[GeoStL] GSAK and CO/OR
- From: "Jim Bensman" <junkmailno@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <geocaching@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 19:23:06 -0600
-
With all the new CO and OR, if people want me to lead a SALGA Training
session, I am willing to explain GSAk, my maps, and other things about the
CO.
Some have been asking me about this, so with all the new CO/Ors, I thought I
would go over the procedure I use. There are several GSAK macros but I
tried them all and none would do what I wanted:
Accumulate logs, preserve corrected coordinates and user notes, and only
load active caches that I have not found. The requirement to only send
caches that are active was what none of the macros could do. But I figured
out a way to do it. All I do is click the macro button and in about 5
minutes I have the file on my GPS.
NOTE User notes are great to include things like hints others have given
you, if the puzzle is solved (when a puzzle is solved I change it to a
traditional cache so I can easily tell it is solved), or parts to a puzzle
you have got from other parts of the puzzle. For loading onto the GPS, the
bottom field is used, so make sure you put your notes in the bottom field.
GSAK will load the bottom field as the first log entry.
Here is the text of the macro I use:
DATABASE NAME="Default" Action=Select
EXPORT Type=GPX Settings="Storage"
LOAD Settings="SO MID MO 400"
LOAD Settings="SO IL 400"
LOAD Settings="St. Louis 400"
LOAD Settings="Springfield-Decator"
LOAD Settings="Western IL-IN 400"
LOAD Settings="Storage" Lock=$d_name;$d_Latitude;$d_Longitude
EXPORT Type=GPX Settings="400T"
Now I will go through and explain what you need to change and set in GSAK.
DATABASE NAME="Default" Action=Select
This selects the database you store your PQs in. If you call your database
something else, change Default to what you call your database.
EXPORT Type=GPX Settings="Storage"
This exports everything in your database to a file that will store the
accumulated logs, corrected coordinates, and user notes so you can add them
back latter.
You have to set this up in GSAK and save the settings with a name storage.
This file needs to be stored in a separate directory. While in your
database with the PQs, select export to gpx (CTL-G) Set the file name to
create to something like:
C:\Users\Jim\Documents\Jim's Documents\Cache Files\Storage\Storage.gpx
Make sure you select include user notes in export and GSAK extra fields.
For waypoint name use %code
On settings, select save and give it the name storage
Export the file to make sure it works.
LOAD Settings="SO MID MO 400"
LOAD Settings="SO IL 400"
LOAD Settings="St. Louis 400"
LOAD Settings="Springfield-Decator"
LOAD Settings="Western IL-IN 400"
I store my PQs in different directories. The first set I load is set to
clear the database. This is how you get only active caches you have not
found. If you clear the database, all the caches are cleared and only
caches that are in the PQs are put back in the database (this assumes you
run a new PQ after you find some caches). It also gets out caches that get
shut down.
So you need to go to open
Select the directory where the PQ is
Set database update options to always
Check clear database before loading.
Save the settings and give them a name that you use in the first load
statement
Then do this for all the other PQs you want to load but you need to do the
settings differently:
Select the directory where the PQ is
Set database update options to always
Make sure clear database before loading is NOT set
Save the settings and give them a name that you use in the additional load
statement
After this you have only active caches that you have not found but you have
lost the accumulated logs and user notes. So the next step is to get these
back.
LOAD Settings="Storage" Lock=$d_name;$d_Latitude;$d_Longitude
Go to open, select the location of where you stored the export in step one.
On database update options select existing only. This prevents caches that
you have found or are not active from being added to the database.
Make sure clear database before loading is NOT checked.
The lock statements make sure if the coordinates are corrected or the name
is changed, the correct coordinates and names are in the database.
Save the settings and call it storage.
Now you have only active caches you have not found, accumulated logs, user
notes, and corrected coordinates. All that is left is to save the files on
your GPS. There is one slight problem, sometimes the GPS gets a different
drive letter. So sometimes you get an error message and have to manually
save it to the GPS
EXPORT Type=GPX Settings="400T"
For this you need to set the location to your GPS Drive letter
\garmin\gpx\geocache.gpx
Make sure include child waypoinits is selected
Make sure include user notes is selected
For waypoint name: %code
Save the settings and give them the name you use in the export statement.
Yes it is a bit complicated to set up, but once you set it up, it just takes
a mouse click to run.
It has worked perfectly for me (after I got help on the lock statements)
except one minor thing. If a cache goes inactive that you have user notes
or corrected coordinates for and then comes back again, you lose the
accumulated logs and user notes (corrected coordinates are not lost). The
way I deal with this is I have a separate database that I call Notes.
Whenever I add a user note or corrected coordinates, I copy that cache to
the Notes database. So if they get lost in your main database, you can copy
them back. It is also a great way to keep track of all the puzzle cache
answers you have so you can share them with me!
Jim Bensman
"Nature Bats Last"
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