I reckon I should have paid closer attention at all those meetings where we discussed PDA stuff. I'm looking to replace the outdated Franklin eBook I've been using with something a bit newer.

I want something relatively inexpensive (under 300) that not only will be useful for caching, but with which I can also access the internet through a wired modem.

Yeah, I'm probably in the dark ages but I don't want to get into monthly cell fees and wifi stuff.

Any suggestions?

Granted I haven't looked at PDA's in depth in a while (but my assumption is most of them are cellular, blue-tooth, wi-fi)...

But my caching companion is a Handspring Visor Deluxe which I haven't had any issues with (never had the modem attachment though). But maybe it won't have all the bells and whistles you want though.

There's a Visor Platinum for sale on ebay including a 56k modem (missing a stylus but I think I have an extra around that I can give you). And it's only going for a dollar at the moment, so I figure worst case of spending 10-15 is it might turn into a cache item or paper weight.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38331&item=5715058905&rd=1

The smartest, easiest choice you can make is to get a used HP Ipaq off of ebay. The older Compaq 3835's (I have this) can be had for under $200.

Using your Windows PC, you get your gc.com pocket queries in GPX format. With ExpertGPS (I'm trying out GSAK (www.gsak.net) now) you can send the waypoints to your GPS unit. GSAK appears to have massively good exporting capabilities as well as filtering capabilities for sending your waypoints straight to the GPS. Looks promising.

You load GPSView on the Ipaq to set it up and "sync" your unaltered gc.com GPX pocket query files right to the Ipaq (no conversion necessary). GPSView then lets you open and look at the cache pages on the Ipaq.

You do not cable the GPS to the Ipaq (why?). The GPS does what it does best, display maps of surface terrain with locations marked on them in real time. The Ipaq does what it does best, displays an encyclopaedia screen to look up Waypoints you are near or want to do as if you were online.

Using MS Streets and Trips or MapPoint, you can take an export out of either GSAK or ExpertGPS in csv format and import it to get a nice PC based map with your waypoints on it. I have some really nice Icons I did for Mappoint for my found/not found caches of different types.

With a laptop and the same serial data cable you use to send your waypoints to the GPS, you can cable your GPS to the laptop and have realtime display of your car on the Map. I have done this and do NOT recommend it. The tendency to watch the map and not the road leads to problems. This is good with a co-pilot though.

The software is a crudload better and easier today than it was a year and a half ago when I was just getting into this. What I outlined above is what I do now as it is easiest and least complicated to implement and give me a very complete, functional paperless solution.

Now if I could just get that damn lyin' sporttrak of mine to lead me to the caches!

I'll put in my recent experience going paperless.

1) I bought a Palm Zire 71 on eBay. My first coice was a Tungsten C but I wanted to keep the expenditure under $200. Final cost was $180 and included a SD 64MB expansion card.

2) I've been using GSAK for quite some time, and integrating this with the Palm was pretty easy. The "workflow" is as follows:

a) Run pocket queries on gc.com. I can import these to GSAK by just dragging the zipfile anywhere onto the GSAK window.

b) GSAK will load waypoints into my GPS Map 76. There is a limit of 1000 waypoints, so I filter within GSAK to select less than that number.

c) GSAK exports waypoints for both my Garmin Mapsource maps and my National Geographic Topo maps. I then import the waypoint files into the map programs as needed.

d) For the PDA, I export the cache info as HTML. GSAK creates a root index page, and allows indexing by multiple different categories (name, distance, bearing, etc.)

e) I then use the Plucker desktop to distill the HTML tree into a cache database usable by the Plucker viewer on the PDA.

f) The Plucker database is set up as a synchronized item on the Palm desktop, so I can download it as part of the sync process when the PDA is in its cradle and connected to the PC via a USB cable.

g) Finally I use the Mapsource program to reload maps into my GPSr as needed.

The entire process from PQ to PDA takes only a couple of minutes now that I've gotten it set up. The only thing that's time consuming is reloading the maps into the GPSr when I'm going on a trip.

Excellent! Thanks bunches. After reading the great info above and doing some research on availability of software and taking my limited tech savvy in mind, I'm leaning towards the Tungsten E. It should do everything I'm wanting, though it will need a wifi card for the remote email stuff.

Tungsten E + GSAK + Cachemate =

quote:

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I'm leaning towards the Tungsten E.

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Ed, I've got a TungstenE in a hard aluminum case (by Palm) that lets me put it in my hip pocket and slide down rocks on my butt without hurting it.

From what I've read, though, it probably can't support a wifi card without risk of frying the connectors that it plugs into due to the current demands of the card. There is a wifi adapter that has it's own power supply, and a book-like case for the PDA, that I saw thru a google search: http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=6986

I'm happy with what I have though.

~erik~

I've been told that Palm is coming out with a wifi card specifically designed for the Tungsten E. Supposedly, it'll hit the streets this Wednesday (Sept 1). I'm not sure if it's the same as the one shown in the link, but if it is I will probably not get it. That one is way too costly for my purposes. Thanks for the link!

Oh, I did get the aluminum case and some extra styli & screen protectors. Nice little system.

Edited to add: The card I heard of will use the Expansion Card Slot, not the miniUSB. I reckon we'll know for sure on Wednesday.