How do you download waypoints into your GPS'r?

Are you a Premium member of Geocaching.com and receive weekly or daily pocket queries?

Do you use GSAK or any of the other software waypoint management tools?

I have for a long time been a premium member and received daily pocket queries for Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. I now have a total of 19 PQ's that run each week to cover all of my unfound caches for the 3 states. I have preferred to use GSAK Geocahing Swiss Army Knife to manage the waypoints. The ease of getting the downloads and use of filters to load only 1000 waypoints, the capacity of my MAP60CSx, into my GPS'r has worked just fine for me.

Being that there are others out there who do it differently. Please use this thread to enlighten us on your tips and, to the others please ask questions.

There have been other recent threads on this topic, but I did not want to relate this to any one brand of GPS. So lets hear from the Magellan, DeLorme, Nuvi, Tom Tom, Garmin and anyone else who wants to post.

I use GSAK as well for my handheld,ancient Etrex Vista and I use Pilot Snipes macro to download all the cache info to my NUVI 250W. I also use a few other macros as well for different uses.

Using a Garmin 60 series, I generally pick and choose or (hunt and peck) the caches I want to do and then load them in individually. Since I rarely go on a binge of 10 or more caches, it's not an issue, time-wise. I then download the gpx file and load into my Blackberry Curve via Cacheberry.

I have at times loaded a PQ thru GSAK to get a bunch at once. If or when I do some on the Stud Mill Road, then that will be the way to load.

I really like paperless caching with the Blackberry but I'm thinking the Garmin Oregon or Colorado may be my next unit. I really like the Delorme units but worried about the negative comments regarding customer service not the units themselves.

Great question and topic, thanks for starting it. This is what forums are for.

I should also add that at some point, I will start to load into the NUVI 350 I have to make it easier as well, utilizing the tools available.



Using a Garmin 60 series, I generally pick and choose or (hunt and peck) the caches I want to do and then load them in individually. Since I rarely go on a binge of 10 or more caches, it's not an issue, time-wise. I then download the gpx file and load into my Blackberry Curve via Cacheberry.

I have at times loaded a PQ thru GSAK to get a bunch at once. If or when I do some on the Stud Mill Road, then that will be the way to load.

I really like paperless caching with the Blackberry but I'm thinking the Garmin Oregon or Colorado may be my next unit. I really like the Delorme units but worried about the negative comments regarding customer service not the units themselves.

Great question and topic, thanks for starting it. This is what forums are for.

I'm still having trouble finding a good way to load the handheld GPSrs. Since we rarely know which route we are going to take on our trips within Maine and New Hampshire, it is nearly impossible to get by with 1000 waypoints (actually, 500 for my unit right now) unless we know the route we are taking. The only way around this is to bring the laptop with us and reload the GPSr when we need a new set of caches. Someday I'll get a newfangled unit that can handle more, but the 'Ol Yeller works as well as any other, it just has a small memory. :)

Since a 2 GB card will, at least in theory, hold over a half million POI caches on the Nuvi, that is much easier. I find making multiple POI files, separating the micros from the other caches works great. I do this so I can disable the proximity alarm on the micros - the dinging can be a bit annoying. I might eventually make a macro to do this automatically.

it is nearly impossible to get by with 1000 waypoints (actually, 500 for my unit right now) unless we know the route we are taking. The only way around this is to bring the laptop with us and reload the GPSr when we need a new set of caches.

We do this often. As a matter of fact, last week we took a trip to Massachusetts (rained the whole time so we did little caching) and the map sets in the GPSr suddenly disappeared. We stopped for lunch, and while RULost2? was doing the ordering (and the paying :o:o), I reloaded the maps.

On such trips, we usually decide the night before where we plan to go caching, and load the caches for that area the night before. We always have the paytop with us when we travel, so it's no problem.

:D:D

We always have the paytop with us when we travel, so it's no problem.

:D:D

Paytop????

We do this often. As a matter of fact, last week we took a trip to Massachusetts (rained the whole time so we did little caching) and the map sets in the GPSr suddenly disappeared. We stopped for lunch, and while RULost2? was doing the ordering (and the paying :o:o), I reloaded the maps.

On such trips, we usually decide the night before where we plan to go caching, and load the caches for that area the night before. We always have the paytop with us when we travel, so it's no problem.

:D:D

I have all of New England on my MAP60CSx. ME,NH,MA,VT and NY both in Mapsource and TOPO. It only takes up 1/2 of the 1G card. I usually will load around 750 caches in an area, that plus the child waypoints will be less than the 1000 max capacity.

I have all of New England on my MAP60CSx. ME,NH,MA,VT and NY both in Mapsource and TOPO.

Have you ever had an experience where the maps just disappear from your GPSr - like I mentioned happened to us last week? We were driving along, following the maps, and suddenly they weren't there.

We're going to update our Garmin maps before we go on vacation this summer, but I think I'm going to buy the preloaded chip instead of loading the CD to the laptop (LAPTOP, Haffy...) and loading the maps to the GPSr. We used a preloaded chip for our trip to Europe last year, and didn't have any problems.

I do most of my caching around Bangor and the surrounding towns as my opportunities to get away are far and between. Due to this, I just load all 40+ screens of caches centered around 04401 into my 60csx. This gives me a little over 900 caches and stretches out plenty to suit my travels. As I do them, I delete them and re-download once I get bored or a lot of new ones have been added.

I tried using GSAK and F'ed up a bunch of caches that were already loaded. It ended up doubling all my waypoints, creating some odd other waypoints, etc. Needless to say I dont really like GSAK at this point. I enter them all by hand and even change the GC# to the name of the cache. GotGPS thinks I'm nuts!

I tried using GSAK and F'ed up a bunch of caches that were already loaded. It ended up doubling all my waypoints, creating some odd other waypoints, etc. Needless to say I dont really like GSAK at this point. I enter them all by hand and even change the GC# to the name of the cache. GotGPS thinks I'm nuts!

I was very slow to warm up to GSAK as well, and now as you may know I barely have it closed and have made several macros to do all sorts of things. Give it another try, play with it a bit, ask questions here. I'm sure myself or someone else could give you a quick tutorial in person as well if you'd like. The GSAK forums are great, too.

I tried using GSAK and F'ed up a bunch of caches that were already loaded. It ended up doubling all my waypoints, creating some odd other waypoints, etc. Needless to say I dont really like GSAK at this point. I enter them all by hand and even change the GC# to the name of the cache. GotGPS thinks I'm nuts!

Once you get it going right, you will like it.

So like I posted earlier, I have 900+ caches loaded right now and have a couple questions. I am headed to the SMR on Friday and am wondering if GSAK will actually help? I can't run PQ's because I'm not premium so I just tried loading what I had in the GPS into GSAK. Doesn't really help as none of the fields are populated the right way. Is this tool basically useless if you aren't premium?

I also keep everything thats loaded into the GPS saved and current in MapSource. I only plan on making this trip once and due to the cell coverage, wont be able to do this paperlessly the way I normally do if I need a hint. Next question, Is there a faster way other than editing the Note field for every cache in MapSource to add the hint (just in case)?

I can't run PQ's because I'm not premium so I just tried loading what I had in the GPS into GSAK. ?

I think you'll find that being a premium member is worth the cost...

:D:D:D

It all comes down to time....If I had the time to get out and do a substantial amount more, I would pay for it immediately. Even though I don't think it would change how I go about things much, I feel like I miss out not having the PQ's and understanding GSAK. With all my caches generally being within a radius of 20 miles from Bangor though, I just have a hard time rationalizing it for now. Seriously, aside from supporting the sport and site, all it would do for me at this time would increase the daydreams about not being at work.

On a side note, after actually opening a few of the SMR caches, I realized there are no hints to worry about so no worries.

I think you'll find that being a premium member is worth the cost...

:D:D:D

$3/month or manually punch in 125 sets of coords...hmmmm
(of course if you don't cache much most of the year, hit it for 1 month premium, get the SMR finished, go back to free status)

God, even I know better than to load them all manually. I download all the screens centered around Bangor and have everything loaded into the GPS in about 15 minutes. Thats no big deal to me. If I had to add hints, then yes, I would most certainly be going on the month to month basis.

$3/month or manually punch in 125 sets of coords...hmmmm
(of course if you don't cache much most of the year, hit it for 1 month premium, get the SMR finished, go back to free status)

I was just going to suggest that! In fact, I was going to pay for a one month membership for motu. But I looked further, and you can't upgrade another player for less than a year, and you can't even buy a month's membership now. :( You have to buy 3 months for $10, and it's auto-renew.

Still, $10 is cheap to give it a 3 month test run. I have yet to see anyone get the premium membership and say they wish they hadn't.

It all comes down to time....If I had the time to get out and do a substantial amount more, I would pay for it immediately. .

Sheesh! Premier membership is $30 a year - $2.50 a month.

Even if you just go geocaching 2 days a month - $1.25 per trip - the premium membership is worth it.

:D:D

I'd have to agree to that.

Sheesh! Premier membership is $30 a year - $2.50 a month.

Even if you just go geocaching 2 days a month - $1.25 per trip - the premium membership is worth it.

:D:D

The Team Tahoe averages around 16.5 miles per gallon. An average one day trip is around 150 miles. That's $24.00 (@2.65 a gallon ), and with a snack along the way it's $30.00.

You also get:

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

All of this which I think in the long run makes for a more organized day and thus, saves me gas in the truck. Viola! It's paid for itself in just one day.

To have your pocket queries saved and run once a week, and be able to have caches along a route is worth it.

I sound pretty cheap at this point I guess....lol. For now, I'll consider it but the thread should probably go back to its regularly scheduled topic.

I use GSAK as well for my handheld,ancient Etrex Vista and I use Pilot Snipes macro to download all the cache info to my NUVI 250W. I also use a few other macros as well for different uses.

What macros do you use?

I know Brdad is a big macro user too.

How can macros help you?

I sound pretty cheap at this point I guess....lol. For now, I'll consider it but the thread should probably go back to its regularly scheduled topic.

You were on topic, just a side note? This is all good. :D

What macros do you use?

I know Brdad is a big macro user too.

How can macros help you?

Well I use the Find Stats macro to update my profile page.
The Challenge gsk. to check out how I am doing on all my challenge caches.
my Google Earth gsk macro to check out my finds on Google Earth.

What macros do you use?

I know Brdad is a big macro user too.

How can macros help you?

I have 53 macros loaded in GSAK, some are from the GSAK forums and some I have created.

Some of mine are fully functional macros, some are works in progress. Some are just snippets that do *stupid* little stuff like calculate how many miles it would take as the crow flies to visit every Maine cache in the order they were published (A little over 200,000 miles IIRC).

But there are macros which are quite handy, like my Copy_to_clip (http://gsak.net/board/index.php?showtopic=6485&st=0&#entry55242) macro which I use often to post cache links in chat and here in the forums in a nice format like EaglEyeStash (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=59927490-c9a2-491e-85bd-9e71774d33cb) (GCGGXG) by brdad (http://www.geocaching.com/profile/?id=61905) (3/3).

Other handy macros help you deal with archived caches in your database, help create bookmark lists, or even evaluate puzzle caches.

That one sounds handy. But you know, it's really satisfying taking a Sharpie and placing a checkmark on the back of the Delorme.....:)




The Challenge gsk. to check out how I am doing on all my challenge caches.

That one sounds handy. But you know, it's really satisfying taking a Sharpie and placing a checkmark on the back of the Delorme.....:)

Before Brdad got REALLY computer savvy, I remember seeing his copy of the DeLorme Gazetteer. He painted small white-out rectangles, then wrote in the GC numbers of each cache on the page. Very organized, and he pulled it off on paper, not the computer!

The same Brdad on here? You sure? :D



Before Brdad got REALLY computer savvy, I remember seeing his copy of the DeLorme Gazetteer. He painted small white-out rectangles, then wrote in the GC numbers of each cache on the page. Very organized, and he pulled it off on paper, not the computer!

Before Brdad got REALLY computer savvy, I remember seeing his copy of the DeLorme Gazetteer. He painted small white-out rectangles, then wrote in the GC numbers of each cache on the page. Very organized, and he pulled it off on paper, not the computer!

Back then, that was computer savvy! There were no PQs, No Geocaching-friendly GPSrs - No cachemate or GSAK. You earned an FTF by continually reloading the gc.com page and waiting, and then loading your GPSr instead of having notifications 'handed' to you!

I still have my old Delorme maps. You were close on the technique. I wrote the GC# (Minus the "GC" - had that figured out long before the boys at GSAK) in ink and then ran a highlighter over the caches as I found them. All of the waypoints were placed with precision, I compared them using USAPhotomaps. Usually I updated the book once a week, some weeks were crazy with 10 or 15 new caches so I had to do it twice a week. Ah, the good 'ol days. :D

http://www.bytethebullet.com/geocaching/fora/DelormeMapCaches.JPG

Man, look at that cache density! I bet you could get 10 in 1 day if you pushed it :D

Man, look at that cache density! I bet you could get 10 in 1 day if you pushed it :D

Someone should have done the Decum Challenge.:D

With a run like the SMR, I can't imagine it'll be long before a Bi-Centrum Challange shows up. It's hard to believe that now someone who has never cached before or is just starting out could go out and hit the 100 cache milestone as well as wrap up two major challenges in one day. I just feel a little sorry for the folks in the southern part of the state who have to travel so far to hit it.

Back then, that was computer savvy! There were no PQs, No Geocaching-friendly GPSrs - No cachemate or GSAK. You earned an FTF by continually reloading the gc.com page and waiting, and then loading your GPSr instead of having notifications 'handed' to you!

I still have my old Delorme maps. You were close on the technique. I wrote the GC# (Minus the "GC" - had that figured out long before the boys at GSAK) in ink and then ran a highlighter over the caches as I found them. All of the waypoints were placed with precision, I compared them using USAPhotomaps. Usually I updated the book once a week, some weeks were crazy with 10 or 15 new caches so I had to do it twice a week. Ah, the good 'ol days. :D

http://www.bytethebullet.com/geocaching/fora/DelormeMapCaches.JPG

Just thought I would look at a few of these. Surprised to see that several are still active and have been logged recently. Take a look at GC93F3 and GC72EA, (note the numbers) and you might be surprised by who was caching long ago in Maine.

It's hard to believe that now someone who has never cached before or is just starting out could go out and hit the 100 cache milestone as well as wrap up two major challenges in one day.

LOL! You've hit the nail on the head. But if anyone can do it, it's no longer a challenge. :(:(

Just thought I would look at a few of these. Surprised to see that several are still active and have been logged recently. Take a look at GC93F3 and GC72EA, (note the numbers) and you might be surprised by who was caching long ago in Maine.

Yes, you can also take a trip back in Geocacher history by looking at my Maine Geocache Hider Timeline (http://www.geocachingmaine.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3180) (Yet another odd use macro) which lists all Maine cache hiders by join date. For a reference on that list, D&I Joined on Sept 28th, 2002 - the same day GC72EA was placed.

Heh, I was just thinking I could make the macro list the caches that were placed on the day each cacher joined. :D

With a run like the SMR, I can't imagine it'll be long before a Bi-Centrum Challange shows up.

Don't say that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know it's inevitable, but don't say it!
And don't worry about the southerners, there are people already planning these types of hides for the south.

It isn't me I promise!!!!

Hmmm, I wonder.

With a run like the SMR, I can't imagine it'll be long before a Bi-Centrum Challange shows up. It's hard to believe that now someone who has never cached before or is just starting out could go out and hit the 100 cache milestone as well as wrap up two major challenges in one day. I just feel a little sorry for the folks in the southern part of the state who have to travel so far to hit it.

Don't feel TOO sorry for the southern contingent. Just scroll your map over to NH to see what's in their backyard. The rails-to-trails in NH are easy to find, caching icons mark them well. (And some nice walks too)

Is there a way to share pq's? Like i have some of new hampshire and some around maine and would like to share if someone needs waypoints SO THEY COULD CACHE UNTIL GC COMES BACK UP

I would just send the whole GSAK file, but I also have the zip files that ran before the outage. So If you need files I have them.

Sharing of PQs is against gc.com's terms of service...

Under the circumstances I think a little sharing would be fine.

Sharing of PQs is against gc.com's terms of service...

Sharing? I would think selling or re-distributing for profit would be bad but sharing is a little harsh. I share the information with my daughters, 5 and 8, and would hate to see them carted off to Levensworth. :p:D

Sharing? I would think selling or re-distributing for profit would be bad but sharing is a little harsh. I share the information with my daughters, 5 and 8, and would hate to see them carted off to Levensworth. :p:D

Well, you'll have to discuss that with someone better at law than me. But from your statement, I'm saying the difference is that you're sharing the information - reading a cache description and/or coordinates. That's not quite the same as sending a PQ file to another individual or posting the cache information from your PQ file onto your geocaching web site, listing the data as if it was your own.

ok so after the update for gsask i now have lots of problems loading using my desk top. my laptop works fine but its not fast enough. i think this is the first time i have run into a problem with it does it matter what os you are using? i am running vista on my desktop and xp on my laptop.

Well, you'll have to discuss that with someone better at law than me. But from your statement, I'm saying the difference is that you're sharing the information - reading a cache description and/or coordinates. That's not quite the same as sending a PQ file to another individual or posting the cache information from your PQ file onto your geocaching web site, listing the data as if it was your own.


Good news Dave, as long as I don't sell the information to my kids and I tell them that it came from "Geocaching.com", we are safe from violating any geocaching laws. Although I was dismayed to learn that if we get lost searching for a cache that is in their .gpx file they (geocaching.com) are safe from any litigation that we may consider taking against them. Stupid rules!!! :p:p:p

I'm using my smartphone for car navigation and geocaching (I use the same program iGo8) iGo8 stores user POIs as a pipe separated values file. You can edit it manually. Every POI has it's own folder on GPS, icon, name, description, stuff... I wrote a program to convert bunch of GPX PQ files into this user POI file while eliminating multiple caches (when your PQ are overlapping) I extract important information like hints, number of TBs, last logs, size... I even recognize nano size caches. I have additional cache waypoints too like parking coordinates or trail heads if cache has any. I also drew custom icons for every cache type, or size or if there has been some recent DNF or if there are any TBs, that way I have a nice outlook of caches on my map on my GPS seeing where it is worth to go and where not without reading cache descriptions, just by looking on the map. When I find a cache I will change the icon of the cache to found icon. I have several different found icons and DNF icons to distinguish whether I have something special to say in a log or not. When I return home, I will take this POI file and upload it to my another program. This program will filter out all caches I want to log based on this icons whether found or DNF and displays click-able links to the cache pages. I can have any number of POIs in my file so I don't bother with how to get caches along the route. When I travel from A to B I set B as a destination, look at the route and then set VIA points manually to caches along my route. I'm completely paperless when finding caches or logging them.

Well, all I can say is I wish you could speak in layman's language...lol. Really, as well as you have the ability to do what you do would it be possible to create a macro for GSAK or something to that effect so that we all could take advantage of your abilites to do the things that you do? Sounds like you really have your s__t together working on these things. Please don't keep them to yourself and share with us!!! By the way who the heck do you work for anyway?...lol

Well, all I can say is I wish you could speak in layman's language...lol. Really, as well as you have the ability to do what you do would it be possible to create a macro for GSAK or something to that effect so that we all could take advantage of your abilites to do the things that you do? Sounds like you really have your s__t together working on these things. Please don't keep them to yourself and share with us!!! By the way who the heck do you work for anyway?...lol
I don't like GSAK and I don't use GSAK (only for generating statistics, but I'm working on my own sw for stats) All my work is available for everyone on my geocaching.com profile. If your GPS unit is using a open format for POI I can make a converter for you. I clean toilets at Walmart.

I don't like GSAK and I don't use GSAK (only for generating statistics, but I'm working on my own sw for stats) All my work is available for everyone on my geocaching.com profile. If your GPS unit is using a open format for POI I can make a converter for you. I clean toilets at Walmart.

Now I know that isn't true because I have never seen a clean toilet at Wal Mart. Love your sense of humor though!! :D:p

You just don't go to the right Walmart. He does a wonderful job.

I finally got the cable and am in the downloading business for this old GPS Map 76S. My question...when you download a pocket query that someone else has made previously, do you get updated caches on it since they made it( whatever date that was.)
also, how to get the Stud Mill road? I have loaded Bangor to Calais? and expanded as far as it would go, but it does not appear to have all the tribute caches, so I am assuming it is not right. I typed in Stud Mill Road for a query, but got nothing. I am sure one of you have done that , but how? Thanks, Waterski

do a search using the gc number like the tat tribute cache is GC1TMAK. now when you make your query use the gc number to include all the caches within so many miles from this and you should get them all.

I know using GSAK I entered the cache owners name and all of them went in and I have been using that for maintenance.

On Hides idea 50 miles should be good.

Or I have a list.

I finally got the cable and am in the downloading business for this old GPS Map 76S. My question...when you download a pocket query that someone else has made previously, do you get updated caches on it since they made it( whatever date that was.)
also, how to get the Stud Mill road? I have loaded Bangor to Calais? and expanded as far as it would go, but it does not appear to have all the tribute caches, so I am assuming it is not right. I typed in Stud Mill Road for a query, but got nothing. I am sure one of you have done that , but how? Thanks, Waterski

Not sure what you mean by downloading a PQ that someone else had made. You can't download someone elses query,that is against the TOU clause. You can download as Ekidokai stated by using GSAK and filter those caches by a particular person. That way all of his caches will show up. You can then pick out all the Stud Mill road caches from them and transfer to your GPS that way.

Not sure what you mean by downloading a PQ that someone else had made. You can't download someone elses query,that is against the TOU clause. You can download as Ekidokai stated by using GSAK and filter those caches by a particular person. That way all of his caches will show up. You can then pick out all the Stud Mill road caches from them and transfer to your GPS that way.

You can 'legally' download a PQ someone else has set up from a bookmark list or a route, however.

I've thought about creating a route for this, but well... you know.

There's really no need for a route on this series. Just start in Costigan, go East, and when you see the ocean, you've gone far enough!:)

Haffy, I don't know the correct terms maybe, but I did download a route? into GSAK. There were the listings of the routes before I started to create one, that could be used. I did not see one of the Stud Mill Road however, to get them into my gps before we start the route.
Yes, Dubord, :-) I know how to drive it, but want to get the co-ords into the until before we go......

I will just create a route myself and get the caches on each side of it. Hopefully it will work out fine.

You don't need a route, there are not so many caches around, so just query a circle of 500 with center in the middle of the road and you are all set. Besides I did them without a PQ, just as they were arriving to my cell phone :)

Cano, I was wondering if you could get cell service on that entire road. No problems, huh?

Thanks for the information on how to do the search, by the way.

Cano, I was wondering the same. There are a number of areas in Maine where there is no cell service. Have you cached in these areas?


Cano, I was wondering if you could get cell service on that entire road. No problems, huh?

Cano, I was wondering the same. There are a number of areas in Maine where there is no cell service. Have you cached in these areas?
Some parts of studmill route are covered with one bar signal some are not covered at all. And Yes I cache in areas with no cell phone signal all the time. Maine doesn't have very good coverage. Good about T-mobile is they will allow you national roaming, so I just need signal from any network. I live and work in Bangor. At home I roam in UNICEL, on my way to work I have T-mobile, at work I roam in Cingular :)