hoyshnin

Yes it loads them as POI's, but you can see them while driving (if you're zoomed in enough). Also, you can have it set alerts so that if you drive near one your gpsr will alert you about. Also, if you use at overhead view (instead of the 3d view), you can see all of them if you're zoomed in at 300 ft. or lower.

Have you tried using GSAK and the nuvi macro? Check out http://geocaching.totaltechworld.com/index.html

Not shockproof, not waterproof, no lanyard to carry it with, and an awkward shape, so probably bad for kayaking, pretty good for biking (you can load topo maps onto it that have trails) and ok for geocaching. You can paperless geocahe with nuvis - google "paperless nuvi." It's quite accurate as well. Another drawback is that it has an internal battery that will only last 4-5 hours, but you can buy an external battery pack that will take AA's. I use a nuvi 255w and it works great for caching (I attached a lanyard to mine using Velcro with adhesive to try and make it a bit less prone to breaking). So really it's up to you. I'd probably opt for a handheld gpsr given the fact that you wan to use it near water.

Hahaha

Sounds like a cool idea, but I'm not convinced that your nuvi 500 is that bad, have you read http://geocaching.totaltechworld.com/index.html (go to the bottom and click through the three pages or so) about how to best use a nuvi for geocaching? I use a 255w and using the instructions on that website i'm able walk straight to the cache every time. I also have an ipod touch and I'll be interested in seeing how it works for you, good luck!

Hm, I'm not sure what your problem is, but maybe you could uninstall poiloader and then reinstall it.

The usb cable WILL charge your usb, but some will actually put it into computer mode (where you can transfer stuff over from your computer) and some will just put it into charge mode. If it puts it into computer mode and you just want charge mode, there's a way to do it. I don't feel like typing it out right now, but if that's the case, let me know and I'll explain it.

You can load 10's of thousands, probably 100's of thousands of caches on the nuvi. I have over 3000 on mine right now (I have a 255w but the 205 can do the same). Yes you use GSAK and a macro to get them on there. Yes you can manually put the coordinates into the 205. There is one almighty website that you must see - http://geocaching.totaltechworld.com/index.html This website will explain how to load caches onto your nuvi and how to use it most effectively (which settings to use) for geocaching. The nuvi is great for geocaching (very accurate, easy to load caches onto) but has a few drawbacks. 1. it is not waterproof/shockproof 2. it does not have a lanyard on it to put around your wrist/neck (though I attached one to mine) 3. it only has a 4-5 hour battery life (though you can buy adapters that take AA's making the battery life unlimited) Also, if you are getting the NON-widescreen version (the 205 as opposed to the 205w), it will have one small difference in the geocaching context - you won't be able to see your current gps position in REAL time, you have to push a button to update it - so you'll push the button once you get close, move a few feet, push it again, etc. With the nuvi 200 series Widescreen versions, you can see it in real time - it updates automatically as you move. This isn't really a big deal though and there are plenty of geocachers out there that use a 205. good luck!

This worked great! It made a .img file which i simply put in the garmin folder of the gpsr and now it shows up. Thanks!

I'll try it, thanks!

Hm, I've added topo maps to my nuvi (from gpsfiledepot), so couldn't I also theoretically add another layer made up solely of tracks that I want to add? Does anyone know how to do this?

I created some tracks on http://www.wideopenwest.com/~don_barger/Map-page.html (fantastic website) that I then saved as a gpx file. I loaded it into mapsource and transferred it to my nuvi 255w but it's not showing up. Am I doing something wrong? Is mapsource not able to do this for a nuvi? Is there other software that will? Thanks!

Thanks, but I was looking for something free if possible.

I have a TB that wants to race! Does anyone know of any races starting soon?

Fantastic website! I had some trouble at first but then noticed the "help button," be sure to read that!

Thanks for the ideas. I especially like the ideas to use a heart shaped container for "heart" and a fire pit for "fire." I've found fire pits in the Santa Monica mountains on top of peaks, so I could definitely place that one there. As for the final location, that would be awesome to find a cave or something to place it near, but LA is pretty saturated and I don't think there are any spots left near caves. I'll have to figure out a really cool location...

What kind of gpsr are you using? Maybe we could give you some tips related to that.

I'd like to create a Captain Planet Cache for old times sake (anyone else remember watching Captain Planet - the horribly cheesy eco-friendly cartoon?). My current plans: I was thinking of having 6 caches in total. The first five would, of course, be earth, wind, fire, water, and heart. Each of these would a traditional cache containing a piece of paper inside with 2 numbers - for a total of 10 numbers, which would create the final cache coordinates (I'd provide the Nxx and Wxx numbers up front, the caches would provide the 10 other numbers). The final cache would be something like the "by your powers combined, I am captain planet!" cache. This final cache might contain a captain planet action figure for the FTF. Potential plans: I was thinking of trying to hide each in it's respective element - wind in a tree, earth under a rock, water near or under water, but I don't know what I would do for heart or fire, therefore I might abandon this idea altogether. Other potential plan would be to place the hides relatively far apart from each other (in different parts of LA where I am) so that 1 geocacher would have a hard time being the FTF for all of them and so that geocachers in general would have to work at it over time instead of doing it all at once. I'm not entirely set on this idea either. Finally, I'm not sure on how to get the final cache published, would it be a puzzle cache? Any thoughts on these ideas? Any additional ideas?

You can also look at the map and scroll around on it at 300 ft. or closer and see all the geocaches.

Well easiest means giving up bells and whistles. For example, the geomate jr. is probably the easiest gps units out there. You can literally open the box, turn it on, and an arrow points to the closest cache to you. However, there are limitations with this kind of gps. I believe the geomate jr. does not include descriptions, hints, etc. Also, I don't think the geomate jr. has maps on it, just an arrow with how far away the cache is. Many beginner geocachers start with a geomate jr., though, and love it. You could always upgrade to something else later. The geomate jr. isn't very expensive, so you won't feel bad about upgrading later.

You go into the settings under map and you can choose which maps to show (you can show them WITH the streetmaps, or on their own, or your streetmaps alone).

Everything you need to know about using your 255W (I'm a fellow 255W user) AND how to use it PAPERLESSLY (hints, logs, terrain, difficulty, etc all ON your gps) can be found here - http://pilotsnipes.googlepages.com/index.html Also, feel free to pm me if you have any questions about the 255W.

Thanks for the link...a good read. Would you also share how you attached a lanyard to your Nuvi please? I am looking at mine now and short of clipping the case it came with to a lanyard...I am stuck! Thanks.... Yes, it's ghetto rigged, but it works great! Basically I took velcro with adhesive on the back and pressed it firmly onto the nuvi. Then I took a matching size of velcro and sewed the lanyard to it (by hand because it was too thick to go through our sewing machine). It's very secure and the velcro won't budge if I drop the nuvi. If you decide to replicate this, make sure you sew it in the same spot and direction I did because it maximizes the contact between the two velcro pieces (thus creating a stronger bond). Also, make sure you put the velcro in the same location on the nuvi as I did because otherwise it will not clip into the windshield mount. You can take off the lanyard because it is velcro, but I tend to just leave mine on all of the time. Good luck!

Haha, fantastic!

Though a bit off topic, you would benefit greatly from using this website - http://pilotsnipes.googlepages.com/index.html It will allow you to do paperless geocaching. You don't necessarily need a premium membership to get gpx files (garmin, on their website, allows you to view and download 20 per click of your mouse), but it is much more convenient if you have a premium account. The website above also explains how to properly use your 255W for maximum geocaching results.