Pda

[+smurf76]

Hello, I have noticed that a PDA seems to be a very usefull item when caching. Who can give me a good run down of what software and units are needed. My B-day is comming up and I have been told to pick one out. ie what is bluetooth etc...

 

help chad

[+Miragee]

Welcome to the Forums!

 

There have been a number of discussions about this recently, so if you do a search, you will get a lot of stuff to read.

 

Bluetooth is the name of one technology for devices to communicate with each other. It is found on the more expensive PDAs.

 

Depending on your budget, there are many options from which to choose.

 

I have an older Palm M500, which is realtively inexpensive, and can be purchased on eBay. Since Geocaching can be rough on electronics (rain, mud, dropping), you might want to get an inexpensive PDA for Geocaching.

 

I use Cachemate which works with the Palm OS.

[+gnbrotz]

If you end up with a pda using the palm OS, you can use CacheMate ($8). GPXSonar is available for Pocket PC systems and is freeware.

 

You can also use one of several available applications to generate web pages that can be viewed on your pda without any type of live connection, however, the two programs mentioned above will allow you do to things like record what you traded, note TBs you grabbed/dropped and make other miscellaneous notes, in addition to simply viewing the cache page information.

[+sbell111]

I use Plucker, rather than Cachemate to get my pages on my pda.

 

I use GPX Spinner to create the pages, although similar output can be received from GSAK. Plucker is really two applications. There is a desktop app that converts Spinner's output to info that can be synced to the pda. The is also a Plucker application that resides on the pda to view this information. Instead of the desktop application, I use Sunrise desktop. It is quicker than Plucker and allows me to load any pictures from the cache pages right to the pages on my pda.

 

The pages can also be sorted in several ways and the nearest caches are available from each cache page.

 

I also use another free program on my palm m505. Cache Log Book is a little database that allows me to document all my finds (and DNFs, notes, etc) and record what I traded, note TBs I grabbed/dropped and make other miscellaneous notes.

[+TetrAmigos]

I posted a pretty detailed setup of my PDA caching equipment (using bluetooth) here: www.gc4dummies.blogspot.com I was asking the same questions about 2 months ago, and I'm really satisfied with the configuration I developed from about 2 weeks of hard research.

[+Renegade Knight]

The first decision is Palm or Pocket PC based PDA's.

 

That sets the rest. In my opinion Pocket PC's are for the most part more advanced that Palm and I don't know why.

 

WiFi will let you check cache pages in the field, log in the field etc.

Bluetooth will let you work with gizmo's like a Bluetooth GPS but I think WiFi is actually more useful at this point (as in I'd use it and have not yet used Bluetooth, but will on my next PDA)

 

Pocket PC's seem to have better GPX programs.

Palms have Cachemate which you pay for and works but doesn't get the same easy to use reports as GPXsonar or GPXview when it comes to actually using the GPX file. Once working though people swear by cachemate.

 

Pocket PC's tend to cost more. Palms tend to cost less. Unless they are as loaded with features as Pocket PC's then they cost the same (see sentance #2).

 

If you want a smart phone/PDA combo palm's seem to rule the roost though they just fixed the HP 6300 and maybe it's back in the game.

 

If you are only going to use the PDA for geocaching, then you can't beat an old Plam based PDA off eBay for price. then if you break it you can buy another one for dirt cheap. If you are going to use it for more than geocaching and going paperless, the decision is a lot harder.

[+PDOP's]

One option for Palms is Geocaching Sans Paper - the Art of Paperless Caching

[+CW Iams]

This may not be the best place to post- so if it needs moved, please feel free:

 

I just bought a palm m500 from ebay for caching-- I wa upgrading it to the OS 4.1 and it went to this jumbled screen-- any body have any experience with this? It wont reset and I am getting so frustated!

 

Thanks!!

[+sbell111]

Did you try a hard reset?

[+CW Iams]

yup-- no dice-- it just goes back to the same screen

[+sbell111]

Wierd. I can see it going back to that after a soft reset, but a hard one should take it right back to factory-fresh.

[+CW Iams]

my thoughts as well... I don't know if it is in some sort of suspended mode between OS4.0 and OS4.1 or what....

 

it also will not shut off.... :-|

[+mtn-man]

I would let it die. That is almost as good as a hard restart.

 

Moving to the Units and Software forum.

[+CW Iams]

Thanks! I appreciate the advice!!

[+Learned Gerbil]

So what happens if the batteries run right down for like weeks, and then yo ucharge it back up to full before switching it on?

[+Quoddy]

Resurected my original version Handspring (using Palm OS 3.5.2) from a box in the closet. Downloaded CacheMate and then loaded the 1000 nearest caches via GSAK into it. In just those few minutes I was converted from paper to paperless. Combined that with the nearest 1000 caches (and related info) from GSAK into my 60CS, and I almost didn't come home.

 

With the bashing I give my equipment, I don't think that a handheld PC is the way for me to go, otherwise I might have chosen that route.

[+CW Iams]

hopefully it fires up like normal!