There are currently a couple of Geocachers that have created tools to convert .gpx data into files that can be loaded onto your PDA. We will explain them here. As new conversion tools come out we will add them to this page. Syncing a converted file to your PDA will be explained in Part 3.
GPXSpinner by Lil Devil
http://www.gpxspinner.com
Spinner is fairly easy to use. This program runs on the Internet or on your computer. The instructions for use are on the web page linked above. Depending on the size of your .gpx file and your connection speed, "spinning" a file can take some time if you do it on the Internet. Your .gpx file is uploaded to the web site above and converted on that server and is immediately made available to load onto your PDA. You will be able to sort the generated files by Cache ID, Cache Name, Cache Type and Placed By.
If you want to "Spin" files directly on your computer, then go to the download page and you can find the installer to download and then install Spinner on your computer. Once installed, go to the "Getting Started" page for detailed instructions. It is as simple as opening a folder with the GPX file and then clicking the file and dragging it to the Spinner Icon on your desktop. It will automatically begin the spinning process and created the needed files in a new "html" folder. It will also create a new GPX file with modified GCXXXX numbers that you can customize to your liking (such as MCXXXX for multi-caches and VCXXXX for virtual caches). Once done, you then run Plucker on the "index.html" file that is created in the new folder. This process is detailed on the Page 3 linked below.
To "Spin" your file on the Internet, go to this web address. Browse your computer to find the GPX file that you want to "spin". Set the preferences to your taste. Click "Strip data that is not needed by Easy/ExpertGPS". Also check in Other Options "Generate HTML files for synchronizing to handheld devices". Click the "SPIN" button and the file will begin to be converted. During the process a window will appear that will display the progress. A completion window will then give you a GPX file to download for you GPSR and a web address for you to sync the Palm OS conversion software to. This program will generate a web file that can be synced with both AvantGo and Plucker.
GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife)
http://www.gsak.net
Many geocachers swear by GSAK. It is a multi functional program for sorting and creating a database of caches on your computer. From their web site: "Major features include: Multiple databases, sending/receiving waypoints to GPSr, conversion to many mapping formats, HTML output, extensive searching, macro support, backup and restore, distance/direction from other waypoints (including caches, locations, post codes) and much more." It cost $25.00 to register the product but it can be used for free if you put up with the "nag" screen.
gpx2html by fizzymagic
http://www.fizzymagic.net/Geocaching/gpx2html/gpx2html.html
It is fairly easy to use. This program runs within you computer. You will be able to sort the generated files by Cache ID, Cache Name, Cache Type and Placed By.
Create a new folder for this program. Go to the site linked above, download the gpx2html.exe program and put it in the new folder. Put the .gpx file from the pocket query that you want converted in the folder with the gpx2html.exe file and double click the gpx2html.exe file. A new folder called "HTML" will be created within that same folder and it will have the pages ready to sync onto the palm. You MUST use Plucker with this, and you point the Plucker program to the "index.html" file in the new HTML Folder that was created. This program will only work with Plucker.
Now that you have your data it is time for Part 3:
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