Paperless geocaching - PocketPC and GpxSonar

From NzGpsWiki

1 Paperless Geocaching using a Pocket PC
2 OK, but how do you get the information onto it?
3 A few functions I find handy.
4 References

Paperless Geocaching using a Pocket PC

I tried printing out the cache descriptions and taking them with me but found that it didnt work. The sheets often got soaked so I couldnt read the instructions and you look like a total looney if you try and decode the ROT13 while you're standing in the middle of a path with a wet piece of paper.

Palms vs PocketPCs is a war thats worse than the NZ vs Aussie debate but both are much of a muchness. I use PocketPC for two reasons, I wear polarfleeces and managed to fry two Palms with static and when I bought my last laptop it came with a free Ipaq. These are simple and easy to use and again are cheap as chips on trademe now. The thing I find good about the Ipaqs is I can see the screen outside.

You can also get PocketPC's that are phones - such as the Imate and Qtek. Although they are bulky as a phone, there's one less toy in your pocket.

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OK, but how do you get the information onto it?

Basically all you need is the sync software for the PocketPC, a premium account on GC.com and GPXSonar a handy little free program (suggested $20US donation via paypal if you think its worth it and it so is).

GPXSonar allows you to read the GPX files you download with a premium account pocket query but as if you were reading the webpage you just downloaded it from.

So, go download and install GPXSonar.

Then you need to get some Pocket Queries - a.k.a GPX Files.

Once you have the .gpx file emailed to you, open the zip file and save the pocket query to your Pocket PC Shared Documents folder, this is usually on the desktop or in My Documents (basically were ever you told it to be when you set it up) then sync your Pocket PC and it will automatically send the file to your Pocket PCs My Documents folder. You need to have Files sychronised to do this.

Once this is done open GPXSonar on your PocketPC and click on the Pocket Query you just sent over to the Pocket PC. You can then view the cache details on the Pocket PC.

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A few functions I find handy.

You can set your centre location. So if you are visiting somewhere and know there are caches around put in the Lat,Long as the centre and it will show you the caches. Or if you are at a cache, and want to list the nearest ones, Tap and Hold the cache, and select Set as Center.

You can also filter it so it only shows you some of the main details, I have mine set to , the GC number, the name, type, and last found log. Once you have set it up how you like it you can then click on the tab at the top for each line and it will sort it alphabetically. Handy if all you have is the GC number in your GPS (for those of you with older GPSs)

(The versions of the above programs that these instructions apply to are: Pocket PC 2003 and the latest GPXSonar)

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