Tahoe Skier5000
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Posts posted by Tahoe Skier5000
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After all buttons cost more than touch film. Besides the 62/78 are meant as upscale units, pay to play.
After all is said and done, the difference would be negligable relative to the cost of the GPS.
Truth be told, the only reasons the 62 will be priced so high is because 1) It's new. and 2) Garmin knows it will sell like hotcakes.
You can't really break it down by technical elements here because it's not telling the whole story. This is all about marketing and price strategy here.
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I see people are talking about Geosphere so thought I'd check it out.
A couple of questions.
If a Geocaching.com premium membership is required to get access to GPX files, why do I also get GSAK to import the GPX files and re-export them as GPX files for Geosphere? Aren't I doing the same thing twice? ?!?
Why do I need GSAK if I already have a membership to export GPX files from Geocaching.com?
With Geosphere, it only contains the GPX files I install to it, so if I am in an area I wasn't expecting to have some spare time in and want to Geocache I can't really use Geosphere and so should purchase the Geocaching.com application, yes?
Thanks!
Well in my case, I use GSAK because it is the only way my Delorme PN-40 will show all of the info fields for the geocaches I store on it. If I just upload a GPX file directly to the unit from Geocaching.com (well not exactly "directly", but through Delorme Topo 7 software), it won't show the cache size and last logged fields.
GSAK fixed that problem for me by reformatting the GPX file so the PN-40 could read in all the info fields. As for the 9 million other features that GSAK has, I don't use them
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Hi all,
I just got my first GPS (Dakota 20)
and I want to protect the screen. Does anyone have any experience with either Lexerd or Invisishield? Lexerd has both an anti-glare and a crystal clear version. I was thinking of the anti-glare, but I'm wondering if it will interfere with clarity. I'd like to know if they are easy to install without bubbles, how easy they are to remove (will they leave residue or cause damage), and if they will actually stay on and protect the screen. Any other helpful hints for my new Dakota are also welcome.
Thanks!
I bought some cheapo knock off brand screen protectors from Walmart and cut them to size. Works great.
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Well hit the trail for my first GEO hunt only to find that the IPhone 3GS is real poor on battery so pack a charger, I have an external battery pack for mine so I suggest you do the same or you will find the battery is good for about 45 min of use because it uses not only the GPS but also the 3G network to update the screen. Keep in mind the 3G Data as well or you may get a surprise bill, I have a 6gig plan so no worry for me.
Caching with a smartphone just isn't worth it to me because of many reasons, this being one of the big reasons. Not to mention being dependent on data for mapping. Its just all around sketchy at best.
I know from experience too as I own a 3g iphone with the Geocaching app. Compared to my stand alone gpsrs, the iphone sucks horribly.
Do yourself a favor and get an outdoor GPSr. You can get them for cheap these days and you'll find that geocaching is much funner with one.
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GPS receivers should, out of the box, from day one, the time or release, navigate to waypoints. Period!!! That's one of their main functions. IF they can't do that, what good are they? I also believe that Lowrance is an honorable company, seeking to make fantastic products. That said, if the Endura lineup still can't navigate to a waypoint (after 4 FW revisions!) unhindered by error and "oops! we're there now but not really" then something is seriously wrong. If I was an Endura user, I would be supremely chapped. As a would be convert to Lowrance, I was pretty much set to order an Out & Back. But I find these kinds of problems far too fundamentally silly to get stressed/disappointed over (*currently*).
^^ this is good. let them know, email them. Don't just complain about it on here, otherwise they may never realize how much it annoys the geocaching community.
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The 550 is a great unit, but Garmin improved the screen significantly with the 450, which was introduced later. Also, with all the free maps at http://gpsfiledepot.com, there's no need to get a t model. If you're going to spend up to $450-500, I'd get an Oregon 450, City Navigator and a car kit.
You should atleast tell people to check gpsfiledepot first to see if they have what they need before recommending it as the end-all-be-all source of topo maps.
I personally found the map selection horrible for California. A lot of individual maps for specific areas and one state wide topo. I tried the statewide topo and its far worse than the ones Garmin sells. No labels for anything. Just blank points and contour lines.
Bottom line, check gpsfiledepot first before deciding not to buy the maps from Garmin
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I recently got into my possession a (somewhat old) GPS V. I was thinking about using this for geocaching, but it's a pain to manually type in cache coordinates so I wanted to buy a interface cable. (The cable it uses is the same as some of the older GPSMAP units, the 4 prongs in a square) The only problem is my Macbook (caching computer) doesn't have a Serial Port.
So, I was going to buy the GPS to Serial cord, then a Serial to USB converter. I found an $8 GPS to Serial cord, so that's fine. But for the Serial to USB that works with OS 10 and the GPS V, I found the Garmin compatible one, but stubborn, penny pincher me wanted to find one for cheaper. (Like <$15) Is there such a cord?Thanks in advance. I've looked at amazon, but wanted to ask here to make sure the one I end up buying actually works.
USB to RS232 Serial 9 Pin DB9 Cable Adapter PC/Mac/GPS
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I've been caching since February with my eTrex Vista C and have used it to find over 100 caches now. I'm glad that I had the opportunity to practice with it and decide whether or not I liked geocaching.
Now, I'm looking to buy a better unit that has more features, but I don't know what to pick.
I'd really like to have a unit that
- is waterproof
- has replaceable batteries and decent battery life
- has a good sized color screen
- can display satellite photos of the area I'm in (my etrex can't do this)
- has expandable memory (my etrex can't do this)
Not necessary, but I'd also like
- Wherigo capabilities
- capability for paperless geocaching
So, can you recommend a unit for me?
I would recommend the PN-40, but based on your criteria, I think the battery life is a wee bit lacking, and the screen is on the smallish side. Both issues are not that big of a deal though and easily workable from my experience.
Just throwing another option out there for you.
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Okay I have been geocaching with my HTC Touch Pro 2 and I've been using GCzII which is a AWESOME app for geocaching. but I know it's not supported by Groundspeak so i want to upgrade to a handheld gps i'm looking at the Garmin Oregon 550 or the Garmin Colorado 440t. what i'm looking for is something that has all the features that GCzII has with mainly finding geocahes near me at anytime and paperless to go looking for caches on the fly which one of these two would serve my purpose the best? and if these cannot do what i'm asking can anyone point in me the right direction? thanks for the help
If you don't need the camera, you can purchase a Garmin Oregon 450, or Oregon 450t for less money. Plus, there is a $50 rebate from Garmin right now.
Given that there are 24k topos available for free from gpsfiledepot.com, I would recommend the 450 over the 450t - the extra $100 or so for 100k topos just isn't worth it.
The caveat to that is that the topo maps on gpsfiledepot suck... atleast the ones I found for California. Maybe the ones for the back east regions are better, but the one I installed was terrible. It doesn't have labels for anything, no city names, no feature names, just contour lines and points.
Check gpsfiledepot first and make sure they have what you need. Their selections is very limited for certain areas... not every place is covered. If it were my decision, I would get the 450 and buy the Garmin topo maps. That way I would have a spare copy of them for if and when I decide to buy another GPS.
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I scratched the screen on my old Garmin 60Cx unit this weekend whild geocaching. The scratches are slight, but there is also a nick on the screen. What is the best way to remove scratches. Or should I call Garmin about a replacement screen and cost of the screen?
I used car wax (turtle wax) on my etrex legend and it worked great. Wax though, not polish...
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It sounds like full compatibility with existing GPSr's!
"(U) The Block IIF Program incorporates current and leading edge technology to sustain the GPS utility for military and commercial use. The IIF contract allows the Air Force to purchase 33 satellites. The Block IIF system allows affordable technology insertion and block upgrades, while emphasizing compatibility and interoperability with the current space vehicles, ground control system, and user equipment."
Quoted from: http://www.fas.org/spp/military/program/ns...tives/gps2f.htm
Exactly. The L1 C/A band will still be functional on the new sats, and will be for many years to come given the high reliance on it by civilian aircraft and ships all over the world.
The new sats will offer the L2C band, however its use by civilians will be optional. The new band needs to be used in conjunction with the L1 C/A band by the GPSr. Using just the L2C band alone would result in even worse accuracy than we currently have using just L1 C/A.
I have a feeling that Garmin will try and milk the L2C for all its worth and make us buy new GPSr's in order to read the new signals.
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Apparently there is an internal timer that resets these Endura's. Pull the batteries and leave them out for just a little over an hour. Press the POWER button and hold it for two minutes while the batteries are out.
After an hour, put the batteries back in and try it out.
There is no guarantee this will work. I found an article that lists the above instructions. How to reset an Endura
Thanks for the suggestion. Tried it without success. Figure I'll leave the batteries out overnight and give it another go in the morning. Maybe I'll dream up a solution in my sleep.
Still didn't work. And didn't dream up a solution overnight. Anyone else have any ideas?
Thanks.
Sorry to hear about that. There are only two other things I can think of for you to do.
1. Try reinstalling the firmware. Instructions
2. Call Lowrance. From what I've read on the unit, there is only one way of resetting them, and that is by using key commands on the screen (which you can't read).
Wish I could be of more help, but there isn't a whole lot of discussion regarding these units. #1 may be your best bet though.
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Not for people who actually USE their GPS in the field (sometimes for a week+) and aren't "Starbucks" type casual users/geocachers...
Don't even go all "Starbucks" on me - haven't set foot in there in years. I typically carry a load of AA batteries in my pockets when out caching. I'm the guy you go ask when YOUR batteries run out. Anyway, I really LIKE the fact that I can plug my iPhone in at home, in the car, and at work and almost never run into power problems. Again - WHY OH WHY can't the GPS companies "get it"??!?!
I would much prefer the convenience and self-sufficiency of AA batteries over rechargeable packs... especially the iphone. You said yourself you carry an extra set of batteries when you go out, therefore why is this an issue? Even with just 2 extra AA batteries (which EASILY fit in any pocket) I can go out the entire day for caching and still have some power left over after.
Yes you could recharge the iphone while driving or whatever, but what about those long hikes where you don't have access to a charger? Also, you neglect the fact that the iphone gets far less battery life when you use it as a GPS compared to a stand alone device... less than half the day I would imagine. AND, the dadgum thing has a sealed battery which degrades over time. I hardly see any advantages to sealed rechargeables.
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Need help. I'm out for a five day weekend of camping and geocaching. On day 2, the screen on my Endura Safari has gone white. I'm sure I must have hit a menu or button combination to set it this way, but I have no idea what. The unit is on; I can touch the screen and hear it click. I can see the Safari logo when it boots up, before it turns white. I have tried changing the backlight from 100% to 0% to 75%; but still all I get is a white screen. I have turned the unit off/on; changed out three sets of good batteries. I've googled how to reset it and that requires tapping commands on the screen that I can't see!
Please, does anyone know how to make the screen visible again? My weekend of geocaching is at risk!
Thanks --
Apparently there is an internal timer that resets these Endura's. Pull the batteries and leave them out for just a little over an hour. Press the POWER button and hold it for two minutes while the batteries are out.
After an hour, put the batteries back in and try it out.
There is no guarantee this will work. I found an article that lists the above instructions. How to reset an Endura
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Full paperless caching support for the PN-xx was not available in Topo until version 8.0. That's why you also don't have the proper cache symbol in that screen shot.
You have several other options. You can update your version of Topo but since Topo NA 9.0 is about to be released, It wouldn't make since to upgrade until it's on the shelf. Not sure what the cost will be but probabbly anywhere from $60 to $100.
Next option is GSAK. It will load PQs directly to the PN-xx.
Last option is Cache Register. It's a $10 download from Delorme. It talks directly to Groundspeak and grabs your PQs from your account automatically. You simply open the program and sync your PN-xx and you're good to go.
Thanks a bunch Pax
I got GSAK and everything worked; all caches now show all information fields. -
So after 7 years of caching I finally gave in and bought Premium Membership
The reason I did it initially was for the "caches along a route" feature to create a PQ for use on our summer trip. Anyway, I created the 500 waypoint PQ successfully and transferred the geocaches to my PN-40, however, I noticed that the "cache size" and "last logged" fields are not filled in; they just have a " -- " in them. The cache name and difficulty/terrain stars show up alright, but not the other two fields. If I read the comments page, the cache size shows up in there, but just not the main page showing the cache information.
Any ideas? I uploaded the PQ file through Delorme TOPO 7 and have the latest firmware installed, 2.6.
Thanks!
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I threatened, so here it is...
WHY OH WHY can't the GPS manufacturers take a clue from the phone industry and just throw everything in there? Why can't we have a GPS with a ~500x500+ screen, 32 GB+ memory to deal with nearly unlimited maps, WiFi/Bluetooth/3G to access caches on-line, and not only geocaching but traffic information available on-line and in real time?
I may be one of the few but I'd pay $1000 for that unit.
What about adding a camera, a music player, and ... a phone?
It seems my phone is getting better and better at geocaching, while my GPSr keeps backtracking...
What up with that?
Ideal for me would be improvements to the current PN-40 (some of these already exist, but i would like to keep them for future generations):
-Form factor/build quality of the Delorme PN-30/40
-Included 24k topo maps for the entire US
-altimeter/pressure plot
-Larger screen than the pn-40
-more durable battery springs
-ability to use AA alkalines, lithium pack, or NIMH batteries
-map screen that didn't "draw" all the time while moving around
-battery life 18+ hours
-terrain shading
-built in XM weather integration (shows radar, visible and IR satellite overlays on map and weather conditions/predictions)
-built in ELT for emergencies (im not talking about SPOT, just a basic ELT)
-voice activated auto-routing for less manual key inputs
-faster auto-routing and re-routing, detours, and ability to set faster or shorter routes
Thats pretty much about it for me. The PN-40 is almost perfect... just add these features and it would be golden.
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I just got myself a Magellan Explorist GC which is brilliant for paperless geocaching and sending caches to the GPS is seriously easy with the click of a button, however, I was wondering if anyone's found a way to send a number of caches to their GPS at the same time. At the moment, I have to send each cache to my GPS individually and it would be a big time saver if I could, for example select a number at a time and send them all at once or something...
There are 3 ways to send geocaches to your GPS that I know of.
1. Send each one individually (the way you've been doing it)
2. Send up to 20 at a time. Goto your geocaching.com/my page, then goto Search Options. Select a search option, then on the next page, scroll to the bottom, select "Check all", then download waypoints.
3. Create a PQ to download 500 geocaches at a time. Geocaching PQ
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Handheld electronic devices like GPSrs and cell phones would not be affordable for the typical consumer if they were made in the USA.
Can anyone back this up? Might we not get a better quality product if it was made in the USA.
The quality is already pretty darn good wherever these things are assembled. I'm not sure what it is you're disappointed about.
I believe all of the engineering teams and corporate offices for the major brands are located here in the states (except Thales/Magellan which is in France).
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For as much as I like the pros of the Endura line up, the cons are really stupid! Something as key as navigating to a waypoint should come out of the box, not still waiting for an upgrade 4 FW updates later. It's almost like these things were cranked out WAY too soon! You read stuff like this and the reviews on Amazon and it's hard to get a good impression – yet I am sure these units are fantastic in many ways. These problems just seem silly to me.
In general the Endura's are pretty stable units. You have to take those comments on Amazon with a grain of salt because a lot of the people who wrote them probably don't know how to use their GPSrs to their full capability. I can just see people turning it on, not knowing exactly how to do something because they didn't bother trying to find out, then just giving up and saying they got a lemon! A lot of people are just impatient (and ignorant) with electronics.
I got to play with the Endura several times at Best Buy and they are pretty sweet. No crashes, weird issues or concerns that I noticed and I played with everything. I LOVE the map panning and rotation the best. It is more fluid rather than the choppy motion you on other brands. I guess the bottom line is, don't judge the Endura too harshly based on some mainstream reviews. There are definitely some quirks like the one Briansnat brought up, but in terms of stability and functionality I would say they are 95% there.
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They are highly sensible.what about the sensibility ???
lol awesome
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Tahoo Skier, your entitled to your "violent disagreemenets" about proprietary batteries. But you're misguided when you vent it this towards the DeLorme battery pack. It's a just a Rechargeable CRV3. Not especially common, but not unique or proprietary by any means. Lots of cameras use them.
The disclaimer from D. about using JUST their battery are common weasel words. LOTS of companies insist you have to use their branded accessories, even when there are perfectly adequate 3rd party options.
the violent disagreement was kind of a joke
... i saw one of my friends use it on facebook the other day and I got a laugh out of it. -
I think in the original 'battery disclaimer' issued by DeLorme the word "type" was inserted.
Many people overlooked that, construing that the language meant DeLorme's battery was
"the only one". Much of this argument is irrelevant as the PN-XXs can use(@ last count)
4 different battery types, none of which are "proprietary"!
Norm
In the case of the PN-40, I completely agree that the way Delorme designed it is ideal. I can choose whatever type of battery I want. This is perfect.
My complaint was more aimed at the trend of electronic devices moving towards using proprietary battery packs or built in batteries etc. This is where I draw the line and say no. As long as manufacturers give us the option, I am all for it.
And hey, if you choose to use the CRV battery in the Pn-40, then by all means go for it, but lets keep it flexible and not lock us ALL down to using rechargeable packs.
... i saw one of my friends use it on facebook the other day and I got a laugh out of it.
Picture of the new GPSMap 62 serie :)
in GPS technology and devices
Posted · Edited by Tahoe Skier5000
Well the market will correct the price over time and I think we'll see the 62 fall inline with other comparable units like the PN-60. The first release is always going to be expensive, but once Garmin gets a feel for how many they are selling, they'll adjust the price accordingly. Obviously, if we don't feel the value is there then Garmin will know to lower the price in order to sell more.
So really, unless you're dead set on buying it day one and have the dough to burn, you've got nothing to worry about.... unless you absolutely NEED the bragging rights, lol