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CacheCreatures

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Posts posted by CacheCreatures

  1. Hi all. First, thanks for the effort on all this. It helped me get up the learning curve in a matter of minutes, rather than days.

     

    If I may ask a few questions:

    1. The Map Detail list just above my post... are those settings I can specify globally so they apply all the time? In other words, do I need to change the detail level every time I change the zoom, or rather can I preprogram that map so the detail automatically adjusts every time I zoom in or out?

    2a. I can see my custom POI's on the map (as the default icon; I haven't specified one of my own yet). However, at no zoom or detail level can I see the POI name on the map.

    2b. When I place the cursor over one of those POIs and press enter, it tells me "No map information at this point." and asks me if I'd like to create a waypoint. Is that normal?

    3. There is no way to store a hint using the Geocahing Mode, correct? If I want that information I'll need to use the custom POI features?

    4. Once I find a cache via the custom POI interface, how do I remove it from the list? Just delete it?

     

    I should note I'm using the basemaps at this point. I'm still waiting for City Select to arrive =)

     

    Thanks again folks! I look forward to reading your responses.

  2. ...you'll need to add a PDA and CacheMate to your arsenal...

    Exactly what I'm using now (PPC and GPXSonar actually). For autorouting and cache finding I use Mapopolis with a bluetooth GPS.

     

    Overall this solution works pretty well. Its just the battery life stinks (maybe 3 hours) and forget it if it were to slip outta my hand.

  3. I'm starting to feel cranky about this whole thing. I've been looking, for years now, for a complete solution. Something that does true autorouting (with support for cross country type of route calculation), allows for truly paperless caching, can take a beating out there, has good battery life...

     

    Why is this so hard in the modern world to come up with? I've been using my pocket pc phone via a bluetooth GPS with ok results, but the ruggedness and battery life are just scary to rely on too much.

     

    I recently bought an eXplorist 600 with DirectRoute, and am really underwhelmed. Cost isn't a concern... someone please be my hero and point me to "the perfect GPS!"

     

    Ok rant over. I feel a bit better now.

  4. Alright you've really got me thinking now... a couple more questions:

     

    1) If GPSBabel supports converting a GPX file into basically any other format, is there no format that will be readable by Magellan's MapSend DirectRoute? Maybe I'm not understanding?

     

    2) I have MobilePhoneTools for my Razr. Basically, this gives me the ability to sync my calender and contacts to the phone automatically. Are you thinking that I could create a vcard for every cache (automatically via GPSBabel) and then sync that across to the Razr? If so, that might be the ticket until Magellan gets with the program.

     

    If 2 is possible, I'd be surprised no one had tried that before. Maybe I just need to try it?

  5. Thanks folks. Very good info. I've been a cacher since '03 and have been paperless that entire time. In the past, I've used a PDA with GPS CF card, but battery life, size and durability killed that a couple months ago.

     

    So, if I understand correctly, the only info that will show up is the hint, and that usually gets cropped. There is no way to even view a text file stored on the sd card?

     

    Other options... we both have Motorola phones... mine is the Razr. Any way to get the cache info on them, without needing to be in coverage area (wap access is cool, but hard to rely on)

     

    I'm really trying to avoid carrying a device just for the cache info... but maybe thats my only option.

  6. *deep breath* Ok here we go:

     

    I got Mapopolis and a Dell Axim X30H with 624Mhz with 64 MB of Program memory, 64 MB of onboard storage and a 512MB SD card.

     

    Me too. Its a sweet machine no?

     

    I want to have all of New England available on my Pocket PC but I don't want to use all Six states at the same time.

     

    What I do is use Total Commander to "zip" the maps I dont want to see. Zipping them basically puts them in a drawer that Mapopolis cant see. So when the program loads, it only finds those maps that are not zipped. When I need a different map, I'll just unzip the maps.zip, pull out the few I need and zip it back up. Very nice, quick, clean solution.

     

    I had some problems and did a hard reset and copied the maps by state. But it seems that if change the directory for NH to MA (Or CT) I loose the maps I loaded in NH? How do you manage this?

     

    Not sure whats going on here. Perhaps a soft reset would take care of it?

     

    get "Memory Low" a lot when I run Mapopolis. I have 22.86 MB allocated for Storage and 40.55 for Program files, of the 64. I only have 10.59pm in use in the main memory. Should I allocate all of my free memory for Programs?

     

    I've never had this problem. I wonder if its because you have so many maps available to Mapopolis. I'd guess that if you were to zip as mentioned above, this issue might go away.

     

    I bought GPS Tuner 3.5 for Geocaching which seems to work well. But on the Cashe I did today it seems to jump around a lot. Put the GPS on a stump and watched the distance go from 4ft to 40ft when the thing never moved, is this normal?

     

    Yep. Totally depends on a whole host of factors. Thats why gc.com requires that you "average" coords before posting them for a cache. I use GPSTuner too and usually will let it go for five minutes or so before accepting the final values.

     

    Other times the GPS seems off by 14 to 20ft. Where do you get maps for that.

     

    Not sure what you mean here. Maps for what? The 14 - 20ft though is perfectly within spec for our consumer grade gps units.

     

    I got the the Delorme Pocket Streets program with the Earthmate, but I haven't been able to use it for navigation. The maps seemed off, and it didn't let me rout long distances. It would tell me to turn after the turn, and if I wanted to rout to Boston (40 miles from home) it said that I needed complete maps, which I have. I think I have a 30 money back guarantee on that I might try and return it. Though I liked the PC version. Mapopolis seems to work well. for navigation, but the memory issue bothers me.

     

    Mapopolis is the only tool I use. It has never failed me. The maps-by-county thing can be annoying, but beyond that it works just fine. Hopefully the tips I've mentioned above will help with the memory issue.

     

    Hope that helps!

  7. Just a quick thought: have you considered a CF GPS option? I use one (the Holux GM-270 Ultra Xtrac2) with my laptop all the time and love it. The great benifit I've found is it just plugs right in (with the use of a $10 CF to PCMCIA adapter card) without the need for wires. I also like this option because it seems to be where the most recent advances in GPS technology show up first. Case in point, the Xtrac2 firmware. It never drops signal, and has no delays. It may take some time for this tech to show up in a stand alone unit. Also, this option tends to be cheaper than stand alone units too.

     

    Here is a link to the GPS: GM-270 @ Semsons

     

    Here is a link to the adapter card: PCMCIA Adapter @ Semsons

     

    By the way, if you join gpspassion.com for $10, you'll recieve a coupon for 10% your order at Semsons. Kind of a nice way to save a few bucks.

  8. Good thought El Diablo! Nice way to turn this into something quite positive.

    This advise is too late for good ol' Bob, but I have some info for future critter rescuers. To get a very young animal to poop often times you need to stimulate them like mama woould. The easiest way is to take a cotton ball, moisten it with warm water and gentley rub it's hiney. This emulates when mama cleans them and helps them go. But if they are too sick or dehydrated/malnuished it is not surprising for them to be constipated.

    I realized this thought might seem pretty random but Weasel mentioned this was one of Bob's issues.

    Seeing what nature has to offer us has to be one of the coolest things about geocaching.

  9. Hi CDN. Welcome to geocaching!

     

    Let me introduce you to the search feature. You'll probably find it to be one of the more powerful features this message board has to offer. Near the upper right, click the eyeglass icon next to the word "search". Type in a couple of keywords and watch the hits pile up. This is an issue that has been discussed hundreds of times here before.

     

    Having said that, GPS accuracy is most often not the issue. Rather, it is typically how the coordinates are measured in the first place. If you measure with plus/minus 10meter accuracy, and a cacher is searching with a GPS of plus/minus 10meter accuracy, you can see how "off" one might get.

     

    You'll get used to it. After a few caches, you'll start to zone in on likely spots even without the need of your GPS... well sometimes anyway :huh:

  10. I've been using a Holux GM270 Ultra for quite some time now. I've found it to be ok for driving, and frustratingly laggy when caching.

     

    I recently purchased the upgraded GM270 with Xtrac2. So far... wow. No perceptible delay and yet still a solid signal lock almost anywhere. In fact, once it locked on, I haven't dropped anywhere (inside my house, my office building, heavy tree cover ect...)

     

    Anyone else notice a difference? I tried searching here and was surprised to find no hits for Xtrac2. For my money ($130 at Semsons specifically), Xtrac2 has made route navigation and paperless caching simply a joy.

  11. I meant to post this some time ago. I'll create this new thread for PDA specific car mounts.

     

    This is my Dell Axim (used as my exclusive caching GPS) mounted in my 2002 GMC Sierra 1500, using the RAM Arm assembly (#RAM-B-138-G1) with their universal PDA cradle (#RAM-HOL-PD2). This cradle is really nice; it comes with three different sized arms (short, med and long... I use the long since I use the extended battery with my Axim X5).

     

    I took out the cigarette tray and bolted the surface mount upside down inside the tray cradle. If I ever sell the truck, I unbolt it, put the tray back, and no one is the wiser; no visible holes! And with my bluetooth GPS on the dash, I never loose signal.

     

    The whole thing took around 15 minutes to install! Hope this helps somebody see the possibilities!

     

    PICT1057.JPG

     

    PICT1056.JPG

  12. The first cache we ever found got a travel bug called "First Remember". Themed to help you remember your geocaching firsts. We went and got it. Ironically, it was our first bug. We then placed it in our first ever out-of-state cache. Phew.

  13. You're really going to hate ?

     

    What the... The only thing i gathered from that is the ? picture is in .png format. Beyond that, I've got no clue.

    Perhaps there is something more at the listed coordinates.

    Yeah I was afraid that was the case... 2500 miles is a long way to go to find out <_<

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