user13371

Indeed. Thanks.

http://gawisp.com/perry/ is 404 today. What happened? And more importantly, how amd I going to get unpacked GPS Firemware updates now?

Not so. I have other routers at home and at work with USB ports that support WebDAV and SMB, and they all support multiple volumes on a given USB port/hub. As noted earlier in this thread, my Apple TimeCapsule shows my eTrex 30 as two volumes; "Garmin," and "MicroSD". It's just my portable ones that don't do this. Yeah, here I agree with you. I hadn't even noticed the issue myself until MikeD pointed it out. I typically transfer GPS data to/from my iPad at home - on the aforementioned TimeCapsule - and the few times I've had to do so ini the field I didn't pay attention to which volume was present. Would be nice if it worked, but it's not a show stoppper for me either.

MikeD: With so many gizmos using the same basic firmware (RavPower, ioGear, HooToo, others) -- and all having the same issue -- I think you'd have to figure out who the parent is of that firmware and get them to change it. I haven't figured out who that is yet. -Lee

http://osm.pleiades.uni-wuppertal.de/garmin/generic/13-06-2014/b9566e342de0086fcf639286c7e2ffe0/

Probably this: Piksi, on Kickstarter. See also: Swift-Nav.

"I wish I was as clever as you"

For now the zooming out limitation is no problem. Nor is lag an issue if I keep the map detail set to low. But thanks, I might take you up on the offer of the basemap upload if Garmin doesn't come through on it. How big is gmapbmap.img for the eTrex 20?

I made a newbie mistake last week while loading and deleting maps on my eTrex 20 - deleted gmapbmap.img from the device. Sent Garmin support an email asking how to get a replacement, waiting on reply. In the meantime, I've downloaded a road map of Oregon from here and I'm getting by with that alone. No big problem for now but I'm curious if abyine has replaced their basemap with anything other than the stock Garmin one and if they've foudn to to be advatntageous.

{deleted bad joke that nobody got}

And somewhat later... Yes, the RavPower and ioGear share their code base. I downloaded firmware 2.000.014 from both ioMega and RavPower and they match now. I wonder who actually makes the chipset and if there's a universal/unbranded firmware package available. After updating them to 2.000.014, they both seem to mount Garmin internal storage consistently, in preference to the MicroSD card - which is what MikeD wanted. If you want to load anything on the card you have to pull it out of the GPS and put it in the card slot on the hub. I have better luck using FileBrowser app on jmy iPad than the branded RavPowet and ioGear apps ore web interface. Still, to me the ideal functionality would be what my Apple TimeCapsule does - show all of the shares on any device connected to its USB port.

Just got the ioGear mediahub a few minutes ago. First thing you want to know - NOPE, it only sees a single USB_DISK1_Volume1 for my eTrex 30, as did the RavPower. The fact that it shows up exactly that way makes me thing it's probably the same chipset or underlying programming as the RavPower to handle it's SMB protocols. On first launch at least, it's showing the internal storage rather than the microSD card. I wouldn't count on that though, as it was hit-or-miss with the RavPower. I do have a request in to SunValleyTek about this. Other first impression - smaller footprint, slightly thicker, feels more solidly built. Has an ethernet jack on it so you can use it as a hotspot on your wired network, a convenience I might enjoy. But it is about $10 more than the RavPower. I'll decide over the next few days if it's really work it.

Geodarts, thanks for the comparison to the MobileLite. I was thinking of getting a few other models to try. As I see it, my home router (Apple TimeCapsule) "does the right thing" by showing multiple volumes on the GPSR with their correct names. Doesn't sound like the RavPower or the MobileLite will do that reliably but until Mike pointed it out I hadn't noticed. I usually load my GPS using my home router - I do use the FileHub in the field sometimes but this hasn't presented a problem to me. Apart from mounting multiple volumes on one USB connection (and unrelated to geocaching, I guess), I'd really like to find on of these wireless hubs that supports different volume formats. My Apple time capsule doesn't support r/w to NTFS, and the RavPower doesn't support HFS. Neither of them seem to support exFAT. This one http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D7FRQMU/ref=&qid=1403098847 is on order for playing, er, work-related testing.

Well, this is strange. When I connect my eTrex 20 to my router and look in FileBrowser, it shows two volumes; one named "Garmin" and the other named "MicroSD." As it should be. When I connect it to the RavPower FileHub, it shows only one volume, named USB_Disk1_Volume1. And that's not even the strange part. I retried several times, and sometimes the volume that mounted was the Garmin's internal memory, and other times the card. I could not find a reliable pattern, but mynguess is that variations in timing and sequence, when the Garmin "exposed" these mount points to the filehub, account for the difference. I coudln't get it to show both at the same time though. I also don't recall seeing this before. But I just got a new one of these hubs - the vendor replaced a broken one - and I wonder if they changed how that worked. I might email SunvalleyTek and ask some questions, but their English (and my total lack of Chinese) makes communication tricky. If this is a show-stopper for you, perhaps you could return the product. I'd hate to think you bought something on my recommendation that didn't work out. .

Mike: That's interesting. My first thought is that the FileHub doesn't know how to address the Garmin's "drives" when there are multiple volumes (built-in storage and memory card). I have my filehub at the office and my GPS is at home so I can't look at it right this minute, but I'll try this evening. Not sure I can duplicate it on my eTrex 20 though. Is there a setting on the Garmin 64s, under USB or computer connection menu, to enable/disable mounting the memory card? -Lee

Here's a way that does not require an SD card, you can connect your GPS directly to the device mentioned in this thread: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=311111

So here I am, a little over a year later, with a broken Ravpower filehub. The micro-USB port on the side for connecting power broke. I don't think the wiring is broke, but the connector inside snapped and it's fallen inside the case. So I emailed SunvalleyTek, the vendor, and asked what my repair options were. A couple of email exchanges and they're sending me a new one. No need to return the old one. Good service!

Stick'n'Find, Tile, and a few other bluetooth based locater tags might work better for finding your keys than a Chirp would. They might even go the other way, someone might find a way to adapt these for some kind of beacon caches -- some being usable by iOS and Android folk without requiring specific Garmin models.

Here's a tiny one http://www.freeantennas.com/projects/template/

Build a big parabolic reflector out of sheet aluminum. Put the Chirp at the focus. I'm not joking (well, maybe a little). I did this several years ago to improve direction and range of a wifi hotspot. You can probably still find plans for that usage online.

Yet the screen of the iPhone 5s is larger - both in inches and pixel count - than most handheld GPSRs. Indeed, battery life of any smartphone will pale in comparison to most handheld GPSRs. However, with careful usage you CAN get a full day of geocaching out of it. There are also auxiliary battery packs. And the AC adapter+charging cable that comes with the iPhone weighs less than a pair of alkaline AA batteries. "WHAT?! You expect me to take a power cord geocaching?" -- Probably, yeah. If you're caching with a phone instead of a dedicated GPSR, you probably shouldn't venture into the rough. And if you're not roughing it, you can probably find a power outlet now and then. Smartphone GPS -- Ideal for finding the nearest cafe, if not the nearest cache!

I have not tested the current version of Basecamp Mobile. Last time I played with it was some versions back, and it didn't offer me any features I needed. I don't know if it still works the same way - but all syncing of data between your devices passed through Garmin Connect cloud. I routinely copy GPX files, maps, and firmware updates to my eTrex 20 from my iPad over WiFi -- so a bluetooth link doesn't excite me enough to buy a new GPS. . . . wait for it . . . http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=311111

According to the manual, the 64s can exchange data with smartphones using Basecamp Mobile. But I can only find this for iPhones, not Android. Is there an Android version? https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/maps/on-the-trail-maps/on-the-trail-apps/garmin-basecamp-mobile/prod126765.html

Little practical difference for that. Extra memory, yeah, but both are already in the realm of "plenty for data logging." The 64s battery doesn't last as long, 16 hours vs 20 for the 64, might matter on longer runs if you can't remember to bring extra batteries on a long trip. The other things you get for the extra $ (compass, barometer, wireless data transfer, smart phone link) have their uses for some folks - but won't matter for data logging.

Maybe geocaching isn't the hobby for you But seriously, to answer your question: If you're a fair weather, walk in the park or urban geocacher - not much advantage of a handheld, dedicated GPS. As soon as you get into rougher conditions, a dedicated GPS wins on overall ruggedness, weatherproofing, battery life, and reception under tree cover. So - what kind of geocaching are you doing, or planning to do - and what's your budget for new gear?