Painless Paperless?

[ForeFeathers]

So,

We try going with no paper today. I’ve got the laptop with a cord to one GPSr so I can see where we are and where the caches are with Streets and Trips. I have the inverter but soon discover that I have no power outlet to inverter cord. So, we have to make the laptop battery last for the day. All my info is there and when the battery is dead we’re done caching.

I find that a corded laptop (even just to the GPSr)is more trick than treat in the truck. I can’t see the screen very well, I can’t control the cursor worth anything. If I shut the thing down to save battery I have to open Streets and Trips, GSAK (and I’m up to like 20 seconds waiting time with the nag screen), the cord is wrapping around my arm, and I’m getting bent out of shape trying to store it behind the seat- no joy, no joy at all. We get out to look for the cache, need the clue- it’s on the laptop back in the truck. Are we looking for a micro? Dunno….we could go back to the truck and check it out…

UGH.

So, is paperless PDA caching the real deal? Or are we better off buying ink and causing the destruction of a few more pulp trees?

What would be a good PDA unit if it were being purchased strictly for caching? I think I’m in the market for that and some map CDs for the kid’s Legend. After playing around with my son’s Legend I keep turning my Summit over and looking for the Fisher Price label.

[marc_54140]

You can find good used palms on ebay, etc. $50 or so. New, maybe $250.

However, your problem seems to be navigation. Instead of a laptop (and it’s hassels w/o some one in the navigator’s seat) look into a gps that given directions. There are several out there. I bought a Garmin GPS V for $400.

[NSLP1]

The zire31 should work fine for geocaching and more. I use a M500 that I bought direct from the Palm store online for about $100 a couple years ago. The zire seems to be the replacement line. http://www.palm.com/us/products/handhelds/zire31/details.epl

I would say you want something that supports memory cards.

Also for mapping GPSr there is also the Magellan Meridian Gold ($199 at walmart) and Direct Route software ($150-$200)

Our paperless setup:
Magellan Meridian Gold w/DirectRoute software and 1GB SD card
Palm M500 and 128MB SD card w/ Cachemate software ($8 for registration)
On the home PC side, premium membership to GC.com, registered version of GSAK and SD card reader/writer.

No need for any paper, or trying to use a notebook computer in the car.

If you want help in how to go paperless I can try and help you with that. I may work on creating a How-to for it. I know others have done it already, but you can’t have enough places to find that info.

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Mike of team: Not So Lost Puppies

[This message has been edited by NSLP#1 (edited 10-31-2005).]

[Cathunter]

I’ve used the laptop in my truck and have no probem powering it and my battery charger for the GPSr’s on my inverter. The laptop for me is really just a toy while driving, as I have good maps in my GPSr’s. Really needing to use the laptop, as you found out would not be a good thing.

I agree with picking up an inexpensive PDA on E-bay, but if you would rather, don’t overlook the Palm Factory Outlet at http://store.palm.com/family/index.jsp?categoryId=1179667

I use an old 16 MB Handspring (Palm) and have no problem putting over 1000 complete cache pages on it. Even better, if it gets damaged while caching, i’m only out the $30-40 (or less) I could get another one for on E-bay.

[EnergySaver]

I’ve said this before, but it’s “on subject” so it warrants repeating:

Be aware that some of the low/mid – price COLOR screen Palm units are difficult to see in the sun. Such as the Zire 31 … it can be a real bear to read in the light tree cover. The Mrs. now uses my Zire 31 and I upgraded to the Tungesten E2, which has a “transreflective” color screen, which works a lot better out in the sunlight. Also, the good old cheap black/white screen units (from Ebay, etc) work well too.

[This message has been edited by EnergySaver (edited 11-01-2005).]

[Bushwhacking Queen]

Great point Energysaver! You are able to adjust the color of the zire 31, but it still makes it difficult to see. Creating a shadow and working with your zire 31 in the shadow seems to work (though frustrating).

[NSLP1]

I guess I didn’t look close enough at the site when I was looking for the latest low end model. I didn’t see it was color, nor the ‘cheap’ color screen. I’m happy with my grayscale M500.

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Mike of team: Not So Lost Puppies

[ForeFeathers]

Thank you for all of this very useful information. This gives me some base info to start looking for a low-cost yet functional unit that will bring some of the frustration out of wandering farther from home when caching. It was easy to know just which cache pages to print when caching nearby but as you start to drive farther you’re not always sure which way you’ll feel like going and it would be great to have enough easy to access information along to just turn the wheel any direction that feels right. I think I’m also putting a new GPSr on my Xmas list too. I NEED mapping! I’m comfortable and like both my Summit and my son’s Legend and would probably stick with Etrex. Probably a LegendC or VistaC. I see there are higher end units available (though they’re not in our local stores). Is anyone using one and feels it’s worth the extra bucks?

[Cathunter]

I’ve used several different GPS units and feel that there are are disadvantages to each of them. Here’s a few off the top of my head-

I would happily do without an electronic compass, as it eats battery life and needs to be calibrated all too often. Electronic barometer? Battery eater and not of much use to the average cacher. Color screen? Nice to look at. Makes it a lot easier to tell a road from a river or stream. I much prefer the finer lines used in Gamin’s maps over those used by Magellan. Finer lines allow better detail in what is already a small screen. The new Magellan Explorists use a special battery that recharges inside the unit. (the unit must be plugged in) On the road, I would much rather be able to throw in a new set of batteries.

I’m sure there’s more- but it’s suppertime.

[ForeFeathers]

Santa dropped off a new Tungsten E2. In between spending some 2 hours or so getting Lego Mindstorms (Version 2.0) to work I’ve got Cachemate up and running. Oh, for the old days of a set of printed directions, a beer, and a few hand tools on Christmas afternoon. Every time we tried to get the infrared unit to transfer to the “robot” the whole computer would lock up. After 4 times of uninstalling and having the same issue I go to tech support page and there it is- number one issue is computer lock-up while communicating with the tower! ARRRGGGGHHHH.

A download later, and then a winzip download in order to open the download, then going in to update the driver- well the thing seems to be working over there (glad I have my own laptop!).

But, back to the topic- Cachemate seems very cool. I have 500 caches loaded and now we just have to go find ’em.

Thanks for all the help everyone.

[Author]

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