ace862

Nope. As written, the law requires it to be mounted properly on the dash. Why, well sitting loose you still could be picking it up to look at when it beeps. JD I've read through the bill a few times now and I don't see anywhere where it says that a GPS must be mounted to the dash. I does say that the GPS screen is exempt from the prohibition of screens that face the driver, and it says that a person may use a device if the person is not holding the device. As it is written, a device on the seat next to you is fine. Now where they might get around that is subsection 7 that states, the minister may make regulations prescribing devices for the purposes of subsections 1 and 2. I think Barnie's Band of Gold hit the nail right on the head with his post. The thing here is now that if you are ever in an accident, you will most likely be charged with using a device prohibited while driving AND careless driving. Double whammy!

Here is the link to where they will have the bill posted. Bill 118 It doesn't look like they have it up yet though. Keep checking back.

I'm using Topo 3D Canada V1.5. I still get the TOPO detail at 0.8mi and then it switches to the basemap at 1.6mi. I'm sure if this is a difference between the versions or not although I've only loaded the majority of Ontario and a small portion of Quebec on to my SD card. For Ontario, I do have it broken down into smaller overlapping chunks. Usually around 26MB to 36MB. As for the refresh rate, I've found that if you set the Orientation to 'North Up' it works much better than if you have it set to 'Track Up'. It take a bit of getting used to to orient yourself when driving but I find it keeps up very well. Hope that helps some. Cheers!

Is it possible you're running a Greasemonkey script on Firefox? I know I am and it checks the boxes by default for me. When I checked on IE7, that was not the case. Just a thought. Cheers!

I really enjoy doing the puzzle caches. We've got some really good ones in my area. I look at puzzle caches as exercise for your brain. Then you can go out and get the exercise for the body. It's win-win. However, that said, they can be quite frustrating at time. When I first started doing them I found this article quite helpful. With a little patience and time you'll get them. And the more you do the better you'll get. Trust me on that. Cheers!

I can't find that cache in the website. I have a couple bugs wandering around up there, does someone have a link to this cache? You can't find it because it's an unpublished cache. He's using as an inventory holder for some trackables that he has. Looks like he's had a few in there for a number of months. To see what he has in there you have to go to his profile and then look at the trackables section. Just look for the TBs that have a location of "Just Pissing People Off". To me it says alot about his character.

mjbgeo, It sounds like you should be able to do the 2.57 upgrade. From what I have been able to gather so far, the 2.57 firmware works on the older 500 models with the 2.03 firmware and 118 serial numbers. The 2.70 firmware works on the newer 500 models with the 2.17 firmware and 133 serial numbers. The only difference between the two is the compatibility of the different models. For the best info on the subject have a look at this thread: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...11&t=185052 And you should be able to download the 2.57 firmware from here: http://gpsinformation.org/perry/magellan/ or here: http://rhamphorinkx.newmail.ru/firmware/ Don't forget to backup your basemap. I also see that you are still getting WAAS. The one thing to be aware of is that before you do the firmware update you should 'Clear All' memory. Doing this will cause you to lose WAAS if for some reason the firmware doesn't work. Just thought I'd mention it so that you are aware of the risks. As I said before, the thread I mentioned above has alot of great information and should explain just about everything. Hope this helps some. Cheers!

That is a great idea for a FTF prize. As the cache owner the FTF prize is completely up to you. Do whatever you feel comfortable with. If you want to put one in, great. If you don't, that is great too. You're hiding a cache for others to find. That is usually the biggest reward of all. Of the 3 caches I've hidden I've put FTF prizes in 2. In both instances I left a $10 gift card for a local hardware store (I figured it could help someone with caching supplies) and I left a $5 coffee gift card. For me it was something I was comfortable doing and completely within my budget. I leave the gift cards in an envelope clearly marked 'FTF' and I place it in the ziploc bag with the log. I don't expect a trade item for the FTF prize. Do I expect a prize when I'm FTF? Nope. It's a nice treat when there is something but the little thrill of a clean log book can be just as rewarding. Remember the main thing is just to have fun playing the game. Cheers! Bill

What firmware do you currently have and what serial number does your unit start with? The 2.57 firmware does not work with all the eXplorist 500s. You may actually need the new 2.70 firmware. It depends on certain conditions.

Good point! Thanks Norm. Bill

It will be in your Background Maps file. When you go to the USB transfer mode, make sure you are looking in "internal" memory and not your SD card. Then the file is most likely hidden. I'm running XP so for me it goes - My Computer -> Tools -> Folder Options -> View -> check 'Show Hidden Files and Folders' -> uncheck "Hide Protected Operating System Files" ->OK After that you should see the file BASEMAP.MGI. This is the file you want. Copy this file on to your computer somewhere safe and you should be good to go. Good luck!

No Jim, you're not an idiot. The page doesn't make it very clear on how to download. It took me a bit to figure it out as well. At the top right hand of the page you will see 3 letters. Enter them into the box right beside them and click 'download'. Another page opens and you will see 2 columns. One says Premium, the other says free. At the bottom of the free column there should be something to the effect of "You must wait xx seconds to download this". I think it's usually 45 seconds to 1 minute. Once that timer runs out, then it will turn into a button that says 'download'. Click that and you should be good to go. You should back up your basemap files at the very least. I didn't have to reload my basemap but you never know. Better to be safe. When I did the update I took my SD card out. The other thing I did was back up my other assorted POIs that I have marked that are in the internal memory. Before you do the upgrade you should do an 'Clear All' memory. The warning on this is that if you currently have WAAS, doing a 'Clear All' will erase that. The updated firmware should take care of that though. However, if for some reason the update doesn't work, you will be left without WAAS. I'm not sure if this applies to you or not but I thought I'd throw it out there just to give people a heads up who may not be aware. Hope this helps. Cheers!

I'm really glad it worked but I'm kind of curious to know where it came from. What is the story behind it? There is no mention of it on the Magellan site anywhere. I did a google search and the only mention of it comes up in European sites in spanish and german. I know people have been banging their heads looking for a solution for months, and then all of a sudden there it is. Like I said, I'm happy to have found it and it seems to be working great. My curiosity gets the better of me sometimes. I'm also a little surprised more people haven't jumped on this thread. You don't suppose they've gone to.... The Dark Side!!! Cheers!

I believe this was brought up before and the explanation was that it's an issue with Magellan rather than the GC.com site. From what I understand Magellan does not share their source code that would enable this function. I'd say contact Magellan about this but given Magellan's concern for their customers you'd probably just be talking to yourself. GSAK is still the best route by far. My two cents anyways. Cheers!

Well I'll be a son of a .....! It actually worked. I had firmware 2.17 with serial number beginning with 133 and a blue circuit board. I made the mistake a number of months ago and cleared all memory on an unsuccessful firmware upgrade attempt and went back to looking for the old satellites. This firmware appears to have worked. I now have firmware 2.70, I have the extra screens, and I'm looking for WAAS sats 135 and 138. I didn't even need to reload my basemap. Another thing new I noticed is when I connect to the computer I get a "Database Copyright Notice' which come on for a few seconds and then goes to the USB screen. Wow thanks CipparroneClan for the link. I was beginning to give up hope of getting this issue resolved ever. Thanks again. Cheers!

Have you tried it yet? I'm really leery about bricking my 500. Does anyone have any info they can add? I would be great if this does work. Cheers!

You could also try CacheMagnet. For a demonstration look .

A couple quick things to check. First, make sure the cable is connected correctly and runs downward on your GPS. The other question is regarding your USB ports. Are you using an actual USB port or are you running off a USB hub. I had that problem when I first used my 500. I tried connecting it to a USB hub on my keyboard and it didn't work. As soon as I connected it to an actual USB port I didn't have any problems. Those are the ideas that come to mind right away. Let us know how it works out. Cheers!

It sounds like you may be trying the "Send to GPS' button on the cache page. That only works for Garmin units. You will need to either use the LOC waypoint file, with which you can use Magellan's Geocache Manager, or the GPX Waypoint file if you're a premium member. The GPX file can be sent to the 500 with a program like GSAK. Hopefully this helps some.

I do PQs based on city. It especially helps when I'm traveling and I don't have to sort through hundreds and hundreds of caches in Cachemate. You can make more than one database in Cachemate. I currently have about 12. Here is how to do it using a Palm device. Tape the Cachemate tab at the top. This should bring up a menu selection. Select 'Option' -> 'Select DB' This should bring up a list of databases. Underneath the list, type the name of the new database then tap 'New'. This will create your new database. When you load in your PQ (I'm using GSAK) with a Hot Sync and then open Cachemate you will be able to select which database you want to put it in by way of a drop down menu. Hope this helps you. Cheers!

The only difference between the 500NA and the 500LE were the accessories included (and perhaps newer firmware in the 500LE but not necessarily). The 500LE did not come with a Li ion battery or an AC adapter but came with a battery pack to use 3 'AAA' batteries. Below I've quoted the conditions necessary to be able to update to the 2.57 firmware. As mentioned in many previous posts, make sure you back up your basemap. Good luck! Cheers!

There is a GSAK macro that will do that for you. Find it Here Or you can try CacheMagnet I've used the GSAK macro to put the cache descriptions and hints into iPod notes. From what I understand CacheMagnet will do the same thing but I haven't tried it. I hear it is good though. Hope this helps some. Cheers!

??? Look It Up At GeoLex. Okay, I'll admit it. At first I actually went to the GeoLex page to find the acronym. It took me a couple minutes to figure it out. DUHHHH!!! I'm tired. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

TNLN SL = Took Nothing Left Nothing Signed Log This link is what you are looking for: Lexicon of Geocaching Cheers!

I'm going to have to agree with oldsoldier on this one. Your laptop may indeed be able to be carried in one hand fairly easily. So does my handheld GPS, but I still keep it attached to a lanyard for a reason. It has saved my GPS on more than one occasion. When oldsoldier says you WILL drop it, he is absolutely correct. Just my 2 cents. Take it for what it's worth. Cheers!