admo1972

Your best bet will be to get the gpx or loc files from geocaching.com and save them to your PC, then upload those to your garmin. Even better, use a Palm and the $8 program cachemate to store your hundreds (even thousands) of geocaches. Find what you really want on there, then search for it on the Garmin. My garmin Vista allows me to search for caches by name, where you can actualy enter the name of the cache and it "jumps" to that particular one in the list. Generally, I only keep a few waypoints stored in my Garmin, I delete the ones I am done with and rely on cachemate to keep my cache database.

YMMV = Your Milage May Vary. Perhaps some people find geocaching mode useful. But it definately isn't necessary. I was surprised my Vista, which has no geocachimg mode, is "aware" of geocaching. When I mark waypoints, it lets my chose among a large list of icons to represent the waypoint (home, tall tower, parking lot, restroom, etc). Two of the options is "geocache" and "geocache found" represented by a treasure chest and an open treasure chest, respectively. As for the city being your "home" position, it may just be that that city is the closest urban area your GPS knows about and defaults to that. I'm really not sure.

You can use that fine fo rgeocaching. The GC mode has something to do with pointing you from one cache to another or something. Most people I've spoken to find GC modes useless, and generally a marketing gimmik to get newbie cachers to buy GPSr with "geocaching mode". YMMV. As for it being off 18 miles, that doesn't seem right. Are you outside with a clear view of the sky? It should tell you it's accuracy. When my Vista gets a fix, it generally starts at about 60 feet and quickly gets better to about 20 or 16 feet.

If I'm understanding your post, GPSr that have electronic compass (such as the Garmin Vista and Vista cx), will point to your destination while you are stopped, as it knows which way you are facing. Those without an electronic compass only points correctly to your destination while you are moving in a straight line. It does the calculations of where you are and where you have been to determine your heading. So if you stop or start turning, the pointer is useless.

Loved that part of the episode! I knew their units must not have had an electronic compass, based on how they would stop in place and try and turn to face whatever way the arrow was pointing. I was smacking my wife (lightly) saying: Walk fast! In a straight line! Then correct! We all would have done much better.

This weekend I had my first "large" geocaching trip. My plan was to go for two that were seperated by about 2.5 miles. I had my Palm for paperless geocaching, my Garmin Vista, cell phone, pad of paper and small pen, bottle of water, one Travel bug from a previous cache. What I most missed was having snacks! I'm still stuck with this bug. The first cache I did not find (DNF), and I think it may have been washed away in the recent storms we had in the Northeast. The second was a microcache (a prescription bottle) that my bug would never fit in. Reading through these, an led flashlight would be helpful. I need to make a list so I can quickly pack my bag and get out the door!

Welcome! I've only found 2. My first was with a friend and his GPSr. I was hooked, bought a GPSr myself and headed off during lunch one day to get my first solo find. This struck me: I got to the base of the hill where the cache was, and only then pulled out my GPSr and my geocaching.com printouts, and it took me a few minutes to figure out how to enter the coordinates where I wanted to go! I was sitting on a bench, and kept fiddling on how to enter the coordinates. Finally got them entered and headed off to my first solo find!

One thing I did (which was quite fun) was to take a reading while on the deck of my house and note the coordinates. Then move 20 or 30 feet and take another reading. Then hop onto maps.google.com, switch to satellite view and paste the coordinates in. Google pointed me almost spot-on. This only works, however, if google has relatively hi-rez images of your location.

The most "normal" way would be to transfer waypoints from the Palm to your PC, then from the PC to the GPS.

I went back and forth between the Vista and Venture Cx. I went with the Vista because to me the electronic compass outweighed color screen / expandable memory for me.

From what I read on these forums, people love it. I personally got the Vista. Color screen wasn't as important to me, and what I really wanted was an electronic compass. On my first cache I was using a friends Legend, and it had me walking all over the place looking for the cache, because it didn't know which way I was facing. Sometimes when getting within 800 feet of a geocache, walking fast and in a straight line so that the GPSr can calculate your heading isn't an easy or safe option. But again, that's just me. I've seen glowing reviews for the model you are looking at.

I'm new to this too, and hav enot purchased any additional maps yet. From what I've read on this forum, the topo maps are good as far as accurate coastlines, accurate stream and rivers, etc. Plus, helpful when determining if a cache is down in the valley or up on the hill. But as you stated, they are out of date, so trail info may be hit and miss. I am guessing that the best option is the topo maps plus a paper trail map when you get to the state park. Or, what some find more fun, just get to the park and go on nothing other the GPSr to tell you the bearing and distance to the cache. So far I've found 2 caches with no maps, just cache coordinates. I'd suggest do a few easier geocaches before you buy any maps. If those are successful, then try some more difficult ones (ones with more difficult terrain). Then you will quickly find out if you are wishing for the topo maps.

Before I send you an email, please post here if you still need. I have an Intel Mac Pro with 10.4.9, and a G3 powerbook with 10.2.8. I use a Garmin eTrex Vista. No skype, but am willing to try out software and email response. Only 2 caches found so far, so I am very new to this.

Mac SimpleGPS will transfer waypoints and such from you mac to your GPS. I haven't used it yet. I do know it will transfer .GPX files (the kind you get from geocaching premium membership). Not sure if it will transfer .loc files.

You should get an email if you paid via PayPal. I paid by credit card, and my account was upgraded without any further action by me.

I just got and registered CacheMate to use on my TX, which I bought long before I knew anything of geocaching. I haven't used either yet to locate a cache, but onc eI do I will reply to this thread as to my experience with both the software and the TX itself (speed, easyiness, brightness, etc). Looking forward to my first paperless geocache!

I have a Mac Pro (the desktop), but haven't found any need to use GPS software (yet). However, I do have XP installed, so I am sure that I can always use PC software when booting into XP via Boot Camp to do any GPS software. You can get and install XP on your MBP if you wish. I got XP Pro for about $100 from viosoftware.com.

Yes. I should have made that connection between the numbers and the stars. Thanks!

When viewing a list of geocaches in my area, I am confused by what D/T means? For exampel, for a cache it may say D/T is 1/1.5. I'm sure when I hear the answer, I'll have to smack my head that it is obvious. Found my first geocache today, BTW