Cacheoholic

You can load a geocache in 3 modes. 1) As a geocache which gives you full paperless capability but limited to 2000 caches or 200 gpx files. 2) Custom POI (points of interest). Gives semi-paperless capability when used with GSAK and macro. No limit other than memory size to how many caches you can load as POI’s. 3) Waypoints. Waypoints are the old fashion way that older GPS’s use. The amount of information is very limited. Your GPS capacity is 1000 waypoints. I would highly recommend storing your PQ’s (pocket queries) on the external memory. Sooner or later your GPS will delay or crash on startup and you will lose some or all of your loaded geocaches. The fix is to remove all gpx files and do a clean startup; shutdown; replace gpx files and restart. This requires a computer if your files are loaded in internal memory or you can simply pull the microSD card if you keep the gpx files on external memory.

- 5000 vs 12,000 paperless geocache limit.

Explain this? Could not be farther from the truth. The Montana is first and foremost an outdoor hiking, boating, riding, and trail device, with some additional nuvi like features for urban navigation. I find the Montana works very well for Geocaching, and would love to hear why you do not. Just ignore baloo&bd. He makes this claim over and over and over again but will never go into detail why he continues to make this outrageous claim.

The Dakota 20 can only load 2000 geocaches as geocaches, period. Here are your options sticking with the Dakota. 1) Make separate PQ’s of 2000 caches or less for the areas you are going to visit. Keep the PQ’s for the area you are at in the garmin/gpx folder of your external memory. Keep the rest of your PQ’s in another folder and replace the PQ’s in the gpx folder for the new areas as you travel to them. The GPS will only read gpx files in the gpx folder. This will require a computer, phone, etc to move the files. 2) Have multiple microSD memory cards loaded with 2000 caches for different areas you travel to. Change the microSD cards as you travel.

Zumo 220, Astro 220 or GPSMap 220?

The GPX file is indexed the first time the GPS reads it and registered in inaccessible internal memory. Occasionally the GPS has trouble and chokes on a GPX when booting then ignores it and others on subsequent startups. The GPS reads them as an existing GPX file and will not load it unless you can make that internal registry change. The only way to do this is to do a clean GPX file boot with no GPX files loaded. You must remove all GPX files and start up the GPS. You need to connect the GPS to a computer to remove GPX files from the internal memory. You can pull the external memory to remove the GPX files if you keep your PQ’s on the external memory. This can be done easily out in the field. That’s why we say it is much better to keep your GPX files on your external memory. Once the GPS has done a complete restart with no GPX files the internal registry is blank. Now any GPX files added to the GPS will be seen as new files and will load during the next start up.

Topo US 2008 is 100K not 24K. The “t” model map (Topo US 2008 v.2) is not locked. Maximum map segments is between 4000 and 4229.

Look here. This is as close as you can get to paperless with that GPS. The newer Garmin Paperless handheld GPS have a different operating system that allows completely paperless geocaching. The eTrex 10 is not necessarily an upgrade in some ways since it has very small internal memory and no capability to accept external memory. Might want to look at the eTrex 20.

The 19 sounds like a strange number. Most newer generation handheld Garmin’s originally listed 50 waypoints in the Waypoint Manager but then Garmin bumped it up to 150 in later software releases. The waypoints listed are also limited to a fixed distance from where the GPS thinks where it’s at. That’s why I suggested searching by waypoint name to see if any come up that are not listed.

What happens if you search by name? What happens if you forget about EasyGPS and copy the gpx file directly into the gpx folder of the GPS?

How did you Load the cache child waypoints? If you used any 3rd party software it could have stripped information out of the gpx file. Here's what mine looks like.

What kind of waypoints are they? Are they geocaching child waypoints because mine shows them?

What happens when you touch the small window with the “distance, local time and location coordinates”?

The PQs (pocket queries) are probably compressed .zip files? If they are compressed they must be un-compressed or extracted. Then they must be placed in the gpx folder in you GPS or the microSD memory. You will find the gpx folder in the garmin folder. You will have to make a garmin and gpx file on the external memory. The Montana's basic operation is the same as the Oregon. Here is the manual that Garmin should have made to answer most of your questions.

I was just through Ben Lomond today working in Watsonville. Don't forget that windshield mounts are illegal in California. http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc26708.htm

I’d recommend finding some maps for your GPS. Since you have a Garmin there are hundreds of maps available online for free.

The Montana has a 3 axis, self calibrating electronic compass while the Colorado only has a 2 axis electronic compass. I’ve had my Montana for almost a year and have not had to recalibrate the electronic compass. I hardly ever used the electronic compass on the Colorado because it continuously had to be recalibrated (along with having to be held absolutely level).

Help me understand why you want to delete caches? You are traveling and want to delete found caches but don’t want to load new caches in their place? I could understand if you needed to delete caches to free up capacity to load new caches but you must connect the GPS to load a PQ with new caches so you just over write old PQ’s or delete them. I travel for a living anywhere in the world and have no need to ever delete old caches from the controls of the GPS. My Montana holds 12,000 caches so there is lots of capacity to load 4 PQ’s from home, 3 or 4 PQ’s for caches along a routes I travel and 3 or 4 PQ’s for my final destination.

But the OP appears to have a Magellan?

Here is the wiki link for recovery.

You can load some Topo US 2008 but not all of it. All Topo US 2008 is over 5000 map segments. There is a map segment limit of around 4000 that your GPS can display. The “t” model Garmins use a different version Topo US 2008 that has much larger, therefore less, segments. If you are combining maps you are limited to a 4gb file which is a FAT32 limit.

Your version of Garmin communicator for mac is the problem. Either load the newer beta version or down grade to an older version. You can search these forums for more info since it comes up at least once a week.

Sounds like its acting like a nuvi. Any chance you are trying to geocache while in the automotive profile?

Are you sure you have booted the GPS with no GPX files in the GPX Folder or folders? Are you using a MAC? If you are using a MAC you must also empty your trash can because the files are not gone until you empty the trash.

Your GPS is seeing the GPX files as already been loaded and ignoring them during startup. You need to remove all geocache GPX files from the internal memory and remove the SD memory if any GPX files are on it. Now the important steep, boot up the GPS with NO cache GPX files. All non-accessible internal memory geocache data has been cleaned out. Turn the GPS off and connect to your computer. Replace the GPX files. Any GPX files added to the GPS are recognized as new and will load. I recommend you keep your GPX files on the external memory. That way you can restore the geocaches while out in the field without a computer. Just remove the memory, startup GPS, turn off GPS, replace memory, startup GPS and all caches are back.