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This effect has nothing to do with satellite lock or accuracy. Magellan's used to average data, so if you were moving it would always report you slightly behind where you really were, because of averaging the last N samples. This often caused one to overshoot the location you were going to, hence the need to "boomerang". Experienced cachers would slow down as they approached a cache to minimize the effect. ..people would report driving into a tunnel or some other area where it is clearly *impossible* for their GPSr to acquire a signal lock and,, older Magellan's would often continue reporting a signal lock longer than would be possible. That's boomerang Yes my old Mag 315 would do position averaging, but the screen would SAY it was doing that.

Yea I'm surprised by that too Years ago Magellan units had a bad tenancy to "err on the side of accuracy" meaning they would claim a better satellite lock status than they actually had. Some called this the boomerang effect, in as far as you'd sometimes walk right past your destination point because the GPSr had in actuality lost it's signal but was using it's last best known guidance to continue you on your way. Then suddenly it would regain a signal lock and veer you back to your intended destination. Perhaps your Explorist is doing something like that...

Etrex Legend HCX will do both duties quite well & reasonable cost

The other noticable difference between the 60's and the Etrex's is the antenna, quad helix in the 60 & patch in the Etrex,, although I don't think either antenna design is currently superior to the other (years ago quad was better,, but no longer now) As far as watching the pennies.. hear hear! I've been scratching my head about the Colorados & the new Oregons.. WOW they're expensive!! Why are they 2x the price of a Vista/Legend???? Sorry if this is off topic

Yes I saw that news clip too.. & that makes no sense at all! Yes cell phones & Blackberries can be very distracting if used while driving, but a GPSr especially a "talking one" makes getting to a destination such a simple task. I'd think diligent use of a GPSr can probably aid in reducing accidents not increasing them

A Palm m500 or Palm Vx would probably be a great starting point to look for. PPC's are agreeably pretty nice units too, but are a bit overkill if the ONLY thing you're going to use it for is Geocaching. Batteries last longer on Palm PDA's, and the file transfer is really pretty easy. Add a software like Cachemate ($8) and your premium membership benefits will allow you to carry around thousands of caches in your hand

The rubber surrounding trim on my Etrex Vista Cx has come loose, I've heard this isn't an uncommon problem with this unit, the glue used to hold it together starts to loosen off over time.. How to fix it? I called Garmin customer service & was expecting to have to send it in to have it replaired. The unit is no longer under warranty so I assumed it would cost a few $'s for the fix. To my surprise & pleasure, Garmin sent me a sort of "replair kit" free of charge(!) consisting of a replacement rubber trim piece and what appears to be a strip of custom cut double sided tape. Thanks Garmin! But here's my problem,, the repair kit didn't have any instructions. I assumed I just peel off the old trim & tape, and stick on the replacement one. But.. try as I might I can't get the paper backing off the tape strip they sent me to come apart... and the stip itself seems sooooo thin, is it really double sided tape? Has anyone fixed their Etrex with such a repair kit. how to do it?? If I can't get it figured out I guess I'll call Garmin back and request an RMA so I can send it in for them to repair. I'm not concerned of the cost, I just want to get my beloved GPSr back together again lol

Mininova.org is also a good site for this torrent. The site is so popular that Ubuntu Linux includes it in their search options when using their Ktorrent application.

I'm using a Garmin Vista Cx for both duties, & it works really well!

Not sure how similar Macs are to PC's, but I have a habit of turning the GPSr OFF before disconnecting the cable. That way I get the familiar two-tone "disconnect" sound when powering the GPSr off not when disconnecting the cable

I have a Garmin Vista Cx & I use their quick release mount. Rock solid connection & a very small footprint when not in use. RAM mounts are nice, but I find them to be bulkier than brand-specific ones. Which GPSr do you own?

Grab a cheap used PALM based PDA from eBay & you can transfer your downloaded pocket queries into it using a program like Cachemate. Yes the reason you want recurring pocket queries is to get the latest updates. Also you'll get the latest log entries as well, those log entries get added to the PDA information so you can review them while out 'caching. Welcome to the sport/hobby/obseseion

If you mean does the Vista Cx record which direction it was facing in the track log,, no it doesn't. If it needed to do that then it would also have to record what angle it was held at too?

Were you standing still while taking a bearing? The Etrex Legend doesn't have a magnetic compass at all... in order for it to point to the correct destination you need to keep MOVING, at least as steady walking pace speed.

Yep, I've been using a Vista Cx for a couple years & thought it had awesome satellite signal holding ability. Recently though I bought my girlfriend a Vista HCx and,, WOW! Her HCx leaves my Cx in the dust when it comes to lock-on speed at startup, and signal retention

"The Source" stores here in Canada (used to be called Radio Shack) has been having a fire sale on the entire Eneloop product line, I've been grabbing batteries & chargers for $15 that used to cost $50! I asked the clerk why they're clearing out the product line,, were they having customer complaints about them?? He says no, he thinks Sanyo is coming up with an updated version of Eneloop & that's why they're clearing out all the current stock. Get them while they're HOT!

I've been using a Palm Treo for quite a while now,, a GREAT unit for paperless caching! It's interesting to hear how iPhone people have adjusted their smartphone usage by uploading cache info to a website that they can later surf to from their iPhone to review. A nice way to work around the fact you can't (yet) load 3rd party software onto an iPhone,, nore can't you use even an external GPSr receiver via bluetooth... And what if you can't get a web connection while out caching in the woods? That happens to me all the time, so I wouldn't be able to see the web page cache details... How visible is the iPhones screen outdoors in bright sunlight?

How close does the 260W get you to the cache? I've heard most Nuvi's will stop navigating you to your destination once you get within 50 feet of your target(?) The problem with most "automotive" GPSr's is they are not very rugged for use while Geocaching out in the woods. Accidentally drop it in water or on a rock and it'll likely die right there Magellan and Lowrance do make "crossover" GPSr's that supposed to bridge the gap between automotive & outdoor models. I don't think Garmin makes a crossover style GPS yet(?)

Yes you should be able to store hundreds of waypoints into your GPSr for later retrieval. Like for example, the first waypoint you should program in is your HOME location that way no matter where in the world you are you can see how far away your home is lol Is this your GPSr? https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=144&pID=164 Did the GPSr come with a cable you can use it too attach to your computer? If so, you should be able to download Geocaching waypoints to it through that, or if no cable then you should still be able to pre-program cache locations before leaving your house by typing them in with the buttons. Just give each Cache site a unique waypoint name, like using the GC####

I'm pretty much used to the fact that most things I buy now, expecially electronics, will have it's owners manual on CD, or in some cases downloadable from the manufacturers website. On the random occasion I feel the need for paper under my fingers, I will print the manual myself. And just the section I'm concentrating on. Oh and, here in Canada they would have to include English AND French manuals in the box, and THAT is a HUGE waste of paper because any one user is only going to care about one of those languages.

Yes you will definitely want to adjust your GPSr so it's shows coordinates in the same format as Geocaching does. Also you'll want to verify your "datum" is set correctly to WGS84. Do you have an owners manual for your GPS?

Well,, all you "really need" is a GPS that will show you the direction and distance to the cache site. Maps are nice but not crutial if you're on a budget. No urgent need for color screens or autorouting either. All these features are nice though, and perhaps once you get your feet wet & decide they're useful, you can include them on your NEXT GPS purchase You can grab a basic GPS for around-or-under $100 at most sporting good stores. Something like this model is all you really need http://www.tigergps.com/garminetrexh.html

Hi & welcome to Geocaching Does the GPS come with a user manual, either printed or on CD? Read it cover-to-cover & learn it's functionality before heading out with it.

Where are you buying the GPSr from? Sometimes a vendor will include a coupon for a free/discounted upgrade to the latest maps if new ones are scheduled soon to arrive.

Hi & welcome to Geocaching Yep the MeriGold will work fine for this sport/hobby/obsession do you have the data cable that came with the GPSr? If so you can create pocket queries and download cache locations directly into the unit. Let us know if you have any questions!