Geoscout
This WE my iPaq 214 arrived. Time to explore it.
I won’t get too much into details about the specs, but it’s surely something else than the Z22 I bought last year. The large 640 x 480 screen will be certainly big enough for viewing spoilers in a decent way.
Opening the box certainly felt a bit like this way:
Anyway, now it’s time to decide which software to use. Since I’ve already a license for Cachemate and it’s rather easy to move that license to another platform, I tried to walk that path first. After successfully installing and registering the software, it was time to load the caches. Here rises the first problem. The GSAK functionality to export to a Cachemate PDB file only works for Palm 
Windows users need to export to a GPX file. I tried to import nearly 1900 caches (=50 km radius around home) with it, but it takes (too) long.
Since I didn’t have any spoiler after such an import I looked at another software: Geoscout. I read about it in the BE geocaching forums and the users are rather happy about it, so I tried it out. Mainly there are three ways to import caches: completely via the web, via a GPX or LOC file and getting info from the web or GPX/LOC file without the web. I tried the first way, but for some reason I can only import 100 caches. This is clearly an option that is useful in the circumstances when you’re somewhere in the field and need the caches in the neighbourhood. I’m not in that case, so I tried the second option. I tried a GPX file first, but 1900 caches are giving memory problems, so I tried a LOC file which works rather well. That is, if you’re patient enough since it takes > 24 hours scattered over 3 days to import them.
Once loaded, it works fine. Sure, it has some problems – like perfomance mainly, but I guess it can be normal with 1900 caches – and things I like to add/see changed, but the overall impression is that good that I bought a license. The first initiation ceremony will be next Sunday when our team will do a training raid as general rehearsal for the CAROLO GEOCACHING CHALLENGE #1 (Challenge) GC1M4DA
Btw I did some geocaching too:
The latter is yet another piece of craftsmanship by kris&an and proves that easy pick up caches isn’t a synonym for dull caches.
