alandb

I just got an email promotion from DeLorme (Garmin) announcing a sale on the PN-60 for $199.95, "quantities limited". There must still be some inventory of these devices that Garmin is trying to unload.

Delorme hasn't released a new handheld GPSr in...what, 6 years? And they more or less gave up supporting the devices with any new firmware or computer-side software about 5 years ago. If they're trying to push you to a new device, it'd be from another vendor. Now that Garmin owns DeLorme, I think we have seen the end of the PN line.

What effect if any do you think the Pokemon Go craze will have on the future of Geocaching? Will we see a new Geocaching app? .... maybe a hybrid of Wherigo and virtual caches? Pokemon Go has certainly brought the idea of location based gaming into the spotlight.

Well, the seller does list a 30 day return policy so if the unit arrives DOA all you would be out is the shipping and return shipping costs. Also, the fact that it has the original box and all the parts is a good sign. If you asked the seller to install batteries and if it powers up OK ... then if they include that info in the listing, you can bet the bidding (and selling price) will increase. The Oregon 450 is a solid performer with lots of features including barometer (for more accurate elevation readings) and magnetic compass and is used by many experienced geocachers. If I needed a good cheap geocaching device I would probably take a chance on this if the bidding remains low (< $50) knowing that I could return it for refund if it doesn't work.

Newer etrex models (20, 30, 20x, 30x, 25, 35) have a pretty good reputation IMO and a lot of loyal users. The Etrex 10 is a capable GPX, but has the limitation of a small memory and no SD expansion slot. That makes it limited in its ability to install maps of any significant size. The main thing to avoid on the older etrex models are those that have the old serial interface instead of a USB interface. That type of connection is very difficult (or in some cases impossible) to support on modern computers.

As long as the phone has a GPS receiver (most do) and is capable of installing the Geocaching app and cache files over wifi, it should work with no need for a carrier or data plan. As it would support paperless caching, IMO it would be far more functional than the old Sportrak device you bought.

Sorry, I don't know much about the Magellan products. Maybe someone else can comment on the SportTrak.

I would suggest going to a geocaching event to meet other cachers and have them show you what they are using and what they like and don't like. A couple of things you need to decide ... touch screen vs button interface, magnetic compass (works when standing still) vs motion based compass (only works when moving). I suggest avoiding the low end models like the Garmin Etrex 10 which has very limited memory and no SD card slot for expansion. A couple of older models that may be a good starting place for comparing features would be the Garmin etrex 20 (button interface and no magnetic compass) and the Garmin Oregon 450 (touch screen and magnetic compass).

Your question about "skipping" via points depends on your model of nuvi. On many of the newer nuvi models, route via points can be changed to shaping points which can be skipped. I am not sure about the 2555. It is a 2011 model, so it may not support shaping points.

An etrex 10 does not have enough internal storage space (and no SD card expansion) to hold a detailed map except for a very, very small area.

I have a PN-40, and the PN-60 I use now is even better. But, alas, I can't really defend using it, and the problem of the Delorme specific cables failing is a real problem that can't be justified. I cringe thinking of the day I'll have to switch to some other kind of unit, but I know I'll have to when my PN-60 starts having problems. Now that Garmin owns DeLorme, it will be interesting to see what the future is for the PN-60. Will Garmin introduce a new PN device with some of the Garmin features or hardware? or will they just discontinue the series?

I wish you luck in finding a repair site. The On/Off button on my Sierra broke a couple of years ago. I checked with a couple of sites that do after-warranty repairs, but they wouldn't touch the Sierra. Even if you find someone who will repair it, it may not be worth the cost. It would probably be smarter to put the repair cost toward a replacement GPS. That said, let me know if you find a repair site. I still have my Sierra. It still works but I have to power it on using a quick connect to the USB, then set it to stay powered continuously.

The Garmin City Navigator maps should route correctly on one-way streets as long as you are using a driving profile such as automotive or motorcycle.

Does the DeLorme mapping suite include detailed road maps for parts of the world other than North America? Like Europe, Asia, Australia, South America? Also, DeLorme Street Atlas USA has never included advanced capabilities like lane guidance, junction view, etc. It seems to me that Garmin would have a long way to go to bring the DeLorme mapping up to the level they have with the Here map products.

Maybe they are referring to "humble pie"? No ... wait ... that's not easy either.

As you said, I suspect Garmin's motive for crippling the Etrex 10 with so little memory has little to do with cost and more to do with differentiating it from the more expensive models which they would much prefer to see you buy.

I suspect there are several possible causes for the geocache index corruption problem. I know one thing that has caused it on my Oregon 550 on occasion is when I have added waypoints from the Oregon menu, for example when putting in the next stage of a multi. All the caches were showing, then BOOM, all gone after adding a few waypoints.

Sorry ... misread your post the first time so my original answer (now deleted) probably didn't apply. Are the waypoints you see just the child waypoints like parking spots, or are they the actual geocaches?

I haven't really noticed significant improved accuracy with a WAAS lock either, but it does seem like a good WAAS lock helps reduce the drift from changes in the satellite constellation. I haven't really collected any data on this, so it may just be my perception. I have a old DeLorme LT-40 puck that has WAAS. Just for grins, I used to hook this up to my laptop in my living room and let it track that spot in my house for hours on the Street Atlas USA map. It seemed to me that when I had a good WAAS lock, the 'birdsnest" effect on the track log was a lot "tighter" than without a WAAS lock. My GPS device does not have GLONASS. My tablet does, but I have not done enough GPS navigation with it to make a conclusion on whether GLOSNASS helps or not.

My Oregon 550T does this ever since I replaced my BirdsEye V1 files with Birdseye V2. If I remove the .jnx files, it will boot up properly, but with the .jnx files, it starts to boot, then the Garmin logo just fades out. I have found that I can usually get it to boot if I start the master reset process, then when I get the prompt to erase all user data, I say No. It will then continue to boot up as normal and shows the BirdsEye files just fine. Go figure.

Street prices for the Montanas have remained amazingly high for as old as they are. So my hope is that the new 610/680 models will bring on some Black Friday bargains on the 600/650's.(new or refurb, I don't care).

There is a free tool by TurboCCC called Extra POI Editor (EPE) that will do it. It is Windows only. You can Google TurboCCC EPE to find it.

I think it was always lithium-ion on the Montana 600/650, also on the Monterra..

The Garmin Communicator plugin is the same excuse that Mapquest used when they quit supporting route/waypoint transfer to Garmin devices. I don't buy it. I understand why a plugin was used on the older serial and USB "Garmin mode" devices. But there is nothing that prevents Mapquest (or Geocaching.com for that matter) on modern Garmin devices from using the standard methods used in almost all browser based applications that have a download function. Modern Garmin devices connect to the computer in mass storage or MTP mode with drivers, not plugins ... just prompt the user to select the target folder for the the download ... no plugin required.

The rightmost digit is thousandths of a minute, so .007 would be 40 feet, more or less. That is certainly within expected margins.