dzavetsky

Its me again...thought I would followup..... I used my V to find my first cache on the OBX on Sunday! Very cool! Cache was easy to find...not sure if the gPS was the key or if it was a very easy hide.... Downside is that we are going to be evacuated soon due to the impending hurricane...and on top of that, my truck broke down on the beach yesterday morning.....$450 in tow charges and lord knows how much in repairs.....wish the GPS could help me out of THIS one! Unfortunately, no tow services were listed for where I was located (somewhat remote beach location)...so I had to use the cell to call the rental agent and they gave us a number to call....THANK GOD FOR CELL PHONES! ANyways, finding my first cache was great! My 4 year old enjoyed it -- I told him we were searching for treasure and he was all smiles! DZ "It's about 1 mile from here as the crow flies.....2 miles by car.....3 miles if you are using a GPS...."

Hi Bob... Well, i arrived at the OBX on schedule... The V performed well....breaking it into routes helped...I named the endpoint of the first two "goto B" and GOTO C and named the routes themselves A B and C.... The basemaps worked for the two 4-10 mile gaps well enough....setting waypoints along those sections I think is what made it work... So, overall, all is great....I think what complicated things for me is that I wanted to plot a specific course, and the real intention for autorouting is so one doesnt HAVE to do that....I know I was kind of mis using autorouting... <grin> Now, to try "reverse route" on the way home! I have set the unit to "off road" and captured my 8 mile trek up the beach and into the home area and I saved the track...will play with that tomorrow.... At this point, I am more worried about the hurricane coming this way and praying that Isabella stays at bay thru next saturday.... Thanks VERY MUCH to all for the helpful advice and support.... DZ quote:Originally posted by Bob K.:DZ, I realize that this might be a little late, since you are likely on your trip, but refer to my posts in this link to understand the limitation of the GPS V routing and how you can overcome it: http://ubbx.Groundspeak.com/6/ubb.x?a=tpc&s=5726007311&f=7116058331&m=24660106 We talked in depth about this "problem" and came up with a couple very good solutions. "It's about 1 mile from here as the crow flies.....2 miles by car.....3 miles if you are using a GPS...."

Thanks Bill... So basically that answers my question -- it is just the nature of the beast......a limitation that goes back to memory (if one wanted to create a route in CS and load it and all the maps needed, I mean...) In all honesty, I have been this route before, so I don;t think i will get lost, and I know that if push comes to shove, I will be able to use the V to foind my way out of a bind.... I was just hoping to be able to set up the V to have all my turns etc in it for reminders plus when my wife drives for a bit I can sleep and not naviagte <grin> I *think* my 3/5 leg solution will work...I guess I will find out!! Just a question: If I start navigating a route either slightly before or after I reach the starting waypoint, will I tun into problems?? On the upside, I hope to explore 3 caches in the OBX area while down there....got me some stuff to leave and a fresh can of DEET.... DZ quote:Originally posted by Bill_Sumrall: quote:Originally posted by dzavetsky:That really isnt the point....I would like to have the whole route in the thing just in case....I dont need the CS maps for the local stuff for me but as I explained, it seems that when I try to load the route I have created in the CS software, the V wants to recalculate regardless of the fact that I am using major roads in that "standard" map set.... "It's about 1 mile from here as the crow flies.....2 miles by car.....3 miles if you are using a GPS...." I'm afraid that is the way it works. You need to do your routing using the V, not the CS software in your computer - unless you have room to load all the maps used in the auto-routing. I believe that is what various ones have been saying - do your routing in the V by selecting New, Manual. Then enter the waypoints. It will use CS where available in the V, and use Basemap otherwise. But if you use waypoints within the Basemap portion, those points have got to be available within the Basemap. Maybe the best way would be to make waypoints along the Basemap portion of trip using only the V. Then you know they are available. Bill "It's about 1 mile from here as the crow flies.....2 miles by car.....3 miles if you are using a GPS...."

You're right in a sense....it will get me there... But I definately want to go by way of a coupel of certain waypoints and roads and that is where it seems to be an issue.... It just doesnt like when I load the route I created in city select because I cant load all the maps.... I *think* I have the solution for now, whereas I basically have to drive an hour (since I cant load the map of my starting point) before I can start "autorouting".....I broke the trip into three legs, joined by two short unmapped sections.... I am sure it is something I am doing wrong.... True, if I were to just enter a start point and an end point, it would get me there one way or the other...I guess because I am throwing certain waypoints at it and the fact that some sections are unmapped that that is the issue... quote:Originally posted by Criminal:Do this: 1. Walk out to the car and turn on the V 2. Delete the manual route you created. 3. Press find, enter the address to where you are going. 4. While it's stewing, clear the tracklogs 5. Once the V signals it's ready, drive the route 6. Save the tracklog. The point you're missing is that you _don't_ need to create a manual route! The V has your route inside it already! Use it! "It's about 1 mile from here as the crow flies.....2 miles by car.....3 miles if you are using a GPS...."

That really isnt the point....I would like to have the whole route in the thing just in case....I dont need the CS maps for the local stuff for me but as I explained, it seems that when I try to load the route I have created in the CS software, the V wants to recalculate regardless of the fact that I am using major roads in that "standard" map set.... How about giving me a break...I am 12 hours from leaving on a trip and trying to figure this out....I appreciate any help that anyone can give, but I dont think that telling me to "end yourself" is great advice...I already said I am a newbie at this,......if you know how to solve my dilema, I welcome your comments....I just bought it a little while back and this is the first real test for the autorouting stuff and so far it seems like either I am screwing up in how I am doing it or I underestimated what could be done with the V...so like I said, please forgive this newbie for what you seem to think are dumb questions... DZ

Asd an update, I have broken my one route into 4 pieces....The first is using no CS maps (just the built ins) from my home to the interstate and then to the first CS mapped waypoint...the second route takes me on a CS map for a ways....then I go into "la la land" with no route for 4 miles until I get to another CS mapped route waypoint, and then I am CS mapped all the way to the end. I still have no idea what I am doing wrong....It looks like I should be ok, though I am not very comfortable....I guess we shall see..... If only the V had more memory or the CS maps were broken into smaller pieces......the latter seems like an easy enough option...why cant they do that?? SOme of the maps I need were 4 mb, and I only needed the tiniest CORNER of it!! I am taking my usual paper routes and maps with me...I am not sure if it is just user error or if I am seeing the shortcomings of the unit and/or CS.... DZ "It's about 1 mile from here as the crow flies.....2 miles by car.....3 miles if you are using a GPS...."

The trip I am planning is less than 400 miles from Pittsburgh to the Outerbanks of NC......route 30 to 76 and the by way of 17 and WInchester VA, to 95 and then to the OBX from there......the way they have the maps blocked really sucks...the interstate goes thru a tiny corner of it and yet you have to downlaod this HUGE map segment. I would need 30 some mb for all the maps I would need to autoroute., I am really bummed out....I just spent 20 minute trying to use the waypoints I loaded in a Manual route...and when it tried to calculate after all my work, I got a "calculation error". I am very disappointed and frustrated. Looks like I wont get autorouting for my trip, so this is not cool at all. I am starting to wonder if the $400 I spent was worth it. quote:Originally posted by Renegade Knight:The memory should be good for a 1200 mile strip along the interstate. I agree though I've outgrown the whimpy 19mb of memory on my GPS. I've never tried to do an autorout on the computer for use in the V. All my autorouting has been in the field with the maps inside the GPS. "It's about 1 mile from here as the crow flies.....2 miles by car.....3 miles if you are using a GPS...."

I am hoping that by placing the waypoints on the large highways on the sections where I could not load a map I can make it work...it is uploading now...I only added waypoints where the maps werent able to be used.....I picked a beginning wapoint, an end waypoint, and then sevral in between, in spots where selected map sections met non-selected map sections.....In the second half of the trip, I didnt use any since all the maps are being loaded... The printed out directions look ok....but they did before too and then the directions on the V itself were all screwed up... If this doesnt work, I am wondering if this is even worth having....I was under the idea that the memory thing wouldnt be a big deal.... It makes absolutely NO SENSE that the V would disregard the route planned on the software... I *MUST* be doing something stupid, right??> quote:Originally posted by Bill_Sumrall:It may be that hard! It appears you cannot plan AND download an autoroute unless all maps used during the routing all included...at least that has also been my experience. Even if you download the starting and ending maps, autoroute won't go the way you planned from the MapSource computer program. But, if you do as you indicate and download waypoints, then do a Manual Route on the V using those waypoints, it will go the way you intend. So, if anyone has a better solution, please let us know. 19Meg memory for maps IS a headache! Bill "It's about 1 mile from here as the crow flies.....2 miles by car.....3 miles if you are using a GPS...."

Yes.... quote:Originally posted by Renegade Knight:You are setting up a route in Cityselect, and trying to use that in the GPS V to autoroute? "It's about 1 mile from here as the crow flies.....2 miles by car.....3 miles if you are using a GPS...."

I am trying to setup my V for autorouting a route for my vacation this weekend... Well, I spent a ton of time playing with the City Select to setup the route I wanted to take.... Turns out that all the maps I need cant be loaded...ok, so I load the ones I think I would need the most.... Well, when I load the route and maps to the V, and try to run the route, it wants to recalculate because I dont have all the "necessary maps".... The missing maps are just where I was traveling on main highways yet the V wanted to recalculate anyways.... I ended up having to go in and add waypoints connecting the spots where I cant load the maps to the spots I could load maps for...THAT seems to get me the desired route.... But come on...I *MUST*( be doing something really wrong. Why would the V want to recalculate an already built route just becasue the sidestreet maps are missing??!?! I am a little disappointed.....I have a feeling the old paper maps will be coming back into use this trip... I have the route loading now with the new maps and waypoints but my faith in whast I have setup isnt that high....and that 19mb limit is really starting to show itself. DZ "It's about 1 mile from here as the crow flies.....2 miles by car.....3 miles if you are using a GPS...."

<grin> "What the Garmin V manual _says_ is that the unit can "withstand immersion... blah blah..." not that it can operate. In fact, it goes on to say to field strip it and dry it out before attempting to use it again. Remember that this thread concerns someone who tried to operate a _wet_ receiver. Since both Garmin and Magellan use the same standard for "waterproofness", the above goes for the Sporttrak Map as well." The field stripping seems to be more of a precaution tahn anything.....water + electronic gear does not mix.....PERIOD. Just like a 4x4 truck -- The manual for my Explorer says that it can ford streams up to 2 feet, etc...it ALSO goes on to say that certain extra maintenance (like repacking the front hubs) is needed AFTER fording said streams. Does that mean that the manufacturer is lying about what it can do? I think it all depends on how folks interpret certain things....we all read into things what we want sometimes.

ROFLMAO!!! Look at it this way...there are THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS of miles of RR track in the US. What is the chance that you will get nabbed simply for crossing one? The authorities have little success in busting railroad hobos, so what are the chances??? We shoudl all know that when caching or even just walking across teh countryside we assuem the risk for our route.....common sense plays a great role in a successful and healthy journey. quote:Originally posted by Lerch: we're talking about crossing rr tracks not a freakin mine field for God sakes!! What's the big deal? Has everyone become giant pussies??

Yeah, but that dont come cheap. I bought a RAM mount for my motorcycle. The base kit is $50 and the chrome bracket and extra ball (the bracket in the kit is butt-ugly) was anotehr $30.... Ouchie. Good mount though....only beef I have with it is that it mounts in ONE direction due to the design of the mount. The cradle bolts on ONE SIDE ONLY, so you have to choose which side teh angle is set for...Not a big deal on a pedal bike, but a pain on a motorcycle....IF you want t o mount it vertically, like I had to... It works fine though once you work out the logistics. DZ DZ quote:Originally posted by Alan2:Check out http://www.ram-mount.com/ramgps.htm. You can mix and match buying separate cradles for the units and have the handle bar mounting fixed with the same extension for both cradles. Just swap the cradles and unit. RAM has shock absorption built it so it'll protect your units. Alan

According to my documentation, my Garmin V can be submerged to one meter for 30 minutes.... That seems like a pretty good claim to me.... DZ quote:Originally posted by blindleader:I’d like to see a manufacturer claim that their consumer grade GPS receiver is proof against thunderstorm drenching, dunking, or any other such environmental insults. As with all retail advertising, consumers read into it what they would like to believe, not what it says. I’m going to cut this short because I have to draft a complaint letter to Budweiser. Their beer didn’t get me laid by a sexy blond twenty-year-old on a beach at sunset last summer.

Ok...quick poll -- how man of us were just about ready to pull out the manual to double check the candle wax thing was a joke, just in case?? (Guilty as charged) DZ quote:Originally posted by Bender:Mine says keep away from pork. Bender Searching, for the lost Xanadu

I am a new V owner and I can say this is definatekly a learning process...but the GPS will do what ever you tell it, which is good and bad. When you hit "backtrack", it is telling the GPS "I want to go back exactly the way I came"..... Think about it : If you go from point A to point B and then start back to A again, and THEN hit "trackback", the GPS will track you back along the same route you took to get to where you are RIGHT NOW, which includes backtracking to point B and then to A after that...it is doing exactly what it was instructed....Probl;em is, we are "smart enough" to be able to add in teh added info that "we want to start from THIS point rather than back at B"".... I think a better way to do it would be to make sure you set waypoints as you go...and then you can route from one waypoint to another....this is in effect telling it where to start your backtrack from..... quote:Originally posted by ChiefPig:So are you saying the etrex should be smart enough to know I am already halfway between the beginning and the end of the track and would just navigate me from where I am to the beginning? And maybe I should just stop navigation and restart the trackback for this to happen?

I had a similar poor customer service experience over the weekend with my (soon to be ex) insurance agency.... Been with them for over 10 years...they started out very small, and I got great service from the owner in the past....Over the years they have grown and I guess he has hired some real dillweeds. I got a "refusal to renew" letter from my inurance company in the mail, so I called the agency friday at 5:05 to find out what the deal was....after pleading with the receptionist, I finally got to speak with the (*****y) "Customer Service" person....I started my story and was (understandably) upset...She reminded me that it was "after hours" and that if I continued to be "of poor attitude" I could "just wait to call back on Monday".....then, when I told her that my current policy expired in November, she said "Oh you have plenty of time! Why are you calling now??" ANyways, very long story short, I am shopping elsewhere....(Their name is "Combined Insurance Group" out of Lansdale, PA.....STAY AWAY! VOTE WITH YOUR FEET and avoid places like these! There are plenty of companies out there who will treat a customer well.....THEY sdeserve your business. DZ quote:Originally posted by arakie:In all my years of mail ordering, I've never encountered service like this. Tried purchasing a GPS76S from them... First, they told me that it would ship in 24 hours. Two days later they said it would be next week. Finally, the "customer service" representative told me that "I was pissing her off and that she was cancelling my order"!! Then she hung up before I could respond. Unbelievable! You have been warned! Their website is: http://www.advancedgps.com. I strongly urge you to avoid them. Cache-on, Arakie.

Maybe I dont understand the technology specific to GPss, but here is my thoughts anyways... I would think that the speed at which the data is transferred is SOLELY dependent on two things: 1) The PC being used to send thedata and what connection it has and 2) the device accepting th data and what conenction type it has and how fast a speed its processor can support.....If one or the other doesnt support USB, then that is the issue.... I dont see how the data cares one way or the otehr how fast it is transferred.....Seems to me like the GPS is the weak leak, in that the relatively slow processor in current GPSs cant handle the data flow from USB.... Just *my* opine... DZ

Sorry....I forgot to say that I am using a Garmin V.... DZ

Am about to take a vacation trip....so I will have all the maps I need loaded up.... Once I get to my destination, quite a bit of travel will be done "offroad", on the beach and beach backroads (unmapped)....I want to keep these "trails" and use them whilst on the beach/backroads....I would like to save these trails as routes so that I can backtrace my route.....also, would like to see a visual representation of these trails onscreen.....is this possible while still having the onroad maps loaded up?? Is it possible to download the offroad info to my laptop?? My intention was to have tried this locally by now, but time is running short....So I may end up learning once I get there... Any hints/tips?? Thanks in advance all... DZ

If you think you will EVER want to use the GPS in a car and want turn by turn directions, go for teh V.... I tried a Sport Trac and then a Legend...neither "did it" for me...The Legend didnt hold enough Metroguide maps to get me from Pittsburgh to OBX, NC the way I wanted to....so I wanted a unit with more memory...I bought the V and am very pleased, aside from a battery issue I am having....The V's 19mb (though I would love more) is just enough to cover 98% of what I want for this trip, and holds everything I need for daytrips on my motorcycle..... I find teh V easier to use.....that little stick on the Legend is cool, but you really ahve to watch the menus.....on the V, the buttons do a great deal and are easy to locate while driving etc....I havent tried my V in the woods yet though.,..been too busy to geocache (I am a newbie)...(plus, all the bugs that attacked me in the woods last time convinced me to wait til sept or so to try again! <grin&gt I used the Legend in teh woods a little and it worked ok but lost reception a few times....It also usedto loose reception while walking sometimes even in relatively clear/level surrounds, so holding it a certain way is critical...teh V seems to be more tollerant. DZ quote:Originally posted by Cybo:Ok thanks for the speedy reply. The garmin V looks cool, but its a bit too pricy for me . That makes it between the SporTrak, Geko 201 and the SporTrak Map SE. The SporTrak is $199CDN, the Geko is $219CDN and the STMap SE is $269CDN. Do you think the map is worth it? I don't really travel alot. Renegade: Yeah, I dont think ill look at the Etrex Legend then because of that issue...

Hey....where can I get some of these "screen condoms" and how well do they work?? I figure the screen protection is what the case offers (the V is already water resistant....maybe the case also offers a little protection if dropped?) so teh screen protection is all I really need... quote:Originally posted by Renegade Knight:I use one of Garmins' zip up cases for storage and have a screen condom on the GPS itself for field use. The Neoprene case strikes me as an odd mix of the two. When the clear part is all scratched up over time, how do you replace it? Or will you need a screen protetor to protect your screen protector?

Yep...already running rechargeables...they are the Energizers I refer to.... Unfortunately they shut down way too much so until the gizmo arrives I am using the alkalines...even with THOSE, my unit is shutting down 2-3 times on the bike.... This *REALLY* bugs me.....I mean, the unit is 2 weeks old (not even) and already having these issues!?!? I hope this is not an indication of what is to come...I really like this V, but if it is so delicate that it cant ride on my bike with me without problems, I wont use it....I *REALLY* hope that the gizmo does the trick... DZ quote:Originally posted by Brainerd:dzavetsky... ''The heat issue'' has to do with 1st generation chargers, not the batteries. Do your pocket book and the environment a favor, and get some NiMH's.

I hope it works.... I dont think I wantt o tape the rechargeables due to the heat issues I hear everyone talking about.... I stuck in some alkalines this AM and they seemed to rattle around even MORE...but the unit didnt shut down on the way in..... So hopefully that gizmo will work.....with the rechargeable energizers, it even shut down once on my while walking.... I plan on (eventually) getting a power cable installed on the bike so I can have the light on all the time, but IMHO this is kind of a silly problem that should not exist in a $400 piece of equipment....just my opine of course.... If the gizmo does the trick I will be happy...but why not fix teh problem in the design? Or at least give teh gizmo with every new unit.... DZ quote:Originally posted by wellermj:I have the battery spacer gizmo in my V and it has never lost power while out on the bike and i used it all this weekend....