Loading a Palm OS PDA running Soar Pilot with waypoints requires a number of steps. Here the ones necessary to load via a DOC HotSync are explained – this method works with a USB cradle, and removes the need for attempting to beam the data or find a serial cradle to use with SPTerm:

1. Find a data set and manipulate and filter it into a suitable format and data set. You may be lucky - manipulation and/or filtering is not always necessary;
2. Transform the data into a .PDB file;
3. Upload it to the PDA via HotSync;
4. Install it into Soar Pilot.

The HotSync® process requires that files to be sent to the PDA are valid .PDB or .PRC formats. You can use DocReader (or similar tool) to convert your input waypoints file to a Palm .PDB file. DocReader will only open a limited number of files types and .CUP isn’t included, so the way to get the right internal name in the .PDB file is to use File, New dialog. Then enter the correct name for the waypoints file as shown below. The .CUP extension is the crucial bit for waypoints in SeeYou format (for Cambridge/WinPilot format the extension should be .DAT):

Click OK.

Next ensure that it won’t save your file in a compressed format. Use the File, Properties dialog and untick the ’Compressed’ box (default compression is ON in DocReader, but SoarPilot does not support compressed DOC format).

Next use a text editor (I used Notepad++, Notepad would work) to open your source waypoints file, and copy its contents. Paste them into the DocReader edit screen, and save the file.

An alternative method to get the same result, is to change the extension of the .CUP file to .TXT, load that .TXT file into DocReader and then change its properties as in the above screen shot.

More information on the supported formats and waypoint files can be found here.

The Palm software needs to be instructed to send the .PDB file to the PDA next time a HotSync® is performed.

The easiest way to do this is to click Start, Recent Documents and then click the PDB file. The following screen will be displayed – click ’Done’.

If the .PDB is no longer in the Recent Documents list, navigate to it using Explorer and double click it to start the Install tool.

Note that the ’Send’ and ’Receive’ buttons should be read as ’read’ and ’write’ – they cause Soar Pilot to read a file on the PDA, or write out to one.

Display the Transfer screen on the PDA (the short cut is ∕X).

If the transfer method is not DOC, use the MNEA/Port screen and tap ’DOC’ so that it is highlighted:

Return to the Transfer screen and tap ’Waypoints’. If no waypoints are loaded the screen on the left is displayed, otherwise the screen on the right is displayed:

No waypoints loaded	Some waypoints loaded

Then ensure the ’SeeYou’ box is ticked if your input file is in SeeYou format, otherwise use ‘Cambridge’ format and, tap the ’Receive’ button:

A list of valid waypoint files for the format will be displayed. Tap the correct file name (only one is shown in the example above) and then tap Receive. The waypoints will get loaded into Soar Pilot.

When the load is finished, a confirmation screen will be displayed, and on returning to the moving map waypoints will be visible:

This is very similar to loading Waypoints, except that the format of the text file is different and the extension giving in DocReader needs to be .sua, not .cup, and the starting source file will be a text file with .AIR extension (YMMV). — Billy V. Stargazer 2006/12/11 02:26