Palm Tungsten E2 and maps

Discussion about software such as GSAK, OziExplorer etc, as well as all things hardware, GPSrs, laptops, PDAs, paperless caching, cables etc
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Lockyer
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Palm Tungsten E2 and maps

Post by Lockyer » 10 June 12 5:06 pm

Hi

I am going to purchase the following 1/ Premium membership on GC. 2/ GSAK. 3/ CacheMate, this will be taking place in the next couple of weeks.

I have a Garmin GPS60 (it is the yellow one and does not have maps) and I have just purchased a S/H Palm Tungsten E2 PDA and intend to be paperless by the end of the month. I have saved and downloaded a lot of info on GSAK/CacheMate and the Tungsten E2 but I'm still a little confused about the PDA.

Q/ Can the Tungsten E2 be loaded with maps, I don't want to have it hooked to the GPS or use it as an in car navigator, I just need maps of the area that I can see streets - roads etc?

The other week while out caching we left our find and headed off for the next cache the problem was the local map (paper)only showed main roads and some secondary roads/streets, so we thought the next cache was off this main road but as we closed in, and at 1.2klm away the GPS suddenly pointed hard right, I thought there will be a track or road up ahead shortly but after a few more klm's we decided to turn around, long story short we had to back track and go up and down old local roads trying to find how to get to this cache...very frustrating..but we found it..

Or do we have to print off the maps from Google or something...?

Many Thanks

BaldEd
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Re: Palm Tungsten E2 and maps

Post by BaldEd » 12 June 12 3:22 pm

:( Sad to report that maps cannot be loaded into the Tungsten E2, well at least I never managed that in the 8 years I have owned it. But the E2 can serve you well as the paperless repository of all your geocache information.

You can use GSAK to
1. download cache coordinates to your gps, and
2. load cache information into Cachemate in your E2, and
3. to print off Google maps.

BaldEd
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Re: Palm Tungsten E2 and maps

Post by BaldEd » 12 June 12 3:57 pm

:( Oh, just remembered something. Sending geocache information from GSAK to the Palm via Windows 7 is something that is not easily done as Palm have not written any drivers for Windows 7 (Palm have stated that they do not ever intend to write the drivers). Therefore, you will be unable to send any info via USB cable to the E2 from a Windows 7 computer. There is a horrid work-a-round that I used only once - I think I used Bluetooth to get the info across, and even to get the 'pairing' to work took a lot of patience and many attempts! After that I did all transfers from my old Vista powered laptop.

The earlier Windows OS (Vista, Windows XP) ARE compatible with USB cable transfers to the E2.

Personally, I'd put both your gps and E2 on Ebay (or something similar) and go get a s/h Oregon 450, 550, 62s, 78s or if you are flush with 'reddies' a new Montana. The last 3 have bright easy-to-read-in-the-sun screens. Believe me, having a geocache-friendly, mapping gps does make things much easier and enjoyable.

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Papa Bear_Left
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Re: Palm Tungsten E2 and maps

Post by Papa Bear_Left » 13 June 12 1:15 am

Although I still have a soft spot for Palms (had lots of them from the Palmpilot Personal onwards, president of the Palm User Group, etc.), they're becoming less and less useful.

You can pick up a cheap Android phone for about $50 new (locked to a carrier, probably, but you can still use it as a PDA) and then there's heaps of ways to get maps onto it. Wait a couple of weeks and Google Maps will have offline map downloads, so you can just download the area you're going to over your home wifi and you're ready to go.

Plus it's a reasonable backup GPSr and, if you use it as your main phone and get a plan with a data allowance, you can log caches in the field and grab PQs and search for nearby caches on an ad-hoc basis, no pre-planning required.

The E2 could make a nice alarm clock.

BaldEd
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Re: Palm Tungsten E2 and maps

Post by BaldEd » 13 June 12 6:45 am

I also agree with Papa Bear Left's suggested option of using a phone as a PDA to store cache information. Phones are now providing valid options for many things.

LouiseAnn
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Re: Palm Tungsten E2 and maps

Post by LouiseAnn » 13 June 12 9:56 am

Or, you could use your local equivalent of the melways for maps ?!?! :)

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gmj3191
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Re: Palm Tungsten E2 and maps

Post by gmj3191 » 13 June 12 11:11 am

LouiseAnn wrote:Or, you could use your local equivalent of the melways for maps ?!?! :)
I can't find the USB port on the Melways :? :?

Lockyer
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Joined: 10 May 12 1:17 pm
Location: Brightview Queensland

Re: Palm Tungsten E2 and maps

Post by Lockyer » 13 June 12 11:52 am

Thanks for the idea's and replies...

Over the last couple of days I have found out there is a way to load maps onto the Tungsten E2 but the software needed is no longer around.. :cry:

I loaded a map onto Mapsource from OSM and it has pretty good coverage of the area I'm heading to this weekend.
I still don't have my PM with GC yet as I'm waiting on the Tungsten to arrive so will most likely be printing off some paper caches come Friday but will be able to load GC points onto the GPS60 and then back load onto the map which shows up the GCXXX Number at street level on the map and will be able to find them without driving around in circles for 45min's.. :lol:
BaldEd wrote: You can use GSAK to
1. download cache coordinates to your gps, and
2. load cache information into Cachemate in your E2, and
3. to print off Google maps.
Does the map have the GCXXXX number on it ??

Cheers

BaldEd
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Re: Palm Tungsten E2 and maps

Post by BaldEd » 13 June 12 1:13 pm

Lockyer wrote:
Does the map have the GCXXXX number on it ??

Cheers
There are a couple of GSAK macros that you can use.
1. myGMEv3.gsk is the one I normally use when going out caching. In it's user options you can set it up to show names, codes, or whatever. It will generate a Google Map, in your browser, showing the location of caches, with option labels. Will also display "Full" names when moused over. When clicked it will call up the cache's web page. Use a screen dump program (Like Faststone Capture) to handle the actual printing of the screen display. Recommend you filter down to <800 caches before running the macro - to lessen the wait whilst the macro is processing. Great macro.

2. Google_Map_v3.gsk is very fast, can handle thousands of caches, and will generate a Google Map in your browser showing location of caches but it won't display names - caches on the map have to be moused over/clicked to show name. Names won't show on a printed screen dump.

Have fun.

Lockyer
Posts: 17
Joined: 10 May 12 1:17 pm
Location: Brightview Queensland

Re: Palm Tungsten E2 and maps

Post by Lockyer » 14 June 12 8:55 am

Thanks Ed

Cheers

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