Jeep4two
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Posts posted by Jeep4two
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It should also beep when you get close to a destination (waypoint, geocache).
Project a waypoint 100 feet from your location and navigate to that point. It will beep and the screen gives a Popup "Arriving at Destination <Waypoint Name>".
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Glad to see this update. I was fearful of 2.99 due to the few reports of bricking of units.
Hope to see some good feedback on this one. Maybe I'll give it a shot this afternoon.
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www.containerstore.com has a variety of lock & lock style containers. Nope, not the original Lock & Lock brand.
I have no direct experience with them but my wife pointed out the website after seeing them on an Oprah getting oragnized show.
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I'm getting ready to place my first cache, a "Dollar Tree" version of the Lock & Lock container. I think its about a quart (maybe 1.5 quart) round container (a small cache size).
I've camo'ed it with Fusion paint and hope it hold up, however I'm not very optimistic. Of the three I bought, one had a faulty (failed) lock tab on one side. On the up side - they run $1.00 each with maybe $1.00 of paint it makes for a $2.00 container.
I'll be keeping a close eye on this first placement and switching if it doesn't hold up.
Tried those. They don't do well.
Thanks for hte reply briansnat. I suspected that might be the case but found it hard to resist (bargin minded shopper). Our local China Mart carrys some better containers that can be quickly used to replace the existing one if (optimistic, really meaning when) it fails.
I'll keep a close eye on its condition.
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Thanks for the replies. I suspected that chronic exposure to the elements might be a problem for these.
I'm hoping my lock & lock holds up. If so I'll be looking at a larger version. They are so easy to camo paint with Fusion Camo Ultra Flat paints.
In the end - I'd have to say that there could never be the same satisfaction from opening a bag that you get from that clanky ammo can, or snap of a lock & lock...
Thanks again -
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Nice thread - all good advice.
I'll agree that most cachers don't intentionally post incorrect coordinates, and all GPSrs should have the same Coordinates - regardless of mapping databases used.
I'll add my most recent favorite as a noob.
Get a good swag bag and keep it stocked. All the necessities as others have described, extra batteries, trade items, etc...
I just picked up this little goodie as discussed in another thread (which I can't find since search is disabled).
I love it - desert camo isn't too crazy, but its available in many varieties of camo if you want digital camo, woodland colors, plain tan, green, black (no blue, pink, green or other non military style colors). It has tons of pockets, place for small camera, GPS, loops for hooking carabiners on to carry stuff, water bottle and is really comfortable and easy to carry. Adjustable straps make it good for all sizes and ages. I love it.
So - get a good swag bag. I have the one linked above plus a Lowepro Inverse AW for when I take my Digital SLR and a few lenses out (it's a waist/belt pack - room for SLR body with lens attached, a few lenses and some swag - and an all weather cover if you get caught in some rain). Wife takes the shoulder tactical bag when I carry the Inverse AW.
EDIT: I'll add that the seller I delt with was great. I was nervous at first, but the cost was low enough for the shoulder bag that it was worth a gamble and other cachers had used them before as well. It arrived in about a week and a half, so that's not bad when shipping from China (Hong Kong) even though the seller is listed in Australia.
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I've asked for hints in the past. I usually include details that provide the cache owner (CO) with enough info that they know that I really did search.
I had one recently that seemed so logical (a multi, stage 1) but I didn't have a flashlight and overlooked the container. I did find a metal tag nailed to a tree (still don't know why) and included that info in my e-mail to the CO. He knew of the tag, and gave me a nice hint.
I've had other cases as well - most cachers will give you a bone for traditionals that just allude you. Sometimes its a mindset or thinking about a cache wrong that gets you stumped (pun intended). The CO may be able to put you back on track without totally giving it away.
As a kid my mantra was "never hurts to ask" (then ask the other parent if the results weren't what you wanted).
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Hey folks. Tomorrow or Friday, weather permitting, I'm going to take the kids out and try to find a few caches near our house. Kids are 9 & 3, so I figure it'll be a good way to get them out in the woods and keep their attention. Only thing is, I don't have a real GPS. I know the area near our house pretty well, so I think we'll be able to get very close without it. If they show an interest in it, then I'll make an investment in some equipment.
On the GPS, my phone can use verizons VZ Navigator. It's a samsung SCH-A930. After speaking to their rep today, they tell me it's only good for street addresses, not coordinates. Does anyone have any experience w/ that app? It's $10/month, which is ok to get my feet wet, but if we get into it, I'd buy a regular GPSr.
Vince
I'm not familiar with that application however I would suspect that it probably won't be sufficient.
If you are looking to just get your feet wet you could consider something like a used eTrex (any mode with an H in the model name) or even the Geomate.Jr. The Geomate is $70 or so, and used GPS units like the eTrex H or any one of many other used high sensitivity models can be had for well under $100.
Then if you decide you want to upgrade you can likely get most of your investment on that starter back on eBay or here in the Garage Sale forum after upgrading.
There are some Nuvi models that accept coordinates that others might be able to recommend to get you started on the cheap as well. These are designed for in car navigation but can do the trick as a starter.
Others may have some better suggestions.
Have you checked your local pawn shops?
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I just hid my first cache and I'm already looking for ideas for containers for the next. I have a 2nd lock & lock painted and ready but I'm looking for something larger, durable and easy to get my hands on.
Cabela's and other companies carry Dry Sacks. They are designed to keep the contents dry (bone dry according to some testimonials on Cabela's). They are made of special pvc coated nylon.
They are a little on the expensive side ($15-$30 based on size) but since they are already camoed with a very nice woodland/hunting style camo print they seemed to be a good possibility.
Has anyone here tried one of these, or for that matter found one? What has your experience been?
Here's a link of the one at Cabela's:
Link: http://www.cabelas.com/link-12/product/0040814517435a.shtml
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I'm getting ready to place my first cache, a "Dollar Tree" version of the Lock & Lock container. I think its about a quart (maybe 1.5 quart) round container (a small cache size).
I've camo'ed it with Fusion paint and hope it hold up, however I'm not very optimistic. Of the three I bought, one had a faulty (failed) lock tab on one side. On the up side - they run $1.00 each with maybe $1.00 of paint it makes for a $2.00 container.
I'll be keeping a close eye on this first placement and switching if it doesn't hold up.
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I just did some in ETown at Freeman Lake. There are some nice trails. The caches I did were. . . well, average. I only did 5 due to time constraints some I only got a small part of whats at Freeman lake.
The trails however were wonderful. Nice and shady on the east side of the lake (it was hot so shade was very welcome). Lots of other caches in Etown too.
Sorry - but I don't know about any problems with trackables in the area.
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Thanks for all the replies so far and I like the detailed feedback Neos2. All very good ideas.
I had planned on only using about 45 mintues to 1 hour for an introduction/history and brief overview of the technology used for the game. I had then planned on having (just as suggested by Neos2) a few 'practice' caches (unofficial) located within a few hundred feet of the event. Currently there are only a few caches nearby. I'm going out tonight to scout and possibly place my first (awaiting land manager permissions). The ones that are here are fairly easy finds but do have terrains that could present challengs to some of the potential attendees.
I've actually done this before for a group of educators. We setup a brief workshop back in 2001 when I had first heard of Geocaching. We placed some practice caches in the Outdoor Classroom (read: 150 acres of land used for environmental studies by secondary students). Our trainees learned history, previewed the website, learned how to use the GPSr and then hunted in teams of 2 for the practice caches. It worked out great.
Its actually funny that you mentioned timing the workshop around an event. I've considered having some sort of event early this fall and in all likelihood my workshop will be late summer so that might work out well.
My biggest challenge is the GPSr technology itself. I have an Oregon (that I'll probably not loan out to attendees) and an eTrex Legend (that could be lent) but I don't have a source for getting GPS units to use for the training so we may be pretty limited on what we can do. I'm working some sources for older eTrex units that I may be able to borrow. I may be surprised at how many show up with their own units.
Thanks again for all the replies - keep the ideas coming - and I'll contact my local reviewer(s).
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I am in the process of developing a 2 hour workshop that will be designed to introduce non-cachers to the game of Geocaching. It will be a community workshop that will meet at the local community college (or possibly at the local state park) for a open demonstration, explanation of Geocaching followed by a live demonstration of a hunt for a cache or two at the local state park.
My question is this. Would it be OK to have an Event Cache setup for this event even though it isn't designed for existing cachers? My purpose of the event cache would be to allow attendees to create their Geocaching.com account while at the training and log the event as their first find if they so desired.
I thought it would be a good way to give a hands on demonstration of all the components of the website by allowing new cachers see the importance of logging.
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My personal favorite to find is an ammo can (any size makes me happy). I've been engineering a pressurizing device that will pressurize an ammo can when closed so each finder gets that *pppphhhhhT!* fresh cache sound but I've run into a problem sourcing some of the parts (OK, I'm joking - but wouldn't that be cool?).
I just finished painting a few 1.5 Quart Lock & Lock containers I picked up at a local "Only $1" store. They are round with 4 lock tabs. They aren't Rubbermaid brand (just some made in China stuff) but I'm hoping that a good coat of Fusion Camo paint will help them hold up. I'm worried about the lock tabs mostly.
So my vote (from a finders perspective) is: 1) Ammo Can (where appropriate) or 2) Lock & Lock. Either seems to provide a good dry container for cachers to find, provided they are properly maintained.
Something to consider. If you can't check on your cache regularly the ammo can will be your best bet for longevity. Less likely to have a seal failure, get crushed, won't crack (or get punctured easily) and if the finish starts to fade is easily painted and replaced making it good for years and years of service. I only chose Lock and Locks for my first few hides to make sure I'm really into maintaining caches before investing more $$ in some ammo boxes.
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I've had the Zagg on my Oregon for a while now. The touch screen is getting constant contact with fingers (often dirty - imagine that in Geocaching). Minor scratches just fade away and I've yet to put a scratch on the protector that didn't go away.
In addition the Zagg has a lifetime guarantee. If it becomes damaged they are supposed to replace it. I can't attest to the validity of that warranty but it sealed the deal for the higher priced screen protector for me.
I'll add that I use my finger nail to scroll the map screen and cache description pages. I was afraid at first but eventually became comfortable with it (since it's easier and doesn't hurt the screen protector).
I considered trimming some older protectors that I had for my old Palm IIIc but opted against it considering the high cost of my unit. I didn't want to have to remove a protector unnecessarily. Been very pleased so far (about 2 months or so)
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Welcome from Kentucky! I've dabbled in this since 2001 and recently gotten a bit more serious (read: addicted).
The forum is a great resource - there is lots of info here so search away or just ask when you don't find what you seek (pun intended).
You'll find this is a great hobby and an enriching way to spend your free time.
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I love the togetherness that I get from it. I've shared caching with friends and family. It's a great way to share time together doing something outdoors.
I've also come to love the surprise of finding new parks, trails, wildflowers, wildlife and all the other great things that you find along the way to the cache. The find is my primary motivator, but the journey ends up being my primary joy.
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I went from an older eTrex Legend and dragging around print outs or notes along to the Oregon 400t (spent around $325 net). It was more money than I had hoped to spend when I decided to upgrade (wife offered the upgrade for my B-day).
Things I really like: Touch screen interface: Makes entry of notes, cache coordinates for multi-caches, addresses for auto routing, and navigation of the device menus wonderful. I also like the screen quality overall. Some will say its a bit hard to read in some lighting conditions, however I've not really experienced any real world situations where I couldn't read the screen. Could it be better? I guess so but I feel Garmin went with something that provided a balance between performance of the screen and battery life. I also like the ease of adding maps, gpx files (pocket queries for mass loading of geocaches) and all the paperless features. Like most paperless devices you can view the cache description (without photos that might be part of the description), see the hint, last 5 logs and easily mark the caches you hunt as found, not found, not attempted and add field notes. The field notes then easily upload to gc.com to help make creating your logs easier. I use the field notes/comments for found/not found caches to add short notes to help keep my memory sharp while logging later.
The battery life is OK on the Oregon. On a sunny day with the backlight turned off it starts to approach good but when using NiMH rechargable batteries its not a problem to keep a few sets in the swag bag to swap out when necessary.
There really isn't much I don't like. The accuracy on the Oregon is more than acceptable. There are more accurate units out there but the total package of the Oregon makes it a very nice overall package.
I don't have any experience with the Delorme units, but from what I have read there are many fans of the Delorme and I have to admit that the ability to have aerial imagery on the unit is an attractive option but I'm not fond of the recurring annual fee. I hold out hope that maybe someday there will be a way to have Google Map segments available for other devices without having a recurring subscription.
Of course the Oregon supports microSDHC cards. I chose a 4Gb card for mine but I understand that there are some 8Gb models that work on the Oregon.
Regardless of how you choose, I highly recommend choosing a model that supports paperless caching. It's so much better that having two devices or paper/notes to drag around.
Try to find an outdoor retailer in your area that sells GPSrs and get your hands on the models that are recommended. You may find the retailers to have acceptable pricing, or maybe willing to price match but if not there is always the online route once you decide. REI has a great return policy if you happen to have one close to you.
Best of luck deciding - and most of all happy caching!
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I was checking out the maps on Bing today also. We were invited to a pool party, but the invitation didn't have the physical street address. I was able to find the location on the bing map, but how do I find the GPS coordinates so I can put them into my Garmin to get me to the location (so I can go paperless)?
Google Earth
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Its also amazing that you can look for an hour one day....& give up, then go back a few days later & walk right up to the cache.
Or look for an hour then drive home only to be lying in bed and suddenly realize where it is and then have trouble sleeping because you want to go back and get it, only to finally drift asleep while counting ammo cans. . .
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I'm not aware of any trail based GPSrs that have XM Radio or MP3 capabilities. These features are more suited to in car navigation. As JSWilson points out, more detail on what you plan on using your unit for would help.
There aren't many units in the Nuvi line that are rugged enough for regular trail usage (i.e. using while geocaching) and I think the music features you are looking for are probably only going to be on in car systems like the Nuvi.
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I've had mine for a few months now. I love it.
Pros:
Touch screen interface, easy to navigate menus
Nice overall performance for accuracy in my experience (though maybe not as great as the 60CSx)
Paperless features make keeping all cache info with you easy
Paperless features allow short field notes when logging a cache as found
Accepts many different maps, many of which are free (including converting older Metroguide street maps to routable maps using Metrowizzz)
Mass Storage mode makes moving files to and from the unit easy
Paperless 'geocache_visits.txt' file transfers to Geocaching.com to help speed logging (with field notes in tact - I use the filed notes as reminders - not as my entire log - I like to be more personal)
Battery life is acceptable when using 2500mAh NiMH rechargable batteries
Cons:
Screen really needs a screen protector to give you the feeling of durability, I installed a Zagg InvisiShield
No routable maps built into the Oregon 400t, making the 300 possibly the better choice since there are good free topos out there.
Overall I'm very very happy with my unit. Garmin is actively developing the firmware for the Oregon right and I suspect we'll continue to see improvements in software feature sets and accuracy as time rolls on.
My Oregon puts me right on GZ most of the time with heavy tree cover giving it the most challenges due to some of the accuracy issues the chipset suffers from at slow speeds (this is on improvement I hope to see in firmware updates eventually). This issue however hasn't really inhibited my hunting as of yet.
My favorite feature. . . Hmm. . . probably all of the paperless features. When coupled with the easy input of the touchscreen interface it makes going paperless a breeze and very functional.
Pet peeves? I really wish there was a landscape view for the display. This would be much nicer when doing in car navigation to aid in seeing side street names.
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so, i'm a casual geocacher, i like doing it but don't do it that much. i usually don't even look thru the cache, just sign and log my find. it's all about the hunt for me. anyway, i'm going to japan in august and will be trying to do some geocaching while there. i figured maybe i'd find a travel bug or geocoin around my area-boca raton-and bring it there. so is it acceptable to ask here if anyone knows of one around here that i could find and take? thanks.
You could also release your own travel bug while in Japan ("I survived a Japanese Gameshow" suddently pops into my head). It should have a goal of traveling its way around Japan then hitting Geowoodstock next year then back home to boca. Just an idea.
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EDIT after realizing you already disassembled:
Yep - ribbon cable is an easy fix - your symptoms on the screen sound like a slightly loosened ribbon - easy fix - be careful removing the surround and seal tape so you can reuse.
I have an eTrex Legend that has issues with the joystick as well. I've found on my unit that a firm press of the search button (raised large button on the left of the unit) resolves joystick problems on my unit. Sometimes it won't act up for weeks after that, sometimes 20 minutes later it acts up again, but that hard press fixes it right up.
Wife still carries it with us when we go out caching.
Sending GPX to my Oregon
in GPS technology and devices
Posted
You learn something every day. For some reason I've been unzipping my GPX zip archives and placing the GPX files onto the device. Makes for more clutter. Don't know why I thought I needed to unzip. That's gonna save me some time