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GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife)


ClydeE

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I'm using GSAK to try to export a file for use in Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005. When I export the file it shows up as an Excel file...

FYI, it shows up as an "Excel file" because the Comma Separated Values (CSV) file association in Windows is set to Excel. You can change this setting in Windows (Open "My Computer", click on "Tools", "Folder Options", "File Types" and scroll down to "CSV" under extensions), but you needn't bother unless you want another program to open this file when you double click on it. As Clyde pointed out, you can't open it in S&T anyway, you have to import it.

 

Edit: Typo

Edited by Kai Team
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I've noticed a little something happening since I started using Firefox.

 

I select a cache in my database then click "HERE" for latest info to open the real cache page in the bottom portion of my GSAK window. Even if I have already signed into GC, the GSAK session says I need to sign in. If I sign in under GSAK it makes me sign in on the next page I pull in also.

 

Why is this and is there a way to change this behavior?

 

Thanks,

Howard

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Correction on my problem. Once I log in under the GSAK window it is OK. I assume GSAK uses the IE browser under the covers. If this is the case, may I ask for an enhancement to let us pick our preferred browser?

 

All options is GSAK like "Show online" and "Custom URL's" do in fact invoke your default browser.

 

However, the split screen display in GSAK is rendered using calls Internet Explorer "under the covers". This section cannot be changed.

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I generated a Pocket Query last evening with 455 caches. Quite a few (maybe 15) came in marked found with a found date filled in. While this looked good on my found numbers, I didn't really find them. What might have gone wrong? Heard of this before? My fault? Their fault? :grin:

Tools=>Options=>General, and take a look at what you have for "Method for matching placed and hidden caches" (see the help file for how the various options work.

 

My guess is that you are using the gc.com number but have entered in the wrong number.

 

If you still can't work it out, send me a screen shot of this setting and I will be able to sort out what the problem is.

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I generated a Pocket Query last evening with 455 caches. Quite a few (maybe 15) came in marked found with a found date filled in. While this looked good on my found numbers, I didn't really find them. What might have gone wrong? Heard of this before? My fault? Their fault?  :grin:

Tools=>Options=>General, and take a look at what you have for "Method for matching placed and hidden caches" (see the help file for how the various options work.

 

My guess is that you are using the gc.com number but have entered in the wrong number.

Or, you are using "user name", perhaps with the wildcard function, and someone else has a similar name. It took me a while to find the attached (it's in the GSAK help files), which explains how to find and use your gc.com logon ID. I've had no problems with correct matches since I did this (since I had changed my user name):

 

Use gc.com logon ID: When you create your user ID and password at www.geocaching.com you are allocated a unique Owner ID.  If you are using the GPX files provided by www.geocaching.com (premium membership), this Owner ID is included in the owner section of the details.  You can find this unique number by opening up a GPX file in any text editor, and searching for a cache you have placed.  Now look for the string starting with "<Groundspeak:owner id=".  The number surrounded by double quotes is your Owner ID.  This method takes care of instances where you have changed your user name (your Owner ID always remains the same).
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Tools=>Options=>General, and take a look at what you have for "Method for matching placed and hidden caches" (see the help file for how the various options work.

 

My guess is that you are using the gc.com number but have entered in the wrong number.

 

If you still can't work it out, send me a screen shot of this setting and I will be able to sort out what the problem is.

 

Everything seems to be O.K. now. Thanks. :blink:

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Version: GSAK 4.2.2

 

This is veddy veddy minor usability thing, no functionality impact, and may be WAD.

 

I'm one of those oddball oldschool geeks who uses the keyboard more than the mouse, or as much as possible.

 

From the main GSAK screen, tabbing through the on-screen fields doesn't flow in a straight-order. Best I can tell, it goes:

 

Code Search, Select a Saved Filter, Lock First Column, Database, Unknown/Drop down to first line item (at which point you can "enter" through the columns), Name Search ..

 

Seems like It wants to/should flow from left to right - Lock First column, Code Search, etc... Was thinking double-tab would get me "Code Search", triple-tab would get me "Name Search", but no.

 

Or maybe it's just me.

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Version: GSAK 4.2.2

 

This is veddy veddy minor usability thing, no functionality impact, and may be WAD.

 

I'm one of those oddball oldschool geeks who uses the keyboard more than the mouse, or as much as possible.

 

From the main GSAK screen, tabbing through the on-screen fields doesn't flow in a straight-order. Best I can tell, it goes:

 

Code Search, Select a Saved Filter, Lock First Column, Database, Unknown/Drop down to first line item (at which point you can "enter" through the columns), Name Search ..

 

Seems like It wants to/should flow from left to right - Lock First column, Code Search, etc... Was thinking double-tab would get me "Code Search", triple-tab would get me "Name Search", but no.

 

Or maybe it's just me.

Good point. All screens that have input fields that allow tabbing should flow top to bottom, left to right.

 

Being a forgetful Fred, I will sometimes add a control and then forget to make sure it is in the correct tabbing sequence.

 

I will fix this in the next release.

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Semper, GSAK calls up Firefox on my system, NOT IE. What version of Windows are you using? If it's XP, you can go into Start, Set Program Access and Default, and select Custom. Click on Custom, and you get the options. Uncheck the box that says 'Enable access to IE', and choose Firefox as your default browser. That should stop anything from calling IE. If you're using a prior version, I might have to do some studying, because I don't remember everything I should about 98, and I've never used anything else except 95 & 3.1.

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Thanks, NP, I had forgotten all about that. I use XP pro at work but don't see it there. I have XP Home on my home machines and I'll try it there later.

Did you modify the default XP style layout to make it look more like Win2K? If so you might have more luck looking under the "Add Remove Programs" control panel (and then selecting "Set Programs Access and defaults" on the left)

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For some reason the cahces I placed stopped showing up highlighted in green over the last couple of days. Everything appears to be set right in options, i even cut and pasted to make sure they matched. Any ideas?

Maybe a repair/defrag of the database will sort things out? (Database->Repair/Defrag)

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For some reason the cahces I placed stopped showing up highlighted in green over the last couple of days. Everything appears to be set right in options, i even cut and pasted to make sure they matched. Any ideas?

This does very much sound like a matching problem.

 

If you can't work it out, email me your gsak.ini file (in the install folder of GSAK) and a GPX file that has at least one placed cache of yours.

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This one is stumping me, so I'm providing as much detail as possible.

 

For this exercise, I have two "not found" queries. One runs daily for caches in Metro-Atlanta, the other runs twice a week for caches in Northern Georgia. I'll call the daily one "Atlanta" and the other "North". In order to cover as much area as possible, there *is* a bit of overlap between the two queries. Both queries are in folder "Notfound"

 

Current dates of queries: North - 12/6/04. Atlanta - 12/8/04.

 

On 12/6 (after the 12/6 query ran), I found a cache that *was* in both queries, but now is not in the Atlanta query (which is as it should be). Depending on how I load the queries, here's what I get:

 

1. Load North file, clear db yes, db update Always: Cache there (as expected)

2. Load Atlanta file, clear db yes, db update Always: Cache not there (as expected)

3. Load folder Notfound, Clear db yes, db update Always: Cache shows up.

4. Load folder Notfound, Clear db yes, db update Newer: Cache shows up.

5. Load folder Notfound, Clear db no, db update Newer: Cache shows up.

6. Load folder Notfound, Clear db no, db update Always: Cache shows up.

 

What I was thinking is that one of 3-6 would kick out the cache I found, but I can't seem to get it to NOT show up, even though it's not in the Atlanta query, which is a later date. Just in case, I then again ran:

 

7. Load folder Notfound, Clear db yes, db update Newer: Cache shows up.

 

If it matters, the names of the queries are: Atlanta - 31562.gpx, North - 126802.gpx

 

What am I missing? Am I doing something wrong? I saw in the help files that the recommended setting for Clear db is Always, but...

 

Edit: FWIW, the "Last Update" for the cache in question correctly shows 12/06/04 for the "Last Update" field.

 

Thanks.

Edited by Cymbaline
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This one is stumping me, so I'm providing as much detail as possible.

 

For this exercise, I have two "not found" queries. One runs daily for caches in Metro-Atlanta, the other runs twice a week for caches in Northern Georgia. I'll call the daily one "Atlanta" and the other "North". In order to cover as much area as possible, there *is* a bit of overlap between the two queries. Both queries are in folder "Notfound"

 

Current dates of queries: North - 12/6/04. Atlanta - 12/8/04.

 

On 12/6 (after the 12/6 query ran), I found a cache that *was* in both queries, but now is not in the Atlanta query (which is as it should be). Depending on how I load the queries, here's what I get:

 

1. Load North file, clear db yes, db update Always: Cache there (as expected)

2. Load Atlanta file, clear db yes, db update Always: Cache not there (as expected)

3. Load folder Notfound, Clear db yes, db update Always: Cache shows up.

4. Load folder Notfound, Clear db yes, db update Newer: Cache shows up.

5. Load folder Notfound, Clear db no, db update Newer: Cache shows up.

6. Load folder Notfound, Clear db no, db update Always: Cache shows up.

 

What I was thinking is that one of 3-6 would kick out the cache I found, but I can't seem to get it to NOT show up, even though it's not in the Atlanta query, which is a later date. Just in case, I then again ran:

 

7. Load folder Notfound, Clear db yes, db update Newer: Cache shows up.

 

If it matters, the names of the queries are: Atlanta - 31562.gpx, North - 126802.gpx

 

What am I missing? Am I doing something wrong? I saw in the help files that the recommended setting for Clear db is Always, but...

 

Edit: FWIW, the "Last Update" for the cache in question correctly shows 12/06/04 for the "Last Update" field.

 

Thanks.

I saw in the help files that the recommended setting for Clear db is Always, but...

Really? I don't see that in my help file. If you like to build up a histroy of logs (so you get more thant the 5 provided by the GPX file) then I would not clear the database before loading each GPX file.

 

Anyway back to the question....

 

What you describe is exactly the behaviour I would expect. When you load a GPX file with the "Newer" opion, GSAK checks the the date of the incoming GPX file against the "last update" date in the database for that waypoint. If this date is more current and the waypoint exists in the database, then it will be updated. However, if the waypoint does not exists in the database it will always be added. If you have a database that you don't want caches added to (you only want the ones that are there updated) then select the "exisiting only" for the "Database update option"

 

HTH

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Really? I don't see that in my help file. If you like to build up a histroy of logs (so you get more thant the 5 provided by the GPX file) then I would not clear the database before loading each GPX file.

 

Anyway back to the question....

 

What you describe is exactly the behaviour I would expect. When you load a GPX file with the "Newer" opion, GSAK checks the the date of the incoming GPX file against the "last update" date in the database for that waypoint. If this date is more current and the waypoint exists in the database, then it will be updated. However, if the waypoint does not exists in the database it will always be added. If you have a database that you don't want caches added to (you only want the ones that are there updated) then select the "exisiting only" for the "Database update option"

 

HTH

Er, I misspoke. I ment to say the "Database Update", not "Clear database". You're right, it doesn't say that for "Clear database" in the help file; the "Always" recommendation who which I referred was for DB update. Sorry about that.

 

As for the rest...

 

Ok, that makes sense and I follow you. In this case, since I *do* want the database updated with new not-founds, etc, I can't use the "existing only" option, right?

 

Hmm.. Thinking about, there really is not a way to really "fix" this one either, based on the nature of the unsync'd queries and the overlap they have.

 

Thanks for your input and straightening me out, Clyde!

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;) Let me start off by saying that I really enjoy using GSAK and can't ever see myself doing without it. Now for the question. I recently purchased a copy of Street Atlas Handheld 2005. When I select export a file from GSAK to Steet Atlas, the only option is a txt file. SAH 2005 requires a SAF file extension. Is there a planned system improvement to use the SAF extension in GSAK? Or as is very possible, am I just missing the boat and there is already a method of transfering points from GSAK to SAH2005? Thanks Clyde and keep up the great work.
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:rolleyes: Let me start off by saying that I really enjoy using GSAK and can't ever see myself doing without it. Now for the question. I recently purchased a copy of Street Atlas Handheld 2005. When I select export a file from GSAK to Steet Atlas, the only option is a txt file. SAH 2005 requires a SAF file extension. Is there a planned system improvement to use the SAF extension in GSAK? Or as is very possible, am I just missing the boat and there is already a method of transfering points from GSAK to SAH2005? Thanks Clyde and keep up the great work.

I am not a full bottle on SAH 2005. However, as gnbrotz pointed out I beleive the "import" of the file should work just fine, so at this stage there are no plans for any special conversion.

 

It should noted that if GPSBabel were to support the SAF format then yes, GSAK would also support it.

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I have a few non-geocache waypoints that I like to keep in my GPSr at all times (home, work, car, etc), so I added them to the Tools -> Options -> Locations area. However, they don't show up on the list of waypoints, and they don't show up on my map after I generate a MapSource file.

 

Is the Locations area only for HTML files?

 

Is there a way to define waypoints that will always be sent to MapSource and/or my GPSr whenever I export the database?

 

Thanks!

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I have a few non-geocache waypoints that I like to keep in my GPSr at all times (home, work, car, etc), so I added them to the Tools -> Options -> Locations area. However, they don't show up on the list of waypoints, and they don't show up on my map after I generate a MapSource file.

 

Is the Locations area only for HTML files?

 

Is there a way to define waypoints that will always be sent to MapSource and/or my GPSr whenever I export the database?

 

Thanks!

Locations are more for just setting centre points.

 

If you want the actual waypoint in your database (so you can send to your GPS), then use the Waypoint=>Add option to put these waypoints in the current database (or create another database if you want to keep then seperate). So that you can filter these waypoints out if you need to, just allocate the cache type of "other" to them. In the add dialog, you even have a URL section where you can add a special URL (perhaps back to your own personal website) for these waypoints.

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Mushtang, what I do is keep a separate database just for my GPS waypoints. Periodically I download all the waypoints from my GPS into it for safekeeping. With this backup, if I lose my GPS, or it dies or resets or whatever, I can have everything back quickly by just running GSAK, opening my GPS database, and sending everything to the GPS. As Clyde said, the locations are just for marking center points for distances. I use my home and my work as locations, and my Plucker file has both, so I can quickly find the nearest caches to either. You can put as many as you want, but they really have nothing to do with the GPS.

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The color coding for my filters arent working now. Any ideas. The filters i have are "Found" (Caches found by) "Not Found" (caches not found by me) "My Caches" (Caches ive place) & "Archived (Caches that have been Archived) The problem im having is they are only showing 2 colors. The found ones are showing up right. but the "not found" is also showing for "my caches" and "archived". It was colored coded before, but i dont know why they arent anymore.

 

I must add once i installed the lastest PQ it started doing this.

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The color coding for my filters arent working now. Any ideas. The filters i have are "Found" (Caches found by) "Not Found" (caches not found by me) "My Caches" (Caches ive place) & "Archived (Caches that have been Archived) The problem im having is they are only showing 2 colors. The found ones are showing up right. but the "not found" is also showing for "my caches" and "archived". It was colored coded before, but i dont know why they arent anymore.

 

I must add once i installed the lastest PQ it started doing this.

Sounds to me like your colour settings have been inadvertently changed.

 

You can fix this via Tools=>Options=>General and the "Status Attributes"

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I can change color, but the Archived and My Caches show up as the same color that is selected for Not Found, regardless of what is selected in the Status Attributes. So overall i only have 2 colors in the database instead of 4. Now the counts status panel shows the selected color for each, but the database doesnt reflect the colors selected for each filter status.

Edited by Texan78
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I can change color, but the Archived and My Caches change with the color that is selected for Not Found. So overall i only have 2 colors in the database instead of 4. Now the counts status panel shows the selected color for each, but the database doesnt reflect the colors selected for each filter status.

mmm, this one really makes no sense at all.

 

Firstly try rebooting your computer, then do a Database=Repair/Defrag and load your latest GPX file again.

 

If you still have the problem, could you please email me a screen shot, and your GSAK.ini file (this file is in the install folder of GSAK)

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From what i can take of it the Found and Not Found status is taking priority in the filter not allow the color to change. I wont let me set the filter without selecting a found or not found status in the filter options.

Sorry, that last paragraph is just mumbo jumbo to me.

 

Could you try to explain that again.

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Ok i did what you told me and everything is still the same. What screenshots do you want exactly?

Ok, I have received your gsak.ini file and tracked down the problem.

 

The problem is you have set the priority for "not found" caches to 1

 

Please refer to the help file for how this works.

 

Quick summary.

 

The status placed,archived, and not found are not mutually exclusive. (That is, a cache can actually belong to all 3 of these categories at once) You therefore need to set up an order of precedence. Your gsak.ini file indicates you have set "not found" as the highest order (1) so any cache that is placed and not found, or archived and not found, will always show the colour of not found. The default (shipped with GSAK) and recommended setting for "not found" is 4

Edited by ClydeE
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Ok sorry i'll try to explain in another way. In the set filter box, it wont let me set a filter without having "Found" or "Not Found" selected. So from what i can take of it. With it not letting me set a filter without one of those selected. It leads me to beleive that the 'Found" & "Not Found" is taking prority over other filter settings like "Archived/Unavailable". I didnt write the program so i dont know the logistics of it, but if i was able to set the archived filter only just from the Available status in the filter settings without having to select "Found" or "Not Found" it would probably color code it correctly and just show those that are archived regardless of weather its been found or not found. Then giving me the option to go back and make another filter to sort archived caches from found or not found and what not. Since it's not letting me do it that way. It is showing color coding as Not Found or Found regardless of what filter setting is selected. The filter works it's just not using the correct color. Like when i use the archived filter it show me all the archived caches, just with the Not Found or Found color. Same goes for my Placed Caches. It wasnt doing that before. It was showing the correct color for each cache from Found, Not Found, Placed, and Archived. Like with my "Placed" Caches it shows it as color 'Not Found" or Found depending on what the "My Caches" filter setting is to show. It wont show it in the My Placed cache color in the database. So bascily it wont let me set a filter without having "Found" or "Not Found" Selected". I dont know if its doing what it is suppose to being doing or not, but i think that might play a part in why its not color coding it correctly. It was working before, it just happened after i updated it with the lastest PQ. Hope that helps a little better, It''s late so i did the best i could. I've been trying to figure this out the best i can and this is the conclusion i've come to on it. Thats not saying its the reason, jsut my take of it.

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I wrote my last post prior to getting your soultion so disregard it. I did what you said and set the prority to 4 on "Not Found" and everything coded right up. Like i said in my last one i knew it had to do with something taking priority and just couldnt figure out how to changed it. It was right in front of my face the whole time. I knew it was there i was just over looking it. I guess thats what i get for looking at code all day at work then coming home and looking at more till 2:30 in the morning when i'm tired...LoL. Man its going to be a rough day of caching tomorrow...LoL Thanks alot for your help.

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Clyde here is one that has never been suggested that I am aware of. Would it be possible to have GSAK record when you last uploaded to your GPSr. This way I can see what caches are going to be new/needed to update my GPSr to current. I tend to play with the filters to investigate different cache aspects, trends and such so using the user flags isn't a practicle option. I don't upload after ever update of GSAK with PQs.

 

This could maybe even be extended somewhat to be attached/assosiated with each database or saved filter, so you can while sitting at your computer see when you last uploaded/searched for a particular cache set. This is particularly usefull as I also use my unit for work projects, and it would be handy to just look on the screen and see the info.

 

This might be too specific for others needs but I thought I'd throw it out there for anyone else to comment on if they might find it also usefull in there use of GSAK.

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Clyde here is one that has never been suggested that I am aware of. Would it be possible to have GSAK record when you last uploaded to your GPSr. This way I can see what caches are going to be new/needed to update my GPSr to current. I tend to play with the filters to investigate different cache aspects, trends and such so using the user flags isn't a practicle option. I don't upload after ever update of GSAK with PQs.

 

This could maybe even be extended somewhat to be attached/assosiated with each database or saved filter, so you can while sitting at your computer see when you last uploaded/searched for a particular cache set. This is particularly usefull as I also use my unit for work projects, and it would be handy to just look on the screen and see the info.

 

This might be too specific for others needs but I thought I'd throw it out there for anyone else to comment on if they might find it also usefull in there use of GSAK.

Hmm, a novel idea.

 

I certainly won't knock it just because this is the first time I have come across this suggestion.

 

I guess some features don't get added until one person comes up with the idea, and then others say "hey that's cool, why didn't I think of that - great idea"

 

For the moment I will just sit on the fence on this one and see what feedback there is.

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I certainly won't knock it just because this is the first time I have come across this suggestion.

 

Wow someone came up with a new idea? When do I get to come up with something new :anicute:

 

For the moment I will just sit on the fence on this one and see what feedback there is.

 

I can see the possibility of it being useful. Lately I've only been uploading only smallish subsets of points, and it might be nice to have a record of just what I really did upload (as it is, I tend to re-select any which I might want, regardless of whether they are in the GPS or not). On the other hand, its not too much trouble in my situation anyways, so I guess it depends on how though it is for you to add something like this.

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Hey Clyde,

Am I dreaming, or did a while back did you say that there was a tag to get the UTM coordinates? Or was that in a Beta? Or just 'on the list'? Anyways, I can't seem to find it anywhere...

UTM tags are in the next release - still on target for a pre Christmas release.

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UTM tags are in the next release - still on target for a pre Christmas release.

Any chance of a beta? I'd just like to dump my list so I can calculate cache density around each point (don't care if its otherwise functional in anyway shape or form).

You have mail :anicute:

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Clyde

 

First, thanks for a very useful program. GSAK has really helped me clean up my Geocaching act. Gone are the notebooks full of printed pages, and the time spent placing the pages in route order. There are a few things I have not been able to figure out on my own. These are not GSAK faults, but fall into the "nut behind the keybord"(me) status.

 

1. Mass delete of waypoints. My database has grown and I want to trim it down. How do I select a group of waypoints to delete? I can build a filter and set a flag on the ones I want to delete, but I cannot find a way to delete more than one waypoint at a time.

 

2. Found caches. After finding a cache twice, I have run a "found by me" pocket query, and entered the found caches from my logs. I am still missing one that I will find. In GSAK, the yellow count box shows xxx, If I dbl click or select the default filter "My found caches", xxx -3 are shown. What could be causing the difference?

 

Jeff

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