imajeep

Any of the new eTrex models would be good. But to download directly to your Garmin GPS, you have to download and install an application, which I suspect you may find a hassle. Plus, some users have found the software to be frustrating. See other posts on this board. I'd suggest the new eTrex 'H' models (arriving in July), along with a free program called EasyGPS. Here is how it works: You download waypoints from GC.com to your computer. They download as .loc files. EasyGPS opens this type of file and can transfer the waypoints in them to your GPS unit. Most folks get the hang of it pretty quickly.

XP has a built-in driver for a "USB Mass Storage Device". Most cameras use that driver, and Windows thinks they are just big disk drives. That's the same way a GPS interacts with Windows when you put it in "USB Mass Storage" mode, the way you can with Garmins. In that mode, Windows will recognize the GPS storage, but not the GPS itself. To recognize the GPS as a GPS device and to provide an interface between the device and software applications (like MapSource or EasyGPS), Windows needs a set of drivers specific to the GPS unit. The drivers communicate with the device and provides well-defined services to software applications, like transfer to and from the device, or real-time position data. So, that's why you need special drivers for your GPS, when you don't need them for your digital camera or MP3 player.

And walking around with a gps and palm connected together doesn't look even worse? I actually find that the 60 series is relatively unobtrusive. Dude, we're all walkin' 'round the woods staring at GPS screens! We don't need 'Dork' tatooed on our foreheads!

Aaaah, now I get it. I'm getting shading in my National Parks West 1:24K topos. You're right, V3 doesn't have it.

Yours didn't come with one? Mine was right on top, by the user manual.

I am not sure if these are compelling reasons but: 1. Updated street data. 2. Digital elevation modelling--give you the ability to look at vertical profiles of your routes. 3. Named roads and streets--they are not just named "road". 4. Searchable POIs. 5. Terrain shading. Now you have to decide if the above reasons are compelling enough to buy it. Thanks! I find the elevation modelling pretty compelling. Is terrain shading only in the PC display? Doesn't V3 already have that?

I am not sure if these are compelling reasons but: 1. Updated street data. 2. Digital elevation modelling--give you the ability to look at vertical profiles of your routes. 3. Named roads and streets--they are not just named "road". 4. Searchable POIs. 5. Terrain shading. Now you have to decide if the above reasons are compelling enough to buy it. Thanks! I find the elevation modelling pretty compelling. Is terrain shading only in the PC display? Doesn't V3 already have that?

Hmm--hadn't seet Jet Photo Studio. Thanks for the tip. As to syncing in GPicSync--I had some trouble initially. My camera was synched to the second with my GPS, but my times were five hours off! I learned that although my GPS displays local time, it records UTC to the track log. I reset my camera to UTC, and sync works fine. The program subsequently added a 'Local time offset" box for people who want to keep their camera on local time. Turn off the 'Require same date' option if you use that though, or late evening pictures won't sync. I'll check out Jet. Also, RoboGEO is very popular and quite good.

I always check these threads just to make sure I'm not in there! Amazing stuff--what are these folks thinking?

I'm using the Garmin US Topo V3. Is there any compelling reason to upgrade to US Topo 2008, given that the new set is 1:100K? Thanks

To find the current firmware version in your unit, hold down the Enter key as you power-on the unit. That will bring up the Diagnostic Pate. The current version is the first item listed.

Has it been confirmed that the new eTrex models use the MTK chip? All I can find is "high sensitivity".

I think you are right--thanks for the catch!

I posted a question here a couple of weeks ago about geocoding pictures--adding location data to photographs for display in Flickr or Google Earth. Since then, I've been playing with a new piece of Google software, GPicSync, that is pretty cool (and free ). Basically, the software geocodes pictures from a GPX tracklog file. You can add audio commentary to any picture from a your camera's built-in feature, or from a digital audio recorder (I'm using a $50 Olympus recorder). The software can simply geocode the pictures, or it can bundle up the tracklog, the pictures, and the audio into a KMZ file for display in Google Earth or Google Maps. The software's home page has some example files to show what it does. Obviously, its not the only software out there that does this sort of thing, but IMO it's well done, and you can't beat the price!

WAAS satellites show up fairly low in the sky in the Northern hemisphere. The farther north you go, the less chance of good reception. In Chicago, I often don't get WAAS signals.

Do you cache in the woods? If you do, then you might want to consider the Garmin 60 Csx--much better reception under forest canopy. Otherwise, I would suggest waiting to see if Garmin does come out with eTrex Hc models--rumor is, they will use high-sensitivity chipsets with reception comparable to the 60. I hike and cache in AZ--up north, tree canopy can be a problem. In the south, it's canyons, which degrade reception just as badly as trees when you're down in 'em. I would echo the recommendation that it's better to have high sensitivity and not need it than the other way around.

You don't need mapping software to record a track. Go to the handheld's main menu, select 'Tracks', and turn the track log on at the top of the Tracklogs page.

One benefit of the 60 Cs line is that it has an external antenna connector. You can pick up a Gilsson external antena for about $25. The one I use slips nicely in the top pouch of my bush hat, which helps under really challenging conditions, like deep canyons.

One more factor to add, one that I'm always harping on. GPS receivers fall into two categories--normal-reception and high-sensitivity. Low-end units tend to be normal-reception. They can't receive satellite signals in wooded areas or canyons. If you're geocaching, you have to step into a clearing to get a reliable fix on your position. That means a lot of triangulating, which many people find to be a pain. So, even for a beginner, I'd recommend springing for a high-sensitivity unit. In the Garmin line (the manufacturer I'm familiar with), that means either the 60 Cs(x) or the 76Cs(x). You may be able to find a used 60 Cs on eBay for $150 or so. The situation may change (at least for Garmin) pretty soon. They are rumored to be adding high-sensitivity to their mid-range eTrex line. If that proves to be the case, then the eTrex high-sensitivity models would be another good option.

I'd echo the recommendation to look for a used 60 cs on eBay. If you geocache in the woods, I'd also suggest adding the SIRF III chipset to your specs. The 76 has it, so if you move to a unit without it (or a comparable high-sensitivity chipset), you might be unpleasantly surprised by reception problems under tree cover.

We decided to do Topanga to Parker Mesa. about 3 miles, with an 800 foot elevation gain. Canyon views all the way, if Google Earth is to be believed, and a breathtaking view of the entire LA basin from the Parker Mesa Overlook.

Check to see if the unit you are considering contains the SIRF III chipset. I had a Garmin eTrex Vista Cx (which does not have the chipset), and I had constant reception problems in the woods. I upgraded to the Garmin 60 Csx, and now I have virtually no problems in the woods. Rumor has it that Garmin is preparing to upgrade the eTrex line with 'enhanced sensitivity' chipsets other than the SIRF III. So there may be other options to improve your reception. But if you can, borrow the model you are considering from a friend (or go out with them) and try it in the woods.

Thanks for all the replies. I can see there are two sides to the issue, and the best solution seems to be 'trade even or up." I think I'll revisit that cache tomorrow and drop something off. For those who wish to share their faith: Geocaching is an amazingly sociable community, considering the strong beliefs that probably lie just below the surface. Just as you wish tro share your faith, a gun-owner may wish to prosetylize about Second Amendment rights. A gay geocacher may wish to prosetylize about same-sex marriage. An opponent of the Iraq War may wish to share their anti-war beliefs. I could go on and on (and often do ). Geocaching works as a community because by and large, we all leave our opinions and beliefs at the door. Instead, we focus our attention on common ground, our love of the game. One of the things I enjoy about geocaching is that it provides an escape from social, political, and religious issues. When any of these issues are injected into the game, the game suffers.

I love it! I am now officially a Frisbeetarian! Where do I go to get the operation done?

You know, that's a great idea! Or maybe Church of the Subgenius. And for the more religiously inclined out there, we mean no harm. God must have a sense of humor. After all, he invented sex!