dazed&confused

I used my iPhone 4 with the Geocaching.com app today. Worked very well. I brought along my other GPSs but didn't even bother to turn them on. Their app works great. Well worth the $10 bucks (I bought it a few years ago, price may be different now). I used to print reams of paper and then enter the caches I wanted to find into the GPS, then run the caches and return home to log the finds. Now I did it all from the phone, no paper. The only downside is the GPS used the battery pretty fairly quickly.

I called today and while I waited on hold for nearly 1.5 hours, the person on the other end helped resolve my Magellan issue. He suspected I had a bad unit and since it was relatively new, I should deal with the reseller (TigerGPS). He said my reseller was pretty good on returns. I have since called them and they are very good with returns. In summary, the person I talked with was helpful, it just seems that they don't have enough of them there to handle the volume of calls. dazed&confused

What is your experience with the accuracy estimate? Mine was frequently in the 30's. It could get into the 20's sometimes. Seldom was it in the teens. My 2000 xls frequently gave me a EPE of 9 ft or better. It was not uncommon for it to have a 0 EPE when given a clear view of the sky. I assumed the newer receiver would be more accurate, so I was disappointed that it didn't have a similar accuracy. Let me know your experiences dazed&confused

Here's an update. After approximately 1.5 hours of on-hold waiting and with the additional comment from me that I was somewhat disappointed in the accuracy of my X600 (error routinely in the 30 ft range vs my 2000xls which frequently gave an Estimated Position Error of 3 meters or less), the Magellan rep suggested that I might have a bad unit. Since my unit was new, he advised I contact the seller (TigerGPS) and discuss returning it with them. I contacted TigerGPS and they were very good to work with. I needed a quick turn-a-round due to upcoming travel plans. Tiger is overnighting me a new unit and will credit me when the old unit is received by them. They didn't charge for the expedited service or shipping. I'm fortunate that the unit was new enough to be handled by seller. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to have it for my trip. dazed&confused

I'm currently on hold with Magellan, so I thought I would post a question here to see if anyone else is having a problem with the eXplorist 600. The problem is the device has started losing all satellite signals. After two or three minutes, the 600 starts tracking and acquiring sats again. This will happen every 5 to 10 minutes. The signal has been lost mainly when driving in a car (in the official magellan cradle) out in the open. The problem started last night and I haven't had time to take the thing outside and see if it happens on foot, but I suspect it will. Anyone have similar problems? Anyone have some ideas? Thanks in advance for any help you can give. dazed&confused

Well, you sure know how to make a guy feel a little slow. I have only just downloaded GPSbabel and haven't managed to move any data yet. I can see the 600 on the desktop, but short of copying the data to the desktop by click and drag I don't seem able to do anything with it. I'm still playing with it. Well, I did it while I was typing this to you. Can I use GPSbabel to move information into the geocache manager? If so, please be specific. I'm not a techie (which is why I use a Mac.) IMHO, the iPod is the perfect computer device - just plug it in and it automatically copied what it needed to itself. dazed&confused

I'm not sure how running windoze on my Mac is going to solve more than 1 or 2 little problems I currently have. I can see it creating quite a few, but not solving more than 1 or 2. Now a GPS company creating a Mac version of their mapping software to run on my Mac solves those same 1 or 2 problems without the creation of the new problems. Of course, in 2 years, what will be the incentive for software manufacturers to create Mac versions of software? You can just run windoze on your Mac full time and save them plenty of effort. I guess this is the wrong forum for this topic...

I can assure you, you're not the last to know. What is on the CD. Are they limited demo versions of the software? Anything worth getting this issue for, or can the best be found on the web? I just got an eXplorist 600 and I looking for ways to connect via the Mac. dazed&confused

I was told just tonight by an employee of a large sporting good store that the Garmin rep told him (Objection, heresay!) that their handhelds would have SD card capability by October. BTW, this guy was a Garmin man, always used that brand and would only use that brand. Now I know the reps are salesmen and salesman (women too) have been known to lie more than fisherman (but not more than lawyers or politicians). Still, its a believable rumor since it is the one notable feature that Magellan has over the other manufacturers and its cheaper than just adding a bunch of memory into the base units. Whoever liken it to the Ford, Chevy, Dodge brand loyalty hit the nail on the head... dazed&confused

CACHEMATE Rules!!!! I just started using cachemate and IMHO, it is the best Palm application I have on my PDA. In fact, I had pretty much stopped using the PDA, but now I have found a great use for it. I don't plan on connecting it to my GPSr, but I really like not having the paper to deal with. I also use another program to convert the files into a cachemate format called CMconvert. It also rules!!! I'm on a Mac. PCs have other options, but cachemate will upload to a palmOS device from either. It's the best eight bucks I've spent in a long time. David

I had read somewhere that the Mac Mini was considered a success. Apparently there was a sizable backorder for them when they first came out. I don't know anyone that has one, but I have considered getting one for my daughter. I really hate to buy yet another monitor when I have several that work well (well enough for a 9 year old).

I got this when attempting to download a GPX file. Also, I didn't get an email from a PQ I submitted yesterday. Hopefully this information is valuable to someone out there. Didn't mean a thing to me, except that there was an error.

Ahh yes, now I see. You know, geocaching is not a RASH that computer-phobic people should attempt. I just created my first PQ and it was easy and cool, but I sure hope my query doesn't hose up the system when it runs. Thanks for the help. Dazed&confused (a little less confused now)

I am trying to download a group of caches. I pull up a list of caches near me and select the "check all" button and then click the download button. All I get is a file with the extension ".LOC". How do I select the GPX format on the download? BTW, yes I have paid up to be a premium member and the system even recognizes me as such. I'm sure this is a very simple thing to do, but I've been beating my head on this for the last 1/2 hour. dazed&confused (well, confused for sure...)

That is the problem. Get the map into the reciever. The power of a mapping GPSr is not only to know your coordinates, but put the arrow on the map for you. For me the answer is to "borrow" my wife's windoze machine and load up the stuff once and be done with it. One of the nice things about windoze everywhere is it is simple to find a windoze machine to use for short term. I think both companies are simply greedy. Why else have a system that uses a propriatary mapping software? They don't want you to use some other companies map and load it to their device. There may actually be good technical reasons for this, but there is also a "good" business reason for this as well - greed. Lazy may be the reason they don't even bother to create a mac version of the existing mapping application in the first place.

I have actually read many of the prior posts. However, given that Tiger was released only a few weeks ago and the GPSr I'm considering was only released 2 or 3 weeks ago, makes many of the comments posted even as recently as March of this year, dated. As technology changes, sometimes its worthwhile to discuss issues again. I have read differing opinions regarding the ability of VPC to support the mapping applications like MapSend. Some posts I read said it worked fine, others questioned this. I also know there are some applications available that allow Macs to communicate with some GPSr, but they can't take the map data and load it to the GPSr. What good is having a mapping GPSr if you can't load the frig'n maps? Getting detailed maps onto the GPSr is something that is important to me. Uploading waypoints and routes is less important to me. Those can be entered manually on the GPSr itself.

IMHO, its cheaper to buy VPC than to buy a cheapy PC. The most afordable method is to use a friend's PC. I suspect most of them will let you as long as your willing to put up with them gloating about how their computers run all the software and all that. Of course when their computer locks up and needs to be restarted, I guess you can gloat back. My PLANNED solution is to purchase a large SDcard and upload most of the maps I'll ever need to it in one session. Then I'll be free from using the map application (and Windoze) again. In fact, the ability to use an SDcard is the bigest factor in selecting an GPSr for me. If a manufacturer would create a Mac solution, I certainly would go that way. My wife has Windoze boxes at the house. She won't charge me the typical grief that a friend might, but I am not looking forward to the process. Reading the postings from PC users, it seems they have lots of trouble getting the software to work and they are familar with the that OS. I'm thinking that for someone like me, this is going to be a 4 hour job just to get the stuff to work. On the $ cost. Yes, by the time you get a GPSr and software and SDcard, you're dropping quite a bit, but once your initial costs are paid, geocaching is a pretty afordable family activity. Your only other expense might be some gas and that poison ivy stuff... Good Luck, David

This whole issue is why I favor the expandable memory of the Magellan eXplorist series GPSrs. I plan to purchase (actually I've been dropping major father-day hints) an eXplorist 600 and the TOPO program from Magellan. I'll load that on one of my wife's windoze machines and hopefully load almost all the maps I'll ever need on to my 512mb SDcard. At that stage, I'll be done with the mapping application and may never need to use it again. Once I have my maps loaded on the card, I think I can live without hooking the thing up to a computer. My current GPSr is a relic without mapping capabilities and with little reason to hook it up to a computer, so I don't know what I've been missing. Of course, if some manufacturer, say Garmin, were to extract their head from where ever it is now and offer a Mac compatable mapping product, I would buy that in a second over the Magellan. However, this industry of consumer GPS units is either not competitive or the technicial factors in writing an Mac application are far greater than I think. Oh the other hand, I might check out VPC and see if that holds any potential for running the mapping application. David

I have some trivia questions. What are the top ten spots for geocaching in the USA and the world based on the number of caches (all types) per mile? how about the most geocachers (based on home coords)? Does anyone have an idea on this? What cache has been visited the most? just curious. dazed&confused

Its a tough choice. I'll hopefully be facing the same choice in the not too distant future. Regarding the compass question. According to the manual I downloaded from Garmin's site, the compass for the Vista C must be held level for it to work. It also must be recalibrated each time you replace the batteries. I have yet to see a eXplorist 600 manual (I noticed the 500's was posted today), but I believe the 3 axis compass is supposed to work even when the unit is not held level. I also prefer the "AA" battery option. With the E 600 the a/c power suppy plugs into the USB cord, not into the unit. That means that you not only have to take the charger with you on trips, you also have to take the USB cord, not a problem if you're already planning to haul along a laptop, but otherwise its just another thing to pack and keep track of on a trip. That being said, I like the E600. I like the ability to download several states worth of information on SD cards and access that data while your out. I think the E 600 has a better handlebar mount. People I have read believe the screen is very easy to read. Other than some frustration with setting the thing up, most people I have read seem to like the 600 "in the field". My gut feeling is that either unit will work for you (and me) quite well. My plans include reviewing the manuals for the units (once I can download the 600's manual) and reading user reviews. (one reviewed said the Vista C does not "output NMEA" which can limit your choice of software used to Garmin's system.) If you know people who have these units, then maybe they will let you borrow one for a day or two. I do not know people who have these units, so I'm stuck reading manuals and playing with units in stores (if you can find them). Good luck, let me know what you decide when you make a decision.

My first GPSr (and only) is a Magellan. I selected it by going to West Marine and taking it and the similar priced Garmin unit out to the parking lot. The Magellan found my location first and would indicate when I was walking around. The Garmin did NOT show me to be moving when I was walking in the parking lot. However, I might not have given it enough time to get a fix and someone might have been playing with the Magellan a few days before I got there, so had already knew where it was. In hindsight, it might not have been the best test. I have ordered an eXplorist 600, which will be my second GPSr. Then I'll have twice as much experience with Magellan. I have traded emails with Magellan support and customer service. I didn't find them to be difficult to contact. I would recommend that you find a retailer that will let you take the units out to the parking lot and play with them some, and purchase the unit that you find most fits your needs. Good luck finding a retailer that will let you test them outside. West Marine did for me in 1999. REI might let you. I know that Pro-Bass didn't let me. Same with Academy sporting goods.

I ordered a 600 from Tiger yesterday. I did it online, so I didn't have a sales person to ask. I might upgrade the shipping to the superfast 2 day to save some time. I can wait till next week to recieve my unit...that will give me time to think of a way to mention this to the my wife. By the time I add in the software, accessories (like a SD card and a case) I'll have quite an investment in this thing. There's no way I can hide it since I have to use her computer to run the software (I'm on a Mac). Any suggestions on this???

Can you copy maps from Nat Geo's application to the SD card for use in the eXplorist series? I have ordered the eXplorist 600 and Magellan's topo 3d product. My hope is to easily copy map blocks to a SD card to be viewed on the 600's screen. I thought that functionality required Magellan's topo product. I can still cancel the order, so its not too late to change it up. dazed&confused (really more confused right now)