Ok Here Is My Plan What Are Opinions Please

[+GeoSar]

After my old lorance Gps got ate by my parrot I am upgrading to a Garmin 60C and while I am at it I am going to get a new PDA as well leaning towards a Palm Zire 71 it's in my price range and from what I hear you can link it to the Garmin to up load caches, true or false? I know the Zire 71 is an older model and the camera quality is not as good as the Zire 72 but I am not getting it for quality photos just as a way to snap a quick cache photo so I guess my question is this will this combo do what I want link my pda to my Gps and what extra hardware soft ware etc, etc, will I need, Please all you cache masters talk to me.

Many thanks in advance

GeoSar

Geo Search and Recovery for hire

[+strikeforce1]

I have a Palm III and Garmin Etrex Legend and plan on doing it as well. It should work from what I've read also. I'm not sure if other software is required to do the linking? It might be better to post down in the GPS software forum as an after thought. SF1

Edited August 29, 2004 by strikeforce1

[+New England n00b]

For some perspective, I have a Legend and a Palm III.

 

My process is dowload the gpx files.

Load them into cachemate.

Load them into EasyGPS.

Use EasyGPS to upload them into my Legend.

Use Mapsource TOPO and download the waypoints *from* the Legend into my laptop.

Use mapsource to manually input parking lot coordinates from gpx files.

Use mapsource to upload new waypoints into Legend (good to know where you parked when done!)

Then use the laptop & GPS as a mobile, realtime atlas while I am driving to cache sites.

 

Hope that provides some insight for you, even if it doesn't specifically answer your question.

[+WalruZ]

I have a zire 71 and have been very happy with it. here's what I do.

 

I have a premium account, so I can do pocket queries. there's a link to them near the top of your 'my' page. they come in your email as .zip files.

 

I use GSAK (geocaching swiss army knife - gsak.com ), which is free, to open the zip file.

 

I use GSAK to load the waypoints into my garmin geko, using the smart tag so they look like abbreviated names. My laptop doesn't have a serial port, so I bought a USB to serial adaptor to accomodate the garmin serial cable.

 

I purchased cachemate for the palm for $7.00 and used the palm software to install it on the zire.

 

I use GSAK to create a cachemate .pdb file which is automagically synch'd with the palm the next time I perform a hotsynch. When I next run cachemate on the palm, I have to merge the synched data with cachemate's data, which takes about 10 seconds. Be sure to install the palm software before you install GSAK.

 

I have defined two additional cachemate categories as 'found' and 'not found', and when I search for a cache I change it's category accordingly. After a day of geocaching, even a long day, all I need to is change the cachemate category filter to 'found' and I can see what I've done that day. After logging, I delete the records from cachemate.

 

My setup is just a little more complicated that that - I have seperate GSAK databases and seperate cachemate categories for certain geographical regions that I might cache in, but you get the idea.

 

One additional thing I use is Mapsource. I also use GSAK to create a mapsource waypoint file and load it in for viewing. Before caching in a particular area I'll printe out 1/3 of a mile scale maps of the cache areas. It feels very different to have a street map with the cache plotted on it, compared with just driving around semi-lost.

 

The zire 71 has a nice bright screen and plenty of memory for cache pages. I know a few other very active geocachers who have the same model. The camera is handy in a pinch too. Gopher It!

 

-- edited to add, if you buy one, make sure you're getting evenything that came with it. The palm, the cradle, the power adaptor, and the palm software CD. Next, go out and get a hardshell case for it. Do not delay. I regularly sit on my palm, on rocks and curbs, and the case protects it perfectly. Should you not have one of these, your palm will last about a week, imo.

Edited August 30, 2004 by WalruZ