Pacific NW

Count me in as a little confused as to Garmin's lineup, too. Feels like they are cranking out so many variations just to see what sticks. Especially when it comes to handhelds and wearables. Downside to that is buggy firmware, competing product lines, and poor support. Not sure how much longer this can go on, especially in the era of rapidly advancing smartphones. (And before I get roasted, LOL, yes I know phones and standalone GPS units each have their strengths and weaknesses.) That being said, I'm secretly hoping they update the eTrex 10. Solid little basic unit with great battery life that doesn't need a huge boost -- more memory would be nice. Was at Cabela's the other day and they had a massive stack of them on the counter. Even the associate remarked how they've never received this many GPS units at once. Perhaps they are being cleared out soon to make room...

Yup, older Mac here, too -- just gotta be super fast in unplugging the USB cable from the back of the GPS. Another vote for emptying the trash can first, that way any files you "deleted" from the SD card or GPS internal memory are actually removed.

*Short answer: No, not possible at the moment, although the hardware and software can likely talk to each other. *Longer answer: Once upon a time, Garmin's older version of the Basecamp Mobile app used to be able to send/receive waypoints over Bluetooth. I used this several times on an iPhone with success -- but have no idea if they ever supported Android OS. Unfortunately... last year Garmin pulled the Basecamp app and removed the wireless waypoint functionality. So now all you can do wirelessly with a smartphone and a GPSMAP 64S is utilize the live tracking via their Connect app. I wrote an e-mail to Garmin asking if they planned to bring back these waypoint, etc. features, and their answer was "no". IMHO, it's one thing to never have offered the feature at all, but another thing to support it initially, then just quietly take the features away hoping no one will notice.

If it hasn't already been mentioned, be sure to check out GPS File Depot. They have a bunch of free maps available, including various topo offerings.

FYI -- check out the Oregon 600 wiki (they've moved to this new site): http://www.gpsrchive.com/Oregon%206xx/index.htm I've been tempted by the dropping price of the Oregon 600, too. But honestly, knowing all of the troubles the unit has had, I've avoided it and stuck with the GPSMAP 64s. Hopefully some Oregon 600 users can chime in here shortly...

Unfortunately (or fortunately), Garmin isn't the only one with this problem. I have a Suunto Core watch that does the same thing -- set it for local pressure, and the elevation reading is off. Set it for elevation, and the local pressure reading is off. Like Yogazoo, I've been using millibars of pressure instead of inches to get the most accurate calibration possible out of the Garmin. Also, if I'm in one location for a while, I'll go in to the settings and change them to "stationary" instead of "variable" elevation.

Wondering if it has something to do with the Adventures file(s) and maybe something corrupted in there. I haven't used them yet, so can't comment on how they work, but you might try a hard reset. To do a reset on the eTrex line, I believe you do the following: 1. From off, press in joystick button and hold down. 2. While still holding down, press power button. 3. Screen prompt should pop up, asking if you want to erase all user data. Also, if that doesn't work, then powering on with the USB cable attached and joystick pressed up, forces mass storage mode. (Per Garmin forums) https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?26770-Cannot-hard-reset-Etrex-30 FYI -- if you are able to eventually get the unit to power on and connect to the computer, it is a good idea to make a backup of the entire GPS folders on your PC, just in case. Good luck, hope you're able to get it working!

I think one thing you will absolutely notice going from the GPSMAP 64 series to the eTrex series is the step-down in processor speed. Panning the map, searching for waypoints, etc. all will take longer on the eTrex. Both units have the ability to tap into GLONASS reception, which really helps at the higher latitudes -- though adding in the quad-helix antenna of the GPSMAP probably gives it the slight edge in heavy canopy. And just to complicate things, there's always the newer touch-screen units, too.

Honestly, it's good to see all of the open discussion here and in the other threads. That's the only way the game and hobby is going to improve and evolve. Sure, we'll never agree on everything, and that's just fine. It's all in the name of dialogue, and I'd rather see fellow members get their thoughts out for Groundspeak to consider the pro's and con's of any potential changes down the line.

Sure thing -- having a minimum setback from federal and state highways would be a good start. Banning and removing guardrail caches would be another.

Thanks to the impersonality of the 'net, I'm not sure exactly which definition you are using. My apologies if you feel offended; that's certainly not my intention. Please keep in mind, I'm just brainstorming and offering my $0.02, the same as everyone else here. - Perhaps a minimum amount of time in conjunction with a certain number of finds would work as a better approach, or just a time-based minimum on its own. If they want to incentivize things, offer more hides to those who pony up for a premium membership. - Asking for photos of cache containers and hiding locations before approval doesn't seem that outrageous. After all, this is a game based on the use of GPS devices, smart phones, and a pretty detailed web site and mobile app. A picture is worth a thousand words. - As far as setbacks from roads and other transportation corridors, I'm all for personal responsibility. At the same time, I'm also all for some relative modicum of safety. I know that risks are inherent with caching (heck, even just stepping outside), but they don't need to be located inside of guardrails, along blind corners, at stop signs, within spitting distance of the highway, etc. Common sense should apply, but so should some minimum guidelines. (Which brings us back to photos of the cache and location for the reviewer.) - Oh, and I noticed that nobody has disagreed with the idea of bringing back virtual caches.

Totally agree. Money talks and it sounds like it is starting to speak up.

I totally agree that implementing tougher hiding standards will open a big can of worms. At the same time, if that can isn't opened, eventually it's going to go bad just sitting on the shelf.

We've all had to dig through blackberry bushes or wade through stands of poison ivy/oak to look for a cache. Or those fun ones near a bunch of garbage, or frequented by drug users, with needles littering the ground. Or worry about stopping along a busy road with no place to safely park or walk. Or LPC's made from somebody's used medical supplies. Or caches placed near jersey barriers along an Interstate. The list goes on and on... I'm going to catch a lot of flak for this, but here goes... three words: strict placement standards. - Members need a minimum number of finds before they can hide. - Hiders provide both a photo of the cache container and a photo of the location for reviewer. - Caches within an unsafe distance of roads, highways, railroad tracks, etc. are culled. (Google Earth would be handy here.) - Bring back virtuals. (Ok, now where did I put that flame suit?)

While you can calibrate Garmin's barometric pressure for a known sea-level pressure reading or local elevation, AFAIK, there is no way to fine-tune the small plus or minus "shift" you are mentioning.

Another early adopter of an eTrex Touch 25 here. I don't know if they still have this bug, but there was an issue with the start/pause track "reminder" constantly popping up, and disabling it wasn't an option. Also, I experienced some of the same screen freezes and hiccups that you mentioned. Ultimately, the unit went back for a refund, and I returned to using a GPSMAP 64s. Which is a shame, because I think Garmin really nailed the features on the eTrex Touch series, just not the firmware.

Nope. Honestly, I think consumer-level GPS units are about as good as they're going to get for right now. You're far more likely to have tree cover or canyons obstructing the signal, multi-path error, bad GPS antenna orientation, poor satellite constellation on a given day, or even wind up with a lemon of a GPS unit. Most of those variables are outside of your control.

(Climbs on soapbox...) Unfortunately, I think Garmin really missed the mark on the eTrex 10 with regards to this issue. Flash memory is so cheap, to include only 8MB is downright ridiculous. It's an otherwise excellent unit, with great reception and battery life, but very hampered by the memory limitation.

Agree with above -- absolutely check out the free third-party maps that are out there. Best thing to do is install BaseCamp on your computer, then download and install some various free maps and see if they provide the detail and coverage that you need. Below is a link to some excellent free topo maps and trail maps that cover part of Canada (you can also get to this site from GPS File Depot): http://www.switchbacks.com/gpsmaps.aspx

Heads up -- the other day I sent an e-mail in to Garmin's support center, asking about whether or not the BaseCamp mobile app would be updated and re-released; and/or if the features would instead be incorporated into the Garmin Connect app. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like either possibility is going to happen at this time. It sure was handy to send waypoints back and forth between the GPSMAP 64s and the phone app. Below is Garmin's reply... ------------- Thank you for contacting Garmin International. Happy to help, first the bad news. As of now there are currently no plans to either bring back the BaseCamp mobile application or integrate those features into our Connect application. On this side I will make sure your feedback is passed on. My suggestion to you however would be if you want to see these changes get the word out. I will include below a link to both our Connect forums feedback thread as well as our Garmin Idea's page. The more we see people requesting a feature the more likely it will happen. https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?75824-Garmin-Connect-Mobile-Ideas-and-Suggestions!-(iOS-amp-Android) http://www8.garmin.com/contactUs/ideas/

One suggestion would be to try a factory reset (after backing up your data first). Also, you might try removing any caches that you have loaded, and try loading just one or two to the GPS and see how it performs when navigating. Sometimes the pocket query .GPX files get corrupted.

Thanks for the heads up! I'm hoping that Garmin brings out an updated model to replace the Foretrex 401, adding in GLONASS support. What the heck, one can dream, right?

Impressive for a new unit and firmware, that's for sure. Thanks for all the time and effort put into testing!

As a fellow Mac user, I've been hoping for years that GC would add such a feature. Being able to draw a polygon on a map and return all caches in that area would be downright awesome.

I'm wondering if Garmin will grandfather in older devices that have Bluetooth functionality (GPSMAP 64s, Oregon 600/650, etc.) to the Geocaching "Live" ecosystem. The new Oregon 700 series looks great, but I sure hope the firmware is stable out of the box. Not only that, but I hope any associated phone apps (such as BaseCamp and Connect) are updated with more functionality. The BaseCamp iPhone app, as it stands now, is pretty spartan and needs work.