Paperless Caching With A Mac And Palm

[+skyriverblue]

Is there anyone out there who downloads pocket queries and puts them on a Palm using a OSX Mac? I'd like to go paperless but I can't figure it out. I spent several hours last night trying to find the right combination of software to do this and came up unsucessful. Seems like you need two pieces of software: a reader for your Palm and a converter to get pocket query GPX files into a Palm format. There seems to be lots of choices for PC users, but not for Macsters. Anybody doing this on a Mac and if so, what's the magic combination?

[+mtn-man]

I'll move this to the GPS Units and Software section. Maybe someone there has some suggestions.

[+JeremyA]

Pretty much the same solutions as work on the PC work on the Mac... You can use Cachemate on your Palm (with cmconvert on the Mac), or spinner (you need to use the online version) and Plucker. Cachemate is probably the easiest route to take.

 

JeremyA

[+skyriverblue]

Thanks Jeremy! CMConverter wasn't working -- wasn't generating a file onto my Mac -- and I looked at Spinner but didn't realize you could use an online version to generate a Palm-friendly file. Hopefully I will be able to figure it out from here. I was sure there were other Mac users out there! Many thanks!

[+jdtravel]

There are other Mac users out here that are watching. Please include the final results.

 

Thanks

[+JeremyA]

CMConverter wasn't working -- wasn't generating a file onto my Mac

Yes, urm well... that's probably my fault. I messed something up in MacCMConvert and I haven't had the time yet to fix it.

 

 

Hopefully I'll get it sorted out soon.

 

JeremyA

[+Nero]

using a mac and caching ive found this place to be helpful...

 

http://jfatherton.0catch.com/MacCMConvert/geomac.html

 

i use maccmconvert v2.0

link2gps

gpswrite

[+planetrobert]

I have a apple g4, a palm m515 and the Magellan GPS Companion.

 

For the Palm:

 

CacheMate

$7, this program is a gpx file reader for the palm. it talks to your gps for figuring out which caches are closest to your current location, bearing and distance... etc You can sort your caches out into catagories read others log entries, hints are decryptable, and you can record you log there so you dont forget what you took/left etc... VERY USEFULL APP for the palm, you need the accompanying converter CMConvert or MacCMConvert to convert the files to a palm type file. Cachemate also has a Navigation Plugin now.

 

Nav Campanion

Free w/GPS basic gps appp for the palm and GPS Companion. It works well enough but the most GLARING missing features are UTM, a digital compass with the sun(like they have on the GPS 315) and Projections.

 

CetusGPS

I just started playing with this one and it has some plusses and minuses... for the way i cache the negatives outweigh the plusses. A GREAT Program though I WILL be keeping it loaded for some features and for non caching GPS activities(bet you didn't know they existed did you?)

 

Quo Vadis

A great mapping application for the palm...

1) computer independant, which means that it also isnt windows dependant, I am a mac user but i DO have VPC

2) zooming and scrolling is smooth as anything

3) zoom goes down to sub block viewing

4) works beautiful with Magellians Nav companion gps i own

5) loading waypoints couldnt be simpler, a single command to gpsbabel can convert all the waypoints in a PQ file(loc or gpx) to the proper type for this app

6) the maps are not seperate, meaning that if you have 2 neighboring maps loaded they will seemlessly flow from one to the other

7) i can load the whole USA on an expansion card i have and as i am in an area i just copy the files i need to the palm's built in ram using a file managment tool and they automaticly show up in the app. this isnt as good as memory card support but it is better than having to always have to hotsync the maps over every time. also when i am done with a map i delete it from the app and it will still be on the mem card.

8) the price was great.

9) it runs fast

mostly because it has good detail, GPS support, computer independant, and the ability load GC waypoints.

also it can have 1170 gc waypoints loaded at once, strange number.

 

For the Mac:

 

Shell Scripts

I have a shell script that runs all the gpx conversions, archival and backup of all my geocache/benchmark info. It is no a downloadable thing, but if you want a copy of it to modify for your own use I can email it to you. It is easily modified for a new user with basic .sh knowledge.

 

GPS Babel

A gps file format tool... A MUST HAVE converts gpx to palm capable files for different types of recievers and gps apps.

 

CMConvert

i use a mac. there is CMConvert for everybody else. this app takes your pocket query GPX files and makes them work for cachemate on the palm and makes them a palm type file. a MUST HAVE if you use cachemate. I use the command line version, but there is a version called MacCMConvert with a GUI

 

BMGPX

bmgpx to reformat files on benchmarks from the NGS website to the GPX format. not as cool as maybe a pocket querry but still cool. This allows you to have the full descriptions and info for Benchmark files, which of course makes it much easier to find marks.

 

TerraBrowser

A piece of mapping software that gathers both arial photos and topo maps from terra server without use of a web browser. It has GPS interface info and live tracking abilities. You also can load geocaching loc and gpx file into the app and it will plot them all on the maps. It allows you it download a region based on distance for offline viewing, great for out of town caching trips.

 

Coordinate Converter

I have written a basic coord converter in applescript. It is useful for converting coordinates between a couple degree type formats. More conversion options will be added later. As it is right now you can convert between DegreeDecimal, DegreeMinuteDecimal, and DegreeMinuteSecond formats at will.

 

loc Builder

I also have written a basic coord converter and loc file creater/builder in applescript. It is useful for making a file for your GPS or Palm in the loc format.

[+hedberg]

MacGPS

GeoToad http://geotoad.sourceforge.net/ (supports even iPod!)

Geocaching Widget http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/11255

MacSimpleGPS http://www.macsimplegps.com/index.html

 

This is just a few of Mac Geocaching softwares I found while googling...