Starruby

Have been there since my last posting and picked up some great tips - going to alter my abovementioned shortcuts to better suit! It also helped me recover from a bad firmware upgrade from 4.70 to 4.90 with good instructions on how to revert to the earlier firmware ...

I too use GSAK and maintain my own offline database, with PQs containing caches with changes in last 7 days and new caches added regularly. I don't tend to load PQs manually into my Montana, but just run the abovementioned GSAK macro to easily create my own custom GPX files. There is also a tickbox option with this method to choose a LARGER font for the cache text - very readable with my failing reading-sight in low light! Good luck!

I just updated from 4.70 to 4.90, and this caused strange things to happen on screen during use several times that night out caching, such as a coloured snow distortion (can't think of a better way to describe it) once, a flare-type effect another time (like the reflection from a torch in the middle of the screen), and then many lockups leading to shutdown. Continued to lockup and shutdown next day. I began to worry that my screen was failing, however, I have reverted to 4.70 and all is now working fine - as before. Whew! Will wait and see what happens in future updates before trying again ...

After you have selected to route to cache, go to "Where To" and select change route activity. I have a series of shortcuts to simplify this process, and achieve a smooth adventure thus: (1) I have my GEOCACHING Profile set up with direct routing as default and select my destination. (2) I return to the main menu and choose my <Nuvi View> shortcut, which changes to the AUTOMOTIVE Profile and automatically selects the map, with the following defaults: road maps, driving routing, Nuvi Dashboard, Landscape orientation etc. (this involves setting numerous fields at the Shortcut stage including Profile: Automotive, Application: MAP - which automatically displays the map in the nominated profile) (3) As I near my destination, I return to the menu and select my <GEO View> shortcut, which changes me back to the GEOCACHING Profile and automatically selects the map, with defaults road/topo/whatever map, direct routing, geocaching dashboard, autorotate orientation, etc. I also have a couple of shortcuts on a side menu to swap between Autorotate and Lock Portrait (because I hate my screen spinning as I walk!), toggle the chirp function, others to swap between On Road and Direct routing in case the profile forgets/changes, and others to Clear Track, Reset Trip, and STOP navigation, and more ... Sean

If I have a FTF, I would like to have the first log, but I don't expect others to hold off logging until I get around to it. I have been First To Log on many occasions, disappointed at not being FTF - yes - but not annoyed at the actual FTF for being a bit slow to log. Our local FTF champion is notorious for not longing his FTFs promptly, sometimes even days later. Other logs usually mention him as "the usual suspect". He is a good friend of mine these days, and I know that he tends to be too busy to do his logs, because he is either out there chasing more FTFs elsewhere in the state, or finally returning home for bed just before daylight after a FTF run of several hundred kilometres (our "local" reviewer is 3 hours behind us, and many new caches are published around midnight +/- a couple of hours)! The only time I hold off on a log, is when moving a Travelbug or geocoin. I have been disappointed when someone grabs one that I have placed, particularly when I'm on holiday and not regularly online, so when I go to do the log asap, the traveller is no longer in my inventory and I can't do anything with it, and the effort I have made to place it never enters the history. I now tend to keep a copy of the code, so that if the new finder hasn't held off with their log, I can try and contact them to delete their log, so I can grabit/placeit etc. before they re-create their log. I always ask this of them nicely and explain why, and it is generally not a problem. When I was a newbie I was too keen to log a trackable once (even though I held back for nearly 2 days), and I received a rude email from the previous holder and so-called experienced cacher, who also grabbed it back, placed it again with a rude log, and generally mucked up the history. I deleted my log and politely invited them to do the same for the sake of the game and the trackable's owner's sake, so that we could redo the logs in order. Viola! That's etiquette!

It's actually about 8.5 Mb (a tad smaller) I think the one from the eX400 should be the same, but I have the eX 500/600 one if you so desire. Regards, Sean

When I still had my eXplorist, I too used GSAK to easily load caches. That was with .loc files and .gpx files when I went premium. I also used Vantage Point with success. My operating system was/is Windows Vista

GC26B50 has had a few cynical comments around here - hardly surprising when they joined, logged 1 cache the day before and placed one cache on date joined! A bit disappointing, but it hasn't lasted ...

If you mean that you want to delete the .gpx files from your Oregon, then go to the X:\Garmin\GPX folder on the Oregon (where X is the letter of the drive assigned by your computer when you connect it) and there will be the .gpx files. Should you want to delete .gpx files from your computer - depends where you have put them

If you are ever in Melbourne, Australia, you should give this series a try. Truly bizarre containers, well concealed, but unmistakably the cache, as they don't fit into their surroundings at all. Unfortunately I can't describe them, as that goes against the wishes of the cache owner. You'll just have to find them for yourself! GC1DWAN, GC1DWAP, GC1DWAQ

I use the same. I agree with your wishlist too - touching the small compass to take you to the compass dashboard would be great! .

Upgraded my Oregon 550 from 2.81 beta to 3.0 via Webupdater. Was working fine with 2.81 beta - still working fine with 3.0! Magenta line appears as always. Only problem to date has been with 2.71 beta when the unit wouldn't recognise the maps, displaying only the basemap. I am in Australia running Garmin Aus Topo V2.

Is that the case? The link lists the 550 as 359,90 € and the 450 as 399,00 € ... Does this imply that there is more to the 450 than the 550? Happy 550 owner

You can load maximum 200 GPX files or 5000 caches in your 550

I have an eXplorist 600 and my neighbour a eX500 - both work fine with Vista. I can store multiple cache files containing up to 200 caches in either internal memory or on the SD card. I NEVER need to remove the SD card. I load them using GSAK. I also have an old Palm M130 for paperless - unfortunately this doesn't work on Vista. I run a virtual machine with Windows XP in a window on my Vista desktop to load this. I wrote a little instruction manual for my neighbours on how to use their eX500 for geocaching. If you would like a copy - PM me. Good luck. Sean

I hate opening the back to remove the SD card, so I just connect my 600 directly to the computer (Vista Home Premium) and use GSAK. No problems, but I don't use geocache manager. Perhaps the latest version of Vantage Point can suit your needs? Using Microsoft Vista with my old Palm Pilot - that's another story ...

That's exactly what I do: Explorist 600, old Palm M130, GSAK and cachemate. Combo works for me until I upgrade to something like a Delorme PN-40 ...

I don't know about downloadable maps, but Mapsend Worldwide Basemap software is available fairly cheaply on eBay etc. and will create basemaps for other travels, and the Australian ones it creates are almost as good as the Magellan basemap supplied with Australian eXplorists. Good luck!

I have an old Palm M130 which a mate gave me. I use cachemate and GSAK. My notebook runs Vista Home Premium and the Palm won't synch (works with my old XP desktop). I have succeeded in using the Palm with the Vista machine by running a "Virtual Machine" from VMWare into which I installed Windows XP. One day I'll upgrade the lot to a GPS with paperless built in ...

I have the same problem with my eXplorist 600, though it doesn't necessarily drop ALL the found caches. Watching for any solutions ....

Well, I've tried to repair the disk with no success. No further reply from Magellan Can anyone help me with a diskcopy of CD2? I don't think copyright should be an issue: 1. I own a legitimate copy 2. I've sought help from the owners of the software - no luck there If someone is prepared to mail me a copy of CD2 to Australia, or alternatively, if you were prepared to upload an ISO image for a brief time so I can download and burn it, please PM me. It would be most appreciated. Regards, Sean

Hi, I recently picked up a copy of Mapsend TOPO 3D USA on 3 CDS (Version 1.00). The product was new, bundled with bargain eXplorists on eBay. I have been unable to install the software. It stalls about halfway through CD2 and doesn't go any further. Unfortunately there is a small but relatively deep scratch on the CD. I would love to be able to use it in the US one day I contacted the wonderful Magellan support, but they have no copies nor support this legacy product, and suggest I try installing on a different computer. Tried on three, now seek your help: Could anyone help me with a copy of CD2. I know that the software requires CD3 to be in the drive in order to run the software, but perhaps I will be able to install in the first instance using a diskcopy of an original CD2? Hope somebody can help... Regards, Sean

I have an eXplorist 600 with the latest firmware, and mine does the same thing. When I mark a cache as found, it will display with a tick on the icon, but after power off/on only some of the found caches remain marked as found, and therefore excluded from the GOTO list. My auto power off doesn't reliably work either. My unit was returned to the Magellan agent in Australia several times with this problem. Eventually they gave me a new unit, but it also displayed the same problem. Just a quirk in the system I guess - just don't expect a firmware fix! Love the unit otherwise ... Sean

I had just acquired an older Palm M130 (swapped for a bottle of bourbon) and discovered the wonders of paperless caching when I too "upgraded" to Vista on a new notebook ... Palm would not sync. Vista was the problem, and I solved it by installing a "Virtual Computer" running XPPro on my Vista desktop. The software came free on a magazine cover CD - and works brilliantly! It's called Virtual Machine Shop Lite, and the machine it creates runs with VMware Player. If anybody wants to try it, the Player is available as a free download from http://www.vmware.com/products/player/ , and the VMSL program is only about 4 MB were I to email it to you. Regards, Sean

No, you got a good GPS. You need to get rid of Vista. I have a Magellan Explorist and an old Palm pilot for paperless caching, and my new notebook came with Vista. I had trouble with the Palm software not being supported by Vista, so I found a workaround ... I run VMware Player on my Vista machine. It allows me to install a "Virtual" computer on the desktop onto which I installed Windows XP - no software incompatabilities now! You can find this available free at http://www.vmware.com/products/player/. Good luck