MnGCA

Paklid · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:38 pm Post subject: GSAK help please

I've used GSAK for quite awhile (maybe three years?). I know I don't use much of what's available in it, but until Saturday I thought I used all that I needed. Well, on Saturday, I learned that it's easy to configure GSAK to send container size, terrain and difficulty info, and other stuff over to the Garmin when sending the waypoints.

Boy, I'd really like to know how to do that! I can't find anything in the pull down menus or on the "send to GPS" dialog box that looks promising. I'm sure I'm just not recognizing it. Could one of you who knows how to configure the program to do this please clue me in?

Thanks.
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-Paklid

Pear Head · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:54 pm Post subject:

My first answer would be to tell you to come to the tech event on the 20th and we'll teach you how. Smile

Under the "Send waypoints to GPS" dialog, look for waypoint name in the middle/left. It says "you can build the waypoint name using tags (see help)".

The help file gives you all of the possibilities for the options you can put there. I use this string:

%drop2%con1%typ1%last4%Dif%Ter

This gives me the waypoint code (minus the beginning GC) followed by the container (Micro, Small, Regular, etc), followed by the type of cache (Traditional, Multi, etc), followed by the last four logs (Found or Not found), followed by the difficulty and terrain ratings (which sometimes gets chopped off).

There are better options for the dif and ter that guarantee that it won't get chopped off but I like what I have.
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Hmm...

Grey Wolf and Wild Rice · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 6:07 am Post subject:

Here is what I use:

From the "Export to MapSource File", I have the fields filled in as follows -

Waypoint Name - %Smart
Cache description format - %code %typ1 %con1 %correct by %By (%Dif1/%Ter1) Hint:%hint

I should change mine to Pearhead's format and remove the "GC" from the waypoint code and the spaces. The difficulty and terrain I use are a little shorter, but you have to do some simple math in your head to get the actual published ratings (add 1 and divide by 2). I also have included a Y/N for corrected coordinates in case you see the cache is a puzzle and are need to know if you have solved it before attempting.

But at any rate, just hit "Help" while that box is open and there are many other options to consider for you own needs.

Paklid · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 7:05 am Post subject:

Thanks!
Just what I needed, except now I will have one less excuse for DNFing.
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-Paklid

ghost640 · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:40 am Post subject:

Nice. Call me sentimental, but I like knowing that I'm searching for "Wonders of Warba" rather than GCXXXX - I like Grey Wolf's setup!

Grey Wolf and Wild Rice · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 10:44 am Post subject:

I know a lot of folks like waypoints, but for me it's easier to see the cache name on the GPS map. Reminds the grey matter where to drive to a little better.

merkman · Past MnGCA Board Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Posts: 2032

What's GCXXXX? And what's this 8 or 14 chr restriction.

Just an inquiring Magellan user who does not have those issues. Laughing

ghost640 · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:06 am Post subject:

Pear Head · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 11:14 am Post subject:

pfalstad · Geocacher Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 963 Location: Edina

I do both.. 9 chars of smart name and 5 chars of GC code.

%smart%drop2%children%code%c_prefix

All the other information is in the waypoint description if I need it:

%Name=20%Dif%con1%Ter%by%children%name=20 %c_Name %c_Type

RubberToes · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:44 pm Post subject:

andrewmcc · Past MnGCA Board Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 979

GSAK...Cool stuff. I was at the GeoTec event in North Branch and it was great. One thing I learned was how much I do not know. I did end up with a lot of questions That one session would be impossible to answer. Would it be possible for someone to do a class on just GSAK all the way through how to manage queries. Is there anyone else that would be interested in taking a lass like that?