opencaching.com

CoyoteRed · Joined: 18 Sep 2003 Posts: 220

How is this data used by the user?

Do people hunt caches by logging on the internet and doing a search?

Do they download waypoints, upload to PDA and GPS and hunt from there?

A combination of both?

In the end, what do people want and how do they want it presented?

CR
_________________
"...been know to miss the finer points."

hmarq · Site Admin Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Posts: 351

I suspect both.

The casual cacher is probably content with looking up on the internet and finding *a* cache. Those that become addicted quickly want 'pocket query' type functions, downloaded waypoints, etc.

Speaking from personal experience, I went from point a to point b in about 45 days Laughing

CoyoteRed · Joined: 18 Sep 2003 Posts: 220

Here's how I do most my hunting, I simply download the PQ, massage through Spinner, load up the GPS and PDA and go hunting.

When I'm not actively hunting, I do peruse the cache pages to read what sounds interesting.

The Nearest Cache list, I use to see the nearest caches I haven't found and to plan somedays.

But mostly, when Im hunting, I'm using a PQ. So, PQs would probably be the most important to me, followed by a Nearest Cache list for planning.

However, if there were a map I can taylor to my needs, that might be more helpful for planning than a simple list.

CR
_________________
"...been know to miss the finer points."

The Diver · Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2003 11:52 am Post subject:

I use a variety of tools. GpxSpinner, GpsBabel to name a few along with some of my own code. It starts out though with some form of xml file.

Renegade Knight · Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Posts: 151

How I go about it.

The GPX file goes on my PDA and I use it with GPXview
The GPX file also gets dumped into my GPS so I have all the coords.

Every now and then I dump all the points into a Topo program and plan out a cache day that starts early and ends late. I will either use GPSBabel to convert the points directly (this was nice but now I have to re-write a batch file) or download them from my GPS.

For times when I want to take a quick look at a town I have a bunch of Streets and Trips maps in the PDA and I can make a pushpin file for the map using GPX view. It lets me see what's close in a new town or what's new where I'm at.

If it's such a new cache that I don't have the GPX file yet I just print the cache sheet and go.

enfanta · Joined: 19 Oct 2003 Posts: 10 Location: State College, PA

No PDA. I just cache with the print-outs from the cache pages.

I have found Watcher to be useful when I want to seek caches of a certain level or cache in one general direction.

Pretty much a paper cacher.