user13371
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Posts posted by user13371
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Yes, that Garmin spline is nice - works very well. And I say this as a cheapskate who has often made my own mounts rather than pay "$10 for a few cents worth of plastic."
In this case, it's $10 well spent.
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... An amazingly, terribly bad implementation....... hardly moves the needle for me....fairly obscure, low seriousness, and easy to avoid...Low seriousness for me too and "hardly moves the needle"... still a terrible implementation.
You and I use language differently. I save "amazingly, terribly bad" for things that ARE serious
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There's no logic in having an odometer on a GPS that's not resettable as the total distance a GPS has travelled is meaningless.
And the logic behind being ABLE to reset it is?
I *don't* think it's meaningless to have one odometer on the GPS that can't be reset. How often do you see "for sale" ads for used gadgets claiming they "nearly new" or "only taken out to the box to make sure it works"? It's true these things don't have maintenance cycles like cars, but some people do care. Not simply the buyer of a used device who wants to know if the seller was telling the truth - but also people who like to know how many miles they've carried the thing.
Now, that "total ascent" thing? Yeah, that one needs to be reset-able.
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Screen flashing every 15 minutes: An amazingly, terribly bad implementation...User13371 - it's extremely apparent if the unit lies on a tabletop at night for instance.
I don't dispute it's a bug and should be fixed. But what is amazing and terrible to you hardly moves the needle for me.
This one seems fairly obscure, low seriousness, and easy to avoid. Don't need continuous barometric altitude trending, turn that feature off. If you really need to record a continuous trend while the GPS is otherwise off, a flash of the screen a few times an hour isn't going to add much to the battery drain. And if you really, absolutely, must have that trending record on your night table while you're sleeping and afraid the light will wake you - turn the thing face down.
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Inexpensive, simple, easy to use, perfect for the technical inept who never wants to learn or do anything with a GPS, maps, or anything involving navigation. It's perfect for finding lamp posts in the middle of parking lots.
For not very much more money, you can have a much more versatile, dedicated GPS that's usable for finding a lot more. Like this.
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You might have been one of the first people to report it to Garmin; how many folks look at their GPS when it's powered off?
It's also possible that they (like me and a few other responders here) "didn't get" what you were saying.It is a funny thing though. How often does it flash? Every few seconds? Every minute?
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You can drag stuff the trash, yet right-clicking the Trash Can to select "Empty Trash" eludes you? Never found Command-Shift-Delete either?
So you write a shell script to empty the trash and needlessly delete system indexes. You customize it for every named piece of removable media you have. You run it every time you have something in the trash - by copying and pasting it from a text editor into the terminal window?
Do your socks get wet because you can't figure out how to put on shoes?
Or did you find out a better way to protect your socks with plastic wrap and duct tape, because wearing shoes is too complicated?
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Hynr: That scripting solution of yours might be too tricky for some users. This is simpler: BlueHarvest automates and backgrounds this kind of clean up.
But is that even necessary? I've never found emotying the trash/recycle bin on Mac or PC to be a difficult task. Nor have I had run out of space on a GPS or other removeable media due to Spotlight or other OS features you mentioned.
The ONLY time I've found BlueHarvest to be helpful with a GPS is on some Garmin models (and only in some firmware revisions) where the GPS would have problems with any invisible "dot" files on the media. That was a bug on Garmin's side (not playing nice with documented features of other operating systems), but it has been fixed in newer firmware.
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After you download the map from GPSFileDepot, you probably need to install it into Basecamp with MapManager.
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No, the version of Basecamp for the Mac is called - Basecamp.
Although... some sites (like garmin.openstreetmap.nl) still refer to the earlier Roadtrip product name.
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Re battery life - even though it's a big deal, it really isn't
No matter what GPS, PDA, phone, etc, you have, there will come a time when your battery life is less than you would like. So you always should carry spares.
If you have a "sealed" device and you can't swap batteries in the field, carry a charger. For urban-cachiers, a plug-in charger might weigh less than spare batteries.
But if you;re really going to be "out int he field", there are many USB chargers available that use AA batteries - like this one from Brookstone. As it's likely your GPS uses AA batteries as well, this is a versatile and practical solution. Better than buying a whole different phone just for battery life.
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Pertinent to the geocaching activity?
Doesn't have to be.
This forum is "GPS and Technology." You might want to complain in the "Geocaching Topics" forum. Or in The Argument Clinic. - room 12a, just along the corridor.
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Amazon.com US doesn't show a newer model. I these are just different vendor listings on Amazon.co.uk, one published a bit later than the other. Maybe different packaging but not a different GPS.
ASIN: B00542NVS2, Date first available at Amazon.co.uk: 11 Aug 2011
ASIN: B00628A34W, Date first available at Amazon.co.uk: 19 Oct 2011
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Yup, that's how I use mine - since I hardly ever use it as a PHONE, it's more just a pocket computer - it's in Airplane mode much of the time. I go DAYS without having to recharge it, too
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No, seriously - it would let you leave your laptop at home. I certainly understand not wanting to carry a pound or two of iPad while hiking or biking - but are you really concerned about 3 or 4 ounces and something the same size of your wallet? You can still use the Garmin to FIND the caches - but you could have your pocket queries loaded the iPod too. And it would be much easier to mark them and compose logs in the field, save them, and then upload them the next time you have a connection.
No messing with visits file or data cables, or worrying about USB hosts. That's all SO twentieth century.
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Display is too small
To show overly long text
Or even haiku
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Ah, I see, I think. You really write logs on your Garmin?
Why not an iPod Touch? When online, you could load your PQs on it - and while offline you could still make your logs/notes to upload when you get back. Used carefully, the battery could last you all day (or all weekend) and the thing is small enough and light enough to keep in an inside pocket.
Cheapest factory refurb is the 8GB, current version, for around $170 - but you could probably scour eBay for a cheaper used one.
Just like the good old days when people carried a GPS and a PDA.
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I'm not sure I get why an iOS or Android user would want or need to "...get the Garmin to write the geocache_viits file to the sd card I could upload my finds to te website. Wouldn't you just log directly from your mobile device? Or am I missing the purpose of the "geocache_viits" file?
But getting the GPX file onto the dedicated GPS from the mobile device - without a Mac OS or WIntel computer, or USB-enabled router as an intermediate stage - I would like this also. Even the OP's suggestion of using PNY's zoomIT card reader seems bothersome - as every tine you want to update you need to remove and replace the data card in the GPS. Not something I want to do in the field. And I don't need to do it at home as I just connect my Garmin to my router and I can copy files to/from any computer or tablet in the house.
I wonder if someone makes a Bluetooth connected USB host gadget? A pocket sized, battery powered gizmo that could connect with a mobile device with a USB port that could connect peripherals like GPSRs and anything else - cameras, eReaders, external hard drives, etc. Done right, that could be a universal (read: iOS & Android) solution.
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Actually, the BadElf isn't made by Apple, and it's been around for quite a while, since at least late 2010.
Reviews are generally favorable (see Amazon). But I've still got mixed feelings about any of the GPS add-ons, whether using the dock connector or Bluetooth. If you need a higher precision GPS than what's in your iThing, just get a handheld unit that'll have better battery life.
As an aside, Walt - I'd like to know where you can find a Bluetooth GPS puck that's 66 channel, WAAS capable, with a 10Hz sampling rate for $35. Bonus points if you can find favorable product reviews on same. Cheapest ones I can find online are at Semsons.com, QStarz and Holux models around around $55-$60 for "open box" specials.
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I don't really need a compass or barometer either. Or a 10Hz sampling rate. A minimal basemap, on a 70 pixel square doesn't interest me either.
But it looks about a 1/3 smaller overall than the 301 and 401 models. Not sure what to make of the battery life claim - "up to" 50 hours may mean "depending on usage" or "you'll be lucky to get this if you turn off most of the features."
The 301/401 models might have only gotten a long day's use from a pair of AAA batteries, but I could carry extra batteries easily enough. If I have to carry my cellphone charger for the Fenix (either the wall wart or an external battery box), it kinda offsets the battery and weight advantages.
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... Just smaller and better battery life. ...
...and altimeter, barometer, and compass, and basemap, and ANT+, and Bluetooth, and waterproof, .... and that danged price tag
:D
Bicycle GPS Mount
in GPS technology and devices
Posted · Edited by user13371
Shim it with something -- handlebar tape, a bit of old inner tube, or maybe plumbing gasket -- before you tighten the zip ties. And after you've tightened the zip ties, wait a while and tug on them again. Use pliers if your hands aren't strong enough.
I could go either way on a mechanical clamp (solid, but heavy and limited size range) versus the zip ties (lighter, more versatile, but maybe not as secure). But I've not had a problem with the latter shaking loose.