Installation

CacheNav requires Palm OS 3.0 or later. If installed on a memory card, CacheNav may work as an application, but it will not work as a plugin.

Follow these steps to get started with CacheNav:

1. Run the Install Tool from your Palm™ Desktop directory.
2. Click Add, and add the CacheNav.prc and MathLib.prc files to your HotSync® list.
3. Click Done, and HotSync your Palm OS handheld.
4. Tap the CacheNav icon on your handheld to start the program.

When started, CacheNav will immediately try to establish communications with your GPS receiver, using either the default parameters (if not an iQue, they are 4800/8N1 for the serial port) or those already configured in CacheMate. If there is a problem in doing this, it will display an error message and remain idle until restarted or the GPS settings are changed.

Launching from CacheMate
When both CacheNav and CacheMate are installed, viewing a record in CacheMate will show a Nav button at the bottom of the screen. Tapping this button will launch CacheNav and, once it gets a location fix, it will begin directing you toward the coordinates from the CacheMate record. Visually, this adds a pointer to the compass display, the waypoint name above that display, and a Done button in the lower-left corner that will return you to CacheMate.

Note for Delorme TripMate users:
The TripMate is only turned on while the DTR line on its serial port is asserted, which usually happens when the serial port is in use, and has to re-establish a lock each time it is turned on. Since keeping the port open when switching between applications is not a good thing in Palm OS, the best way around this is either with a hardware solution, or with a utility to force the DTR line high, if you can find one.

Main View

The main CacheNav screen includes two views, selectable via a pair of pushbuttons at the bottom. The parts that never change are a fix indicator in the upper right, and a battery meter in the middle of the top of the screen.

The Nav view displays the current coordinates, a "compass" showing the current heading, and four user-selectable values. Each of the four displays can show one of 10 values (listed below). What values are available depends on what the GPS receiver reports and what mode that CacheNav is running in... bearing, distance and turn, for example, are only displayed when in the "goto" navigation mode. A pointer and waypoint name are also displayed when running in "goto" mode.

The available values for display are as follows:

• Altitude - Distance above/below mean sea level
• Bearing - Direction to waypoint (shown in "goto" mode)
• Course - Current heading, as reported by GPS receiver
• Distance - Distance to waypoint (shown in "goto" mode)
• EPE - 3D estimated position error
• HDOP - Horizontal dilution of precision
• HEPE - Horizontal EPE
• MagVar - Magnetic variance, if reported by GPS reciever
• PDOP - 3D dilution of precision
• Speed - Current speed, as reported by GPS receiver
• Turn - Direction to turn toward waypoint (show in "goto" mode)

The Sat view displays relative satellite positions and signal strengths, just as most GPS receivers do. On color devices, when such information is available, the signal strength meter is color coded as follows:

• Black - Satellite is being used for position fix
• Grey - Satellite is not being used for position fix
• Blue - Satellite is being used and has DGPS/WAAS correction applied to it

The DGPS satellite information is only shown with the Garmin iQue. The NMEA serial protocol does not provide DGPS information on individual satellites, only overall information.

• Options Menu
  • Preferences - Displays Preferences dialog
  • GPS Settings - Displays GPS Settings dialog
  • About CacheNav - Displays version and support information

Preferences

Distance/speed/altitude units
Allows selection of distance units for reporting speed, distance, altitude, EPE and HEPE.

Coordinates
Allows selection of coordinate formats, between degrees/minutes/seconds, degrees/minutes, decimal degrees, and UTM.

Use magnetic north
If magnetic variance information is available from the GPS receiver, this option allows factoring that information into the reported course and bearing.

Stay on when connected
This option disables the PDA's auto-off timer when a connection to the GPS receiver is opened.

Don't show heading on compass
This option disables the normal rotation of the compass display, so that north is always pointing to the top of the screen. Enabling magnetic north will tilt the compass to reflect magnetic variation, though.

GPS Settings

Baud Rate
Sets the baud rate for a normal serial connection to a GPS receiver.

Port
Selects the serial port to use for communcating with a GPS receiver. If Bluetooth is selected, handshaking and baud rate settings are ignored.

Enable RTS/CTS handshaking
Enables hardware handshaking with the GPS receiver, to ensure stable communications. If the baud rate is set higher than 19200, this setting is ignored and handshaking is automatically enabled.

Set BT Device
Allows discovery and storage of a Bluetooth device address for the GPS receiver, so the Bluetooth discovery process may be avoided when the GPS receiver is actually used.