PDA / Pocket help plz

[Team Horizons]

After lugging a huge box of paper around Tassie I think it's time to make the move to tech soon.<P><P><P>

So I'm looking for suggestions on what type of PDA/ Pocket is the best for what we do (that would be geocaching). I would only be using it for caching, nothing else. I currently have a 60c with city nav6 maps.<P><P><P>

Generally what I want to be able to do is download the gpx file to the pda, have the page show on the screen, be able to write logs on the pda then connect the pda to the net to log (upload?) finds. Possible?<P><P><P>

Maybe even hook the gps to the pda and have a different set of maps (topo maybe) on the pda compared to the gps.<P><P><P>

Any help would be appreciated. thx

[edmil]

I currently use an O2 Xda Mini mainly because it's also my phone. Combined with GPXSonar on the PDA and GSAK and GPX spinner on the desktop, it pretty well does everything I need without any paper. I have a small program called magic button on the PDA which allows me to keep programs active and swithch between them quickly. At times I've between switching between Explorer, notes and the calculator to do a multi.

GPXSonar allows you to write logs on the run and then at the end of the day export them to GSAK. I use GSAK to log the caches in GC.

GPXsonar is free and works Great. I Registered GSAK because for the price it's more than worth it. I use GPXspinner to set up a single GPX file because it seems to produce all the data I need to load into GSAK and also because I often download individual GPX files instead of using PQ.

I have only ever had one crash where I lost my logs it was a lesson learn't and I now update GSAK with my note after each caching trip.

I think most Pocket PC are great consider screen size (XDA mini at times a bit small), Memory capacity - I have every thing loaded on SD card. and how big it is remember you may have to juggle PDA, Stylus and GPS depending how you operate.

My only advice is go paperless.

[Papa Bear_Left]

Get your feet wet cheaply by buying a 2nd hand Palm through eBay or similar. You should be able to get something under $50, and anything with 8MB+ memory will be great. Even a 2MB model (M100 or Zire) will do for single-state caching.

Grab cachemate(Palm) and GSAK(PC) and you're away!

Once you've got used to using a PDA for other things, you might decide that you could use one for other things, and you can look around for an upgrade then.

[roostaman]

Thats the way. Get into it. Ebay it, but check out the seller.
My nice new pocketpc is fine with gpxsonar & ozice (unreg so far).
Palms are the go if you only want to use cachemate, but I wanted to have outlook/excel etc so I went for the pocketpc. You can do much more with whatever model you get anyway.
I also got a charger/gps cord that links & runs both the pda & gps in the car, so you can follow your track on the pda with ozice. Well worth it.
There will still be an occasion or 2 where a bit of paper/notebook will be handy but most of the time no need for them.
Anyone else?
Roostaman

[alpha993]

I currently use an iPAQ 4700 ppc with CF GPS card (which goes into bluetooth slipper when in the car). I discovered geocaching after I had the hardware listed (up to that point used mainly for personal info manager functions, synching calendar/contacts/tasks etc, downloading and emailing images from my dig camera in the field and portable media - photos, video, sound and auto navigation).

<P>Geocaching related software includes: OziExplorer CE; Vito Navigator II; GPS Tuner 4.2 and GPX Sonar v1.4. I have tried all the GPX file related programs, and GPX Sonar is the one I have stuck with. OziCE is great for mapping (esp. when travelling), Vito for the final stages of the hunt and GPS Tuner has great position averaging and can record tracks as GPX files for use with Google Earth.

<P>I haven't looked back, but then I was sold on the many and varied uses of a ppc before caching

<P>...your mileage may vary...

[Aushiker]

Get your feet wet cheaply by buying a 2nd hand Palm through eBay or similar. You should be able to get something under $50, and anything with 8MB+ memory will be great.

I currently use a Zire21 and have cachemate on it. I find now that with all the WA caches, I have to delete the old pda file before I upload a new one, so I would suggest 2 mb models might be pushing the limits pretty quickly.

Actually looking to upgrade to a colour model and one that takes a card so I can use effectively beyond geocaching. The Zire 21 is really too hard for me to read for sustained use. It may well be on the market soon

Regards
Andrew

[energizer61]

Navman PIN - the GPS is built in

Running Smart ST (only ever use it when i'm interstate)
For Caching, I use OziCE, Navio, GPXSonar & GPS Tuner, for all the same reasons as Alpha993, haven't tried Vito Navigator, i'm happy enough with Navio so have stuck with it, I've found myself just using OziCE to navigate right to the cache more & more though.

GPX Sonar is the bees knees if you want something to view cache pages & also be able to log them easily....

my advise (for what its worth), go for a PPC over a Palm, it can do so much more & is better at available mapping type software (from what i've seen), but then thats just my opinion, youre either a Holden or a Ford person right?

I still use paper & pen for multi's though, just reckon it's easier than notes on the PPC... so i'm not quite paperless.

Have fun

[swampgecko]

my advise (for what its worth), go for a PPC over a Palm, it can do so much more & is better at available mapping type software (from what i've seen), but then thats just my opinion, youre either a Holden or a Ford person right?

I still use paper & pen for multi's though, just reckon it's easier than notes on the PPC... so i'm not quite paperless.

Have fun

PPC or a PDA??? I know a certain reviewer who is decked out like Inspector Gadget when he decides to go on a day's caching.. and the PPC AND PDA are both essentials for him... I won't go into the rest of his equipment list but at last count we had 5 GPS units in the vehicle when the pair of us went to Dubbo, and only one was mine......