Spinner, Plucker, Gsak, Cachemate....argh!!

[+drag-racer]

So I finally got my Palm IIIxe and have the desktop software loaded on my PC and working. Now I'm trying to figure out which is the best way to go paperless caching. There are just SO MANY different tutorials out there on the web that I'm really confusing myself trying to read them all.

 

So in your opinion what is the best and easiest way to do this?? Free software is my preference, but I'll ante up for other s/w if you all think it's worth it. I just don't know where to begin.

 

I guess I'll just use the 'how to" over at G.U. if nobody has any better suggestions.

 

Thanks.........

[+embra]

I reckon the easiest way is to import a gpx file into GSAK, then export it to Cachmate. These are inexpensive programs tailored to geocaching, and well worth their registration fees.

 

Embellish as desired.

[+Team yGEOh]

I use GSAK to create Cachemate files and generate html pages. I break the caches down into distance ranges centered on my home coordinates. The html files are created on my webserver for access from anywhere. I run Plucker against my webserver to create the pages for my Palm M500. I then hotsync my M500. This gives me 2 copies of the information presented in 2 different formats. It also allows me to upload waypoints to my gps from my PDA when I go into a different distance range.

[+drag-racer]

I use GSAK to create Cachemate files and generate html pages. I break the caches down into distance ranges centered on my home coordinates. The html files are created on my webserver for access from anywhere. I run Plucker against my webserver to create the pages for my Palm M500. I then hotsync my M500. This gives me 2 copies of the information presented in 2 different formats. It also allows me to upload waypoints to my gps from my PDA when I go into a different distance range.

Oh great! Now I'm REALLY confused.

[+Team yGEOh]

Sorry I didn't mean to confuse you. I use ranges because in my area, Denver CO, there are a lot of caches. Here is my website URL:

http://geocaching.kicks-a**.net/Caches/

In the above URL please replace the ** with ss.

This is what Plucker uses to generate its data. So the information that plucker shows is the same as what is on my web server. The Cachemate files are also broken down into ranges as well. Cachemate has a plugin that allows you to send and receive information to a GPS. This makes it easy to send waypoints to my GPS. I have most if not all of the caches in Colorado in my GSAK database. This totals up to over 1500 geocaches. Since my GPS's can only hold 1000 waypoints each I decided that this was the easiest way to manage the number of caches I have in the GPS's. Plucker and Cachemate show the exact same information, each just presents it in a different manner.

 

EDIT: Had to add directions for the link to my website because the filtering software for the forum butchers the URL.

Edited September 14, 2004 by Team yGEOh

[+Ex nihil]

I think I have used just about everything but I download caches in gpx form and open in GSAK. As far as I can see GSAK does everything you could want and it seems to get better month by month, Clyde is working like blazes to improve it all the time. I can't actually think of anything else I would want GSAK to do, it talks to my GPS, PDA, Mapsend, Excel, and every mapping tool I have tried out. It is free but pay the modest retistration fee so Clyde can continue to develop it. I didn't find the database managment bit totally obvious when I started but now its the only way. Get GSAK.

[+NightPilot]

The easiest way by far is to get GSAK, and open the zip files containing the pocket queries there. Then click one icon to export to Cachemate, and another button to send the waypoints to your GPS. If you want, you can filter the caches however you want first, but it's not mandatory. GSAK can do lots of things, and therefore it can take some time and practice to learn all of them, but if you want quick, you don't have to do much, just open the queries and send the data. Cachemate has all the info on the Palm, and your GPS has all the waypoints, with close to the same names if you want. I never even fool with the GCXXXX codes any more - they're mostly worthless. You can use GSAK without paying, if you're strapped for cache. Cachemate costs $7.

 

Plucker is a program used to view web pages on the Palm, and the pages it generates look very similar to what you see on the website. It's not that easy to set up, though. I use it all the time for putting lots of web pages and ebooks on my Palm, so I also use it for cache pages. If you don't do all that, then Cachemate will get you started quickly and easily. Get GSAK no matter what.

Edited September 15, 2004 by NightPilot

[+TresOkies]

I imagine you will get somewhere in the neighborhood of (2^6)-1 different answers.

 

I prefer using GPX Spinner, EasyMPS, and CacheMate. I like Spinner because it does the mangling of the icons and names in a way that I like. Then, it's a matter of copying the output GPX file to CMConvert and into CacheMate. I use EasyMPS to import the data files into Garmin MapSource (MG, Topo, & European MG) for sending to the GPS.

 

Plucker is too slow and too cranky. I wouldn't trust my wife to use it and she has a B.S./C.S. It's nice having an off-line browser, so I use iSilo.

 

GSAK is a very interesting application. ClydeE deserves a pint or two from every geocacher for the amount of work that he puts into it. I use it occasionally but I always find myself going back to GPX Spinner and CMConvert when I want to create something that goes to my GPS and Palm. I like the polygon filtering function in GSAK but I really want a waypoint manager with maps. The scripting function in GSAK 4 looks very promising. After I've run my GPX files through the various filters in GSAK, I still want to look at them on the maps before I transfer to the GPS. There are always one or two caches that I will never get to do and there's no sense including them in the output.

[+hedberg]

GSAK and CacheMate.

 

We used to use MobiPocket and it was really stupid choice. But we didn't know better at that time!

 

But after we changed to GSAK and CacheMate have our geocaching changed to the better, except the fact that we don't have as much time anymore for geocaching. But I don't think you can blame GSAK and CacheMate for that!

[+drag-racer]

Well thanks to everyone for the great replies. Sounds like the GSAK/Cachemate combo is the unanimous(sp?) choice so I'll go that route to start with and see how it works for me. Learning how to use GSAK will give me something to do this winter when it's 2º outside and I'm bored out of my mind.

[+E = Mc2]

Not quite unanimous, but GSAK is the way to go for being an all-around program. The only things that I don't like with GSAK is that another program such as Plucker or Cachemate is required to get the pages to the PDA, and I can't get all those little %xxx tags straight.(I know, PICKY, PICKY !) GSAK lets me load the waypoints into all 3 of my GPSrs (both Garmin and Magellan), project the waypoints in Mapsend so I can get a visual of what's where, and then send a file to Plucker to upload to my PDA. All told, I can have the PQ loaded into everything in less than 5 minutes with GSAK. GREAT PROGRAM CLYDE!

 

Try using the instructions that Cybret provides at GU just to learn how to set up Plucker (since it's help file is useless to those who don't speak assembly language), and then get GSAK instead of (what is it? EasyGPS? Spinner?)... to convert your PQ's

[+NightPilot]

If you don't like Plucker, try Sunrise Desktop. It's a java-based desktop converter that takes the html files and converts them to a Palm database that the Plucker viewer can use. It works a lot faster than Plucker desktop and is easier to set up.

 

If your wife has a BS in computer science and can't handle Plucker, she got cheated very badly. It's not that hard to use. If I can do it, then any computer-literate person surely can.

[+Imajika]

EasyGPS (free) and Cachemate ($7.00). I love it!

[+TresOkies]

If your wife has a BS in computer science and can't handle Plucker, she got cheated very badly. It's not that hard to use. If I can do it, then any computer-literate person surely can.

I was exaggerating to make a point. Apparently that point got lost somewhere in translation. My wife used Plucker on her Zire 71 and hated it. She seems to like CacheMate, though.

 

-E

[+NightPilot]

Well, tastes do vary. I prefer Plucker to any other reader I've tried. I also prefer my wife to yours, sight unseen.

[+SunnyCyndi]

All I can say is, I feel your pain! It took me weeks to learn my way around the PDA maze and all the well meaning help just made me feel more ignorant and confused. Just stick with it and suddenly you'll wonder what was so hard about it in the first place. For what it's worth, I think GSAK is mandatory, no doubt about it. However, I downloaded both Cachemate and Plucker (you'll need Spinner along with Plucker), ran both for several months and now use Plucker exclusively. While I thought Cachemate was very useful in reading and recording information, all I basically wanted was all the Geocaching.com log pages in the palm of my hand, and that's what Plucker gives you.

[+NightPilot]

If you have GSAK, you don't need Spinner at all. GSAK will do the html pages with one icon click.

[+OzGuff]

Just a quick question: What programs will allow the uploading of photos from cache pages? (E.g., spoiler photos) Or is this more a limitation of the PDA?

 

(I currently use Spinner/CMConvert/Cachemate to get caches into my PDA, which is a Palm m500.)

 

Thanks!

[+Panther in the Den]

Hi all

 

I am new to paperless and I have plucker working well.

 

I want to get 100 of the area caches and it seems that plucker does just one at a time.

 

What am I missing?

Edited October 12, 2004 by Panther in the Den

[+Stunod]

Hi all

 

I am new to paperless and I have plucker working well.

 

I want to get 100 of the area caches and it seems that plucker does just one at a time.

 

What am I missing?

You can use your pocket queries and GPXSpinner to create a list of caches to be "plucked". Check out CYBRET's great instructions HERE

[+NightPilot]

What you're missing is GSAK. GSAK will take the pocket queries with as many caches as you get, and generate the html pages for Plucker for all of them at once. Plucker doesn't have to go out to the web, it can work with local files just as easily, in fact more easily. Just point Plucker at the index.html file that GSAK generates.

[+Panther in the Den]

Hi all

 

I am new to paperless and I have plucker working well.

 

I want to get 100 of the area caches and it seems that plucker does just one at a time.

 

What am I missing?

You can use your pocket queries and GPXSpinner to create a list of caches to be "plucked". Check out CYBRET's great instructions HERE

You Da Man!

 

The instructions were Great! indeed.

 

The one file name I needed was 'index'.

 

Man I am sooo happy now.

[CoyoteRed]

I guess I'll just use the 'how to" over at G.U. if nobody has any better suggestions.

The instructions over there will go you in the field. You can play with other solutions later.

 

I use Spinner to spin my webpages because it's a little more flexible on layout and options. I use iSilo to grab it for my PDA, but it's a pay program.

 

I use GSAK for normal data manipulation. I great program. Free to use, but I've paid to support further developement--after all, I do request features from time to time.

 

The most important thing however is you need legal access to Pocket Queries. I notice the account you post under is not a paid member. This account isn't either, but I do have one that I share with my wife. This membership option gives you access to Pocket Queries where you can download the extra cache data in bulk form.

 

Hope this helps.

[John E Cache]

Plucker is too slow and too cranky. I wouldn't trust my wife to use it and she has a B.S./C.S. It's nice having an off-line browser, so I use iSilo.

I switched to iSilo too because I like iSilo much much better than Plucker. Plucker wasn't truely paperless on multi-caches for one thing. I still needed to write down the formulas and puzzles on paper. With iSilo I copy from the iSilo cache description and paste into a note. I then do my puzzle gathering on the Palm in the notepad. iSilo does tables and fonts sizes much better too.

[+Ed & Julie]

Gsak and CacheMate...simple and powerful.

Ed

Edited October 13, 2004 by The Badge & the Butterfly

[+Gonzo-YT]

My $.02, after much trial and error:

 

CacheMate. I just recently tried CacheMate and it's great -- already sent in my registration fee. I just use the software that comes with it to convert the GPX file.

 

I also use GPS Babel to convert the GPX file into Fugawi format. I use Fugawi to map the waypoints and also to transfer to my GPS.

 

Of course, I also need to get waypoints and tracks in and out of Garmin Mapsource from time to time. GPS Babel to the rescue again.

 

Sigh... And this is the EASIEST way I've found so far. Some day, all applications will just natively support GPX.

 

Bottom line: Cachemate is well worth it.

 

Regards,

Anthony

[+trippy1976]

GSAK and CacheMate.

I concur. Easiest way to go.

[+Rosco Bookbinder]

So in your opinion what is the best and easiest way to do this?? Free software is my preference, but I'll ante up for other s/w if you all think it's worth it. I just don't know where to begin.

My tag line says it all. I am very happy..