Manitoba Geocaching Association

[Dragonfreys]

Paperless is sweet. We use GSAK as well with the html export, so no other specialized software required to read the files and it organizes them very handily.

There is also more info on paperless caching in this thread (http://www.activeboard.com/forum.spark?
forumID=48777&p=3&topicID=6783895&topicPage=1)

Dragonfreys

[SiaFhir]

FYI, if any members are using a Garmin Nuvi device (like I am), the capability of paperless caching is built-in. Nuvi GPSs make use of Custom POIs called TourGuide, meant for... what else, TOURING!

A cacher named pilotsnipes created a macro for GSAK that will take all the detailed data for each cache from your pocket queries and put them into a TourGuide GPX file that you would then upload to your Nuvi (using POILoader).

The instructions can be found at http://pilotsnipes.googlepages.com/index.html.

I live by this method. No matter where I go, as long as my pocket queries cover the area I have all info on the cache along with the five most recent logs. I don't have any pictures however, so some caches still need printing out, such as Junglehair's Tyndall Stone cache.

Once I find a cache, I save it as a favourite in the GPS, so when I get home I remember all that I found (and then delete them from Favourites)

If you plan to use this macro, there are a few notes I should mention from my own experience:

1) The instructions say not to use the alert option for a Nuvi 7xx GPS, due to a shutdown bug. This bug has been fixed as of GPS software version 4.10. So go ahead and use it... it's useful when you're in a spontaneous mood. You can always turn it off within the Nuvi (Tools -> Settings -> Proximity Points)
2) While the Nuvi macro is running in GSAK, you might notice the number of points processed goes higher than the number of points it was *supposed* to process. This is a bug, and the workaround is simple: run the Nuvi macro again! It'll always process the correct number of points the second time. Not performing this workaround will mean double entries for some caches, which can be annoying (and eat up space on your GPS).
3) Have the Nuvi macro put the TourGuide files into a dedicated directory for POILoader to pull from, different from the location of the pocket queries. POILoader will upload *all* valid files (GPX and CSV) it finds in a directory, including those in all subdirectories. If the original pocket query files are in there with the TourGuide files you will end up with a double for each cache: one very detailed, the other with very little detail.
4) Keep in mind that POILoader replaces all Custom POIs with what it's uploading. So if you have other Custom POIs you don't want to lose, make sure they're included in the directory POILoader is pulling from. For example, I have all red light camera and speed trap alerts for all of Canada loaded in as custom POIs. The GPX files for them need to stay in the directory along with my TourGuide files, or they will not be there the next time I run POILoader.

Happy Caching!

[Tromelin]

I also mostly do paperless geocaching: basically I have no info on the cache when I get on location, apart from the name and whatever I can remember from the listing. If I spot something important (say on private property) I might put it in the short description available in Cx60. I used to note things on a scrap piece of paper, I still have to do that for caches that require instructions. My main problem that way are caches that have inaccurate coords, without knowledge of updated coords from other geocachers, those can be tough to spot.

[candaceandwill]

Thought I should share my paperless caching experience today.

As an introduction I currently use a Garmin 60Cx and have been experimenting with my new Blackberry 8530 which has a real built in GPS. It hasn’t been very reliable or accurate for caching previous but today it worked fantastically with +-2m.

I use CacheSense (formerly CacheBerry) to store my pocket queries listing all the caches in the province so I have them where ever I go. CacheSense is great because it loads the cache descriptors, sorts, filters etc. however I want. The queries are emailed directly to my BB where they are loaded and ready to use.

At work today I received an email alerting me that GC2GHYG: Sk8 Like a Girl : the "Hang-10" had been published which is very close to home and where I was working today.

When I opened the cache page on my BB and clicked on the Download "GPX File" the installed CacheSense automatically picked up the download and loaded the cache into its database.

I hopped in the truck and clicked on "Compass" for the new cache and was quickly on my way. I was unfortunately beaten to the FTF by none other than IAMSTIG who must have been playing in the Living Prairie forest across the street when this one was published.

None the less, I am very happy to report that the GPS in the newer BB's work well and that if you have a Blackberry that CacheSense is a worthy investment.

[lizardo]

I will also sing the praises of Cachesense. I use once in a while to look up info. And the field notes are a nice feature.

I also have an Oregon 550, so I use it more often than the Blackberry for paperless features.

[glacier_ice]

Cachesense for the BlackBerry and the Field Notes options rock!

[MuStash]

I recently upgraded to GSAK version 8. I have not used it extensively yet. But I have found one excellent new feature that others might find useful too.

GSAK can now directly fetch queries that you have run on geocaching.com and are saved there in your 7 day storage area. That saves quite a few steps from the current methods that I have been using; either e-mail attachments or download to PC.

The new menu button in GSAK is titled "Geocaching.com access". It invokes a drop down menu where you can select "Download pocket queries". The software only asks you for your geocaching.com password the first time. After that it just hooks up right away and displays your 7 day query list.

GSAK version 8 is not a free upgrade. It cost me $21.50C. I expect to find other new useful features too.

[ertyu]

More significantly, GSAK 8 can fetch/update cache listings without using PQs at all.