Michael Sprague near Asheville, North Carolina

    • Geocaching with a Pocket PC FAQ

    by michael

    Geocaching is becoming a popular activity. Many people wonder if they can successfully use their Pocket PC to locate geocaches. This FAQ will help you out.

    Q:    What is Geocaching?

    A:    Read about it at Geocaching.com.

    Q:    What software do I need?

    A:    As you probably have guessed there are many choices available.

    Here are some popular ones:

    • VITO Navigator II – Inexpensive and gives basic functionality.
    • TinyStocks Navio – Similar functionality to VITO Navigator. This doesn’t have the performance complaints of VITO.
    • GPSDash – I haven’t tried this one, but it looks like it might serve well for this purpose.
    • Maptech Pocket Navigator – Expensive, but comprehensive with topographic maps.
    • Fugawi – Less expensive option that can do topographic maps. I don’t have personal experience with this one.
    • OziExplorer CE – Another option that can do topographic maps that I don’t have personal experience with.
    • GPSBabel – Converts waypoints downloaded from geocaching.com (.loc or .gpx) to a format that the other software can use. You will want to check the website to see if the software you pick is supported. For Navio use the Microsoft Streets and Trips 2002/2003 format.

    There are many other programs available. If you find one useful for Geocaching send me a link and I will add it here. Of course you also need a GPS receiver that can provide position data to your Pocket PC. Read more about GPS receivers at GPS Passion.

    Q:    What if I drop my Pocket PC in a river?

    A:    You will wish you had an Aquapac.

    Q:    How can I get the cache details on my Pocket PC?

    A:    There are a couple of options.  If you are a Groundspeak
    Charter Member     ($30/yr) you can download cache data in a GPX file.  You can then view that on your Pocket PC with the free GpxView software.

    If you are not a member then you can use this basic technique.

    1. From a cache detail page click on the link "Make this page print-friendly."
    2. In your web browser do a File | Save and specify a location that gets synced to your Pocket PC like "\My Documents\MyDevice My Documents"
    3. Now you can open that html file on your Pocket PC.

    Q:    Okay, I have the cache details, now how do I decode the hint?

    A:    I developed a javascript web page that you can put on your Pocket PC. Download it here. Unzip the html file and put it on your Pocket PC. Then you can open it and paste an encrypted hint into the text box and then click the button to decrypt it.

    More useful Geocaching links: