Mair PDA - Help Required
Geo- for grown-ups
 
 FAQFAQ   SearchSearch   MemberlistMemberlist   UsergroupsUsergroups   RegisterRegister 
 ProfileProfile   Log in to check your private messagesLog in to check your private messages    Log inLog in 
  GamesGames   

Mair PDA - Help Required

 
Post new topic   Reply to topic     Forum Index -> GPS nuts & bolts
View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
Cookster
Member


Joined: 20 Nov 2005
Posts: 96
Location: Perth

PostPosted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 6:37 pm    Post subject: Mair PDA - Help Required Reply with quote

After my recent log about 'which PDA' Highland nick very kindly sold me one of his old PDA's & very kindly gave me some helpful info in setting it up.

I have downloaded active sync and all is well in that respect. I have worked out how to get Memory Map onto the PDA too however I am having trouble with cache log pages.

My understanding is that I need a program called CacheMate in order that I can open cache logs. Is this the easiest way to be able to read cache logs/pages? Please bear in mind I am looking to keep it as simple as possible.

In the meantime I am copying and pasting the log sheets onto word docs then saving it onto the PDA. It works and you have everything on the word dc that you need but I would prefer to have the actual logs.

Can anyone help, and more to the point, can anyone explain it to me in layman's terms?

Thanks
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Haggis Hunter
Founder member


Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 2487
Location: The building site formally known as Edinburgh!

PostPosted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There may be better people than me to explain but if you don't get any help drop me an email and I will try to put together a simple guide for you. cachemate is better than doing what you are doing. Which is how i started copying info to my first PDA!
_________________
Let me know if I say anything that offends you
I might want to offend you again later Wink
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Acronema
Member


Joined: 02 Jun 2008
Posts: 68
Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Like HH there will be others much better to comment than me, but I have had good success using GSAK and Cachemate (on a Palm PDA).

I upload the pocket queries into GSAK and then make a selection of the Geocaches that I want to export to Cachemate using GSAK's excellent filtering options. Usually I pick a geocache in the centre of where I am going and do a 'find all caches within XX miles' filter.

I also export all the waypoints onto my Garmin Hcx at the same time, so they all show up on the map screen.

At the moment I bookmark Geocaches that I am particularly interested in (or done) in Cachemate and so that I can find them quickly on the PDA. Once found you can enter all your log data in Cachemate so that you can upload it later. I have not got round to doing that automatically (which involves going back through GSAK)...something to try when I have some spare time.

There are lots of features of GSAK and CacheMate that I have not explored yet, and my current way of working was just the first thing that I stumbled across more by luck than judgement. I will need to read the manuals at some point!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Scotsbob
Founder member


Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 594
Location: Hamilton, Scotland

PostPosted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Cookie, go with Cachemate, easy to download, works with GSAK, gives you info,decoded hints,description, past logs, overview and a bit for your log so you don't miss things out on that long cache journey and you can section areas off with gsak before download.
_________________
"It's not whether you get knocked down.
It's whether you get up again."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Scotsbob
Founder member


Joined: 27 Sep 2005
Posts: 594
Location: Hamilton, Scotland

PostPosted: Wed Sep 24, 2008 11:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Double post ooops
_________________
"It's not whether you get knocked down.
It's whether you get up again."


Last edited by Scotsbob on Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:11 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Firth of Forth
Founder member


Joined: 29 Aug 2005
Posts: 1493
Location: East Lothian, Scotland

PostPosted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use GPXSonar which is also free to download, because it used to be the case that cahemate wouldnt work on a PDA only on a Palm. There do the same job though. Im happy with GPXSonar. We find that sometimes very long cache pages (eg for a multi) have been truncated on Jack's cachemate-loaded Palm while they are fine on mine, but that's about the only difference we have noticed.
_________________
Utterly smitten by a Captain
And now Mrs Aubrey
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
dunk090
Member


Joined: 01 Aug 2007
Posts: 83

PostPosted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've used both GPXSonar and Cachemate on PocketPC PDAs. I've found GPXSonar simpler to get to grips with, it's only real disadvantage being that it can't load ZIP'd GPX files - you need to unzip them first.

Cachemate is much whizzier, including its ability to use the PDA's GPS straight from the cache record (if Highland Nick sold you a decent one with a built-in GPS Twisted Evil). As it has more features it is slightly more complicated to use.

One question from me - anyone know if it's possible to load caches into Memory Map from Cachemate all on the PDA, i.e. without using the PC?
_________________
I hate nano's!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Big Wolf
Founder member


Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 577
Location: Carnbroe, Scotland

PostPosted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 8:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dunk090 wrote:
One question from me - anyone know if it's possible to load caches into Memory Map from Cachemate all on the PDA, i.e. without using the PC?


I can confirm you cant Sad (The issue is to do with MM )


If you go for Cachemate and have GSAK, then there is a nice macro in the GSAK macro library that greatly speeds up the download of the info from GSAK to cachemate (if you regularly want to have 500+ cache pages on the PDA that is).

Also with the GSAK/Cachemate combination you can use another macro to simplify / partially automate the logging of caches which is great if you are out for the day then come home and then try to make sure you don't forget to log any!

You can also set memory map so that when you click on a cache icon in MM then cachemate will open up the cache page. Also Cachemate integrates well with spoiler sync so that you can get the cache page photos on the PDA as well. Gpxsonar may do these things as well but perhaps someone else could confirm this.

hope this helps
_________________
www.BigWolf.co.uk
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Cookster
Member


Joined: 20 Nov 2005
Posts: 96
Location: Perth

PostPosted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for all the helps and tips. I think I will start off with cachemate and see how it goes from there.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message

Display posts from previous:   
Post new topic   Reply to topic     Forum Index -> GPS nuts & bolts All times are GMT
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum


Create your own free forum now!
Terms of Service Purchase Ad Removal Forum Archive Report Abuse