Too Confusing??

[+TroutGuy78]

I've tried everything, downloaded every program. I have a Palm Zire21 PDA. I've downloaded GSAK, Easy GPS, MobiPocket, GPXSpinner, and Plucker. But for the life of me, I can't get my pocket query GPX files or ebook onto my PDA to view the descriptions and hints. WHAT IS THE EASIEST WAY--STEP BY STEP?? Am I just PDA illiterate? Thanks.

[+TresOkies]

The easiest way is as follows.

 

Getting Started

1. Buy CacheMate from www.smittyware.com. Follow the directions carefully about giving him your Hotsync name.
   
2. Download the installer, which will have a name like cachemate-401.zip
   
3. Unzip the installer on your hard drive somewhere in a folder where you plan to work. I use c:\gps. Anything will work.
   
4. Dig around in the cachemate folder. Find the file with the .PRC extension. Drop that file onto the Palm "Quick Install" icon or just double click the .PRC file. This will get the program ready to copy to your Palm.
   
5. Hotsync your Palm. Cachemate is now on your Palm.
   
6. Launch Cachemate on your Palm. Go to the "Option" menu and choose "Register".
   
7. Enter the registration code you received via email.
   

When you want to get data to your Palm

1. save the zip GPX file you get from geocaching.com on your hard drive somewhere. A good place is the same directory where you unzipped Cachemate.
   
2. Drop the GPX zip file (123456.zip) onto the program called CMConvert.exe. This will unzip and open the GPX file in the converter.
   
3. Press the OK button when it presents you with a screen with lots of options.
   
4. Press the "Select all" button
   
5. Press the "Convert" button. Conversion takes about 2 seconds.
   
6. Choose your hotsync ID when given the option. Press OK.
   
7. Quit CMConvert.
   
8. Hotsync your Palm
   
9. Launch Cachemate on your Palm.
   
10. BAM!
    

GSAK, GPX Spinner and all the others add sophistication to the process. They do cool things like filter caches and rename waypoints. If you are having trouble doing this basic stuff, get good at it before you try the harder things.

 

Good luck

[+MedicP1]

I don't know I think that GSAK is even simpler then that.

1) download GSAK into your computer (register after you've tried it a bit and discover the greatness)

2) open GSAK

3) download/save your PQs to a file

4) either drag and drop the PQ files into GSAK or import them from within GSAK

5) export a HTML file to whereever you store files for your hotsync

6) hotsync your unit and view the cache pages on you PDA browser

7) play with/fine tune the files to your liking if you wish (in between steps 4 and 5) once you're more comfortable with GSAK.

 

If you detail more of what you are actually doing the we might be better able to help you with what you're not doing or doing wrong. Good Luck

[+NightPilot]

Most Palms don't have a browser, and can't view html files directly. I agree that Cachemate is the easiest way to do it. One click in GSAK generates the Cachemate file, and then a hotsync puts the file on the Palm. I use a card reader, and generate the file directly to the card, so I don't need to hotsync, but if you don't have a card, then hotsync is the only way to do it.

 

If you're getting the files in Mobi format, then you just open the file with the Install tool, and then hotsync.

Edited October 1, 2004 by NightPilot

[+Blue Gator]

I just use the PC web browser to get a geocaching page, save it on my hard disk and then copy this information my SD card through a USB card reader. So I can read the htlm page on the palm on my way using its own web browser. This of course requires a palm with sufficient memory (I use a T3) and with a web browser, but this method is the most direct and very quick.