Advanced GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife)

How to live the simple life with GSAK

Presented at GeoWoodstock IX (July 2, 2011) by Michael Weiner (aka TeamDotOne)

Advanced GSAK Topics

• Custom POIs • Creation and modification of macros• Route Creation (optimizing routes)• Optimizing GSAK arrangement• Loading POIs for various smart phones• FindStatGen macro• Caching in group• Mapping macros• Custom icons for GPSr• Database manipulation

Why use Custom POI’s?

• GPSr’s limited to 500 or 1000 waypoints.

• Getting ready for a large trip becomes a nightmare (which caches should I delete?)

--- > NO MORE! Keep them ALL LOADED!!!!

Why use Custom POI’s?

• POI’s – not limited to 500 or 1000 waypoints• (can have 30,000, 40,000, 50,000+ caches in GPSr

at all times)

• POI cache description can hold lots MORE text!

• Can use BOTH POI’s and Waypoints simultaneously

• Multiple overlapped search while geocaching• VERY customizable• Advanced icon options• Once GPX files are created, one-process to

upload to GPSr (Garmin POI loader)

What you need:

• A program to create and filter GPX files (GSAK – geocaching swiss army knife)

• Garmin POI loader (can get from Garmin website)

• Garmin Etrex GPS with memory card

A great way to filter caches

GSAK master database with ALL caches

How do I get all that data?

• Run pocket queries from geocaching.com / import into GSAK

Filter caches to your preferences

search > filter …

Filter Caches

My personal favorite filter:

1. No events (CITO, Event, Mega Event, Maze Exhibit)

2. No puzzles (most are bogus coordinates anyways)

(Example: some may want to filter out Earthcaches or WebCam

caches

Caches are filtered

• Filtered caches results screenshot

(this example: only caches that can be done on the fly any day)

Export to GPX

File>Export>GPX/LOC file

Export to GPX file

Give the file a short meaningful name (this name will show up on GPS as a searchable database)

GSAK Special Tags

Use keyword “special” in GSAK help file to find this list%bear - Bearing from current centre point%bgMap = Brithish grid - the 2 character grid map%bgEast = British grid - the 5 digit easting value%bgNorth = British grid - the 5 digit northing value%blank - Blank or nothing%bug = Travel bug status (notes)%by = Placed by%c_Code = Full child code child waypoints%c_Code1 = Child 1 character code - see child waypoints%c_Comments = Child comments - child waypoints%c_Lat = Child Latitude see child waypoints%c_Lon = Child Longitude - see child waypoints%c_Name = Child name - see child waypoints%c_Prefix = Child prefix - see child waypoints%c_ShortName = Same as %ShortName but for the child waypoint name - see child waypoints%c_Type = Child type - see child waypoints%children = see child waypoints%centre = Current centre point%code = Waypoint code (For example, the GCXXXX code)%con = Container%con1 = One letter indicating the container type (notes)%correct = Corrected coordinate status (notes)%database = The current database name%crypt = The coded hint (I.E. encrypted)%datelf - Date last found)%datepl - Date placed%des = Cache description (Deprecated. See note)%dif = Difficulty in full%dif1 = Difficulty reduced to 1 digit (dif * 2 -1), so 1=1, 1.5=2, 2=3, 2.5=4, ...%dif1a - Difficulty reduced to 1 character, so 1=1, 1.5 = A, 2=2, 2.5=B, 3=3, 3.5=C, 4=4, 4.5=D, 5=5%dist - Distance from current centre point%dnf = Did not find status (notes)%drop2 = Same as %code, but drops the first two characters (notes)%found = Found status. (notes)%foundbyme = Found by me date

%gcid = Geocaching.com Cache number. (notes)%GPX = Path to GPX file for current waypoint. Useful only for custom programs.%hint = The decoded hint%last4 = Last 4 found/not found logs (notes)%lat = Latitude - 4 different formats to choose from (notes) %loc = Path to LOC file for current waypoint. Useful only for custom programs.%lon = Longitude - 4 different formats to choose from (notes) %macro = this tag shows the result of running a macro (notes)%name = Cache name%ownerID = Cache Owner ID%ownerName = Cache Owner Name%notGC = Tags after this tag apply only to non geocaching.com waypoints (see below)%smart = GSAK "Unique Smart Name" (notes)%shortname = Same as %smart but no guarantee of unique name (notes)%ter = Terrain in full%ter1 = Terrain reduced to 1 digit (dif * 2 -1), so 1=1, 1.5=2, 2=3, 2.5=4, ...%ter1a - Terrain reduced to 1 character, so 1=1, 1.5 = A, 2=2, 2.5=B, 3=3, 3.5=C, 4=4, 4.5=D, 5=5%typ = Cache type%typ1 = One letter indicating the cache type (notes)%user = User Data.%user2 = User Data2%UserNote = The full text of the user note (including the log section)%UserSort = The value of the user sort column for this cache%UserLog = The full text of the user log section within the user notes%UTMZone - The UTM zone%UTMEast - The UTM Easting%UTMNorth - The UTM Northing

My Favorite Special Tag Setup

• Waypoint Name (Max 15 characters): • %ShortName=5%drop2%typ1%con1%dif1a%ter1a

• Example output: ThreePDECMRB3

• Cache Description:• %ShortName=30-%last4%hint-%ownerName-%datelf-

%datepl

• Example output: • ThreeSisters-FFNNgeoflauged in a large fallen tree-B n J-

4/25/2009-6/22/2005

• I also add to the cache description on the end -%macro="CountyTag.gsk“

• * This is more involved and if there is enough time I will cover this.

Repeat creating filtered files• Some possibilities:• An “on the fly” AllCaches GPX• Separate GPX for Traditionals, Multis, Letterbox, Earthcaches• Low difficulty / terrain combo• Needed difficulty / terrain combo• Caches above 3.5 terrain• “wishlist” caches• “my finds” caches• Other caching sites: Terracaches, Navicache, Waymarking,

Benchmarks• Puzzle Bogus Coords• Solved Puzzle Caches• “New” caches (caches posted within last month or whatever time

frame)• “History” caches (caches placed in 2000, 2001)• Child Waypoints (parking coordinates, multi cache stages, etc)

Keep each of these in the same directory on your computer with corresponding BMP icon image for each.

Each GPX paired with BMP icon• IMPORTANT: Each GPX file must have EXACT SAME NAME as BMP

file…AllCaches.GPX AllCaches.BMP

Keep all GPX and BMP files in same folder on computer.

POI’s load in alphabetical order on your GPS so if you want an icon to overlap then make sure you preface name with a letter

Do not use numbers, only letters in name.

** Note: This is an extreme example from my GPS. You might choose just a few searchable GPX files instead of the 32 shown in this example.

Upload POI’s to GPSr

Use Custom POI loader software that can be found and downloaded from Garmin website to upload the GPX file(s) as POI’s.

1st step

Remove all previously installed POI’s

Upload POIs to GPSr

Point to directory where your customized GPX and BMP files are located

Then click “Next” and in one-step all of your GPX files and BMP files are uploaded to your GPSr. When this is done, you’re ready to start using POI’s on your handheld GPS.

Example GPSr Screenshot

Three Sister’s geocache by BnJ

Using the POI’s you’ve installed

You now have green icon with red flag for custom POI’s

GPSr POI list - ALL

Default shows ALL POI’s.

• The beauty of POI’s is that you can quickly filter down this list by the GPS databases you have created to upload to your GPSr.

• The next slide will describe how to do this:

GPSr POI’s – select database

List of databases available (one for each GPX file uploaded)

Screenshots of POI databases

Standard onesMore specific to my personal preferences

Filtered POI list screenshots

Showing ONLY multis Showing ONLY “wishlist” caches

Duplicate Listings Explained

• One geocache may be inside multiple GPX files.

• Example “all multis” + “traditional” GPX files)

• This results in duplicate geocache listings on your “ALL” POI list.

To resolve: • Just filter to one specific

GPX file and the duplicates go away

same geocache listed 3 times

Once filtered to “traditional” GPS it is listed only once

Route using Map OR List

• If you prefer using the map over a list to search for next cache to route to, you can still use the map just like a waypoint.

• Just move your arrow to the POI icon and click it and click “Goto

UPDATING POI’s

• Once you have POI’s in your GPSr, here are the steps to refresh with your latest pocket querries:

• 1. Import new pocket queries into GSAK• 2. Update any GPX file you want using GSAK

(you only have to update the ones that you want to update)• 3. Remove all POI’s from GPS using Garmin

POI loader• 4. Upload POI’s to GPS using Garmin POI

loader

It takes just a bit of getting used to POI’s… (1 of 3)

• POI’s are NOT Waypoints – you can only delete with a computer.

• Route to a POI like you would a Waypoint by hitting the “goto”.

• Once you find the POI, you may have to do a quick search on nearest POI’s, click on the cache that you are at, then click “Save” to save it as a waypoint.

• Once you are on the “save” screen change the icon to an open treasure chest (or whatever icon you prefer to keep track of things)

It takes just a bit of getting used to POI’s… (2 of 3)

• Once you save a POI as a waypoint to mark it as found, the waypoint icon OVERLAPS the POI icon.

• The POI is still there (just delete the waypoint and you will see the POI again). You can only delete a POI with a computer.

It takes just a bit of getting used to POI’s… (3 of 3)

POI’s that you save as a Waypoint to mark as found show up in your calendar so you can keep track of caches found electronically.

DNF

Credits and Q&A

Thanks go out to Slammer47 for the Custom POI slide ideas .

Thanks go out to Clyde England for all his wonderful hard work and development of GSAK.

Thanks go out to all of you for attending GeoWoodstock IX and participating in this class.

And of course please feel free to contact me with any additional questions and/or comments via email at TeamDotOne@gmail.com or through our geocaching.com profile.