BigOpe

Shame on me for not closing the books on this. Found somebody, all is good, and many thanks to all others who offered. Cache On!

Nah, invest $5 or less in a simple Boy Scout compass if you really need to know which way is north. Some things shouldn't have to be high-tech.

Off thread a bit, but I was also thinking, geocaching.com needs a feature that will change a DNF to a DFE (Did Find Eventually) if one goes back repeatedly and finally finds it. I know it would do wonders for MY stats!

Is there someplace on geocaching.com that shows who has the most finds? I just noticed a friend of mine has over 30,000, which got me to wondering about the worldwide champion.

Since this thread is about the Etrex-H: In my configuration, Etrex-H <--> cable using PL-2303 serial emulation driver <--> USB port <--> Windows 7 computer, EasyGPS talks back and forth to my Etrex just fine, but GPSBabel does NOT, saying I have no serial port. (My Windows Device Manager says otherwise.) And one of their head people who shall remain unnamed is far better at telling me there's a problem at my end than conceding that just maybe there's a glitch in GPSBabel. It may be a great program, and hey, it's free, but if you have questions, better have a thick skin, because you're likely to get the full idiot treatment.

FURTHER UPDATE: curiosity got the best of me and I EMailed FTDI, who manufacture the chip that supposedly made all this work. The story is, that adapter has FTDI's chip inside it, along with the necessary drivers, so the first time you plug it in those drivers get loaded into Windows 8 and from then on, whenever the adapter is plugged into a USB port the computer THINKS it has a serial port. I tested that by unplugging it, and all reference to ports disappeared from the Windows Device Manager. So presumably you can use this adapter for ANY gizmo that needs a serial connection, provided the cable has a female RS232 at the computer end. So I had to buy the new cable to fit the adapter (my old cable went direct to USB), but the Garmin 2.3.1 drivers may not have had anything to do with my fix (though having the latest drivers is always a good thing, right?). By now I suppose those of you who speak fluent chipset are saying "Well du-uhhh!", but I learned something and thought I'd post it for others at my level of duh-ness. I'm one of those people who wants to know, not just that things work, but WHY they work, at least in simple terms.

FWIW, I deleted all caches from my Etrex-H, downloaded Green Gate as a .loc, pulled it into EasyGPS (all good), then sent it to my ETrex-H, where it showed up just fine as GREEGA ("scrunched" name). Does not show up when I ask for nearest, as it's hundreds of miles from where I live, but other than that, all appeared normal. Yeah, I know, Etrex-H and Etrex-20 are two different animals; I'm just posting this to suggest that the geocaching website itself does not seem to be the problem. Were it me, I'd be going over the GPS settings with a fine-tooth comb. Maybe delete absolutely everything, a total back-to-factory reset, then try to import just that one? (Oh, and I also examined the .loc file with a text editor and it looks entirely normal.)

I have no idea if this will help, but I'll throw it in. With my ancient Etrex-H and EasyGPS software, the software scrunches the cache name down to six characters, which sometimes creates duplicates. Then, when I send them to the Etrex, it takes the first and rejects the rest as duplicates. You'll have to investigate your own particular GPS/software combination, but there's a starting point for finding the problem.

Well, the early Garmins, ETrex-H in my case, have a flat slider-type connection at the GPS end, and my understanding is that's not the case with later models.

I know zip about nuvi, but would be very surprised if it deletes old caches in favor of new ones. In which case, it's entirely possible it's chockablock full.

A guess, I'm on an ETrex-H. My particular geocaching software, EasyGPS, scrunches the cache names (not the GC numbers) down into six characters, and sometimes with very similar cache names the "scrunch" comes out the same. My Etrex therefore accepts the first one and thinks all others with the same "scrunch" are duplicates. It sounds like you are working with GC number rather than name, but all the same, your ETrex may only be able to handle the first six characters. So if it already has something loaded as GC2D5H, it won't accept another one with that same ID. Check everything you've loaded previously and I'll betcha there's something there that is GC2D5H~, with ~ being some other character than X, the one you're trying to load now. If you find that's the problem, you can see if your software can be set to use names instead of GC numbers, OR you can edit the GC numbers to just remove the GC, which adds nothing.

All I can say is it looks, and for the most part behaves, exactly like my original, which was bought new from a local store. I don't honestly remember if I got it on EBay, or maybe Amazon -- just one of those on-line places that popped up when I searched for Etrex-H. I can say when it arrived it looked in perfect shape, but that's just the outer case and screen, of course. As I said, it works just fine in pretty much all respects despite slightly different menu options, only quirk is this antenna sensitivity thing. I'm not going to chuck it in the rubbish bin over this, just wondering if anyone has any technical insights to share.

I lost my original ETrex-H last year and replaced it with a refurbished unit off EBay or somewhere. It works fine, though I notice some menu differences, except for one thing. The antenna sensitivity seems to be a problem compared to my old unit. If I stick it in my pocket for a minute while logging, it loses its "sky view"; re-connects in a few seconds after I take it out of my pocket, but still, the old one didn't do that. Also has problems getting a satellite lock if I fire it up indoors, and sometimes when I'm searching close to GZ it seems to change its mind every time I take a few steps, even if I'm out in the wide open spaces with great view of the sky. Eventually, if I walk around slowly, it'll settle down and come up with the correct GZ, but it's something of an annoyance. So my questions are, does anyone know of changes to the ETrex-H antenna in later versus earlier models that might explain this, and is there anything in the system settings that I might need to adjust to get more satisfactory antenna performance? It's not a huge deal, I've adapted to it, but if there's a fix I don't know about, by all means tell me about it.

Check out my thread about Etrex-H/Windows 8 problems for some information on cables and adapters. If you're still on Windows 7, though, the cable I have for that has the flat "slider" coonection at the GPS end and a regular USB connection at the computer end. I download cache data to a .loc or .gpx, then pull it into EasyGPS, and from there send it to the Etrex. EasyGPS has a setting that scrunches the cache NAME down into a six-character ID, but that's problematic sometimes when a series of caches have almost identical names except maybe for #1, #2, #3 etc. way out at the end. The scrunched names come out the same, and the Etrex will take only the first one and reject the rest. I beat that by editing the names in EasyGPS, but that can be a bit tedious. Nonetheless, I prefer the sorta-names to the GC numbers when I pull them up on the Etrex. It's a memory jogger for which is which when I'm out in the boonies, and certainly cheaper than a fancier GPS that would show the full, actual names.

This may have nothing whatsoever to do with your problem, as I'm still using an old Garmin Etrex-H (which I like and hope it never dies). BUT, when I download caches into it, the cache names get scrunched down to a six-character approximation, and I've found from painful experience that similar cache names sometimes generate the same six characters and my ETrex won't take the same combination a second time. For example, if someone places "Christmas Cache Special Good Hide #1" and "Christmas Cache Special Good Hide #2," both of them may "translate" to CHCSGH, so the first one will load and the second one won't. I have to be alert for that and modify the cache names in my pre-download program (I use EasyGPS) to give them distinctive names. You might want to investigate whether this is what's going on with your Magellan.

UPDATE: I just tried my ETrex-H with the OLD cable, plugging it directly into a USB port on my Windows 8 laptop, then trying to up- and download using EasyGPS. Got message "cannot open USB port." Replaced the old cable with the new cable-plus-adapter configuration, all good. So it would appear one needs ALL the stuff mentioned in my previous post to get this to work. One could try the new cable without the adapter first, I suppose, if and only if you have an RS232 port on whatever computer you're trying to connect to. But the point is, JUST installing the new 2.3.1 drivers isn't enough, it needs some or all of the new hardware as well. Don't ask me why, above my technical paygrade.

I've had two folks ask in the last couple days what I bought and did, so will post the info here for anyone else who needs it. First, I bought a new ETrexH-to-PC cable with different connectors on the ends: http://www.amazon.com/GARMIN-PC-Interface-Cable-Connector-eTrex/dp/B00004VX23/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1396285145&sr=8-2&keywords=etrex+h+cable The little slide connector at the GPS end is a slightly different shape from my old cable, looks different in the picture, but works just fine. Second, I bought an adapter, RS-232 to USB, because my laptop doesn't have an RS-232 port. http://www.ebay.com/itm/USB-RS232-Serial-DB9-Cable-Adapter-FTDI-Windows-7-/350822277935?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51aea3232f When you look at this it'll say "Windows 7," but never mind that, it works on my Windows 8 laptop. Third, I THINK I installed Garmin's 2.3.1 driver update, available from the Garmin site, and presto, it worked. Their site says 2.3.1 has been updated for Windows 8. If your computer has an RS-232 port you might not even need the adapter, and before you buy any hardware you might just try installing the drivers first and see if your old cable then works. Apparently the old drivers for Windows 7 were written around one particular microchip, and Windows 8 uses a different chip to perform the same function, so the new drivers are an important part of the fix. That's a bit over my head technically, but hey, the drivers are a free download.

OK, thanks all for the ideas and cautions. Definitely need to stay on the right side of the reviewers!

I have only a dozen owned caches in two states, reflecting my "Snowbird" lifestyle. Don't have the endurance to maintain dozens or hundreds of caches, as some do. Notwithstanding, I'm an avid reader of "series books" like Game of Thrones, the Emberverse series, the Safehold series, etc. Have been thinking about initiating a cache series that in some way connects to one of those, and maybe has a little bit of a "puzzle cache" spin to it that would encourage people to read the books as well as pursue our favorite hobby. Something like "If you find this cache AND correctly answer the question you find there about the book series, you may log a find." Could do it entirely within my own life sphere, that being Tucson, AZ and Ruidoso, NM, but there might be the potential for something more nationwide. Anybody want to collaborate?

I'm not entirely clueless on the computer (I'm a database designer/programmer), but darn if I can make sense out of the PQ download. Up to now I've opened the preview and downloaded them selectively that way, but it's obvious from the screens that the intent is to be able to EMail them all to myself if that's my preference. I build the PQ, "submit" it, it tells me I can preview the results, I go back to the PQ startup page, don't see the new query there, can't find any links or buttons anywhere to say "send it now!." WTH? I think maybe I've actually gotten an EMail with caches once or twice during past experiments, but what I did that caused that to happen ... no idea. Can somebody please post a simple (1), (2), (3) set of instructions for creating a new PQ and EMailing the results to myself it that's what I want? (PS for the site designers, if this confuses ME, I can imagine a certain subset of cachers being far more frustrated.) NEVER MIND ... when all else fails, read the instructions more closely.

I've used the CAAR feature successfully several times before, but I tried just now, and when I get to the map screen, where you either type in a start and end point or click them on the map, neither one works for me. I put in start and end points and click the search button, nada. I scroll the map to my area, click once on start city and once on end city, nada. Has something changed?

Interesting, and there's a slew of them on EBay for not much money. I see one of the reviews says all input is manual -- arrgh! Is that your experience?

Well, I got a replacement H on EBay, "used but in very good condition," and for the most part all is good for the present. Have found 50-odd caches with it so far. I am finding, though, that this one is somewhat more sensitive in the antenna department -- takes a bit longer to grab enough satellites for good accuracy, and complains about bad sky view if I stick in my pocket for a few minutes, which the previous two did not. It also has a tendency, SOMETIMES but not always, to jump around or lose its fix; I'll get a good GZ reading, but then I take a few steps and it says I'm 50' off in one direction, few more steps and I'm 50' off in an entirely different direction, etc. Not sure if there's anything I can do about that.

Thanks to all. Wow, that thousand-quid ETrex is pretty nutso! I ordered a used one in allegedly very good condition for $43 shipped, hope it turns out OK. I saw some others at auction for fairly low prices but some sharpie had set his auto-bid to bump me by a buck no matter what (within reason) I bid. Even though I have one coming, I did go out and bid on the one PigSti and Bamboozle posted, and did not immediately get overbid. If I actually win I guess I'll have a spare. After I posted here I looked around and found an Etrex 10 "kit" for $110, including a cable, sofware, etc., which actually is pretty good; other 10's were around $200. Happy caching to all.

Please forgive double post -- I put this over in garage sales, then realized this might be a better place but didn't know how to move it. I'm at almost 2200 finds with a plain-vanilla ETrex H, but had to buy a replacement last winter when the buttons on one wore out, then again last week when I lost the replacement. I confess -- I'm something of a Luddite, perfectly happy with the Etrex H, but it's getting harder and harder to find the GPS itself, not to mention cables and compatible GPS-to-PC software. If anything happens to this latest ETrex H, I think I'm going to be forced into moving up whether I want to or not. That being said, I still want to stay as "plain vanilla" as possible -- adds to the challenge, dontcha know. I know the ETrex has many upgrade models -- 10, 20, 30, Venture, and on and on. I haven't paid any attention at all to Lowrance or Magellan, but I assume they have basic models as well. So I'm really looking for folks who will share their experiences with ANY brand of geocaching-focused GPS that is toward the bottom of the respective product line. Not interested in "It was okay but I wanted a color screen," or "I liked it but it wouldn't connect to the Internet," or any of those kinds of stories; I want to know what's the next simplest GPS up the food chain, any brand, that will do what the ETrex H does and is still more or less widely available in stores and in the aftermarket (EBay, Amazon, Craigslist, etc.) Also not interested in using it in my car -- strictly for geocaching and general hiking. Anyone with experiences and advice to share, please chime in.