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treemoss2

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I am paperless with a Clie PDA and a Magellan 330. I put pocket queries in PDA with cachemate and load those cache waypoints per GSAK into my GPS.

 

My question is - what else is GSAK good for? I know I can do various sorts, etc but that is only on my PC. In the field there is no way to use GSAK. I can sort with cachemate. So excepting the use of GSAK to download multiple waypoints from my queries, it has little practical use.

Am I missing some use that may be beneficial?

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Yes, it works on the PC only but that's where I do all my analysis. I then create clusters of caches I want to target. I keep notes in GSAK on caches I've found and especially on caches I DNFed on.

 

I also cache with others and have enough data in GSAK to be able to ask it questions such as Which cache have we both NOT found so I don't need to look at those I haven't found and then determine if the person I'm going caching with has found it already.

 

It supports multi databases, so when I travel, I create a different database with the PQ information for that area and then after returning from a trip, copy the found waypoints to my main database. Also, it keeps an offline version of the cache information, so when traveling and not connected to the Internet I can view everything.

 

By the time I'm ready to head out caching I'm all set. I don't use a PDA so I use GSAK to either create a condensed print listing of the caches or launch gc.com for each and print them out that way. I also use GSAK to export to MapSource for those waypoints (caches) I've selected (filtered) and then within MapSource I add other waypoints such as parking locations, etc.

 

I then use GSAK when I get back to log my caches quickly (within GSAK and online), enable the Watch option for most caches, keep track of any notes I want such as waypoints for a multi, location of the cache itself, the find number of the cache, etc.

 

Folks also use GSAK to automate tasks they do on a frequent basis like load a new GPX, export to cachemate, etc.

 

GSAK won't find the cache for you, but as far as everything else related to the cache itself, I think it does an amazing job at efficiently organizing and storing everything related to the cache.

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As noted, the main advantage is FILTERS. I have three (slightly overlapping) sets of data that total a thousand or so caches. I love CacheMate, but I would hate to filter through all of them on my PDA in the field. Before I go out the door, and can set down and say "show me every cache west of I-45" or "show me every cache within 5 miles of a line from here there." It says "Ok, you mean these 23 caches." Click! There are in my GPSr. Click! They are in CacheMate.

 

Another time, I might say "Show me every cache within 10 miles of this park, but no puzzle caches, and no 1/1s. Let's leave out virts and events too, and anything with a terrain higher than 4" Click. Click. Ready to go. CacheMate is fine for sorting through the half dozen or so that GSAK filtered out for me.

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I like the way GSAK uses the filters to shorten the cache name instead of GCABCD it calls it ABCD as all Geo caches start with GC anyway

 

%drop2

 

....another plus is to know if the cache you are looking for was found last time...whether it has a bug in it....difficulty and terrain.....all you have to do is click on the cache in the GPS and it reveals it all...

 

%Name %last4 %bug=$! %typ1 %hint (%Dif/%Ter)

 

All the sorting and filtering can be done on the Geocache site and the be sent via email to be loaded into GSAK....I think for the money and support it is excellent.

 

Guy

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I not only get rid of the GC, but the ABCD, too. The code is useless, so I use GSAK to generate smart names 10 characters long, which is what my Legend will accept. It will do whatever length you need. So instead of a cryptic set of letters that means essentially nothing, just the next combination in line when the cache was approved, I get the cache name, or at least all the GPS will accept.

 

If you haven't found anything else that GSAK will do, then you haven't been looking.

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Until we get everyone to shorten hints I use: a 10 digit smartname and for my 60cs notes: %drop2 %typ1/%con1 %dif/%ter %bug %last4 %datelf. I keep the %drop2 since some cachers I go out with download without the cache name, and it can get confusing when caches are in close proximity.

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Marky's list of things he does with GSAK:

  • Filter out unsolved puzzle caches (I do this manually each download)
  • Send waypoints to Tomtom Navigator
  • Send cache info to Cachemate
  • Send waypoints to National Geographic Topo!
  • Send waypoints to MapSend Topo!
  • Automatically delete any cache on my permanent delete list so I never have to see caches I don't want to do.
  • Download waypoints to my Sportrak Color
  • Download waypoints to Joani's Geko 301
  • Download to a GPX file for Expert GPS to use for park maps
  • Look at cache pages in GSAK so I don't have to access GC.com when planning.
  • Keep a found caches database

I'm sure there are some other things I do that I've forgotten to mention.

 

--Marky

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I use it to keep a backup of my GPS waypoints. I have a lot of stuff in my GPS that has nothing to do with geocaching, and I really don't want to lose them. I keep a separate database in GSAK just for GPS waypoints, and periodically I download all the waypoints from my GPS into it. I can easily filter out the junk, and keep the ones I want. I also back this database up elsewere, just in case. If I lose my GPS, or run over it, or it spontaneously combusts, I can buy a new one and quickly have everything loaded again. There are certainly other ways to do this, but GSAK makes it convenient.

 

It won't do the dishes, but it does more than enough.

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Team DEMP, how do you get it to know who all else has not gotten to a cache?

Here's a post from the GSAK thread (page 9 , about 2/3 way down - it has a picture that I can't copy) that has the instructions:

QUOTE (ClydeE @ Jan 18 2005, 06:51 PM)

Yes, the easiest method is if you can get the GPX files from everyone in the group. (because they contain the found status for everyone in the group)

 

Then all you need to do, is create a new database and load all the GPX files into this new database. Finally if you set a filter on "not found" this will return a subset of all the caches that every one in the group has not found

 

Just make sure you select the following options when you load each GPX file into the database (or just put all the GPX files into the same folder, then tell GSAK to load the folder of files)

 

Boy, you sure need to be fast in this thread. Back on page eight are the above instructions for creating a database of unfound caches for a group. I think the settings you give are incorrect, though.

 

If I read it right this would mark as unfound any caches found by previous members of the group but unfound by the one that is being added. On [Found Status Update Options] shouldn't [Found only] be marked?

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