What The Best Geocaching Software Available?

[+D0T-C0M]

Now that I going to be doing a little more caching with my new e600 (due Friday), I was wondering if someone could list the pros and cons in a summarized list on their experience of the gecaching software available starting with the geocaching software that comes with the explorist and the GSAK software, including things you wish you could do that isn't yet available.

 

Is there software available to mass download caches off of www.geocaching.com using your zip/postal code instead of having to go get them individually? For example I would like to download all caches within a 100 mile radius and would like the software to be able to be smart enough to be able to check and download only those that haven't been previously downloaded.

 

Is there software that will basically download all the hints including the encrypted ones and also the type of cache and difficulty of the cache? Also will the software allow you to decrypt the encrypted hints?

 

Also how are you orgainzing your caches in your explorist500/600. For example how are you flagging the ones you've already found, are you putting unfound ones in one directory and found ones in another or just changing the icons? Can you leave yourself a text message so that if you do many caches in a day you will remember which are which when putting your comments online?

 

just one other think how does one download a whole page of geocaches from the www.geocaching.com website? When I select "check all" then press download I only get one geocache uploads. If I download them separately they are all called geocaching.loc, it's pretty annoying having to rename them all the time? Am I doing something wrong?

 

thanks everyone for the great feedback I have recieved since joining.

 

ch33rs

D0T-C0M

Edited May 5, 2005 by D0T-C0M

[+LostInTheFog]

GSAK and Geocaching.com do everything you want.

 

Step 1) Join www.geocaching.com, and set up some Pocket Queries. Use the GPX file format, and it will include all the data you are asking for.

 

Step 2) Get GSAK. It will download your Pocket query files from an email account, import and merge them into a database, and then it will export them to your GPSr. (and PDA if you're going paperless.) All automatically, or pretty close to.

[+briansnat]

Is there software available to mass download caches off of www.geocaching.com using your zip/postal code instead of having to go get them individually? For example I would like to download all caches within a 100 mile radius and would like the software to be able to be smart enough to be able to check and download only those that haven't been previously downloaded.

 

Pocket Queries do this and they're worth every penny of membership.

[+D0T-C0M]

I joined and activated my premium account but still When I do a listing of all geocaches within my postal code and I select "check all" then press download I only get one geocache uploads. If I download them separately they are all called geocaching.loc. This is a little annoying.

 

I'll try the pocket query next

Edited May 5, 2005 by D0T-C0M

[+embra]

PQs are the vehicle for this.

 

Currently I am loading my caches into the Geocaching Manager that came with my 500. You have to remember to not exceed the undocumented limit of 200 per file. GSAK makes this pretty easy (though you may feel a littel overwhelmed at first with all the options).

 

I am sending my benchmarks over as the regular POIs that I used to use on my Meridian. I'll be using both approaches for a while and will decide later whether the Geocaching Manager is worth the trouble as it exists.

 

If you end up going paperless, CacheMate on the Palm OS PDA seals the deal.

[+Miragee]

For a truly successful "paperless" experience, you need the .gpx files, not the .loc files.

 

Then put those files from your Pocket Queries into GSAK and have fun.

 

From GSAK you can export all the cache info into your Palm and Cachemate, another invaluable application.

[+D0T-C0M]

Thanks guys,

 

I might buy a palm later but right now I've blown my toy budget for a little while plus I don;t want to hear the wife whine. LOL

 

Embra how are you organizing your caches in your explorist? How are you flagging the caches you found during an outage? Can you leave a little text message in it? can you change the icon of found caches or are you cut and pasting them into another directory as you go?

[+Team DEMP]

Yeah... a PQ is what you need. Go to http://www.geocaching.com/pocket and click on Create a New Query. Then give it a name and specify all the info you want.

 

At a minimum, you need to give it a name and the zip code you are located in. Tell it to create it as a ZIP file at the bottom (should already be checked). If you only want caches you haven't found yet, check the "I haven't found" checkbox near the top of the values. Save it without any days checked and then Preview it to make sure it's what you want. Once you get it to show you what you want, edit the PQ you just created and select the day(s) you want to have it emailed to you.

[+Team DEMP]

I might buy a palm later but right now I've blown my toy budget for a little while plus I don;t want to hear the wife whine. LOL

If she's not whining, you haven't spent enough yet!!

[+briansnat]

I might buy a palm later but right now I've blown my toy budget for a little while

 

You can get a Palm on eBay for $30.

[+D0T-C0M]

how long till I get that email from the PQ? i checked wed and thurs

[+D0T-C0M]

I tried without checking any days of the week and selected run once, but havent recieved an email yet , so I tried checking wed and thurs and still nothing yet.

[+Miragee]

I just set up a new one a few minutes ago and scheduled it to run on Wednesday. I already got the email.

 

Good work, Signal!!

[+Team DEMP]

I tried without checking any days of the week and selected run once, but havent recieved an email yet , so I tried checking wed and thurs and still nothing yet.

You have to check a day under all circumstances, if you want it emailed to you, even as an on demand PQ. If you don't want it all the time, just check a day, Save it, wait for the PQ page to show it was generated next to the PQ in the list, and then when it's generated, go back into it and uncheck the day of the week and save again.

[+D0T-C0M]

got it thanks, hotmail had put it as junk mail.

[+embra]

I might buy a palm later but right now I've blown my toy budget for a little while plus I don;t want to hear the wife whine. LOL

 

Embra how are you organizing your caches in your explorist? How are you flagging the caches you found during an outage? Can you leave a little text message in it? can you change the icon of found caches or are you cut and pasting them into another directory as you go?

Cachemate lets you log the find in the field, then is able to upload the data for GSAK to import...once it's in there GSAK has a semi-automatic logging feature that facilitates move the data into gc.com. It's pretty cool.

 

Without a PDA, you'll probably still need to print out data sheets (GSAK does have a condensed html format that works pretty well for this). The GEocaching Manager is not ready for prime time yet: it doesn't display enough information and there is no way to edit the geocaching POI.

 

You *can* edit the regular POIs (e.g., make them invisible, change the icon, add a message like "found") but it's a hassle. If you have paper there anyway, I'd make notes on that.

[+Buda2832]

I might buy a palm later but right now I've blown my toy budget for a little while plus I don;t want to hear the wife whine. LOL

 

do what i do, buy your own B-day, christmas, Annaversary gift's and tell your wife what she brought you, LOL (it solves a lot a problem's avoiding un-wanted gift's)