PeoriaBill

I was intrigued by GPS technology and bought a Garmin Legend in 2003. It was after I got the GPS that I started to look around for interesting things to do with it. I discovered geocaching on line and the rest is history. Peoria Bill

I was intrigued by GPS technology and bought a Garmin Legend in 2003. It was after I got the GPS that I started to look around for interesting things to do with it. I discovered geocaching on line and the rest is history. Peoria Bill

Hello, I think we all long for the days when you could practically walk out the back door and find caches. Now I have to drive 30+ miles to find some cache density. I started using queries, mapping tools, etc to try and plan good caching trips. Also, if you can split the gas with someone then the cost won't get our of hand. Good luck however you decide to tackle this one. Peoria Bill :>)

Class act!! Thanks for the posting. Peoria Bill :>)

Hello, Magellan will not support you on a Meridian GPS no matter what happens to it. So if you like living on the wild side and are not adverse to risk then try it. Also, these older Meridians have a recent history of turning into bricks, not just the demo thing you describe, when trying to update to the latest software. If you can get it updated to the latest software before you buy it and never plan to make any more firmware changes then it might be a good deal if the price is reasonable e.g. $100 or less. Good luck whatever you decide. Peoria Bill :>)

Hello, I would definitely reformat to get a nice clean disc. The Oregon has a mass storage drive that is available for photos, etc. So, it is normal to see it listed as a drive. For the second questions: Be careful with copying to/from Oregon with your commercial Micro SD card in place. The instructions clearly state that if you overwrite it, there is no warranty. It does have to stay in place 100% of the time and is copy protected. If you had the DVD version, then it might be possible to create additional SD cards for different geographical areas. You cannot copy the DVD to the SD card because that was forseen by Garmin and blocked. Hope that helps, Peoria Bill

Glad everything worked out for you. Good Luck and happy caching. Peoria Bill

Hello, Assume you are not travelling a long distance, so true and magnetic north are not issues. Sounds like the compass may be intermittently taking over the GPS. I can't remember specifically, but if you can turn the compass off, do so. If not insure the calibration is recent (see manual). I believe these units have software update, but be careful. I heard of numerous folks trying to update an old Meredian to the latest software and "bricking" their GPS. If you do, getting it back will be near impossible as Magellan can't be bothered to support their legacy product. Hope you can fix the problem.

Hello, Whilein the process of changing batteries, be cautious of the micro SD holder. It is not very sturdy and if your finder slides the card out of position, the unit will close properly but all kinds of strange things start to happen. Hope this helps.

It gets pretty cold here in Illinois. I've found that Gel Pens will not only work on damp/soft logs but are also great in cold weather. Regards, Peoria Bill

I could read it after first focusing at my desk, then slowly backing away until it comes into clear focus. It has three layers. Peoria Bill :>)

Hello, GC28 "Beverly" is still active in Illinois. This is my oldest find. Others with lower GC numbers are GC12,16-21,23,25-28 and of course GC30. Peoria Bill :>)

Hello, Here is something you can check quickly: Right click on :My Computer click Manage click Device Manager click Ports (Com & LPT1) Look for any yellow highlighted items -------- Sometimes you can click the offending line and it will take you to a screen where you will be walked through reinstalling driver software. As an alternative you may want to back out of this area and simply retry the driver install. --------- Remember that the modem speed should in device manager should match your software. (usually 9600) --------- Also, if GSAK or other software shows more than one port available try the other one. Hope this helps.

Hello, I do not believe you can add waypoints/maps to the Explorist 200. It does not have a cable receptacle. If you have the 210 then you should save your Mapsend region <22MB to the hard drive. Then, open Magellan Conversion Manager and transfer the map region to the GPS. You cannot send them directly as with many other GPS types. Also, when you get ready to send waypoints, remember only 200 or you get truncation messages. The manuals are on line if you want to do further research. Good Luck!

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I found that the basemap that Garmin provides with the Oregon/Colorado series is not as accurate as the maps you add e.g. City Navigator and Topo. In fact adding one of these maps on top of the base map corrected all the accuracy problems. The old Etrex had a patch antenna, and they are extremely accurate in open terrain.

The Garmin 400t uses a different method to get waypoints that say he 60CSX. On the 400t the files are on the F drive which is basically a mass storage drive. I suggest you get a program call GSAK to help you manage your waypoints. You would use the Geocaching.com Premium query to download all your queries. GSAK has the ability to suck in all the queries and manipulate them for you. You would then have GSAK export the files to the F drive (Your GPS). You will then have all the files available on your GPS as .gpx files. There is really no reason to convert from .loc to gpx. The .loc files contain minimal info for maps while the .gpx files let you take advangtage of the advance features of your GPS hardware. Hope his helps.

Yes you can download waypoints, up to 1000. The card is volatile memory, so it must be in the GPS at all times. Do not load other maps while the card is installed, else it will be ruined. You cannot copy the card due to security measures.

Name/Model of GPS: Garmin 400t Rating (1= 5= ): 1 star Advantages: Small size, large screen, reasonably accurate Disadvantages:Screen is hard to see in sunlight, dims w/ alkaline batteries when the batteries are half used, menus are not setup to flow without having to navigate back through the menus. TOPO map seems inaccurate, however, if you load a second newer map, then the TOPO seems to start tracking accurately, MicroSD clip is flimsy and falls off. Consumer Comments: I could forgive all the other warts on this GPS if only I had a clear and bright display in sunlight.

I purchased and then returned an Oregon 400t. I waited out the Colorado and thought I had found the replacement for the 60CSx. I am disappointed in several aspects of the Oregon: 1. You cannot see the screen almost anytime without backlighting. I do not understand the testimonials that I am reading. Am I the only one that notices that can see this. For $600 bucks, this GPS ought to knock your socks off with clarity and detail. 2. Manual and documentation is very skimpy. I eventually had to figure out most of the ways to do things on my own. 3. The menus enforce a heirarchial approach that is not intuitive. IMHO the screens out to be logically sequenced so that one activity leads to the most likely next activity. e.g. I have found a cache..well what will I do next?? Most likely tell the GPS to mark it found or find another cache. I should not have to navigate back through the menus to make those choices. 4. Insistence on premium batteries i.e. Lithium or NiMh. If you use Alkaline, then at about 50% of the batteries life, the screen will only barely light up. With this GPS, the backlight is a necessity. 5. I don't like using the compass screen to navigate to caches with the warning of "keep it level". There are probably a few more items, but you get the idea. I cannot believe that the executives at Garmin, looked at this screen and agreed to let it go out like this--unbelieveable. Peoria Bill

I recently purchased an Oregon 400t GPS. I waited out the Colorado situation and had hoped for much better performance from the Oregon 400t. Here is my rant...Tell me what you think? 1. Despite the glowing reports on REI.com, the screen is NOT readable in sunlight. 2. Alkaline batteries work till about 50%, then only dimly light the screen. 3. The MicroSD retainer clip fell out when I opened the unit. I put it back so I could install memory. 4. The menus are not intuitive. When you find a cache, the next steps would logically be..find me another cache and mark this cache as found. In order to accomplish this you have to navigate back through the menus to accomplish the task. 5. The TOPO map is not the latest. It seems to be wide of the mark on locations that my 60CSx nails solidly. 6. The instruction manual, what there is, does not explain the way to upload caches (*.gpx) file to the unit. The manual is general features and provides no specific user instructions. 7. At $600 I should not have to compromise and squint at a screen. In my humble opinion this unit was not ready for prime time and unfortunately is headed back to store. I guess I still hope that Garmin can get it right again. Maybe by the time they get to Illinois. Meanwhile my 60CSx remains my mainstay. Please no personal attacks, I am just stating my opinion.

I may be late in replying to this topic, but here's my unscientific opinion. I own both the 60CSx and the Vista Etrex HCx. Both work well under cover and maintain signal. The HCx is a little more ergonomic, but not enough to influence a purchase decision. The big difference is that the HCx occasionally forgets why we are out in the woods. It seems to need an extra "find geocaches" cycle to get the arrow pointed in the right direction. Yes the compass is off. Also, when you get within say 20-25 feet of the cache coords, it does not seem to be able to hold the arrow steady and let you zero in on the cache. It starts to bounce back and forwards and really can't resolve down to give you ground zero. The 60CSx on the other hand holds a steady arrow and drops you down right on top of the cache. Again, both are good GPS's, but the HCx gets you close to the cache and the 60CSx take you right there. One person's personal experience and not scientific by any means. Peoria Bill :>)

I think being approached by the Cops is a byproduct of this activity. In every case, if you maintain a positive attitude, explain to them what you are doing and even show them a brochure on Geocaching, they will wish you a good day and leave. Here are a couple of cautions: When a sign say "No Trespassing" it means exactly that. Be careful of caches in and around playgrounds. This is about the quickest way to wind up be asked some serious questions. Thirdly, stay away from commercial buildings at suspicious times ie Night. If you'll keep these things in mind, then being stopped, questioned, etc. by the Cops is a rare occurence that you'll be able to handle. Have fun caching!!

I tried this product twice and had miserable results. Air bubbles, hard to align because it grips too hard ie no setup time, etc. Other folks seem to use it with no problem, just did not work for me. I have since bought the palm pilot screen protector pack and it works great! Costs about $19, but you can do all your cameras, gps's, palms, etc. Peoria Bill :>)