My Caches

Managing Caches Outside Of GPX Files

 

As of version 1.1, GPXSonar provides a cache manager tool allowing you to maintain a list of your own caches. This cache list is independent from the main cache list populated from a GPX file. In other words, the caches ‘placed’ in the cache manager become ‘sticky’.

 

The reason of being of  this feature is to have a central repository for cache information under your control.

 

For instance, you may find this tool useful to preserve details about the caches that you have placed which are not necessarily available on the online cache pages (i.e  the waypoints of multis, the steps to solve puzzles, etc.).

 

A common scenario would be to use the cache manager in the field as you’re placing a cache, recording in one place every necessary detail as you go. All too often these details are scattered across multiple file types on your computer (i.e waypoints in one format, cache pages in another, clues in yet another format) making them difficult to manage and increasing the risk of data loss.

 

Another scenario would involve using the cache manager while you are working on a tough multi-cache or a puzzle cache: import that cache from the main list to make a copy of it and as you make progress through it, enter your notes and waypoints in the cache properties. This goes beyond the ability to associate notes with a cache in the main list.

 

There are two ways to enter caches in the cache manager:

 

  1. You can create a new one using the ‘New’ button.
  2. You can ‘Import’ a cache from the main cache list.

 

When you import a cache, you are provided with a list of the caches currently visible in the main list. You can restrict the listing further by checking ‘Show My Caches Only’.

 

Whether you create a new cache or you import one, you will be presented with a dialog box showing the properties of the cache. You can edit these properties by double-clicking them or by highlighting them and clicking the ‘Edit’ button.

 

The cache properties are very similar to those found on the online form used by geocaching.com to register a new cache. There are however a couple extra properties available in GPXSonar that you will not find elsewhere:

 

  1. Notes: this property lets you enter cache-specific notes.
  2. Waypoints: if a cache has multiple waypoints, you can associate them with the cache. Each one can be edited individually.

 

Tip: you can import waypoints from a file rather than entering them manually by following this procedure: download the waypoints from your GPS receiver using EasyGPS. Save the waypoints to a file using the GPS Exchange File (*.gpx) format (as opposed to the  default .loc format also supported by EasyGPS). You can now ‘Import’ these waypoints directly into GPXSonar using the ‘Import’ button on the ‘Waypoints’ dialog. You can find EasyGPS at http://www.easygps.com

 

Tip: the ‘Waypoints’ property and its ability to import GPX files generated by EasyGPS does not allow you to import Pocket Query files (also with a .gpx extension) into the cache manager. You will not get what you expect. The only way to load a Pocket Query file generated by geocaching.com is by using the ‘Load GPX File’ from the File menu.

 
Tip: you can use GPSBabel to convert just about any GPS file format to a GPX file. You can find GPSBabel at http://gpsbabel.sourceforge.net

 

 

Cache Manager’s Main List

 

 

Importing Caches From The Main Cache List

 

 

Cache Properties

 

 

Importing Waypoints From EasyGPS .GPX Files

 

 

Editing a Waypoint