Team Benhamtroll

Well, I finally figured out a way to get my new NUVI 200W mounted to my bike so that I could get out and do some caching on my rides, as well as collect trip data, etc. I had looked all over for a way to do this, had decided that I was going to have to get the rig from Ram Mounts. Don't get me wrong; these are awesome mounts, and I may still go this route in order to have their Aqua Box for armor and water proofing, but I wasn't ready to spend the cash just yet. My Nuvi came with a suction cup dash mount, and I knew there had to be some way to use it. After a bunch of thinking, a though occurred to me, and surprising enough . . . it worked! I went to Joe's (any sporting good store with a camping section should work) and bought some gear straps. (That happens to be the brand I bought, but it doesn't matter . . .) I used three straps. Two seemed to be fine, but I didn't want to be buying a new GPS because it decided to take a nose dive. I simply wrapped it over the suction cup base (which has a hard plastic shell, BTW) and across the opposite side of the gooseneck/stem of the handlebars. I did this from each side, and it's held in their tight and solid. All I need to do now is make a sun shield for it, and I'll be good to go. Well, as soon as my trunk bag/panniers come in, along with the e-pack that mounts on the front to hold my phone and iPod. Yes. I'm a geek.

Okay, I was digging around on the Ram Mounts site and found the Aqua Box. Has anyone used this? Is it worth the cost?

Thanks, everybody. There are several things that should take care of the problem. Now I just need to find some waterproof armor . . .

I can't speak for the handhelds you mentioned, but I've been please with my Nuvi 200W, which I got at Best Buy for about $189. For the purposes you mention, it's probably about as good as the others, and cheaper. I'm actually using it as my primary caching rig, since my car has built in nav, and my GPS315 died. It's a little flimsy, and not waterproof, but I'm hoping to get a case to help with that.

I'm loving my Nuvi 200W, and now that I'm getting used to the way you cache with it I'm beginning to find stuff again. One problem, however, is that all of th vehicle icons are huge. I would love to have a very small vehicle, or even a crosshair or something that will indicate my position without taking up 400 sq ft of space on the map. Does anyone know of something like this, or perhaps a tutorial on how o create you own?

Thanks, on both the Solio and the Ram mounts. I will probably pick up both. I'm actually contemplating making a bag that will provide waterproofing and shock protection while still making the unit usable in the field. We'll see what comes of that . . .

Well, I decided to go with a Nuvi 200W for my new unit, mainly due to the way we tend to geocache, and the multipurpose nature of it. Now my question is, what kind of accessories can I get for it. What I'd really like to find are: A waterproof cover, preferrably fitted with a clear plastic panel over the face. A bike mount that works with the 200W. The one I found is only for the standard screens, not the wide screens.

Okay, my old trusty Magellan GPS315 finally died. I need a new one. I don't want to jump up to the $600 units, but I'd like something more feature-rich than my old bare bones unit. Preferrably, I'd like something that will: 1. Allow me to store a significant amount of caches on the device. 1b. I'd like those caches to be visible on the map 2. I'd like to have cache information as well, so I can ditch my Palm and just have the descriptions, hints, etc. on the unit 3. I would love something that would give an alert when I am in proximity to cache, say when I've done a Cache-Along-a-Route and I'm driving withing a reasonable distance of one of those caches. 4. I'd like to keep the total price under $300, and the closer to $200 the better. Any sugestions?

This is very interesting . . . My old Magellan 315GPS died yesterday, so I'm in the market for a new unit. Would the Nuvi be a good choice for my primary caching rig? I have a built in Nav system in my Prius, so I wouldn't be using it for much in the way of driving directions, just in the field.

Interesting stuff. I'm caught on the horns of dilemma right now, though. My Magellan GPS315 crapped out last night. I will be 'upgrade eligible' for the iPhone in October, and if it's possible for it to be a valid geocaching tool, I'd be willing to wait. At $199 I wouldn't be able to get anything else as flexible for less. With the 315 all I would get is basic direction and distance to the cash, without any maps or directions or anything else. Is this something the iPhone would be able to do now, even if I have to manually enter the coordinates of the cache?

That was actually my prime concern. Of course, I always bring my Blackberry with me when I'm caching, as well as my PalmIIIxe for cachemate. Or course, at $16 on eBay, that one's disposable. I hadn't heard about the lack of point to point navigation. That is one drawback, if it's true. At $199 for the 8gb, though, it's quite a bit cheaper than a lot of GPSr units out there, and my ancient Magellan 315 just can't compare.

With the new 3G iPhone just a few days away, I'm curious if anyone is thinking about switching to it for their primary caching rig. I know CacheMate is not getting ported, but with the built in GPS and web functionality, I can't help but think it's not even an issue now. I'm seriously thinking about it, even though my phone is about 4 months away from upgrade status. Anyone else giving it the eye?

Thanks for the tip on Expert GPS. I'll check it out. I'm still going to try to take a look at NG and Delorme, too. Joe's usually has a computer set up running one or the other. If all else fails, I can head in there and try them out. Being able to print to the NG Adventure Paper would be nice . . .

I also use the 315, and have had decent if not stellar results. Have you tried going through the setup process again, and resetting your location, etc? That's the only thing I can think of off the top of my head.

I'm looking to pick up some software to help me look at at print topographical maps for caching and hiking. My current GPSr doesn't have mapping function, so I'd love to have good detailed maps, preferrably with lat/long, UTM, or NAD coordinates that will help me out, as well as show trails, roads, etc. I've been kind of looking at Delorme TOPO and National Geographic TOPO!. So far, I've kind of been leaning towards Delorme, since you can get a lot more than one state for a decent price. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find demo versions to actually determine which I prefer, and will offer me the best features. Has anyone used either/both of these packages and can give me advice on which one will provide me with maximum functionality? Thanks!

How big of a map area can you have on one of these at any given time, with a 2gb card? How many waypoints? Without being able to connect to my PDA for cachemate transfer, I'd be curious to know if I can keep a large library on hand for cache-on-the-go.

It's working fine with my Blackberry Pearl, although I haven't tried logging a find on it yet. It's be nice to be able to access maps, though.

I've been using my sturdy Magellan GPS 315 for several years now, and it's worked like a champ. I'm feeling, though, like I'd like to move up to something more feature rich. I was hoping that some of you fine folks could help me out with this one. Here are the features, broken down by need/want: NEED •The ability to connect with a PalmOS device to download waypoints from cachemate. (If something either came with a cable, could do it via IR, or would work with my current Null Modem set up, I'd like that even better) •Has enough storage to keep a decent amount of maps on board. I don't want to suddenly run out of maps if my caching takes me 25 miles from home. WANT •If it was Mac compatible so that I could hook it up to my computer for maintenance/downloads, I'd be super happy. •Color maps. •Able to give turn-by-turn directions for use in the car. I'm a Realtor, and that would rock my world. I think that covers what I'm looking for. Anyone know if something fits these requirements. I'm thinking the Mac thing will be the hardest . . .

Thanks for the suggestions. We'll defnitely check these ones out!

Heya, folks! Team Benhamtroll is beginning our new tradition of adopting a mountain/forest/region every year and doing all manner of recreationa; activities to experience all four seasons. We figured Mt Hood would be a great place to start, and I was curious if anyone had some recommendations of some caches to look at that would get us into areas that highlight the beauty of the area. We do have a 7 year old to think about, so 5/5 is probably out, but we are pretty active. Thanks!

Your questions are great. I hop I can answer them satisfactorily . . . GPS stands for Geosynchronous Positioning Satellite, which is a bit bulky to carry around in the woods. GPSr stands for Geosynchronous Positioning Satellite receiver. Much lighter and less expensive. Generally, yes. Jeep travel bugs are related to contest from Jeep.com. The newest ones are white, but you can also find yellow ones. I'm sure someone else will chime in with more detail. A cache that contains a Jeep will display a special icon. Yeah. I think I may have seen people on a couple of occasions, but it doesn't happen that often, and most people don't make themselves known unless they know who you are to begin with. Don't fret it, and if you want to meet folks, go to a local get together. I think most people want their caches found, but I imagine there are outliers that don't. Some people prefer serious puzzlers (which often generate a lot of DNF), while others like them simple. The challenge rating should reflect this, which means that the cache will attract the folks who like that level of challenge, and will cut down on a lot of DNF from casual cachers. Hope that helps!

Okay, I may just be missing something obvious, but I'm having some difficulties searching for waymarks in specific locations. For example, we'll be visiting Mt. St. Helens this afternoon, and I'd like to see if there are any waymarks of any kind along the route, or more specifically, at the Johnston Ridge Observatory at the top. The only way I can find to search for waymarks is by postal code, and only within a 10-mile radius. My difficulty is that there is not a zip code for anything with quite a few miles of this location, which means that unless I know specifically what I'm looking for, I can't find anything. Is there a way to do a search? If there's nothing there, I'd love to add a waymark for the numerous cool things at the top. However, if I can't find out before I go, I probably won't bother going to the trouble.

Thanks, Gloom. That deinitely points me in the right direction.

These all sound great, thanks! I'll definitely be taking some time to look into them.

Yeah, I'm about ready for a new set all the way around, and I'm trying to decide whether I should go with the BFG All-Terrain T/As that are on it already and only have to buy 4, or go with something cheaper but have to buy 5 to replace the spare. It's a tough decision . . .