Paperless Geocaching

It easy to go paperless. Although any PDA can be used, this description is for Palm OS devices. To get started you will have to download the three applications listed below. The end result is a GPS with modified (real name) waypoints and a mini - offline - website for your PDA. Not only will it make you a more efficient geocacher it will save a few trees too. Follow the simple instructions and you will be ready to head out and find some geocaches without a handfuls of printouts and hours of inputting waypoints into your GPS.

Download the Following Applications:

GPX Spinner - A shareware program that outputs HTML files and modified waypoint files. Make sure you register the program as it is shareware!

EasyGPS - A free application for managing loc and gpx files.

Plucker - An free offline viewer for Palm OS devices. If you are using a Windows operating system download Plucker Desktop for Windows 1.6.2.0 (latest version as of October 14, 2005).

Install all three applications on your computer.

Install Plucker on your PDA.

Go to MY Account on Geocaching.com and do a pocket query.
This is pretty intuitive so I won't go into great detail.

Save the GPX file generated by Geocaching.com.
Open up the email sent by Groundspeck. Save the file in a new folder each time you do a query.

Drag the file into the GPX Spinner icon on your desktop.
After the file is saved right click the start button and left click on expore.
Find the saved GPX file and simply drag it into the Spinner icon.
A Spinner window will automatically open.
Spinner will then generate and populate the folder with a new folder labelled "cache" and two new waypoint files.

Configure EasyGPS to your GPS unit.
Again, this is pretty intuitive so I won't go into great detail.

Download the waypoints into your GPS.
Make sure your GPS is connected to your computer.
Double click on the file in the GPX folder labelled "spinner - EasyGPS". This should automatically launch EasyGPS.
Left click on the GPS tab.
Select Send Waypoints to GPS.

Plucking
Open up Plucker on your PC.
Click on the "add a new channel using wizard" icon.
Name the channel.
Click on next.
Select "choose a local file".
Click "browse"
Open the folder labelled cache that GPX Spinner generated.
Double click on the file labelled "index".
Click "next".
Change page depth to "3".
Make sure "Ignore links" checkbox is unchecked.
Click "next"
Add your PDA name.
Click "OK.".
Click"next".
Check "Launch a Configuration Channel..." box.
Click "finish"
Click "spidering" tab.
Change progess detail level to "maximum".
Click "limits" tab.
Uncheck "ignore limits" box.
Click "images" tab
Select "color depth". If your PDA is color use thousands of colors.
Click on the new channel to highlight.
Click on "update".
Select "update selected channels".
After Plucker updates the channel click "OK".

Insure your PDA is connected to your PC using your cradle or connecting cable.

Hot sync your PDA.

Open Plucker on your PDA.
Insure that the Plucker files are on your PDA.

GO FIND SOME CACHES AND HAVE FUN!!!