Garmin Etrex 30 and cache management software

[+Geognome57]

For some time I have used a Garmin Etrex Legend HCx and MacCaching software. No problems there. I recently "upgraded" to an Etrex 30... and there is where the problems began. As a side note, the reason for the upgrade was that I wanted the better compass, and the ability to be able to load more than 1000 caches. The compass part worked out okay, it's loading the caches that has been a bit of a trial and error journey. First, I downloaded the pocket queries I wanted that would cover the area that I wished to have access to on my GPS. This was a total of 4 pocket queries, with a total of just over 4000 caches. Now, the problem of how to load them on the GPS became an issue. I called Garmin, and while they were very nice, the "support" they offered was about as useful to me as a trombone would to a fish. Try their Geocaching website, they said. Uh, no... how about NOT. Ok, try their program Basecamp. Yeah, I have that, but since I'm running an older Mac with OSx 10.5.8 I have to use a legacy version of that. With Basecamp I can load the all the pocket queries, but when it loads them on the GPS it loads them as way points, not caches. Well, that's because, according to Garmin, I'm using a legacy version of Basecamp. Upgrade to the new version, they said. Why didn't I think of that? Oh, I did... I cannot upgrade because the newer version requires a more recent version of the Mac OS, which would require a new computer. Try a new computer, they said. Sure... hold the phone and I'll run over to the Apple Store and buy a new computer. Right.

Anyhow, Garmin tech support was of no help at all. Meanwhile, a google search showed that I could loaded each pocket query into the GPX folder of the GPS. That actually worked, but I missed the ability to be able to do a bit of editing before loading. So, says I, perhaps I could load them all into MacCaching and then export the entire library of geocaching to a single GPX file. So I did that. Then placed the resulting GPX file into the GPX fold of the GPS. They load not as geocaches, but as way points. Back to square one. Deleted all that from the GPS, tried exporting them all from Basecamp and manually placing the resulting GPX file on the GPS. Again, loads not as geocaches, but as way points.

So, here is what I want to know, if anyone has a clue: Is there a way to export from either of these programs (preferably MacCaching) to a GPX file that the GPS will read as geocaches? And while I'm at it, isn't a GPX file a GPX file? Why does the GPS see the GPX from pocket query as geocaches, but when exported from MacCaching or Basecampe it sees them as way points? They both have the .GPX extention, so they should both be the same, or not?

Any suggestion would be appreciated. Keep in mind I'm almost 60 and my understanding of all things computer is still founded in DOS and other archaic dead languages.

Thanks

[+Mineral2]

What exactly do you wish to edit? There's no reason you can't just put the PQ files in the GPX folder and call it a day.

 

I think your problem with MacCaching is that it hasn't been updated since 2009 (at least according to their website), and that was about the time that paperless caching was being introduced to handheld GPS. If you absolutely need a cache manager, try iCaching instead. Otherwise, managing caches via pocket queries seems to be just as easy.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

There are times when .gpx files don't show as .gpx files in the GPSr.

 

Normally, this happens when .loc files (non-Premium Member files) had been loaded to the unit prior to .gpx (Premium Member files) were loaded. Intermixing of the two file-types causes the GPSr to revert .gpx files to .loc format.

 

This is a question that comes up with regularity here in the forums -- "Why can't I see the hint or cache info?".

 

If you had recently upgraded your membership to Premium, this is the probable reason.

Also -- if you are using the same software 'management' program, it too may well 'corrupt' the .gpx files to .loc file format. The MacCaching itself could be the problem... it is old and likely not designed to use .gpx (paperless) files.

 

In short... if you have .gpx files coexisting in an environment that already has .loc files present, that is your problem.

 

 

The usual solution is to delete any and all pre-existing .loc files from the unit and/or software (including any possibly "contaminated" .gpx files) and start anew.

[+Geognome57]

What exactly do you wish to edit? There's no reason you can't just put the PQ files in the GPX folder and call it a day.

 

I think your problem with MacCaching is that it hasn't been updated since 2009 (at least according to their website), and that was about the time that paperless caching was being introduced to handheld GPS. If you absolutely need a cache manager, try iCaching instead. Otherwise, managing caches via pocket queries seems to be just as easy.

 

What I need to edit, if "edit" is the word, is the over-lap of areas. For instance, to obtain the caches within a certain area, which in my case is 5 counties, I do 5 queries set at 1000 caches each. The area of each query overlaps the others other to make sure I don't miss any caches. With MacCaching I can import them all, one at a time, and will ask me what to do with duplicate caches. I tell it to skip the duplicates. That reduces the amount of caches from 5000 to just over 4000 (as in today's case). Since some caches have way points for parking and such, that usually adds to the total, but doing it this way keeps me from going over 5000 (the capacity of my GPS), and insures that I get the maximum amount of caches in the area I want.

 

The problem is that when I do all that and export them to a GPX file, the GPS loads them as waypoints. What I am trying now it making two files, one for the caches, one for the additional way points. Perhaps that will work.

 

As for iCaching, I'd love to try it, but it won't run on my Mac, which is a 9 year old iMac.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Run a PQ from the map display. It may or may not work exactly as you would like, but it should come close.

 

A query from the PQ page is generated as a circle from a central point. If you run a query from a map page, you *supposedly* only have the caches viewable on that page included in the query (more-or-less in a square or rectangle). If you do happen to have overlap, it should be minimal.

 

But... I would suggest that you not load 4,000 caches at a time. Leaving that large number in the unit is going to mean the data will be old (ancient, actually) by the time you get to many of them... according to your geocaching history. Leaving that many in the unit would mean quite a few will be archived by the time you get to them... and many more "new" ones in place that you would not have loaded.

 

Cache data loaded to a unit should be considered as "stale" within 2-3 weeks.

Edited March 8, 2015 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+Geognome57]

Thanks for your thoughts on this! I deleted all .gpx off the gps, but couldn't find any .loc files, then tried installing both Basecamp and MacCaching on a Mac PowerBook I have that has never had anything geocaching related on it. That didn't work.

 

So I officially give up using software and will just manually load each pocket query into the GPX folder on the GPS. That seems to be the only thing that works.

 

As for the data getting stale, I generally load fresh pocket queries every Sunday, and quite often on Wednesdays as well, so that is not a problem.

 

It sure would be nice if one could get pocket queries larger than 1000! But I don't suppose there is much demand for such. Ah well....

 

Again, thanks for your input!

Edited March 8, 2015 by Geognome57

[+Cardinal Red]

If the 5 countries are in close enough proximity to have an overlapping coverage issue, is there any chance that 5 caches of nearly 1000 each from one common central origin point would work if they are managed by date placed? That way the nearly 5000 caches returned, in just one LARGE circle, would not have any overlap. I can't tell from the discussion so far if you are aware of that option.

[+Mineral2]

I don't think that overlapping caches count toward your 5000 cache limit. That is, each GPX file may have 1000 caches in them, but if they overlap, your GPS only reads a cache listing once.

[robertlipe]

Mineral2's understanding matches mine when it comes to duplicates. The GC# is a primary key in the database. Since there can't be two GC#'s, those dupes don't count. So if you have five of 1000 that overlap, you'll have a max of 5,000. If you have six of a thousand that overlap, you're going to have a bad day. If there is a difference in freshness, it's probably undefined behaviour as to whether the older or newer query on the OS "wins" for any given GC.

 

I would tell you that GPSBabel can handle the de-duping for you, but it'd only make you more angry as I, like most of the rest of the world, quit supporting Power PC a long time ago.

 

Several of cache reasonably successfully without any Mac software; copy the GPX to the device and go hunting. Remember to remove the old ones (really remove them; don't just trashcan them) and use a little discipline in your PQ building and it's quite nice. I use Basecamp only under duress and have never loaded geocaches into it.

[+Geognome57]

Thanks so much to everyone for their comments, thoughts, and suggestions. I guess I am going to have to live with manually loading the PQs, which is really not that difficult. So no worries there. And on the plus side of things, these Etrex 30s are really quite remarkable. Caches in deep tree covers which would have had my old Garmin Etrex Legend HCx leading me in circles we now can find quite quickly and accurately. So all in all, it's a fair trade.

Again, thanks to all for the comments.