Need a: How to get detailed cache descirptions to gps or palm EASILY

[+nashoba]

Here is what I know:

You can transfer the geocaches as waypoints directly to the gps with .loc. The only thing that shows up on the gps is is cache name, "number," and coordinates.

 

This is all fine if you are going out to look for one cache, then coming back home. I have noticed that many caches are nearly impossible to find or no fun looking for without at least the cache description.

Is this the information that people are talking about when they go paperless?

 

Will this information show up on my Garmin Vista Hcx? or do I have to go through the extremely pain-in-the-rear process of getting it on my palm treo by use of Pocket Query and several other apps? (as read on other topics)

 

In short, How can I easily have the descriptions of several caches without manually cutting and pasting the information into a text editor and printing it out? Is this what .gpx files and Pocket Query are for, and if so, what exactly are the features of gpx and Pocket Query. What do they do? Will they easily give me the information I need in a paperless form?

 

-Thanks

nashoba

(Sorry for the long post. I am very confused after reading dozens of posts on above topic)

Edited September 16, 2008 by nashoba

[+trainlove]

A gpx file has all the information that you see on a cache page, plus even more.

A pocket query will return up to 500 caches worth of information.

GSAK running on your computer will allow you to see those whole cachepages exactly as if you were online, and you do not have to be online when doing that.

A Palm Pilot running Plucker will show you complete cache pages for all those caches that you push to it. And that can be much more than just the 500 at a time that you get for each PQ.

 

But one caveat here, sometimes imbedded html links and pictures will not appear on your Palm Pilot. I think you can get it to do that, and it's only a problem for puzzle caches...

[+nashoba]

So, does the gpx file display all this extra information on my gps? The raw gpx data looks like html.

[jholly]

Long and painful process? Naw, just a couple clicks.

 

For Pocket Queries, read this article.

 

Now that you have one, what do you do with it? Well, you load it into GSAK. Set up a gmail account and use this for your PQ's. To load them into GSAK, read this article.

 

Have questions about GSAK? Ask them on the GSAK forum.

 

To use the information on your palm, use cachemate.

 

Now with your PQ loaded into GSAK and cachemate on your treo, click one button on GSAK and a cachemate ready file is in your palm install. Run hot sync and you have all the cache info on your treo. One more click and you have the waypoints on your garmin.

 

Go cache, read the pages on your treo, log your finds on your treo. Come home and hot sync again and use this macro to do the logging.

 

Not much pain.

 

Jim

[+trainlove]

So, does the gpx file display all this extra information on my gps? The raw gpx data looks like html.

 

On a GPS. Not directly. Using GSAK you can define what you upload to your GPS. I use smart names, and the GC name, and the cache placers name, and the type, size, difficulty and terrain. It all depends on what GPS you use. I think some Magellans can show a GPX file completely. I don't think that any Garmins can do that. But I actually hate magellan so avoid those if you are considering changing your GPS.

 

A GPX file is an XML like file, programs, and devices that are designed to process GPX files show GPX files in a WYSIWYG manner. You will not see all the gobbledygook that make up the tags... You will see the information, very well formatted.

[ChrisPHL]

Here is what I know:

You can transfer the geocaches as waypoints directly to the gps with .loc. The only thing that shows up on the gps is is cache name, "number," and coordinates.

This is a big issue I think, too and that's the reason why I wrote a program, that does the job for me:

• rename geocaching.loc into <name of cache>
  
• write <cache name> to id-attribute of name tag
  
• append geocaching.com ID to name tag
  
• get decrypted hint from geocaching.com, shorten it if it is longer than 32 characters and prepend it to the name tag.
  

The programm supports direct open "geocache.loc" from web browser and saving the file ready to use into your specific folder.

The download (should ;-)) be found in my signature.

EDIT: Hm, cant find any signature... ok, download here: www.chpohl.de.

Edited October 23, 2008 by ChrisPHL

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Since I can't read German, can you tell us exactly what the program does and how it does it?

[+trainlove]

Here is what I know:

You can transfer the geocaches as waypoints directly to the gps with .loc. The only thing that shows up on the gps is is cache name, "number," and coordinates.

This is a big issue I think, too and that's the reason why I wrote a program, that does the job for me:

• rename geocaching.loc into <name of cache>
  
• write <cache name> to id-attribute of name tag
  
• append geocaching.com ID to name tag
  
• get decrypted hint from geocaching.com, shorten it if it is longer than 32 characters and prepend it to the name tag.
  

The programm supports direct open "geocache.loc" from web browser and saving the file ready to use into your specific folder.

The download (should ;-)) be found in my signature.

EDIT: Hm, cant find any signature... ok, download here: www.chpohl.de.

 

In answer to this request, and the 3, year old topics bumped by ChrisPHL, become a Premium Member for as little as $10, and you can get ALL the information about a cache (up to 500 caches per file) in one Pocket Query. You can run up to 5 PQ's per day, and therefore get up to 2500 caches worth of information to load to your PDA each and every day. You can pre-define up to 39 PQ's and schedule those to run ahead of time on specific days.

 

LOC files have the barest minimum of information for a reason.

GPX files have a plethora of information for a reason.

Premium Memberships exist for a reason.

Please have some reason yourself. LOL, I had to say that.

Edited October 23, 2008 by trainlove

[+Prime Suspect]

Here is what I know:

You can transfer the geocaches as waypoints directly to the gps with .loc. The only thing that shows up on the gps is is cache name, "number," and coordinates.

This is a big issue I think, too and that's the reason why I wrote a program, that does the job for me:

• rename geocaching.loc into <name of cache>
  
• write <cache name> to id-attribute of name tag
  
• append geocaching.com ID to name tag
  
• get decrypted hint from geocaching.com, shorten it if it is longer than 32 characters and prepend it to the name tag.
  

The programm supports direct open "geocache.loc" from web browser and saving the file ready to use into your specific folder.

The download (should ;-)) be found in my signature.

EDIT: Hm, cant find any signature... ok, download here: www.chpohl.de.

How are you getting the hint from geocaching.com? Unless you're typing it in, you're screen-scraping, and that's a violation of the site's Terms Of Use.

[Motorcycle_Mama]

That's what I was wondering.

[Skippermark]

nashoba, I use the program GSAK as previously mentioned. With that, you can send the caches right to your GPS and you can send them to the Palm as well. The Palm will have all of the hints and everything in the program for you to view.

 

If you want to be able to download the GPX files with all the cache info in them, you need to be a premium member.

[ChrisPHL]

Since I can't read German, can you tell us exactly what the program does and how it does it?

There's a new version 4.1 out now, it comes with an english manual.

 

How are you getting the hint from geocaching.com? Unless you're typing it in, you're screen-scraping, and that's a violation of the site's Terms Of Use.

The program calls a site from geocaching.com and reads through what it serves programmatically . Nothing else you do by opening a web browser and surf the site. Does that violate the T.O.U.?

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Yes, it would seem that it would absolutely violate the TOU since it would appear to use an automated process to access the cache pages and obtain data from them.

[+Kryten]

The terms of use are here.

 

Section 5

"You agree that you will not use any robot, spider, scraper or other automated means to access the Site for any purpose without our express written permission."

[ChrisPHL]

Wow, what a mess! I just considered your advice a joke but you are right. Even Google is not allowed to index geocaching.com for searching.

This permission is not due to server load issues. (I sent a JavaScript to contact@geocaching.com, that de-/encrypts the hints without having reload the page again, two week ago. Answer (by Meaning): "thanks for your consideration"...)

 

To keep up appearances:

I advice anyone who's reading this topic not to use the program called Geocache Parser, it is just a POC (proof of concept) and does not jar with the terms of use of geocaching.com.

[+Arndtwe]

Here is what I know:

You can transfer the geocaches as waypoints directly to the gps with .loc. The only thing that shows up on the gps is is cache name, "number," and coordinates.

 

This is all fine if you are going out to look for one cache, then coming back home. I have noticed that many caches are nearly impossible to find or no fun looking for without at least the cache description.

Is this the information that people are talking about when they go paperless?

 

Will this information show up on my Garmin Vista Hcx? or do I have to go through the extremely pain-in-the-rear process of getting it on my palm treo by use of Pocket Query and several other apps? (as read on other topics)

 

In short, How can I easily have the descriptions of several caches without manually cutting and pasting the information into a text editor and printing it out? Is this what .gpx files and Pocket Query are for, and if so, what exactly are the features of gpx and Pocket Query. What do they do? Will they easily give me the information I need in a paperless form?

 

-Thanks

nashoba

(Sorry for the long post. I am very confused after reading dozens of posts on above topic)

Okay, so it looks as though you may have gotten your answer already... but what will it hurt to add some more info? This is a little "guide" as you may call it on, well, everything this thread is about. Here goes!

 

Paperless caching info

 

Intro:

Have you heard of CacheMate? It is an $8 program for palm PDA's and handheld PC's. It comes with a little program that converts a pocket query into a palm .PDB file. All that means is that it will be compatible with your Palm PDA. I personally think this is the best way to go. It sounds a little complicated, but in reality, once you get started it only takes 7 mins to load 500 caches to my PDA and GPS.

 

Here I will go into detail on how to get started will CacheMate using a Palm PDA. First thing you do when you get your PDA is to setup the software that came with it. This is fairly self explanatory. After you have done this, go to www.smittyware.com then go the CacheMate link. Go through the process of purchasing it. then you should be able to download a .zip file (I can't remember if it comes in the email, or if you get it from the website). "unzip" this file then load the necessary files to your PDA. It will tell you which files to load inside the .zip file, so don't worry about knowing which ones to load. Okay, now that you have the program on your PDA, you can download a PQ to put into it. Go to the GC.com site and go through the PQ process, then make sure at the bottom of the PQ page that you have selected it to send you the .GPX version NOT the .LOC file. wait a few minutes and you should get an email with the results.

 

The PQ comes in a .zip file as well, so you need to unzip it. inside you will find to .GPX files, one with a string of numbers and one that has a string of numbers with a "wpts". For your first time, don't bother with the one that has the "wpts". Just delete it (you may find that you want to use it in the future, but that's just another thing to add to this, so don't mess with it). Now that you have that figured out, open your GPS managing program (either EasyGPS or GSAK) and load the .GPX file. Then send it to your GPS. Now don't delete that .GPX file yet. Open the program that came with CacheMate, it should be titled "CMConvert" and click (in the upperleft) "file", "load" then select the .GPX file. then highlight all of the below loaded caches and click "file", "export PDB". Name it what ever you like. Now hotsync that PDB file your PDA. Next time you turn oe your PDA and go into the program CacheMate, it will ask you to put that file into a category. And now you're done!

 

Tools:

I would suggest using EasyGPS to load Cache to your GPS and GSAK for specific filtering of caches. EasyGPS does not have a map at all, just caches, this may be a little wird but you don't really need one anyway, you only really need a map on GPS.

 

Here is some Q and A:

Q-How does the info open up on the palm, like a word doc? or pdf? Does it look just like the web page? are the hints unscrambled? What about the map?

A-The way that you view the cache sin CacheMate is simply a list of the caches. You can sort them by cache name or by the GCXXXX code. Once you have decided which to sort by you can find the cache you want to view in the list then jut click on it. A new screen will pop up with the name, GCXXXX, difficulty, terrain, type. Then a line break and the owner, size. Then another line break and the description. Another line break and the hint. Another line break and the first log and how ever many you choose when exporting the .PDB file earlier(I think that you can only go up to 5). You can choose for the hint to be scrambled or unscrambled, which ever you choose. Sadly, there are no maps that come with CacheMate, but you can get another Palm program called EarthComber (that one will need its own little thread) it is completely free and has very good detail.

 

Q-What is the max size of SD card supported? I searched on it and got 1 gig. Does that sound about right? I dont figure that the PQ will fit the on board memory.

A-You actually don't need to get one to do CacheMate. The exported .PDB file takes VERY little space. The max SD memory will very depending on which unit you get. My Tungsten T3 will take a gig, but the Tungsten TX will take 4. The older ones might not have any SD slot in the first place. Any Palm PDA can hold (on its internal memory) at least 5 PQ's. Chances are that they will hold more, that's 5000 cache records! More than anyone would ever need!

 

Q-Is there a way to change all my waypoint names to the actual names on my GPS instead of the code? It would be nice to see the cache name on the GPS instead of the code name.

A-For EasyGPS, simply open it then click "edit" and at the bottom select "preferences". A new little box will open up with a few different tabs one of which says "my GPS receivers", click on that one. Now you should see more buttons in this order "remove", "geocaching...", "settings", "add GPS". Click on "Geocaching..." and a new window will open. At the top you should see "waypoint:" with a drop down window next to it. Change the drop down from "geocache ID" to "geocache name". And now you are done. For GSAK, I have no clue . You will have to ask someone else

 

Q-Can I store (separate) pocket query's on my palm and just load them (within in the palm) one at a time? Right now when ever I load different pocket query's they just keep getting added in together. I did install a one gig SD card just to have it in there thinking that I could just load separate queries from there, but I can’t get it to work from there either.

A-Yes. You have to make a new waypoint database in the Palm before you import the data into the palm, open that database and it will create a separate file for those waypoints. (Depending on how you have your palm set up, it may also merge the waypoints into the default database, too).