Woodstramp

Got the one you listed and I'll add it to the list. It's not too far from my brother's place. Thanks.

Thanks. I'm still learning the lingo and ropes to all this stuff. I made note of the BM you listed and will give that one a try.

http://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.aspx?PID=DH0212 I'm new to GPS and have tried several times to find listed geocaches. I've yet to find one, so I thought I'd try to find a benchmark to check if my Explorist 400 is accurate enough for GCing. Benchmarks being something more concrete, that is. I figured that finding that spot would be easier than finding a cammoed 35 mm film can. Above is the URL for a benchmark I tried to locate this afternoon. It is local and I know where the school in the background is. My Magellan's compass but me right near the culvert in the photo. From 200 feet the compass pointed right to the culvert. Standing exactly from where the bottom pic was taken (in the culvert ditch) my GPS was telling me that I was off about 50 feet. I never saw the benchmark disc. I think it's covered by grass/road dirt again. Judging from the other guy's notes and pics the disc is above the culvert pipe embedded in the concrete. I know that my Magellan doesn't have WAAS and that is a handicap, but is 50 feet decent accuracy for Geocaching? Is 50 feet "close" compared to veteran cacher's standards?

BikeKacher, I did what you said to try and allow me to to see (or copy) that basemap file. My puter still can't see the GPS's hidden files. I think I'll just wait till I can get together with a local person who could do all this. I'm skilled at a few things, but computers ain't one of them. My GPS is still accurate enough for what I need it for without WAAS. Thanks for the info anyway.

Bikecacher. I , being a computer fraidycat, will attempt all this "Euro-upgrade, save-basemap, to get WAAS" stuff after smoking on it for a while. Thanks for the info.

To save your basemap, follow the instructions from GPSFAQs. Basically you just save a copy of the basemap.mgi file. Geognerd, Here's a cut-n-paste of the instructions: -----How can I backup the included basemap to protect myself against the dreaded "NAND problem"? Conneect your Magellan Explorist 400™ to your computer. Choose menu->advanced->communications->file transfer->internal memory. The contents of the device's memory will show up as a mounted disk on your computer. The directory (folder) is 'Background Maps' and the file you need to save is 'BASEMAP.MGI'. Windows users may have to explictly enable showing hidden and system files to see it. ------- When I go through the steps described in the link I can pull up seven folders that my PC is reading on the GPS. When I click on Background maps folder it appears to be empty. I use a Windows PC. Would "explictly enable" have something to do with why I can's see the 'BASEMAP.MGI'? How do I "explictly enable" my computer?

Ernmark, Bikecacher, I have an Explorist 400 with no WAAS (registered NA) and have been reading this thread with interest. You guys say "save your basemap". How is this done exactly? Thanks.

I wasn't sure. Just wanted to get more input to make sure. Thanks.

You got a lot of time on your hands, don't you. --- Woodstramp (Tiping tipoes won typo at a tyme!)

Hey, I just got a 4GB SDHC card for my Explorist 400. The unit acts like it's not there.....can't send files to it. I wonder if it's a problem because it's a SDHC and not just a SD? Anyonr else run into this problem?

I manually reset the time clock today. I got to thinking that my time clock and the clock that is use to calculate the GPS stuff might be separate. I didn't notice anything unusual in it's operation before or after I changed it. Thanks.

Hey, I noticed that my Explorist didn't automatically "leap forward" this weekend. Accurate time, from what I've read is the heart of the GPS system. Does the GPS constellation observe DST?

Sounds like you might want to ask this question in the other forum here called "GPS and Software". They seem to like to hash out more complicated technical stuff there. I'm not being rude or trying to run you off this one. Just thinking you might get your answer faster there.

Thanks for all the additional advise. Our family went to the local city park this afternoon to meet with some long-lost friends. After a spell, I turned on the GPS into Geocache mode and POOFf there were 3 caches in the park. Gave the GPS to my kids and we beat the bushes for two of the hides. We found nothing. Of course, that area of town suffered an F1 tornado last week, so what we were hunting might be in the next county. We'll keep trying till we find some. Like I said, thanks for all the tips. I always lost interest in things that are easy, so maybe my luck so far is a good thing?

This AM went to the pharmacy to fill an RX. Guy said come back in 45 minutes.....second go at cache hunting....GPS file said there was one about a mile away.....found location. It was a fountain in a micro-park. Did the bumble bee thing. GPS said I was withing 10 feet. Never found the cache, though there were several places at the site it could've been in (fountain and several holly bushes. Next attempt there I'll take some young'ns. Let them have some fun with sharp eyes.

It is across from the church. That's the first place I e-compassed the direction of the cache. Then I turned on the road beside the house and the needle still pointed to the yard. Like I noted, my explorist has the WASS problem. Maybe it's off a good bit? This was just a first go at cache hunting. I'm more interested in doing this in remote hiking/hunting areas, anyhow. I'm not really interested in more populated areas. Been logging some caches in a local National Forest area tonight, BTW. Thanks to everybodyfor all the pointers.

I'm new to this and only got the co-ord's. Wasn't aware of all these other details until tonight. Hi Woodstramp. We're trying to help you figure out what you were looking for, but we need info. Here is a link to one on my caches: Can You Reach It? Click on that link and look at the cache page. Notice, the Waypoint number is GCV96P. We can search by that number, and read the cache page. Or if you just provide the coords from the cache page, we can search by those. Give us something. Now I want to read this cache page. I went back to GC'ing.com's page to find it again. GC18CP0 is the number on the cache.

(Note: I'm not very computer or GPS savvy, but with the help of my daughter) I was able to load a whole page of caches into my Explorist 400 tonight. We hit the select all button at the lower right of the Geocaching.com page, transfered them to EasyGPS on the PC and then on into the Magellan. When I activated the Geocache mode on the GPS it showed all the labeled cache icons on the basemap. If you move the screen cursor to the cache icon you can push enter and a cache description pops up. Maybe it's your unit or the way you did the transfer?

WGS84 is the same datum my Explorist is set for.

On this particular cache spot was located at an intersection. The Magellan pointed to the guy's yard (built in compass) from the vantage point of the two roads. This Magellan has the "no WASS" problem, but is very receptive. Anyway, it's no big deal. First try and all. This first one I had to hand enter the co-ord's. That was pain until I found out (with the help of my computer-savvyer daughter) that Geocaching.com has a way bulk load GC's straight into the PC and then into the GPS. That is really nice.

Quoted for truth. In my experience, a cache placed on private, residential property is usually at the CO's house; Thanks for the info. That would make some sense.

I'm new to this and only got the co-ord's. Wasn't aware of all these other details until tonight.

Got a new "mapping" GPS for hunting, fishing, car travel and hiking. Internet searches for newbie type questions kept leading me here, to your forums. Geocaching was never part of the original reasoning for getting the explorist. But, now it sounds like a fun thing to do. Found some local cache coordinates on Geochaching.com's Zip deal. Thought I'd give the closest one a try, yesterday/. The cache was smack in the middle of a man's front yard. (If the GPS was telling the truth, that is.) What I'd like to know is if this is a common thing? Is trespassing on private property a major part of Geocaching? My original idea of Geocaching was finding them in stashed in public places or rural or abandoned areas, not in a cinder block in the foundation of an occupied house. Is this common?

......and keeps on tickin'! As a newbie to GPS's (and as an owner of a Magellan Explorist product ) I've checked this forum and read horror stories galore, like: "....My Garmin bit the dust today.....My Magellan can's get WASS......Help! my (fill in the blank) won't load (fill in the blank)",etc. Luckily, my Explorist 400 (save for no WASS) and my ancient Magellan 2000 both work as billed. Thought I'd give y'all a chance to accentuate the positive. If you've got a GPS unit that has been through the wringer and performed nicely (brand or age matters not) I'd like to hear about it. Maybe others would too. Thanks. -Woodstramp

Thank you Knight2000 the reply. I would be more than satisfied with that much street detail. THe Basemap on the unit is OK, but that is a ton better. Their Mapsend Topo would be enough for me, looks like.