KiAyker

Yep, that did the trick! Thanks so much to everyone who replied. The people on this forum are always such a great help Thanks again!

OK, so here's my story - my computer crashed so I now need to switch to another one. I managed to load the Mapsource software onto the new comuter, and I got GSAK up and running, but neither program seems able to find my 60C when I connect it to the computer. I can't remember, am I suppose to have a driver CD for the GPS? What if I don't? I could really use a little help here

I live in the OC if your interested. I work part time as a sea kayaking instructor and could find a cache on the beach for you, somewhere between San Diego and LA. KiAyker

And don't forget that the cache hider's coords may not be 100% right on either. So even if you can find zero with your gps, there is no guarantee that the cache will be there

OK, the bottom line here is that virtually ANY PDA will work for this game. So if simply going paperless is your major criteria then I would have to recommend that you go with whatever you can get for the least amount of money - period. One minor caveat I might add, however, is the clarity of the screen in the daylight. I used a B&W Palm Zire 21 for a year or so without any problems whatsoever. Then I decided to upgrade some to a Zire 31 with a color screen. The color screen is very difficult to read in the daylight, usually finding me scrambling for shade in order to see it. I really believe that I was much better off, at least as far as this game goes, with the less expensive B&W PDA. This is one instance where the higher priced item WAS NOT the better choice.

I got into Geocaching as a result of a Cobra 1000 I received as a gift. Using the Cobra 1000 I managed to find my first 100 or so caches. Then I upgraded to a Garmin 60C. Finding caches with the Garmin is so easy it's almost ridiculous. I think a lot of that is the result of the skills I developed using the Cobra. The Cobra is no where near as easy as the Garmin is - it requires some interpretation. But as a first GPS I have to believe that the Cobra taught me a lot about how to find caches that a more sophisticated unit probably would not have. I intended to continue using the Cobra from time to time, even after purchasing the Garmin, just to help keep me "sharp" on the game. But alas, the Cobra was stolen from my car, which was where I was keeping it. I have nothing but found memories of my Cobra, and would not hesitate to recommend it as a beginners GPS. That said, I REALLY LOVE my Garmin

Well, it's working again I don't know why it wasn't working earlier, or why it's working again now, but hopefully it was a one time glitch and will not happen again. I will file the reset info away and keep it handy, just in case. Thanks for help!

Help! I can't get my Garmin 60C to accept waypoints anymore. It's been working great for over a year, then this morning I find I can no longer get the waypoints into it. I have been using GSAK to send the information to the unit via USB. GSAK seems to send them OK, but nothing shows up in my unit when it's finished. At one point I attempted to send the waypoints while the GPS was turned off, and GSAK gave me an error message and told me to turn the GPS on, so there is some sort of communication going on between the two there. Just to cover my bases I downloaded the most recent version of GSAK, and then downloaded the most recent upgrade for the 60C - but still no luck. So then I downloaded a copy of EasyGPS and attempted to use that program to load the waypoints into the GPS, and still nothing! Does anybody have any ideas about what I can do now?

I've used a Cobra 500 for a little more then a year now. I've logged about 175 finds with it including a half dozen or so FTF's. It was my first GPS so I really had nothing to compare it to. I've recently upgraded to a Garmin 60C, including the $100 City Select software. The Cobra works just fine for this game. However it does have its drawbacks (of course so does the Garmin, like price for one!). I can't believe how much easier it is to do this with the Garmin - it's almost too easy! The Cobra made the game more challenging for sure. I can't really say if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I guess part of the answer depends on just what YOU want out of this. I think I may be a better cacher because I started with the Cobra. But who's to say. If I were to give you my own personal recommendation (which I guess is exactly what I am doing here) then I would suggest that if you receive a Cobra as I gift (as I did) then use it and enjoy it. It is capable of getting the job done. However, if you are looking to purchase, then I believe you would probably be better served with a low end Garmin or Magellan over a higher end Cobra. I reflect on the time I spent with my Cobra with fondness. But I'm really glad to have moved on.

The question was asked in the beginning of this thread, but the responses did not seem to answer the question, at least not so I could understand it. Is it possible to enter waypoints into the geocaching mode without them showing up on the waypoints page, and visa versa, or are these two pages basically the same thing?

OK, I'm using GSAKK and it is obviously capable of doing much more then I am able to do with it. Heck, I don't even understand some of the questions that have been posted here, much less the answers But it does take care of my current needs, and perhaps with time I will be able to grow into it. Right now, however, I am trying to figure out how to update my database. I can delete it and load a new one, but something tells me there's a simpler way to just overwrite the current records. I have read and reread the GSAK help files and cannot seem to find an answer. Can someone here please help me?

I am trying to use GSAK and have been prompted to enter my GC.com logon ID #. Can someone please tell me what this is and where do I find it? Thanks!

Let me begin by apologizing for being such a pinhead. I just received my 60c and have read the instructions as well as waded through this thread, and I still can't figure out how to manually enter coordinates into the unit. Can someone please take me by the hand and show me how to do this

I just posted this on another thread, and feel it appropriate to post an identical response here, especially since I don't know how to simply add a link to it (sorry, I'm still new to these forums), About a year ago I was given a Cobra 500 as a gift. While figuring out how to use it I discovered Geocaching! As of today I have found 177 caches with a half dozen or so FTF's. Not bad for a casual cacher who only does a few in the early mornings of the weekends before I start my day. So what's the moral of this story? Well, either; #1. The Cobras are not really as bad as people like to make them out to be, or; #2. Virtually any gps will work just fine for this game. Take your pick

STAY AWAY FROM COBRA! The term "Mickey Mouse" implies that there is some level of functionality to a device. Cobras are not even "Mickey Mouse". About a year ago I was given a Cobra 500 as a gift. While figuring out how to use it I discovered Geocaching! As of today I have found 177 caches with a half dozen or so FTF's. Not bad for a casual cacher who only does a few in the early mornings of the weekends before I start my day. So what's the moral of this story? Well, either; #1. The Cobras are not really as bad as people like to make them out to be, or; #2. Virtually any gps will work just fine for this game. Take your pick

I've had my Pungo on the Chesapeake Bay a couple of times and I've taken it down the James and Rivanna rivers. No problems during any of those trips. Of course, I'm not braving an ocean storm or doing whitewater on the rivers, just some smaller rapids that I felt comfortable with given the limits of my experience and design of my kayak. I know it isn't built for certain conditions, but to call it nothing more than a "pool toy" and not a "real" kayak is insulting. When I am on the water with the paddles in my hand deciding whether to go to the right of the big rock in the river or the left, I am a real kayaker. Do you have the same attitude toward GPS recievers? Are the yellow garmins nothing more than "toys" and the people that use them aren't "real" geocachers? I see your point about doing more than your equipment is built for, but if you use the equipment within it's limits, you are every bit as "real" as the guy who is capable of doing more with better equipment.. I guess it's all a matter of perspective. Is they guy who spends fifteen dollars on a cheapo inflatable "kayak" at Toys-R-Us to use in his swimming pool a "real" kayaker? After all, he is using his equipment within its limits. One problem with the rec boats is that they are difficult to extremely difficult to self rescue. Most of them do not have provisions for adequate floatation and tend to fill completely with water when capsized. Have you attempted a self rescue in your Pungo? A few years ago we had a girl who took her Pungo out of Dana Point Harbor during a period of offshore Santa Ana winds. She apparently decided to paddle outside of the harbor where she promptly blew away out to sea, never to be seen again. Rec boats can be very difficult to handle in wind and currents. I could probably paddle adverse conditions including surf and whitewater in one, but that would be more a testimony to my experience as a paddler then to the capabilities of the boat. It is not my intention to insult the rec boat users on this list. I was simply trying to help the person who was asking about kayaks understand that not all kayaks are created equal. Like I said, pool toys can be a whole lot of fun. However, a decent "sea kayak" will do anything a rec boat can do - better! But a rec boat can't touch a decent sea kayak in performance. The only real advantage of a rec boat is that they are cheap (gee, I wonder why?) and that they are small, making them a bit easier for some folks to store and transport. I would wager that if you were to look around a bit you could probably find a used "sea kayak" for the same price you'd pay for a new rec boat - and you would undoubtedly be much happier with it in the long run.

For what you describe pretty much anything that floats will do. So just look for the best deal you can find. Probably your best bet is to shop used. Check the local classifieds, and perhaps bulletin boards at local sporting goods or paddling specialty shops. HOWEVER, you must realize and understand that the basic "recreational" style boats, the likes of which are being so eagerly tossed out in this thread, are of a type that are VERY LOW PERFORNANCE and can even be considered DANGEROUS in the hands of a novice who decides to take on more challenging conditions. Recreational kayaks are not suitable for open water, whitewater, or conditions which might include such things as significant currents or wind. In other words, they are little more then pool toys. Pool toys can be a whole lot of fun on benign water - but they are still pool toys. If you are interested in doing some "real" kayaking then I suggest that you contact a kayaking specialty shop and get some instruction. Oh, BTW, I teach sea kayaking in sunny Southern California and have used a kayak to aid in finding several caches around here.

Um, what does that mean?

OK, so I don't suppose you could elaborate a bit on just how one sets up a "pop-up alert in Firebird for new caches, you know, for us non- computer types

As a primarily urban cacher , I find one of the best things for me to bring along is my mountain bike. Parking can sometimes (more then sometimes be a problem in the urban environment. With the bike in the back of my van I only need to get close, and then ride in to the cache.

I checked out GSAK and EasyGPS, and they seem to support Garmin and Magellin. So does this mean that there is no way to download waypoints to a Cobra, or for that matter any other off brand GPS? What a bummer!

I have a Cobra GPS 500. I read on the forums that this is probably not the best way to go, but what can I say, it was a gift. So I bought the interface cable to go with it. Now what do I need to do to download the waypoints to the gps? The instructions that came with the unit are not very helpful. Thanks for your help, KiAyker