snow_rules

Although Delorme only has maps for US only you can purchase XMAP and you would be able to load aerial imagery for anywhere you want. Not quite as simple as downloading and sending the PN device but it does allow for added maps. Also can be used to load park maps and such for US places.

I think PN-40 users will be very happy with the WAAS signal and accuracy when this 2.5 beta is released to public. Excellent prediction RR! Now that FW 2.5Beta3 is out, check the user responses: http://forums.delorme.com/viewtopic.php?t=...asc&start=0 Busted link. Lots of people report much better WAAS results with the new firmware. My own experience indicates that it's better but still not usable -- at least not here in flyover country (St. Louis). So far, I have tried to acquire a WAAS lock 5 times over the space of about 4 hours. All tests with a clear view of the sky, unit sitting still on top of a fence post. In each case, I waited for 30 minutes or until I got a WAAS lock. In all cases, the PN-40 can see and apparently lock onto 138 almost immediately. That's a distinct improvement, since it never got a signal strength bar prior to the update. However, operation after that is spotty at best. In two cases, I waited the full 30 minutes. At best, 2 SVs intermittently showed WAAS correction. Never got a WAAS lock (W indication with the 3-D fix). In another case, I waited 30 minutes and never saw WAAS correction on any SV. In the other two cases, I got WAAS lock in between 10 and 15 minutes. In both cases, the unit corrected a single SV and, about 2 minutes later, started correcting all SVs in use and showed a WAAS lock. By comparison, my Colorado acquired 51 (the Garmin equivalent of 138) immediately and was correcting all SVs in use within a couple of minutes. Bottom line -- better but still pretty much useless to me. YMMV. Will experiment more tomorrow, but it's not looking good. Also in the St. Louis area and looking at my PN40 and getting WAAS and 6 ft EPE.

Wrong. I downloaded a cache using the plug-in and when I went to route to it I found that I already had the cache in there from my last TOPO7 load. They look a bit different and the hint on the plug-in is at the bottom after the logs. The hint on the TOPO7 loaded file is towards the top before the logs. Another nice thing I noticed on the plug-in file is that a period in the cache title ( . ) looks normal and not like an underscore ( _ ) like they do when using the TOPO7 load. Loading from T7 and Send to GPS are treated as different caches but if you Send to GPS a cache twice the prior cache will be overwritten. Note that if the cache was marked found it will be reset to not found.

The PN40 does have business POIs that you can route to. You can search by name or by distance. There would be no need to use the address. You are also able to add routable and searchable POIs as a draw layer for any POI that the PN40 doesn't already have.

*snip*I didn't see a ST.L. Cache listed. I didn't either... CF30 The coin hasn't been logged into any cache so that no one would be able to rush right out and grab it (especially the cache owner) so everyone has an equal chance at finding it.

Yes, for now. DeLorme has announced (but not yet released) an API. But for now, DeLorme's own software (Topo 7, XMap) is the only way to get data in and out of the devices. The PN devices don't have a direct interface with GSAK but you can export a file from GSAK and then load it into T7 or Xmap to send to the unit. I don't think GSAK

Screen size has no relation to resolution. For example my old Eagle Accunav Sport has a larger screen size then the PN series and the Garmin 60 and 76 series but the resolution is not quite the same as either of the new units. As for accuracy the best indicator would be someone with a Garmin and PN to visit 15 or so benchmarks that have been verified with a commercial grade gps and do some statics with the difference of distance.

If you are looking for trail updates and such, Topo 7 does work with GPX files from sites like EveryTrail and other assorted sites on the web. Once the trail has been loaded to T7 you can then transfer it to the PN. T7 will also work with files from poi-factory. The higher versions of Xmap might be able to load the .img files as I do see it in the list of import file types available.

It appears that the files have an extension of .img which I was not able to open with Xmap Pro (version 5.2). In fact I wasn't able to open the file with any normal Windows application.

Kind of depends on what you are looking for. For example if I wanted to meet at the clump of trees or the clearing on the side of the hill you would need an actual picture of the area, not just a bunch of lines. You can also increase the the details of the contour lines (I am guessing that Embra has it set to normal).

One of the coins has been released into the St. Louis Wilderness.

You won't be disappointed with the PN40. The maps are amazing and it is accurate and fast. There is a little learning curve but it just takes some playing with. Be aware the the PN40 isn't able to display the 3d maps but that only with Topo 7.0, which included with the PN40.

Or you can get a PN20/PN40 and download the imagery of the actual course and see the hazards and calculate the distance without needing to first walk the course.

Had been using cachemate but lately just using the PN20. Since DeLorme increased the size of text area to 800 characters I find I can get most of the needed description in it. There are a few, mostly puzzle caches, that it still has problems with.

I would also throw in either of the DeLorme units (PN20 or the shortly to be release PN40). It kind of depends on if you just plan on using the unit for the trek from car to cache, or if you plan on using the unit for any other outdoor activity such as hiking, kayaking, biking, etc. The DeLorme units are great for their maps. You can have a several types of imagery loaded to the unit so you are able to see the actual terrain of where you plan on going.

Doesn't do much good when I don't have anything yet to compare with. But one thing I am curioius about is it shows a bearing of 28 degrees true but the arrow is pointing more like SSW or 208 degrees true? Isn't true north at the top always? If you prefer it otherwise can the PN-40 set true north to the top? Or perhaps I'm totally missing something else? My recollection of the CO was somehow similar to this. The PN20/PN40 has 3 different options North Up, Heading UP and Course Up. I am guessing the the screen shot was with Bearing Up so that is why arrow is pointing the way it is.

Latest new via email.... Well I have bad news, good news, and great news. Bad news first, might as well get it out of the way. As you have all probably figured out we had a few more delays and the Mar/Apr 2008 Premiere Issue of Geocacher Magazine has become the May/June 2008 Premiere Issue. Good News is that our new website should be up and live by this weekend. We are very excited about this site. Our desire is for Geocacher Magazine to be about our readers and fellow cachers. With that in mind we have created a website that will make it easy for you to send us your stories, pics, suggestions and experiences. Throughout the magazine you will see an “ABOUT YOU” feature. This is our salute to you, be it great camos, great views, or just plain old great stories. Log on to the website and click on the “ABOUT YOU” button and for each submission you send you will be entered into a monthly drawing for a gift card from one of our supporting advertisers. Last but not least, the great news! The magazine is in the mail. So check your mailboxes next week. Many, many thanks to all of you for your patience and support as we figure this out. We are so excited to finally get this magazine in all of your hands. We are heading off to GeoWoodstock and looking forward to meeting many of you there. Please look for your souvenir program with the July/Aug issue along with a full report on the event. Happy Caching! Elisika Arango – Editor Michael Jacobus - Publisher Geocacher Magazine 550 W Plumb LN #444 Reno, NV 89509 www.geocachermagazine.com

Pocket Query I did finally get them about 2 hours later. Today it seems to be working fine. I am using hotmail so that might have been the problem although I have never experienced it before.

Submitted 2 PQs and neither have shown up in my email. The PQ list shows that they have run. First one was at 10:56am and the second at 12:10pm.