In need of help GPSMAP 64s

[+Skanerost]

Hello all,

 

New user here and new geocacher as well, i got in to this "hobby" because of mu passion for the outdoors.

 

I just recently bought the Garmin 64s, mainly because i find myself to often in the woods and my cell will loose connection which could be a bit tedious.

However i tried to create a Pocket Query and sent this to my GPS and it seems to be working but not quiet like i would like it to.

 

Im guessing if i want to load more than 1000 caches i need to create different pocket queries on different areas !?

 

It seems that the GPS comes preloaded with some caches which i find a bit annoying since it clutters a bit (Is it possible to delete them ?)! I would like to sync the caches from Geocaching and get the latest info from my Queries.

 

Also i wonder if there is a way to plan a route, because if i look on the map there are some good routes that i would like to plan and then go along and geocache as i go.

 

Please help out if you can, and link useful video if you know some

 

Thanks all

[+StefandD]

Im guessing if i want to load more than 1000 caches i need to create different pocket queries on different areas !?

You can create up to 10 pq's per 24 hours. In addition, if you use a geocache managing program like GSAK of GAPP, you can use the live API to get another 6,000 caches per 24 hours.

 

It seems that the GPS comes preloaded with some caches which i find a bit annoying since it clutters a bit (Is it possible to delete them ?)!

Delete the file located in the \Garmin\GGZ\ folder. I recommend you make a back-up first.

 

I would like to sync the caches from Geocaching and get the latest info from my Queries.

Then I would suggest GSAK or GAPP again. Both are capable of refreshing your stored caches using the gc.com live API.

 

Also i wonder if there is a way to plan a route, because if i look on the map there are some good routes that i would like to plan and then go along and geocache as i go.

Your GPSMAP can do that (given you have routable maps in it). BaseCamp can create routes using the maps in your device. GSAK and GAPP have additional macro's to make an optimized route. Google Earth is capable of importing gpx files and make a route. There are many more ways.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I also use GSAK to download my PQ's and organize my caches.

As a premium member on your Pocket Query page you will see Find Caches Along a Route at the top. We use this to create caches along our vacation routes and have traveled the 48 states extensively ....it works great and you can set it like you want ( search distance on both sides of your route )

[+Skanerost]

Thanks for your info,

 

Unfortunately for me GSAK is not a option since i am a Mac user ... sometimes i wonder if i shouldn't get a PC actually ..

 

I been trying some different ways and loaded the PQs in to my device, after i got rid of the pesky preloaded ones its looking better ! Still there are some question marks, the caches i have found are loaded in the device and i can see in the log that i written in it so its the latest log.

 

Also lets say i been out caching a day, i get home and connect my device, can i get the information of the device and on to geocaching website ?

 

Thanks a lot for your help,

[+BAMBOOZLE]

When you get home plug in and go to PLAY/Field NOTES / UPLOAD MY FIELD NOTES /BROWSE......Go to the GARMIN directory in your unit and click on " geocache visits "....once uploaded you can go to the Field Notes page and log your caches.

You don't need GSAK to do " Caches Along a Route ".

I picked up some Dells ( D630) on Ebay running XP and they are great for all the geocaching stuff ( everything else too )....titanium frame unit made for heavy field use, you can use your iPhone for a hot spot and use it anywhere. With GSAK loaded on one you don't need internet as you can have tons of caches ready to move to your GPS.

[+Skanerost]

Ahh thats handy

 

Last problem i can't sort, I'm doing something wrong when creating my PQs i want found GCs to appear in the device and as found .. any suggestions ?

 

Thanks

 

http://www.geocaching.com/my/uploadfieldnotes.aspx

 

Click on the Garmin tab

[+Mineral2]

They should appear as found if you've actually found them and logged them on geocaching.com. Most people don't want their found caches to stay on the device, so they get set up pocket queries to exclude found caches.

Edited September 23, 2015 by mineral2

[+Skanerost]

So i was out caching today, it went well and i marked the caches as found in my gps.

 

When i get home i upload them to geocache.com which worked out smooth (i thought it all happened "automatic" but realised i had to accept each cache)

 

However when i sync to basecamp from the device and vice versa nothing seems to work so that the caches appear as found in the gps .... do i really have to do this manual one by one ?

 

Suggestions ?

[+Mineral2]

They'll appear as found if any of the following conditions are met:

 

1. They've been marked as found in the GPS and you haven't deleted the field notes (geocache_visits.txt) from your device.

2. You download a new PQ file after you've logged it as found on Geocaching.com and replace that file on your GPS. Note that ALL PQ files containing the found cache should be deleted and updated.

 

Unfortunately, marking a cache as found on a Garmin GPS doesn't alter the GPX file, which is why Basecamp doesn't read your finds as found, and if you delete the geocache_visits.txt file (and the associated xml file), the GPS no longer knows you've found that file.

 

But when you download a found cache listing from the website, it gets tagged as already found.

[+StefandD]

When i get home i upload them to geocache.com which worked out smooth (i thought it all happened "automatic" but realised i had to accept each cache)

Signing the log book is just one part of finding a geocache. The next part is going on-line and write a nice Found It (or Didn't Find It) log.

So there's no way to bulk 'accept' (as you call it) caches on the web site. And I hope there'll never be.

Edited September 26, 2015 by StefandD

[+Skanerost]

They'll appear as found if any of the following conditions are met:

 

1. They've been marked as found in the GPS and you haven't deleted the field notes (geocache_visits.txt) from your device.

2. You download a new PQ file after you've logged it as found on Geocaching.com and replace that file on your GPS. Note that ALL PQ files containing the found cache should be deleted and updated.

 

Unfortunately, marking a cache as found on a Garmin GPS doesn't alter the GPX file, which is why Basecamp doesn't read your finds as found, and if you delete the geocache_visits.txt file (and the associated xml file), the GPS no longer knows you've found that file.

 

But when you download a found cache listing from the website, it gets tagged as already found.

 

Ok i think i understand,

 

But to be clear so i understand you correct, i need two files ? one PQ and one found ? If so i s the case where do i create the found file ? By creating a PQ ?

 

@StefanD i do agree with you, i just figured .. since i took the time and write on my garmin in the woods i didn't have to. But i understand why its not a good idea.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Skanerost

[+Mineral2]

No, just one file.

 

Pocket queries have an option to search for caches that you have not found. If that's checked, the PQ will return caches that you haven't found... thus omitting your found caches. Leave that unchecked and it'll return caches, found and unfound. But the ones that are found are marked as found in the GPX file (there's a tag for found status in the xml). They should show up a found in your device. But if that doesn't work, you can always run your "My Finds" pocket query and then omit found caches from all other PQ searches.

[+Skanerost]

No, just one file.

 

Pocket queries have an option to search for caches that you have not found. If that's checked, the PQ will return caches that you haven't found... thus omitting your found caches. Leave that unchecked and it'll return caches, found and unfound. But the ones that are found are marked as found in the GPX file (there's a tag for found status in the xml). They should show up a found in your device. But if that doesn't work, you can always run your "My Finds" pocket query and then omit found caches from all other PQ searches.

 

I have to be the thickest person ever ...

 

Ok so i tried to create a new PQ, i basically didn't check any boxes, i got the file and opened it. On my computer the found caches appear as found and not found as not found. When i sync to the gps all caches appear as not found in the gps.

 

So whats going on, if it appears on computer why can't i make the gps accept this?

 

It might be that i actually deleted the (geocache_visits.txt) ? But then again i downloaded a fresh PQ just minutes ago ... so something is spooky and I'm sure i am the one to blame ..

 

When i download a PQ should the .gpx file be placed in the .gpx folder on the device or should i just double click it ?

 

Edit: would it help if i manually set all the found caches as found on the device and sync ?

Edited September 27, 2015 by Skanerost

[+Mineral2]

I will give this a try on my Oregon 600 to see what it looks like. I know on the older Oregon 450, it behaved as I described above.

 

How are you loading your PQ? Try installing it directly - that is unzip the .gpx files directly to your /<devicename>/Garmin/GPX folder.

 

Is there a reason you want to keep your found caches on the GPS?

[+Skanerost]

I will give this a try on my Oregon 600 to see what it looks like. I know on the older Oregon 450, it behaved as I described above.

 

How are you loading your PQ? Try installing it directly - that is unzip the .gpx files directly to your /<devicename>/Garmin/GPX folder.

 

Is there a reason you want to keep your found caches on the GPS?

 

Ill try to download one that i check "i haven't found" There is no real reason for me to keep the found ones ... seems to create trouble only!

[+Mineral2]

The only time I carry found caches with me is when I go to place a cache, and that way know how far away I am from one that's already there.

[+Mineral2]

ok. I did a little test with a PQ containing both found and unfound caches in my area. The result: It works as I described above.

 

 

When I did this, I erased all current PQ files from my GPS and emptied the trash. Make sure you empty the trash or you may end up with two files that the GPS is reading. I also deleted the geocache_visits.txt and geocache_logs.xml

 

The PQ file was loaded directly, not via Basecamp or any other cache or waypoint management program.

 

Previous finds show up as found, and the rest show up as unfound, and that extends to the filters on the GPS.

 

I'm not sure why yours is behaving differently, but I'd start by emptying the trash when your GPS is plugged in and mounted as a mass storage device.

Edited September 27, 2015 by mineral2

[+Skanerost]

OMG thank you so much ....

 

Finally it worked as i wanted it to... seems to be something with basecamp which is acting up, so ill never use it for PQs again just replace the .gpx as i need to.

 

A small follow up question, would it be possible to load a few PQs for certain areas and choose to have one showing up the caches ? Or would that be a filter setting ?

 

Once again thanks for your patience and help !!

 

ok. I did a little test with a PQ containing both found and unfound caches in my area. The result: It works as I described above.

 

 

When I did this, I erased all current PQ files from my GPS and emptied the trash. Make sure you empty the trash or you may end up with two files that the GPS is reading. I also deleted the geocache_visits.txt and geocache_logs.xml

 

The PQ file was loaded directly, not via Basecamp or any other cache or waypoint management program.

 

Previous finds show up as found, and the rest show up as unfound, and that extends to the filters on the GPS.

 

I'm not sure why yours is behaving differently, but I'd start by emptying the trash when your GPS is plugged in and mounted as a mass storage device.

[+Mineral2]

You can't disable .gpx files that are loaded, but there's really no need to turn off a PQ. Your 64s can hold millions of geocaches, which is more than you can keep up with. If you have several 10,000 loaded, it'll continue to run fine without any issues. The only way to enable and disable caches in a certain area is to include or exclude the PQ file on the device when deleting and loading files.

 

Filters will only allow you to show or hide caches based on features about the cache such as type, size, difficulty, terrain, or found status.

[+Skanerost]

You can't disable .gpx files that are loaded, but there's really no need to turn off a PQ. Your 64s can hold millions of geocaches, which is more than you can keep up with. If you have several 10,000 loaded, it'll continue to run fine without any issues. The only way to enable and disable caches in a certain area is to include or exclude the PQ file on the device when deleting and loading files.

 

Filters will only allow you to show or hide caches based on features about the cache such as type, size, difficulty, terrain, or found status.

 

Ok i think i got it now

 

Big thanks !!

[+Leno77]

Thanks for your info,

 

Unfortunately for me GSAK is not a option since i am a Mac user ... sometimes i wonder if i shouldn't get a PC actually ..

 

I been trying some different ways and loaded the PQs in to my device, after i got rid of the pesky preloaded ones its looking better ! Still there are some question marks, the caches i have found are loaded in the device and i can see in the log that i written in it so its the latest log.

 

Also lets say i been out caching a day, i get home and connect my device, can i get the information of the device and on to geocaching website ?

 

Thanks a lot for your help,

 

You might try iCaching, which is available in the APP store. I've been using it and works great. I was able to run several queries for my whole state. Then iCaching was to go out to Geocaching.com and read my pocket queries and downloaded them. Then I exported one file to my 64s that covered 12,000 caches.

Edited February 1, 2016 by Leno77

[+Leno77]

You might try iCaching, which is available in the APP store. I've been using it and works great. I was able to run several queries for my whole state. Then iCaching was to go out to Geocaching.com and read my pocket queries and downloaded them. Then I exported one file to my 64s that covered 12,000 caches.

[+Minex]

Thanks for your info,

 

Unfortunately for me GSAK is not a option since i am a Mac user ... sometimes i wonder if i shouldn't get a PC actually ..

 

 

It looks like you solved your problem, but I wanted to comment on this. GSAK actually works quite well on a Mac if you use Wine. The only issue you'll run into is the authentication of GSAK with geocaching.com. There is a workaround which involves installing GSAK on a Windows machine to generate the authentication token, backing up the database, then importing that backup on your Mac system. Problem solved. Its actually pretty easy. All the steps are detailed here :

 

http://www.frso.se/index.php/geocaching/how-to-get-gsak8-running-on-os-x

Edited February 3, 2016 by Minex