mtnsteve
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Posts posted by mtnsteve
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I just checked my snow cache, Come and Get it, in Lassen and was pleasantly surprised to find it perfectly accessible even with 5' of snow on the ground....I meant this to be a true level 5, so it's much harder then my Shasta Challenge cache.
Now if only someone would go for it.....
I plan to put a couple easier, post hole caches, out in a few days, for the kids and folks that cant spend a small fortune on winter gear....
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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Just what I was looking for.....
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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When you updated in Expert mode do you use the "meridian" or "Meridian GPS" setting?
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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I would appear that it is the right file...I downloaded the Platinum file twice and it says..
mplat 402 for the unopened file, then when it is unzipped, there is a file that says mgold402.hex, and when you do the upload it says mgold402.hex code file.
I don't have a clue about the SD memory card error.
There seems to be some discussion about installing in the "Advanced mode" at the Yahoo site...check it out, I believe most of the questions and answers are under the "v4.02 Upgrade" posts...
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Magellan_Meridian/
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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Have fun....
All that really counts is that your out there having a good time
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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Try this...
I upgraded to 4.02 with little problem, my computer room was in the same spot and it showed the same on the map, but I did have a bit of a problem getting the compass to point and respond correctly...so I switched it back and forth between mag compass and GPS compass and finally got it to work.
Then I read somewhere (yahoo groups or here) about removing the SD card when doing the update, and the importance of clearing the memory again, after the update...so I thought I would re-do it, this time with the card out...it went perfect..I cleared memory, did the update (4.02 again) and this time it restarted by itself (like it's supposed to) which it didn’t do before, then I cleared memory again, turned it off and reinstalled the SD card. Then I let it run outside for 20 min to build up the almanac.
The compass worked perfectly and I swear (I could be imagining it ) that it locks on quicker and gets WAAS faster then before....try it.
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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I wish Magellan would release beta's , like Garmin does....perhaps some of these issues could be dealt with in beta rather then in a final release, if these do turn out to be problems.
Actually, my upgrade seems to be working rather well....time will tell.
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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I had a problem with my compass pointing South instead of North and a sluggish needle (same thing happened when I first got it) and had to go in to "Compass Orient" and change it to GPS Course, then back out to the main screen, then go back and switch it back to Magnetic North again....after that it worked great.
I had to the same thing once with v3.12, once, as well.
So far I have had no other problems with v4.02...my computer room is at the exact same coord's as before, and the cache down the street still reads 4' away while I'm standing above it.... it's actually about 4'/5' feet down the hill.
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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I don't see the "2 key strokes for off" option we wanted...hope it's in there......
Ok, I see you updated your post...thanks, I'll look for it...
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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Those are some great caches....gotta travel more....
We just put this one out last week.. "Come and Get It"... it's a little over 9 miles if you know the easiest way in, and around 12/13 miles if you don't. What makes this one particularly difficult is the 5/8 feet of snow (current)...the cache was put out with the intent of it being a winter cache, so you won't have to dig holes all around the area to find it. I actually know at least two folks that are going to go for it, as soon as the weather gets a little better.Come and Get It
There is another cache North of here we might try for an a couple months, it wasn't designed as a winter cache, but I know the location and it shouldn't be hard to find...doing it with a few feet of snow on the ground should make it a real challenge..
It should also be really buried!
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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This should take you to a Yahoo page with out having to sign up, you can compare the two types of map programs here........I hope.
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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NG Topo does use a 3D shading technique that works really well for deciphering the topo lines. If you are concerned with roads and POI, then I have to admit, Topo USA 4 will probably have more current information. If you are using your map program to find your way around the woods, swamps or mountains then the other programs might be a better choice.
Here are two examples of the same area, one with NG Topo and another with Topo USA 3 ..... http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4291001407&code=4148567&mode=invite
NOTE...I tried everything I could to get it so all you would have to do is click on the link, but it seems they insist you "sign up"
before you can see the photos, I am still trying to get around this..These didn't come out as well as the Webshots pictures, but I can't add anymore photos to my free account 
.Here are some other examples of maps using Maptech Terrian Navagaitor and NG Topo (the shaded maps are NG)... http://community.webshots.com/album/18786349sewmdCZNMv
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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If Topo USA 4 is anything like Topo USA 3, stay away...at least if you are interested in any degree of accuracy. They do NOT use USGS 7.5 maps, thats why they can fit the whole USA on less disks that National Geographic Topo or Maptech uses to get one state.
The detail sucks and there are trails, lakes and roads that are missing, lakes are made up of straight lines (ever see a square sided lake?)...I realize that the USGS maps aren't perfect, but they are WAY better then Topo USA...I complained about missing lakes, trails and roads in my area and was told that they would look into it, if I wanted it corrected I would have to buy Topo 4, even then they wouldn't say if the items I mentioned were fixed.
I would recommend either Terrain Navigator by Maptech or the National Geographic program...perhaps my favorite feature of the NG Topo is mapXchange, It allows you to add trails, roads and other features that others have added, updated trails, new roads, back country hikes and information that is not on any other map. Users download GPS tracks, way-points, etc and you can install these in your program..
Check it out, it's one of the best features in any map program I have ever seen (I own Topo USA3, Terrain Navigator and NG Topo)
http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/topo/searchnew.cfm
See what trails are available for your area.
If anyone has the new Topo 4, would you check to see if they now show Manzanita Lake, in Lassen National Park, I keep asking Delorme if it's in the new version and I have yet to get a response.
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
[This message was edited by mtnsteve on December 11, 2002 at 01:40 PM.]
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Like others have said, you can't really go wrong with either Garmin or Magellan, pick the one that has the features you want. Garmin has models that use a Quadrifilar antenna for better reception under canopy, check the specs.
I have been happy with my Platinum, one feature I discovered is that you can set it to lay down waypoints every 0.01 mile...this comes in handy when using it to make routes on maps or show trails. I don't know if you can do this with Garmin. I also believe that the "track back" feature in Magellan actually uses the original waypoints to reverse course, the Garmin cuts the number way down to save memory....you still get back, but the Magellan actually takes you back the way you went in.
I have both Terrian Navigator, by Maptech and Topo, by National Geographic and both programs work well for uploading routes, tracks and waypoints to my computer and back to my GPS....Maptech uses slightly older Topos, which can be a plus, they show roads that the newer editions no longer show, but by the same token the newer maps used by National Geographic tend to be a bit more updated and accurate. I think Maptech has more options for editing waypoints and may be a bit more user friendly, but thats just my opinion.
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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If it is true Magellan is going to have some explaining to do
, they have been offering this rebate for months and never before mentioned it....Like some others, I suspect this is to make us buy everything from the same dealer, I don't think Magellan is going to change the deal in the last month before Christmas...we will see.....____________________________________________________________
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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Curious...where did you hear about both having to be purchased from the same place, I have read the rebate (thoroughly I thought) and can't find any stipulation about that. I hope your mistaken because I bought my Magellan from Harmony and the Mapsend topo locally.
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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Go to Circuit City.. http://www.circuitcity.com/init.jsp
and type in "SD Card" in the search section, that should be what your looking for.
You can also get them at Costco and many other places.
There are also get some really good deals on a card reader and card for a discounted price, I'm counting on some of the other folks to give you some links to go to for that.
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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I am a self confessed map nut, right now I have 5 different map programs installed on my computer, including Mapsend Topo, Topo by National Geographic, TOPO USA3 and Terrian navigator. I am using a Magellan Platinum for Geocaching, mountaineering and backcountry skiing and while I admit that Mapsend Topo doesn't hold a candle to a regular USGS 7.5 topo I have never found it lacking enough information so I didn't know where I was or where I was going.
USGS maps are not right all the time...I remember a search with SAR a few years ago when we were sent out to search a ridge that wasn't there...I didn't want to report that we couldn't find it and kept thinking we were wrong, when almost at the same moment two other teams reported that there assignments weren’t there either, turns out the maps were wrong.
My partner has a Garmin and he is pissed off because many of the areas he uses his GPS have areas of the map so darkened that you can't see anything, places in the National Forest and near parks are useless to use, where as my Mapsend Topo shows the areas fine.
I don't believe that the map software should be the final reason for picking one brand of GPS over another. I figure that if the coords are right, it doesn’t lose lock all the time and my map shows the general area well enough for me to roughly tell where I am and what the terrian looks like ahead of me I can figure out the rest. It's going to be a long time before we have map programs for GPS, be it Garmin or Magellan, that are accurate to a few feet, perhaps never.
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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I recently got a Meridian Platinum, I still have my old Magellan Tracker, I let friends use when taking them geocaching....The Plat is soooooo much nicer.
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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I can't speak about the accuracy of the base map, as soon as I got my Meridian, I upgraded the firmware and installed MapSend Topo....I have found that in Northern CA, their Topo program, is spot on, in the mountains, going down the highway or through town..... the accuracy of where it showed me to be in retaliation to the actual road surprised me.
I have found some inaccuracies in the Topo program while hiking in the mountains, but then I know the area rather well and have found problems with the USGS 7.5 maps as well. The inaccuracies you have noted would be an obvious problem, but I have always felt that while it would be nice to have spot on accuracy in the map programs, this isn't going to happen for quite awhile...as long as my coords's are spot on, and my map shows me in the general area, I can usually figure out the rest. Some day we will have accurate maps....I hope.
From Stunod's post, it looks like the map accuracy may vary by location...
When I have used the unit while driving, my wife has mentioned that if I listened to her, I could close my eyes and she could tell me where to go........
Wait a min........I gotta ask her what she meant by that......
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
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Just a quick note on the cracks in the SporTrak's...I believe it's a known warranty problem...seems I read where some of the cases develop tiny cracks near the screw's and Magellan is aware of it, they may look like tiny lines, but you can feel them with your fingernail...contact them and they should take care of it for you.
Add me to the list of Platinum recommendations, I love mine.
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It's not about the mistakes we make, it's about what we learn from them....
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quote:
I don't vote but I'm allowed to complain. Why vote when there isn't one worthwhile person running? Am I supposed to be happy by picking the person that is dishonest but not as dishonest as the other guy? It doesn't matter which moron gets into office, they are gonna mess something up.Let me rephrase that........
If ya don't vote...QUIT WHINING
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It's not about the mistakes we make, it's about what we learn from them....
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If ya don't vote........DON'T COMPLAIN!
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it
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You might want to try downloading EasyGPS (if you don't allready have it, you will want it) and clicking on "GPS" in the top tool bar, then select "test serial connection"...that will at least tell you if your computer and GPS are speaking to each other. I had to change the com port # ( to com port 2) on mine because of other devices I have plugged into my computer.
It's worth a shot......
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it
[This message was edited by mtnsteve on November 03, 2002 at 07:50 PM.]
unofficial travel bugs
in General geocaching topics
Posted
Don't know about your cat but.....
There was a dog, well, the ashes of a dog
named CoCo, that I found in a cache near my house....I found him at another cache a few months ago 
.....I did take him for a walk each time I found him, seemed like the right thing to do.
Anyone know CoCo's where abouts?? He's in a small jar with some calico material wrapped around it, ya can't miss him...
Any other weird "bugs" going around?
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Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.