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GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife)


ClydeE

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If you're using GSAK today to create Meridian SD files, isn't the limit 500 and not 200? The 200 limit only factors in on the new .gs format which GPSBabel (and thus, GSAK) doesn't yet support, right?

 

GSAK already knows how to limit the number of waypoints sent, so this wil probably just be another entry in a table somewhere.

 

If the limit really is the hardware not supporting > 200 at a time, I don't know we can do much about that other than organizing ballot box stuffing campaigns, but those have historically been unsuccessful with Magellan.

 

I have a feeling that we'll witness a rapid growth in the amount known about explorists and their associated file formats and limits within the week...

I was on a Sportrak so I just dumped in 500 each time(I limited it using GSAK) and went on my merry way using my cachemate database as a supplement.

 

Since the explorist claims unlimited waypoints with SDs I assumed that the eXplorist would hold >500 caches but the geocache manager only sends 200 at a time and of course doesn't tell you that you tried to upload more than the limit.

 

Since GSAK doesn't support the explorist upload and .gs files yet(I hope) I can't limit the number uploaded in that fashion.

 

I suppose I just need a macro that divides the database up into chunks(N, NE, NW and so on or some other method) that I can then send through the geocache manager. Anybody got something handy I can modify?

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If you want 500 waypoints, export as "Magellan SD files (as for Meridians)", name them "whatever.upt" and slurp them right into your explorist. No, you won't get the pretty icons, but you can get the same icons you had with your ST.

 

GSAK creates files in the order they appear on the screen, so if you want to chunk things up, create multiple points, sort by radius from that, and use those for your export.

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Not sure if this has been requested or if this is the appropriate forum for enhancement requests but a function that splits large GSAK databases into 200 piece chunks(not sure what would be the best way to segregate caches would be? bearing, distance?) would be really nice for us macro challenged eXplorist users living in the SF bay area with thousands of unfound nearby caches.

This function already exists in the form of filters. By filtering before doing the export, and you get to choose the criteria you want (which can be different in different cases) - i.e. distance, bearing, type of cache, etc. ("I'm in the mood for micros....").

 

Filtering is pretty easy (not nearly as demanding on the brain as macros, which aren't that bad themselves once you get the hang of them). See the GSAK help file or go to this section in the online help.

 

After filtering for a desired subset of waypoints (e.g. available caches within a certain distance from your starting point), go to User Flags>Set for next nn records, and enter "200". Then filter for user flag set - voila - 200 caches of whatever you've defined, ready for export.

 

If you do this often, you can name and save the filters you use. Then, when you're up for a more modest challenge, you can create a macro to do the whole thing for you with the click of a single button!

Edited by Kai Team
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I like your program and have used it for years, I took a break form Geocaching and am now doing it again, this time I was excited to hear that your program supports Garmin USB, so now that i am fully registered I gave it a shot and am having trouble.

 

I own a Garmin 60cs and am trying to download waypoints from your program to the unit, however, I am receiving an error message of "List out of bounds (0) " immediately after clicking on Send waypoints to GPS.

I have setup the GPS in the program and am using the USB option, also the 60cs is set to GARMIN

 

I do not understand what is happening?

 

help

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I'm having a weird one.

 

I occasionally share GPX files with another person (that has also agreed the waypoint licence agreement). When I import one of their gpx files, it takes the caches that they've found and flags them as 'found by me'. GSAK does not, on the other hand, add a 'found by me' date.

 

I have put my gc.com id number in the tools/options and it doesn't seem to have any effect. It works fine for my pocket queries, it's only when I import someone else's pocket query that this happens. It would be nice to be able to share pocket queries with my wife.

 

Is there anything I can do about this?

Not really wierd at all.

 

Every GPX file from Groundspeak has an indicator to say if the cache has been found or not. GSAK uses this indicator to mark a cache as found.

 

However, GPX files do not contain a "found by me" date, so GSAK has to interrogate the logs matching your geocaching name or ID to pull out this date. That is why your friends caches get marked as found but no "found by me date"

 

As per the reply by Habbot, the solution is to check "Never" in "Found Status Update Option" before loading your friends GPX file.

 

You can of course use this initial problem to your advantage, by loading your GPX file and your friends GPX file into a new database, then when you set a filter to "not found" you have all the caches that neither of you have found so you can generate a list you can use to go caching together.

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I like your program and have used it for years, I took a break form Geocaching and am now doing it again, this time I was excited to hear that your program supports Garmin USB, so now that i am fully registered I gave it a shot and am having trouble.

 

I own a Garmin 60cs and am trying to download waypoints from your program to the unit, however, I am receiving an error message of "List out of bounds (0) " immediately after clicking on Send waypoints to GPS.

I have setup the GPS in the program and am using the USB option, also the 60cs is set to GARMIN

 

I do not understand what is happening?

 

help

Yea, I do recall an obscure bug that causes this error if you upgraded GSAK from one particualr version to another, skipping some of the upgrades in between.

 

From the Main menu select Tools=>Send debug info to Clyde

 

I should be able to fix the corrupt setting and email back the good settings so you should be back in business.

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The email thing is the best thing EVER. 

 

This program's frickin' sweet.  SEND CLYDE YER MONEY.  :unsure:

We'll probably be up to about version 111.10 before I learn everything there is to learn about this product. I agree, save yourself a Nag Screen and send in your money ... you'll be just as addicted to this program as we are in short order!

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Clyde, ;) HOWDY! :unsure: From Texas.

 

Question about viewing pages offline vs. online: why does viewing offline open a different browser page for each cache you request, and viewing online sends them all to the same window? Can you make one or the other behavior "selectable," or is there a specific reason this happens this way? My personal preference would be a new window for each request, but maybe some don't like the clutter on the taskbar.

 

I just made a trip to Nashville and did 300 caches in a week, so I'm LOVING the "log it" button on the notes window!!! (I'm really sorry I missed meeting Robert Lipe, the grey matter behind GPSBabel! But they said he's an OK guy so I'll forgive him for leaving town.)

 

Happy Trails,

Candy

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Question about viewing pages offline vs. online: why does viewing offline open a different browser page for each cache you request, and viewing online sends them all to the same window? Can you make one or the other behavior "selectable," or is there a specific reason this happens this way? My personal preference would be a new window for each request, but maybe some don't like the clutter on the taskbar.

The difference is that the offline option is opening a file where as the online option is opening a URL

 

Whether or not a new a new browser page is displayed is browser dependant and controlled by settings in the browser.

 

If you are using Internet Explorer, go to Tools=>Internet options, then click on the "Advanced' tag. If you want a new browser page then uncheck the box "Re use windows for launching short cuts"

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Hey Clyde, I'm having a problem installing GSAK on my 'puter.. I just bought a Palm M130 to go paperless, but when I tried to install GSAK, it goes to the splash screen and just hangs.. I DLed the latest version, 5.5 build 10.. If it helps, I have a Athlon 2600, Asus a7v8x MB, Asus 9260 Video, + toys... If you could help me out that would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

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Hey Clyde, I'm having a problem installing GSAK on my 'puter.. I just bought a Palm M130 to go paperless, but when I tried to install GSAK, it goes to the splash screen and just hangs.. I DLed the latest version, 5.5 build 10.. If it helps, I have a Athlon 2600, Asus a7v8x MB, Asus 9260 Video, + toys... If you could help me out that would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

Please see this post

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If you want 500 waypoints, export as "Magellan SD files (as for Meridians)", name them "whatever.upt" and slurp them right into your explorist. No, you won't get the pretty icons, but you can get the same icons you had with your ST.

Thanks, didn't know I had that option. I'll try that out.

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After filtering for a desired subset of waypoints (e.g. available caches within a certain distance from your starting point), go to User Flags>Set for next nn records, and enter "200".  Then filter for user flag set - voila - 200 caches of whatever you've defined, ready for export.

 

If you do this often, you can name and save the filters you use.  Then, when you're up for a more modest challenge, you can create a macro to do the whole thing for you with the click of a single button!

Looks like that will get me on the way to writing some macros to chop up the database. Thanks!

 

Edit: That worked really well doing it manually, just need to write the macro now. :huh:

Edited by bullit
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Corrected Coordinates Dialog Box if i use this and change the cache type to traditional will future imports overwrite this information. At present i create a new waypoint with the corrected co ordinates and let the old one continue on its own.

No, that is the whole purpose of corrected coordinates.

 

Once you set corrected coordintaes for a waypoint they "stick" not matter how many times you load a GPX file that may have diffrent coordinates for that waypoint.

 

If you do want the GPX file to override the coordinates then you have to delete the corrected coordinates entry.

 

Edit: However, you also mentioned changing the cache type to traditional. Setting the corrected coordinates has no effect on the cache type, so the next GPX load will set it back to what ever the cache type is in the GPX file. In this scenario, you would have to "lock" the waypoint to stop this from happening.

Edited by ClydeE
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I should of stated why i change it to a traditional. It is to indicate on our etrex that the co ordinates we are aiming for are the co ordinates of the cache or the physical start point of a multi having solved the puzzle on line. Any easy way to show that they are corrected co ords on the export we currently use drop2 typ and con.

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I should of stated why i change it to a traditional. It is to indicate on our etrex that the co ordinates we are aiming for are the co ordinates of the cache or the physical start point of a multi having solved the puzzle on line. Any easy way to show that they are corrected co ords on the export we currently use drop2 typ and con.

What I've done in my situation is to manually create a second waypoint. For example, if GC9999 is an offset cache, I have created a waypoint named X-9999 and I use the smart tags %drop2%typ1%con1%dif1a %notGC %code. Then when I look at the GPS's screen I see the two waypoints and can tell from their names which is the offset and which is the actual cache (the latter having an "X-" prefix).

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I am new to the GSAK program and love it so far, but I was wondering if it has the ability to synchronize with the geocaching.com website database? In other words, how do I have the latest data for the GPX files I have loaded into the GSAK database? Is this already available as an automated process or do I have to download a daily GPX file from GC.com and import it in the GSAK program each time? ;)

 

I am sorry if this has been talked about and answered before, but I was not able to find anything in my searching. If it has already been discussed, if you can direct me to the location of the discussion that would be great! :ph34r:

 

UltimateBuilder

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In other words, how do I have the latest data for the GPX files I have loaded into the GSAK database?  Is this already available as an automated process or do I have to download a daily GPX file from GC.com and import it in the GSAK program each time?

Yes, the only way to keep the GSAK database is to feed it GPX files.

 

Incidentally, GSAK can load zipped pocket query files downloaded from gc.com, there is no need to select GPX when setting up your PQ.

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Well, it looks like I'm the only one with the email issue. ho hum.

Well, I didn't read through all the pages of this thread. The email issue seemed to have died away after page one.

 

I'm having pretty much the same problem as AJK.

 

I have several PQs in my gmail account. I have set up the email dialog box just like the help file shows. When I click on "Get Mail," GSAK pauses, I get a message at the bottom of the box that says, "Connecting to POP3 server" briefly, then, "Connected ok, getting msg headers" and then a box pops up for me to click ok. After that, the screen goes back to the regular GSAK display. No new data in my database, no PQs in the folder to which I directed the PQs. The whole process is about three seconds.

 

I tried a number of different setting in the GSAK mail retrieval dialog box. Most settings give me exactly the same result.

 

I'm right now chatting with another GSAK and gmail user. We're comparing settings. We seem to have exactly the same settings, same situation, and her GSAK is going through her messages one by one.

 

Any ideas?

 

Jamie

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Well after some more fooling, I determined this was a result of some settings in gmail. I needed to fix some settings in gmail.

 

One question, though. Is there a way (or will there be) to specify certain PQs go to certain databases? I don't want PQs from far away to be added to my "Near Home" database.

 

Jamie

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Well after some more fooling, I determined this was a result of some settings in gmail. I needed to fix some settings in gmail.

 

One question, though. Is there a way (or will there be) to specify certain PQs go to certain databases? I don't want PQs from far away to be added to my "Near Home" database.

 

Jamie

Should be easy to do via a macro. The GETMAIL and DATABSE commands would be the important ones.

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Well after some more fooling, I determined this was a result of some settings in gmail. I needed to fix some settings in gmail.

 

One question, though. Is there a way (or will there be) to specify certain PQs go to certain databases? I don't want PQs from far away to be added to my "Near Home" database.

 

Jamie

Should be easy to do via a macro. The GETMAIL and DATABSE commands would be the important ones.

Yep, just make up a macro to do this that would go something like this

 

DATABASE Name="Near Home"

GETMAIL Settings="Near Home"

DATABASe Name="Far Away"

GETMAIL Settings="Far Away"

 

Just go into the GetMail dialog and save settings for "Near Home" and "Far Away" making sure to select the correct database for each and that the "Get files that match" is set to only get the correct files for each.

 

The other thing to watch would be the "Load" settings. Make sure the settings you are using here have been saved with the "Delete files loaded when finished" otherwise your GPX files will still load into both databases.

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Well, it looks like I'm the only one with the email issue. ho hum.

Well, I didn't read through all the pages of this thread. The email issue seemed to have died away after page one.

 

I'm having pretty much the same problem as AJK.

 

I have several PQs in my gmail account. I have set up the email dialog box just like the help file shows. When I click on "Get Mail," GSAK pauses, I get a message at the bottom of the box that says, "Connecting to POP3 server" briefly, then, "Connected ok, getting msg headers" and then a box pops up for me to click ok. After that, the screen goes back to the regular GSAK display. No new data in my database, no PQs in the folder to which I directed the PQs. The whole process is about three seconds.

 

I tried a number of different setting in the GSAK mail retrieval dialog box. Most settings give me exactly the same result.

 

I'm right now chatting with another GSAK and gmail user. We're comparing settings. We seem to have exactly the same settings, same situation, and her GSAK is going through her messages one by one.

 

Any ideas?

 

Jamie

Have you enabled the POP settings on GMAIL?

 

In case you haven't and for others who might be having a similar problem ...

 

Go to your GMAIL inbox.

 

Click 'Settings' (top right corner).

 

Click on the 'Forwarding and Pop' tab.

 

Select 'Enable POP for all mail (even mail that's already been downloaded)'.

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Noticed with the latest release of 5.5.1.19 that when importing the information into Streets & Trips 2005 that the Diff & Terr are 0. Not sure if there is setting that have changed that I have to reset back up or not. Please let me know. Thanks!

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Noticed with the latest release of 5.5.1.19 that when importing the information into Streets & Trips 2005 that the Diff & Terr are 0. Not sure if there is setting that have changed that I have to reset back up or not. Please let me know. Thanks!

I don't have Streets & Trips, but I just did tried an export and had a look at the generated files. They would appear to have the difficulty and terrain as expected.

 

Anyone else have this problem or know what settings could cause this?

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Noticed with the latest release of 5.5.1.19 that when importing the information into Streets & Trips 2005 that the Diff & Terr are 0.  Not sure if there is setting that have changed that I have to reset back up or not.  Please let me know.  Thanks!

 

I think I see what you mean. It appears to be a problem with MSST and not GSAK.

 

gc_noter.gif

 

The data for terrain is at the bottom of the ballon, and gets pushed beyond the bottom edge. If you click INSIDE the ballon, the cursor changes to the I-bar shape, and you can press the down key to move to the end of the data. In my partial screen capture notice GCHBRY in the lower right corner in the screen shot above. It appears that terrain is missing. Once I click inside the ballon I was able to scroll down and have the terrain display (see below):

 

gc_noterb.gif

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I wouldn't describe that as "Diff & Terr are 0", but I can see how it's annoying that S&T uses a staticly sized box regardless of how much information is in it. Perhaps you could solve that by disabling uwanted fields from the display by editing those properties. For example, turn off URL and when you want the page, just ctrl-click on that pushpin. There's an immediate 5 line buyback in the examples above.

 

(I find S&T's balloon handling very cumbersome...)

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Am new to GSAK and using a PC to move waypoints back and forth. Have downloaded about 50 caches from Geocaching.com using the GPX format. The lat-long numbers transfer to the GSAK database correctly. I then transfer these caches to my GPSMap60cs one at a time. In about 5-10% of the transfers the last digit in the West co-ord is off by 1. An example is if the last three should be .102 the numbers appearing in the gps are .101. I know this is an error of only about 6ft but am curious if others have seen this. GSAK version is the latest as of 26 April05 and the Garmin version is 3.8.

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This is becuase the Garmin serial protocol encodes coordinates in a crazy binary way and it's not possible to represent every number (esp. as it gets precision added/subtracted rounded in the roundtrip exactly the same in decimal degrees(used in GPX) and the 32-bit Semicircle that you have to use to represent this stuff on the wire.

 

As a more tangible example, you can't represent "thirds" very well in base ten (decimal) either. :-)

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(I find S&T's balloon handling very cumbersome...)

 

OT emoticon_rant.gif

 

Amen to that. The + key should turn a checkbox ON and - turns it OFF, but MS violates their own convention! This works in other checkboxes in the program, but balloon data can only be toggled (e.g., space bar or mouse click). MSST is such an awesome program but the data import is braindead.

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This is becuase the Garmin serial protocol encodes coordinates in a crazy binary way and it's not possible to represent every number (esp. as it gets precision added/subtracted rounded in the roundtrip exactly the same in decimal degrees(used in GPX) and the 32-bit Semicircle that you have to use to represent this stuff on the wire.

 

As a more tangible example, you can't represent "thirds" very well in base ten (decimal) either. :-)

I'm computer dumb but it sounds as if it's not just me. Thanks.

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Ooops.  You're right.  Your question was  if others had seen  it and not _why_ it was that way.  I should have just said "yes" :-) but I was on a roll tonight  with the geek stuff.

Thanks for the explanation of the problem. Need all the help I can get.

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This is becuase the Garmin serial protocol encodes coordinates in a crazy binary way and it's not possible to represent every number (esp. as it gets precision added/subtracted rounded in the roundtrip exactly the same in decimal degrees(used in GPX) and the 32-bit Semicircle that you have to use to represent this stuff on the wire.

 

As a more tangible example, you can't represent "thirds" very well in base ten (decimal) either. :-)

I'm computer dumb but it sounds as if it's not just me. Thanks.

WOW. I've NEVER noticed this discrepancy but I'm definitely going to check it out!!

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New Feature Request

Could you consider adding functionality to manage tracks and display them on the various map programs in addition to waypoint?

 

But more importantly, I always forget to delete my tracks before starting on a new quest. I'd love to have a checkbox somewhere on the Send to GPS page to delete my existing tracks on all GPS Syncs.

 

Thanks!

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I use GSAK to export to Streets & Trips 2005. However I am doing something wrong because the "find status" (correct term ?) is not being passed along and all the cache icons look the same in the S&T's maps.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Paul

The found/not found status is not included in the export file. To get a different icon for the status, you'll need to use filters to create distinct data sets. Then each data set imported into MSST can be assigned a custom graphic.

 

See http://www.craiggiven.com/geocaching.htm for details. That page includes a section on how to do this manually if you find the setup for automation daunting.

 

Click the "Tools & Articles" link. Then click the "Automating Geocaching" link. Read the introduction and then click the link titled "Create Custom Pushpin Maps in Microsoft Streets & Trips"

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Clyde,

 

Just popping in to tell you, and anybody who doesn't know, that your application is slicker than pig snot! (That means very, very good!)

 

The new email download feature is superb. This morning, in the time it took me to brush my teeth, I downloaded six PQs directly from my email server, merged a new DB to Cachemate on my PDA, and cleared and reloaded 400 new caches onto my GPSr. The only way you can make it any easier is to go out and find caches for me.

 

Well done. Very well done.

 

To any of you cheapskates out there who are putting up with the nag screens: SPEND THE MONEY!! This app is cheap at many times the cost.

 

Dan

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Using mainly linux, I finally decided to try GSAK on my rarely used windows partition. Problem is, it starts at the nag screen, and says it has been used for 1521 days and counts down 750 or so seconds. What the heck is going on? I double checked and the date is correct. I may buy the program if it seems worth it even if it means booting to windows occasionally, but I don't have time to wait 750 seconds every time I try to use it. I tried and was presented with this screen more than once. The windows version is XP if that makes any difference.

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I have noticed that in the last couple .gpx updates I have done that a message comes up stating a cache has been returned to normal, but after checking on said cache it is showing disabled still.

 

Also is there any way to set a cache other than manually from disabled to archived? and could disabled caches have one color and archived caches be able to have another color?

 

Thanks

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Using mainly linux, I finally decided to try GSAK on my rarely used windows partition. Problem is, it starts at the nag screen, and says it has been used for 1521 days and counts down 750 or so seconds. What the heck is going on? I double checked and the date is correct. I may buy the program if it seems worth it even if it means booting to windows occasionally, but I don't have time to wait 750 seconds every time I try to use it. I tried and was presented with this screen more than once. The windows version is XP if that makes any difference.

Can't say I have seen this one before, but the implication was that when you first installed GSAK your date was incorrect.

 

Anyway, you have private mail :laughing:

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I have noticed that in the last couple .gpx updates I have done that a message comes up stating a cache has been returned to normal, but after checking on said cache it is showing disabled still.

This will happen if you have the cache "locked" or you have ticked the box "set user flag" and also "AND only update user flag if matched"

 

Also is there any way to set a cache other than manually from disabled to archived?

Groundspeak will not provide Archived caches in a PQ, the only way you can get an archived cache in a GPX file is to download the single GPX file from the cache page. For more information on this problem please see this post

 

and could disabled caches have one color and archived caches be able to have another color?

To visually tell the difference between a disabled cache and an archived cache take a look at the cache code. Archived caches have a line through them (strike out font) where as disabled ones do not. You can also set filters if you need to select one or the other.

Edited by ClydeE
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I have to add another KUDO for Clyde's outstanding program. In a notice for version 5.5 that I just received, he said:

 

Tip: Searching the help file

 

Users often feel information is missing from the help file because they can't find what they are looking for in the table of contents or index.

 

The help file shipped with GSAK allows for a "full text search" on any word.

 

For example, you want to get the information in GSAK to an Excel spread sheet. You won't find a solution in the table of contents or the Index. However you can track down the solution by using "find" feature in the help file.

 

1. From the main GSAK menu click on Help=>Contents

2. Now click on the "Find" tab (if this is the first time you will get the "find setup wizard" - just click on Next)

3. Type in "excel" (without the quotes)

4. You should see two topics in the bottom display - Select the FAQ topic for your answer

 

All I have to say is, if you couldn't find what you were looking for in Clyde's Help File, you didn't try very hard at all!! It is BY FAR, BAR NONE, the best help file I've ever encountered on ANY software package. It's almost like a built-in comprehensive tutorial!!

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Okay, I'm blind... Where is the "Getmail" button???? This looks like a really cool feature, but I'm ****ed if I can find it.... :huh:

The getmail tool button is not automatically on your tool bar with the shipped version of GSAK. However, as with almost all menu options you can add it to your tool bar. Just right mouse click on your tool bar and select "Customize tool buttons"

 

If you would rather not use a Tool button this option can be accessed from the main menu via File=>Get Data via email

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