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TotemLake

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Everything posted by TotemLake

  1. Bummer on the loss. With all the DNF's so far, I'm wondering if you might've had it on top of your car and it bounced off when you hit one of the potholes. TL
  2. On the CITO event, I took my cousin-in-law and his daughter cache hunting and he is now considering purchasing his first GPS. I'm helping him to figure out what he is looking for in it. His daughter was so excited in the hunt she can't wait to get out and do another one! Cheers! TL
  3. I know the problem was identified as a port grab with HotSync, but I thought I would post this as another thing to look at in the event you are having port issues. I briefly read through this stream, so if this was stated earlier, I apologize. You will need to check your BIOS to ensure your Ports are set to Auto or something similar. If you don't have an automatic setting, make sure your setting is at a speed that is equal to or greater than your GPS receiver's setting. If that is ok, then go to your Device Manager and check the port setting there for the Com port you are hooked into (typically COM 1), and ensure the port speed is set to a speed that is equal to or higher than the GPS receiver's setting. How you get to the Device Manager depends a lot on which OS you have. Cheers! TL
  4. quote:Originally posted by Renegade Knight:That benchmark has an elevation assigned to it somewhere even if it's not stamped on it. That elevation won't change... ===================== Wherever you go there you are. Right up until that one earthquake moves the mountain and closes all bets.
  5. The Meridian series will measure in feet up to 500 feet, then it breaks into tenths of a mile. Magellan just came out with an adapter that will hook to your serial cable and then go to the USB port. My understanding is you have to load the drivers on the accompanying CD to make this configuration work. Cheers! TL
  6. I have found the MeriPlat GPS gained altitude becomes very close when I allow it to average over a 20 minute or longer span of time at the same location. It will still bounce by as much as 20 feet though when it has to switch to another satellite when it loses track of one going behind the horizon mask. The trouble with barometric altitude gauges is you also have to compensate for the temperature of the day every X hundred feet. I forget the exact formula but it was enough of a high math I figured, if I can get within 50 feet of the actual altitude, I'm doing good. An alternative idea is to use an old fashioned compass and map and triangulate your cache location with known landmarks. For the general cache hunter, this could be too much effort. For someone who wants to bone up their mapping skills or those whom want to learn to triangulate, this could be just the challenge. If you choose to triangulate, make sure you indicate which brand map you used. I've noted different brands will vary based on which database was used to create the map. You may also want to indicate how many degrees declination you used on your compass. Cheers! TL
  7. I have the Magellan Meridian Platinum and have had no problems with one-handed operation. The larger screen definitely makes up for the lower resolution and is quite easy to read at arm's length compared to the Garmin (I did a side-by-side comparison). Although it will fit in my shirt pocket, I usually have it in a belt pouch. Fwiw, if you go to Comp-U-Plus, they have it cheaper than Harmony. $249 for the Platinum and $65 for the MapSend Topo. You can download the .pdf rebate form from their web site too, which btw... is $75 until the end of June. Cheers! TL
  8. If you go to Comp-U-Plus has it cheaper. $249 for the Platinum and $65 for the MapSend Topo. You can download the .pdf rebate form from their web site too, which btw... is $75 until end of June. Cheers! TL
  9. quote:Originally posted by canadazuuk:visit http://www.thalesnavigation.com and look in the Magellan site to get a side by side comparison The Plat has more memory (16 vs 2) and a barometer, other than that, they are virtually identical... since you plan on buying a cd-rom, there is no benefit to having the extra maps alreay loaded in the PLAT (if it actually has more preloaded...?) The *better* cd-rom has destinations, not sure if you want that exactly, there's 40-50 extra right away... the streets detail are identical The rebate for the Meridian is $50 only, when you also buy a cd-rom, the Plat has $75 rebate with cd-rom purchase I think it just depends on whether you want the memory or not You can always add memory later zuuk I reallize this thread is just a little old now, but the Plat has more than *just* the barometer. It also has a thermometer which is usually within a couple degrees of real temperature, and a 3-axis floating electronic compass. It is the compass that makes the price jump over the Gold. Now some will say ack buy a separate compass and go for the Gold, but during hikes, I personally find it handy to have just one device in one *hand* to navigate from rather than a GPS in one hand and a compass in another hand, and the 3-axis capability makes it so you don't have to have the compass extremely level to get a good quick reading. Just my $.25 worth... Cheers! TL
  10. Pepper, they say copycatting is the best form of flattery. I loved your idea for fast tagging the log books with a sticker! I think it was on Old MacDonald that I saw it. I'll be doing the same soon. I just completed Map Datum and with the amount of traffic there, it became evident just how quickly I could have finished that log and get out of the cache area. I had the log book in hand and had to pretend taking notes of the nearby tree when another dog walker came by. Fortunately I had the foresight to keep the box hidden. Cheers! TL
  11. I have a Palm M130. I primarily used it for my job hunting appointment tracking which REALLY underutilized it , but I did find that the Outlook Notes would synchronize as a Memo on the Palm. So, instead of carrying around printed sheets, I copy all cache tips that interest me in the Outlook Notes then synch it to the Palm Memo. I keep track by starting with the Cache number GC### and the Cache name followed by UTM coordinates in case I need a little bit more accuracy, then follow that with the rest of the page tips (minus the I Found It comments) and if any photos are involved, I copy those over as well... Not that I've had to use them yet. The MeriPlat is being very good at zeroing in on the cache. Cheers! TL
  12. Magellan Meridian Platinum is going for $249 +shipping at Comp-U-Plus . With the exception of color and external antenna jack, this guy has it all. An SD card can be had for cheap at Costco, or shop around on the net for one. I have had no problems with satellite lock even when gaining one under heavy canopy (although it took maybe 2 minutes longer), so the lack of hooking an external antenna is academic. Yes, buying a separate compass will help you buy a cheaper unit, but who here really enjoys fumbling with more than one gadget when tracking your location? (Let's see a hand count on that one.) The 3-axis floating compass is very handy for a quick bearing fix. Keep that $5 compass handy as a backup (I do). I primarily use the electronic floating compass, but I personally like keeping one hand free for holding the dog on leash when necessary, or for when I slip and have to catch myself. Now, if you decide to get this or any other unit with a floating compass, one thing I have recently learned about GEOCache hunting is to use the satellites for GPS North Reference, as this is how most people are gaining their fixes for location of their cache. It'll mean the difference of about 50-60 feet closer when you have an EPE of 30 feet. Cheers! TL
  13. Well I got there just as everybody was wrapping up and getting ready to go on their cache hunt. We got a later start than I had hoped for and with the bad weather coming in through Duvall, well, it just took longer than I expected it would. Glad to say I met some very nice people and aside from a couple of you, my mind draws a blank on the names (sorry!). Anyway, with the opportunity to look for more than one cache in the day, I did learn if I keep my MeriPlat North Reference to GPS instead of magnetic, I'll land on top of the cache's more times than not. It seems teh magnetic reference will place me about 60 feet away from the cache regardless if the EPE is less. Hope to see y'all again sometime down the trail. Cheers! TL
  14. It looks like I might be there during the last 1/2 hour of the scheduled CITO event in Carnation! Look for a red columbia jacket and colorful looney toons hat and a happy go lucky dog with 2 kids and another dad in tow if you happen to be there that late. Cheers! TL
  15. quote:Originally posted by L.O.S.T.hoomdorm:What do you mean by etch? I merely put up the advisement based on what I read in the GPS newsgroups. I have not experienced this myself only because I'm unwilling to experiment. I would have to surmise that the material was eating away at the faceplate much like a harsh cleanser will start to eat away at ceramics (for want of a better analogy). Again, it is only what I read about the PDA styled screen covers, I haven't experimented with this concept because of that general fear of damaging something I can't afford to replace or repair. My eyesight is bad enough without having to add to the stress of an etched faceplate. Cheers! TL
  16. FWIW, I read in a newsgroup that the PDA screen protectors will etch the screen on the Meridian. Something about it being designed for a different material that the PDA screen is made of. Cheers! TL
  17. I originally brought mine along to get his exercise too. Snickers would have been just as happy to continue up the main path sniffing out any new smells he can come across, but becuase I was already searching in the general area, I allow him to explore the general area. As a responsible owner, I keep track of his location and pick up after him. I've mentioned he helped locate a cache location by discovering a path I otherwise didn't see, but he had gone past the cache just enough to cause me to look in that general direction and discovered an unnatural lay of some logs over the cache. Is that cheating? I don't think so. That's like saying taking a dog with you to help flush or retrieve the game during hunting season is cheating. It isn't like he pointed at it and barked "Here it is!" He sniffed at it and continued on. I could give another anecdote where he helped trailblaze a passable detour around large wind blown fallen trees over a mountain path. He just has an uncanny way of understanding the need and is more than happy to lead the way. It isn't that I wouldn't have found the way (or the cache), he just made it a little easier. Cheers! TL
  18. quote:Originally posted by SuperGenius:You know I was looking at the CITO page for WSGA/PS and not to many cachers have signed on for clean up day. I wonder why? Cachin', Trashin', Talkin' how could ya not go? Way to much fun to miss out on, IMOO!(in my own opinion) Pepper http://www.geocachingwa.org Horizontals where it's at! I'm new to the GEOCache hunt and unable to commit to attending. However, IF I happen to go cache hunting, I'll remember to take a trash bag with me to haul some out. Cheers! TL
  19. After getting bit in the a$$ at buying a PC I outgrew within 6 months, I learned there is one maxim that usually holds true... buy as much as you can afford. It saves on upgrading costs later. I bought the Meridian Platinum for its memory expansion and bells and whistles because they fit with the information I like to have at hand without fumbling with more gadgets. At this writing, I have owned the unit 4 months, and I have used each feature more than once. The only downside I have with this MeriPlat, is the battery life really sucks at 9 to 10 hours and I just reached the end of my use once batteries I bought at the first of the year. My next purchase will be rechargeables to lessen the ownership cost. Cheers! TL
  20. USAF 1976-1980 Jet Mechanic, 2 years Torrejon AB, Spain, working on F-4C's, 2 years in Texas working on Trainers, T-38's and T-37's. Cheers! TL
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