Geocache Proximity Alert

What it does

This is a command line tool that can be used to make a Garmin device raise an acoustic alert every time the distance to a geocache falls below a certain threshold.

How it works

This command line tool takes one or more geocache .gpx files as input and generates a .gpx output file (default: proximity_alert.gpx). The generated .gpx file contains one additional proximity gpx-waypoint for each cache. If this generated .gpx is placed inside the Garmin\GPX\ folder, the Garmin device will raise an alert every time a geocache is near.

How to Install

The following instructions assume that your geocache GPX files are stored in Garmin\GPX\geocaches\ on your Garmin device.

• Install Python 3.8 or higher and the py launcher (windows only, selected by default). Windows download: https://www.python.org/downloads/
• Download the latest release Geocache-Proximity-Alert.zip and extract content to Garmin\GPX\geocaches\.

How to Run

The following will create a proximity_alert.gpx file containing proximity alert waypoints for all caches found in all .gpx files in the current working directory (recursive search).

• Open cmd in Garmin\GPX\geocaches\.
• Run command python.exe proximity_alert.py --recursive --verbose.

It is possible to create alerts for multiple distances. The script proximity_alert_5m_50m.bat (part of the release) creates alerts at 5 m and 50 m.

How to hide the proximity alarm waypoint symbols on the Garmin device

• Download custom 0.bmp and save it to Garmin\CustomSymbols\.

This will make the icons of the proximity waypoints invisible on the Garmin device. Reference: Saving a Custom Symbol to a Device.

How to hide the proximity alarm waypoint symbols in Basecamp

• Navigate to C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents\My Garmin\Custom Waypoint Symbols\.
• Delete or rename any existing 000.BMP or 000.png files.
• Download custom 0.bmp and save it as 000.BMP. Reference: Creating a Custom Symbol.

Command-Line Reference

usage: proximity_alert.py [-h] [-r] [-o OUTPUT] [--distance DISTANCE] [--verbose] [--version] [gpx_input_files [gpx_input_files ...]]

positional arguments:
  gpx_input_files       input files containing geocaches in gpx format

optional arguments:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -r, --recursive       use all gpx files in the current working directory (recursive search) as gpx input files
  -o OUTPUT, --output OUTPUT
                        filename to which this tool will write proximity waypoints to (default: proximity_alert.gpx)
  --distance DISTANCE   alert radius in meters around a geocache (default: 50.0)
  --verbose             print extra information
  --version             show program's version number and exit

Tested on the following Garmin devices:

• eTrex Touch 35t