX View) and I use GSAK on the PC. Not sure about how spoiled we are, there aren't really that many choices for software (per platform), I think the software that isn't free is at a decent price (generally speaking). Quote Link to comment
lehdan Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 I agree, that is too much. GPS tuner works well, but I won't be paying $35 for it. Quote Link to comment
+phantom4099 Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 So what exactly are you looking for the software to do? I recently found G7toCE (free) that will store waypoints/routes/tracks. You can then save that data into several formats or upload it again to your GPSr. Wyatt W. Quote Link to comment
+as77 Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 I am developing something but it's still in its early stages. If I release it some time, it will be free. Quote Link to comment
+-=(GEO)=- Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 as77... I am developing something but it's still in its early stages. If I release it some time, it will be free. Something doing what? Quote Link to comment
+as77 Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 GPS-based navigation and paperless caching in one app. Quote Link to comment
+-=(GEO)=- Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 Interesting project but why re-invent the 'paperless caching' wheel though? Here's why I'm asking this: in a previous thread about GpxSonar, I had suggested the idea of an extension framework for it so that plug-ins can be built for it. This sounds like a good candidate. The other plug-in that I'll eventually build is the synchronization with gc.com to log caches. If that's of interest to you to collaborate on this, we can take it offline. Quote Link to comment
+as77 Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 GEO, that's a great idea. However, I don't think I could collaborate on that. You are probably using eVC++ and I don't know how to develop with that and am too lazy to learn. Same goes for eVB, I have never used it. I'm using another development tool called Forward Pass and that's the only system I know. I like it for its simplicity. I wrote PMN Cacher with it. I am not even sure it can do everything I want to do, but so far it looks like it can. Quote Link to comment
+-=(GEO)=- Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 eVC++ is indeed what I'm using since GpxSonar is written in C++. I'll take a look at Forward Pass to see what can be done with it. But here's the thing: as long as the tool that you use can produce a .dll with specific entry points, that's all that's needed. The rest is about the framework exposing certain resources (like GDI, object model, etc...) and making the proper callouts to the modules encapsulated in DLLs that may be loaded into it. Quote Link to comment
+as77 Posted June 30, 2004 Share Posted June 30, 2004 Nope, it cannot produce a .dll, only an .exe. Forward Pass is a scripting host with a number of pre-programmed controls (and it can use ActiveX controls as well). Quote Link to comment
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