BikeBill

Thanks Guys! I knew I had the profile right but didn't know about the cache index problem that alandb mentioned. I think I had a problem with that, coupled with some filter anomalies. I had checked the filters and thought they were right but somehow they changed a bit on the difficulty spectrum. How the difficulty had changed I have no idea as I specifically checked them and they were set for the full range. Between the two, it's showing all the caches now! Thanks Much!!

I didn't use my Oregon 600 for a month or so after I got a 64S. Since there was a firmware upgrade I thought I'd give it another try. I loaded it up with some caches (via GSAK) that were about 40 miles from home but when I got to the location, most of the caches weren't shown on the unit. No problem, as I had the other GPS with me. So today I was experimenting and loaded 200+ caches from a power trail. I looked at the 600 and it only showed three of the bunch, two about 30 miles away and one that was 72 miles. I tried loading it again; set it to 'clear GPS before sending' again and got the exact same result. If I scroll to the map location, only those three are there. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong but don't know what as it worked okay before. Before all this started I cleared the caches by going into the 600's file system and deleted all the .gpx and ggz files. When I connect the 600 to my laptop it automatically pops up the unit's files. When I look in the file system now, there is cache data in both the .ggz and .gpx folders. What am I doing wrong?

I did something similar to what Chrysalides did but probably even cheaper. I bought a used netbook for about $90 that runs Windows 7. I have GSAK on it and as long as I have a cell signal I can tether it to my phone and go online. I generally don't log in the field and if I do I use my phone, but I could through the netbook if I wanted to.

Bamboozle said: <<We've used GPS units for over 11 years and never needed screen protectors.....when not in our hand they're in a soft canvas belt holster. I can't imagine what they would look like if they were dragged through the briars and brambles hanging from a lanyard....I guess like my pants >> I always have my GPS hanging around my neck from a lanyard. It's handy to grab that way and I know myself well enough that without it being attached to my body I'm likely to leave it behind at a cache somewhere. Yes, it gets banged around a bit on the edges from rocks and such but briars don't seem to be a problem. I also have a pen zip-tied to the same lanyard because that's one less thing to forget. For a while I had a Swiss Army knife on the same lanyard until I discovered it was making the GPS compass all hinky. I have a good Leki hiking pole and on at least three occasions I've had to return to a cache to retrieve it after walking off and leaving it behind. Maybe I should attach that to me, too!

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you want True North.

Hmm. I was hoping for a more extensive update. Maybe they sneaked some extra fixes in.

Then again, you could do what I did: I got used to it.

If you don't want to log field notes, the 600 will automatically record each cache that you've marked 'found' on it's calendar and you can check that when you get home.

Just to throw in another angle: The Oregon 6** (along with some other models)has been known to have some freeze-up problems. Some people think that the problems may be caused by corrupted .gpx pr .ggz files. If this is the case, loading an enormous number of caches may be asking for trouble.

I use GSAK to load large numbers of caches, which is a route you may want to investigate for it's other advantages. To just load a few caches, you can 'Send to GPS' directly from the Geocache Map page or from the specific cache's page.

I have a 60CSx and a 64s. I don't think the 64s is a whole lot different than the 62s - they even look the same. I'm liking the 64s a lot. Something that Forkeye didn't mention in his excellent post is how much faster the newer models zoom and pan compared to the 60CSx. Also, the limited number of Geocaches that the 60CSx would hold was a problem for me. I got to the 64s from the 60CSx by way of a somewhat problematic Oregon 600. The 600 functions somewhat similarly to the 64s (and I assume the 62) so that helped me with the learning curve.

Good site, Red! Thanks!

Well, since you went first I guess I'll give it a try.... On a related topic, Yogazoo, have you heard any buzz on an update for the Oregon 6** ?

Larry said: <<You're probably thinking of my post from sometime last year (which I can't find at the moment). Here's what happened to my brand-new Oregon 650 when it brushed up against some rocks...>> Larry, that's exactly the picture I was thinking of!

I have seen pictures (on this forum, I think) of at least one 600 that had some pretty nasty screen scratches. Don't know about the GPSMap6x but I always keep my 60CSx and 64s covered.

Grayhawk: Under setup, you can set which pages are cycled through with the 'Page' button. You can also change the order. Whichever page you have at the top of the list is the one that appears after the unit boots up. For example, I have mine set to bring up the Map screen after boot-up. On the top of my map screen I have the compass dashboard. That's my favorite combination for Geocaching. Currently, I have the following screens cycling through in this order: Map, Geocaches, Main Menu, Satellite, Compass and then it starts over. IIRC, I took Elevation out of the cycle and replaced it with Satellite.

I covered both my 600 and 64s with protectors just to be on the safe side. I don't want to find out the hard way that they can be scratched. I carry both on a lanyard and they sometimes tend to swing around and bump into things.

Tonight it works. Who knows!?

Still getting a server error. Maybe it doesn't like Firefox.

Insig's link didn't work for me. In case anyone else has the same problem, the process is the same or similar to changing the welcome message on the Oregon 600, which can be found here: http://garminoregon6xx.wikispaces.com/Startup+Message

<<Put me down for one of those ( after the 8 th firmware update ). >> Better make it the 20th firmware update. The 6xx is up to its 15th and still isn't right.

<<I find the my position Icon way too big for the screen, and the ability to view all the cache icons without being anywhere near them a hindrance. I like being able to see my loaded caches from a long way off not wait until I'm within a few hundred yards from it.>> I agree that the position icon is a bit big, but I'd rather have it that size than too small. I looked into changing it and that's apparently not easily possible. Can you explain about the cache icons again? I'm not sure what you are describing. Maybe you need to adjust the zoom setting for the icons. I started with a 60CSx too, and am happy with the 64s. It's definitely a more complex unit than the 60CSx, but is also more customizable. It's way faster and can hold lots more caches. You'd be even less pleased with an Oregon 600, from my experience.

<<To make it easier for you to lose and have to buy a replacement???? I have noticed with Garmins, the cheaper the mode, the more "bright" the color and harder to lose... The Etrex 10, Etrex H, Garmin GPSMAP 52 for example, bright yellow.. The Etrex 30 and Etrex Vista, 62sc, darker color, blends in making it harder to find. edit: Magellan too, the Meridian and old Explorist series... cheaper models = bright colors >> Neon spray paint is cheap! Mikkyp: I haven't had a problem like you described. I know there are options as to how the Geocaching screen comes up. I'm just getting things dialed in myself. My latest discovery was digging into some onscure menus to get the 'found' caches to show up on the map. Why that wasn't the default, I don't know. I've noticed that the 64s seems to have profiles that are simpler to work with than the 600. With the 600, I couldn't navigate to a waypoint (not a geocache) without changing to a different profile.

I don't think there are many (any?) current Garmin models that support Wherigo. There are iPhone and Android apps, however. Out of curiosity, does anyone know of current Garmin models that support Wherigo? Some older Oregons did but not the newer ones.

After buying and being somewhat disappointed with my Oregon 600, I bought a 64S a few weeks ago. Though I've only been caching with it a few times, it's hands-down the unit I want to take caching with me. No freeze-ups and more consistent accuracy. The 600 definitely has a better screen, but I want to find caches, not be impressed with graphics. I found four caches today. The first was a 2-stage and the 64s got me to within 5 feet of both stages. At the next cache the 64s pretty much zeroed itself at GZ. The third cache has had trouble with scatter and the last finder posted new coords. I found the hide 12 feet away. The last find was off by five feet. I'm pleased.