Bless You Cybret!!

[+GPSKitty]

and your childrens' children.

 

I finally got brave enough to try going paperless. I've had a Palm IIIxe for awhile (got it on ebay thanks to your recommendation), but couldn't get it to sync. User error.

I recently got the sync to work so I tried downloading Spinner and Plucker, so I could get this show on the road, but something went amiss. Again, user error.

Then I remembered your article on paperless caching and followed step by baby step. It turns out that I had downloaded the wrong version of Plucker, but you set me straight on that.

 

The upshot is I now have a bunch of caches loaded in my Palm and I'm amazed at the technology. I have no idea how I did it all, and I will have to use your article for any subsequent Plucker manuevers, but I am thrilled at my new found caching tools.

This game just gets more better and more better.

 

Thanks........

[+Markwell]

I'm going short-term paperless, but not with a PDA. For my upcoming trip, I've got topos and aerials of Geodashing points and GSAK loaded on my laptop. After having found out which 115 caches are within a good distance from my route, I've got them loaded into GSAK and plotted on Streets and Trips on my laptop (and just loaded them last night into the GPS).

 

This is the first time I've taken a trip like this and not taken a binder with me of freshly printed off cache pages and topo/aerial maps. Not a single printed Geo-page.

 

It is kinda cool.

 

Next step is PDA.....

[+CYBret]

Wow...imagine my surprise when I checked the forums and found this thread! Thanks for posting and I'm glad it's working out for you.

 

As for PDA's I've recently upgraded to the Palm Tungsten T5. WOW! The amount of memory and power is amazing. I'm wifi with it and was able to log a find while recovering from the cold in a coffee shop last week! Very cool.

 

Unfortunately, Plucker isn't 100% compatible with the T5's "soft graffiti area" so I've had to come up with a couple work-arounds for viewing the cache pages. Oh well, I'm sure they'll catch up soon enough.

 

Thanks again!

 

Bret

[+Jamie Z]

I've got them loaded into GSAK and plotted on Streets and Trips on my laptop (and just loaded them last night into the GPS).

Wait a minute. Did I read that right?

 

Jamie

[+Markwell]

Yep - I'm a GSAK convert. I do have everything on my own database as well, though.

Edited December 25, 2004 by Markwell

[+VisionQuest220]

*** NEWS FLASH ***

 

Markwell Threatens To Go Paperless...Film At Eleven

[+Markwell]

But notice I'm going in baby steps. I'm not ready to cost-justify a device that will carry cache pages for me if that's all I'm going to get. Notice that I loaded the topo maps and aerial shots of my dashing (I don't just cache) into the laptop. Until such time as I can get nice-sized color topos and aerial shots onto a palm - AND that palm won't cost me more than my GPS, I can't justify it.

 

I just don't want to spend $200+ on something that I'll feel absolutely TERRIBLE about dropping down a cliff. I don't feel that way about the GPS since I probably wouldn't be OUT near a cliff if not for the GPS. But I don't NEED a PDA for caching. With the addition of a laptop to my arsenal, I feel pretty good.

 

Now if I can just get my used laptop's battery to last a little longer than 2 hours. Next purchase: car adaptor for the laptop.

 

...

 

Of course, it did take me a year of caching before I hunkered down and bought that $30 data cable for my first little yellow etrex

Edited December 25, 2004 by Markwell

[+strikeforce1]

*** NEWS FLASH ***

 

Markwell Threatens To Go Paperless...Film At Eleven

Someone needs to Markwell this!

SF1

[+fly46]

 

Of course, it did take me a year of caching before I hunkered down and bought that $30 data cable for my first little yellow etrex

You should have thought to ask santa for it. I asked really really nicely and she (because lets face it, no guy could get that many presents and do it right) not only got me the dl cable but the car charger, too!

[+NightPilot]

For your laptop, I think the way to go is to buy a cheap inverter. You can get them at many places for less than $20, and this gives you 110VAC to power whatever you like, as long as it doesn't use too many watts. The cheap ones work fine for powering laptops, battery chargers, etc. and aren't limited to powering one particular device.

[+sbell111]

I'll second that!

 

I'm certainky not a techie, but CYBret, JamieZ and several others have patiently helped me go paperless. (I'd also like to thank Markwell for his help long ago with my cache routing in S&T.)

 

While your at it, check out Sunrise Desktop. Use it instead of Plucker to convert your info. It will still use the Plucker app on your Palm, you just won't need Plucker on your PC any more.

 

Sunrise Desktop has two improvements over Plucker. First, it is much faster. (Although I still go ahead and eat a cookie. ) Second, it is much easier to set up and get the embedded pics to transfer.

[+Square Bear]

We actually use all three, for a single cache day just print out the cache page and go. Use to use just the PDA, but it gets to be a hassle to find the cache page in the data base. Now take the lap top (GSAK is so much easier to find the cache page we are looking for) and also down load topo maps for areas that looks like it could be challenging. Have a cheap inverter and plug the lap top into it, before we head out, we review the cache page, and use the PDA only if we have to refer to the cache page or the hint while we are looking for the cache.

[+sbell111]

I typically only use a GPSr and a Palm. However, I bring my laptop on long trips. This allows me to have tons of caches to choose from.

 

Occasionally, I'll go on long trips that take me to a number of different cities. I can load all the caches into my Palm, but only 500 into my GPSr. If I am just on a through-trip, I'll just load all the caches into the unit, but if I am going to be in different areas for a day or two, I'll only load caches into the GPSr for the area that I am visiting.

 

This ensures that I have open locations for hotels, meeting locations, bus and subway stops, et al.