user13371
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Posts posted by user13371
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Ooh, I've got one!
Y'know that clown at carnival sideshows who offers to write your name on a grain of rice or a pinhead-sized bead? I think Garmin hired him to inscribe serial numbers on devices. I think they should fire him. Or at least let him write a little bigger.
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Yes, returning it to REI is my backup plan if I don't get a buyer in a week or so. That's why I don't give much wiggle room on the price. But I'd be just as happy selling it at this little discount if it helps out some beginner or budget minded geocacher.
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No, I looked at the user profile to see where recent cache finds were. Sometimes knowing locations or what kinds of caches they hunt is helpful in giving someone advice. Urban versus wilderness for example, could make a big difference if someone can get by with a smartphone or if they need a dedicated GPS.Was your first clue that he used meters?The accuracy of cell phone GPS's seems to be random according to where they put the antenna and how noisy the phone is.Good point. Unfortunately, since GPS accuracy and reception isn't as important among most smartphone users as it is to the geocachers, it's hard to find any good reviews on that detail. Maybe iFixit or another teardown website can show you things like chipset and where the antenna is on your preferred model?
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Price $90 includes shipping within US 48 states. I'll take $85 if you're in Portland Oregon and don't need it shipped, but otherwise the price is firm.
Okay, for the sake of a bump I'll knock another $5 off
$85 shipped, $80 for local sale within Portland Oregon.
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... If you can help the OP with a personal unit sale, great...
You mean like this one? I would, but it's out of the OP's stated price range.
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A-Team, I did understand your original purpose, I was just trying to make it even clearer. And possibly it will help someone else who isn't entriely satisfied with those limitation in the GC.com app -- that Topo Maps program I pointed to is pretty amazing. Wish I could get other maps and imagery into that kind of a program.
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...I want to avoid any smartphone models if their GPS antenna is very poor (eg. picks up poorly under tree cover). ...
I think you'll be disappointed with any smart phone then. The models you're considering are all quite good "in the clear" but will do worse under heavy cover. You touched on the reason -- antenna.
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(duplicate)
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You can't get offline maps for the iPhone
Just to clarify, you can't get offline maps stored within the GC.com application - it does usually rely on a live data connection. But there are hundreds (perhaps thousands)* of other apps that let you store offline maps on the iPhone. I'm partial to this one: http://topomapsapp.com/ -- it won't display full cache details, but with a little effort you can transfer a pocket query into it and have all your caches show up as waypoints on a USGS topo map.
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* Hundreds? Thousands?
http://appshopper.com/search/?search=offline+maps
http://appshopper.com/search/?cat=&platform=ios&device=iphone&sort=rel&dir=asc&search=tomtom
http://appshopper.com/search/?cat=&platform=ios&device=iphone&sort=rel&dir=asc&search=navigon
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...A year later and they still wont acknowledge the Auto speaker cradle and Montana 600 power off issue. ... A year later and still NO accessories for the Montana!!!
How's that again? The Garmin Montana was announced on May 18, 2011 in a press release by Garmin and the first ones didn't land in customers' hands until late in June'11.
There are quite a few items listed under the accessories tab on Garmin's page for the Montana, https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=75228
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Spark, you may have misunderstood what I was saying about using iTunes (or why I said it). You can use iTunes to transfer pocket queries to the Geosphere app on the iPhone. But the only reason I mentioned it was I misunderstood you originally, wasn't sure if you had a WiFi connection at home. If you've got a wireless connection it's really easier and fewer steps to download to the iPhone "over the air."
As for the eTrex H, yes you would need a serial cable -- an older type of connection that many new computers don't have any more -- and GArmin sells the cable separately -- and they're kinda expensive: ... https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=654 ...
So now your "entering coord by hand" problem is clearer to me. All the more reason to upgrade to a newer model. Something like the eTrex 10/20/30 would be simplest and would include a USB connection cable.
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Location from cell towers and/or wifi hot-spots has a "cool" factor only in improving time to get a first fix and in begin able to give a rough fix indoors or other places where you can't get a satellite signal. But it will NOT improve the accuracy if you have a satellite fix.
Dang, that's the second time this month I've agreed with dfx. What is the world coming to?
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I'm not really sure how smart phones operate but I believe their GPS is actually derived from a triangulation of the phone tower locations rather than satellites...
They will rely on that to get an initial fix. And some will also triangulate on WiFi hotspots also, using databases of known hotspot locations. But further, most cellphones that advertise a GPS capability really do have a GPS chipset and receive satellite signals.
For example, this article says the iPhone 4 uses a Broadcomm BCM4750 single chip GPS receiver, and that the 4S uses the Quqlcomm MDM6610 to get both GPS and GLONASS signals.
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Who did you buy it from? Some retailers offer better customer support policies than the manufacturers. REI, for example, would swap or refund something like that for life -- I think a couple of the other big name outdoor places have similar policies.
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It's always something, isn't it? I've had various GPS models (not just Garmin) where the springs were loose enough to cause that kind of power down - and others as the OP noted, so tight that you can barely get the things in or out.
I'd agree with Timpat, if it's the springs seem very tight it's probably something awry inside. Before sending it back to Garmin though, I'd check where you bought it and see if they'll swap it out for you.
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I'm gonna echo the most common recommendation here - the eTrex 20 - best price/performance ratio you're likely to find near your price point. If you want to go even cheaper, look in the Garage Sale forum, used gear turns up sometimes and folks around here will be happy to advise if something is a good deal or not.
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I have not seen any direct iPhone 4 versus 4s GPS comparisons. I do think Apple has changed the chipset in the 4s though, because the newer models are (quietly) advertised as supporting GLONASS as well as GPS signals. But this may not make a different in accuracy/stability .
Still, If I was going to buy an iPhone today I would be getting the 4S anyhow, just because it's the latest model and is faster/better in a number of respects. Don't know that GPS would be a deciding factor for me as much as the price difference -- and as I said, the contract cost over time far outweighs the initial purchase price.
Just stuff to think about -- hope that doesn't muddle things up for you!
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Edit to add...I just looked at your GC.com profile and realized where you are. My original comments were on pricing were USA-based and probably irrelevant to your part of the world.
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They might indeed lurk, I just think the odds are better if you get in their face.
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See also: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=289159 my eTrex 10 is up for sale @ $90.
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Their forums and their tech support department, yeah. Become a frequent contributor or irritant, whichever best suits your style
Either way that'll get you closer to Garmin than a GC forum posting does.
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Purchased new from REI in November 2011.
The hype: Garmin's page on the eTrex 10.
The truth from someone who owns it: Very good for geocaching beginners, also for track-logging on hikes & bicycle rides. Very accurate. Amazingly long battery life. Small and easy to carry. Monochrome screen. Will hold hundreds of geocaches and waypoints, but no maps. I love this GPS and only selling because it's slightly too limited for me -- I can't load my entire 4000+ geocache database into it -- so I'm upgrading to an eTrex 20.
Price $90 includes shipping within US 48 states. I'll take $85 if you're in Portland Oregon and don't need it shipped, but otherwise the price is firm.
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Ever the cheapskate, I'd be asking these question in this order...
- Which features do you want from GSAK?
- Is there software on the Mac that will do what you want?
- if you really need GSAK, what model Mac do you have?
- If your Mac is new enough to run Windows in an emaultor, would that be cheaper than a netbook?
- Which features do you want from GSAK?
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...Step three: HUNT YOUR OWN CACHE using your coordinates. Walk ~.25miles away and give it a shot. Can you get to your own GZ within 10-15 feet?...
Step Three Point Five: Have one of your buddies hunt it also, using a different GPS.
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GeoTrekker26, that confirmation of both capacity and load time/performance is very useful to me. Thanks!
I was kinda disappointed that the supposed limit of 2000 for the eTrex 10 was actually unreachable without stripping practically everything out of the GPX -- more trouble than it's worth. Knowing for certain the 20 really does have 5000 slots without other hidden roadblocks cheers me considerably.
Guess I'll list my 10 in the garage sale section.
asked about handheld GPSrs...maybe should be looking at car ones instead?
in GPS technology and devices
Posted · Edited by Portland Cyclist
Spark, based on what you've said in this and other threads, I think what you really need is a new iPhone 4s with a contract on whichever service provided works best in your area.
There would of course be no way to justify the contract if it was ONLY for geoaching or ONLY for driving directions. But it would be eminently suited to both of the tasks, and you'd be getting a heck of a lot more for your money, other things you could be doing with it than your older, no service, phone. I *know* my iPhone seems a ridiculously expensive way to do any of the INDIVIDUAL things I use it for. But I use it for so many things and it fills in for so many OTHER gadgets, that on balance it's a bargain.
No willing to go that way? Then yes, a nuvi will fill the "I need something for driving" need, better than a handheld hiking GPS. Right tool for the job.