jacques0

When using UTM, make sure that you're using the same datum as your map. For example, most USGS topos use NAD27, so if you use WGS84 UTM coords and tried to plot them on a NAD 27 map, you would find yourself off position, potentially by quite a bit. Once you have entered the UTM coords from the geocaching.com site, simply changing the datum in your gps to match the map's datum will automatically change the UTM coords to the correct ones for the map. Or, if you're reading positions from the map, entering those UTMs in the gps will give you a correct position. The main thing is that gps and map agree.

Here's my 2¢. The quoted material is from several different posters. My explorist 200 has a patch and easily gets 7-10 foot accuracy with a WAAS lock. I always get the best reception when the the explorist is neither "flat" nor vertical but, instead, simply held at a natural viewing angle. I have also found that if I'm not getting good signal strength from a certain satellite, I can rotate my body so that the gps faces in that direction (using the satellite screen to see where the weak satellite is in relation to me) and that usually boosts the signal strength from that one. I agree that the body (just like foliage) will block or weaken some signals. That's why I do the rotation thing mentioned in the preceeding paragraph to find my best combination of signal strengths and position accuracy (perhaps a long, telescoping arm, combined with powerful binocular goggles would allow one always to place the gps in optimum reception position away from the body. That setup, combined with a head-mounted antenna, would certainly scare the muggles away from the area of caches!) I really do think that the newer receivers/processors have redefined the differences between the different antennas.

Your point, quoted above, I will give to you as that is distinct from the tone of your original post. I still disagree with your contention that doing more than a dozen caches in one's "geocaching career" requires a PC interface. The difference here is in degree of devotion to the hobby. I occasionally decide to go find a few caches, so I punch in a few sets of coordinates and spend an enjoyable day (or a few hours) looking for them. Beyond that, I use it for hiking, hunting, and the like. I realize that some people spend a great deal more time geocaching and---for them---the PC interface is a great convenience, bordering upon necessity. My objection was directed at your assertion that anything beyond the most occasional use requires a different unit, because I have certainly not found that to be the case.

Give me a break. I have found dozens (no, not hundreds, like some) with an eX200 and I've had no problem entering coords accurately. It's simply a matter of looking at the numbers you've keyed in before hitting Enter. I hope you're not an accountant. (sorry to sound confrontational, but give people credit for having the brains to perform a simple task)

You want to see picky linguists? I'll show you a picky linguist (you wanted debate, right?). "Being as how..." is something my college writing instructor would consider grounds for an immediate "F". Instead, use "Since" or "Given that". Now, just to confirm, you wanted debate....? LOL. No offense meant. Take it in the spirit of this thread.

In Device Manager, go to Ports, expand it, then double-click on the comm port (Comm 1, e.g.). Now, click on the Port Settings tab. First, make a note of the current settings. Now, what is Flow Control set to? See if changing it to another setting, like Hardware, helps. Or, if the gps communicates via USB, expand that section of Device Mgr. to see if there are any trouble indicators. Finally, if USB, are you using a USB hub (replicator)? Are you running other devices off it? I ask because certain devices that I use require that I plug external power into the hub in order to satisfy the power requirements of the several devices. Not sure if any of these apply in your case, but worth checking in to.

And that's why there are choices. You're especially right about the cold weather and shelf life benefits. One more concern I'll throw into the mix is that of solid waste disposal. A set of rechargeables can get 1000 or more charges, reducing the number of batteries that get thrown away. Now, having said that, I would agree that that would have to be considered as part of the overall picture: What are the environmental costs of manufacturing the rechargers, adapters, cords, etc. My gut feeling is that the more devices I can power from rechargeables, the less impact I'm making.

But the compass? Does that work nicely?

Yes, embra, you're exactly correct. I meant to copy the portion of the manual describing the "Clear All". I'll go back and edit the previous post. Thank you for pointing out my error.

I would definitely try a "hard reset" to reset the unit back to factory condition. [Note: the following lines are the edited, corrected sequence] To do this, first go to a place with an open view of the sky. Now, press MENU, then Preferences/Clear Memory/All. You will be asked for confirmation. Click yes. The unit will shut off and all memory will have been cleared. Now, re-start the gps, then allow it several minutes to "find" where it is. It'll take a couple minutes to begin finding/tracking satellites. You can perhaps speed things up a little by pressing Menu, then Preferences/Restart GPS. In this case, you have an opportunity to choose your country, state (or province), time, etc. so that the gps will have a better idea of a starting point. This is usually not necessary, though. After giving it several minutes to acquire and lock on to satellites, try it out for awhile. One note, I have had similar experiences twice, after using lithium batteries. Now, I will hasten to add that I have used lithium batts before, with no problem, so I'm not necessarily implying a cause and effect. It's just something I'm keeping an eye on. I hope this helps. Report back!

I've been using the RayoVac 15 min. NiMH for a few months now and they're great. The car charger came free (request it from RayoVac) so if I'm heading out without a full charge I can just charge 'em on the the way there (I keep some spares along, too). I've been impressed with their perfomance.

Impala (and everyone): I wonder if the order of things should be changed a bit? If Primwolf first upgraded the firmware, then did a hard reset, would the firmware upgrade still be there, or would the GPSr revert to the original factory setup (i.e., the older firmware version)? I'm thinking that perhaps he/she should 1st do the hard reset, then do the firmware upgrade. By the way, Primwolf....what country are you from? Your English is good here.

I'm glad to hear it's working better.

I think the 30 second satellite acqusition is probably because you were making a "warm start", i.e. restarting the unit after it has been off for less than a couple hours. That will not always be the case. Here is the section from the explorist 200 manual that describes this: I believe WAAS is always the last to come on, as the WAAS signal depends upon analyzing and correcting information from the other satellites. Thirty minutes seems like a long time, though, but WAAS is not always available, depending upon your location, local topography, maybe even atmospheric conditions. I was hiking yesterday and never did get a WAAS signal, but I was in deep cover. Usually, however, I receive WAAS in about 5 minutes or so.

Daniel: This link will get a more comprehensive pdf manual for you: http://www.magellangps.com/assets/manuals/...orist500_EN.pdf I don't have a 500, but there have been several informative threads on these forums: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...orist+500&st=50 The above link will give you the search results for threads mentioning the explorist 500 for the past 60 days, listed with the most recent first. It may be good to start with page 3 or so, then work forward to page 1. Otherwise, I'm sure you'll get lots of responses here to your query. Good luck and have a fun trip to Scotland.

The Flex5, linked from the same page, looks like a good option as well. http://www.21st-century-goods.com/page/21s...D/PREP/COLFLEX5

Thanks Cinnamongirl. I recv'd your email, and the pdf file is on its way to you. Page 27 of the manual begins the section covering your question about entering waypoints. Good luck.

Don't feel like an idiot, and nobody is going to laugh. That's what these forums are for. I just sent an email to you, and I responded to you on the other thread. We'll see if we can get the complete owners manual to you.

If you were just outside your house, the house itself may have prevented getting a good fix on your location. Try a more open spot to see if that's the case. Also, once you step outside, give the gps a couple minutes to find all the satellites it's able to.

cinnamon: Try right-clicking on the link in my previous post, then choosing "Save target as..." That will enable you to download the file to your hard drive, then you can open it with Adobe Reader. Otherwise, I'll be happy to send the file to you if the email function of these forums allows attachments. To enter a waypoint manually refer to page 6 of the booklet that came with the ex200. 1. From where you are right now, press the Mark button. You will be presented with a location screen that you can edit. 2. Using the joystick/enter button, move the highlighted area to the coordinates. Now click on the joystick. The first number of the N coordinate is highlighted now. You can now use the joystick to move right or left to select the number you want to change. Change numbers by moving the joystick up or down). When you have changed the coordinates for N, then press the joystick/enter to move to the W set of numbers. Again, move right or left to select the # you want to change, then up or down to change the number. When you're done, press enter again to move to the next field. Now move down to Save and click it. It really is easier to do (and faster) than it is to describe. Now, you can click on GoTo, select the waypoint (POI) that you just created, and the gps will navigate you to it. When you set up a waypoint you can give it a name, or you can just accept the default ones that the gps gives you (POI001, POI002, etc.). I'll see if I can get that manual to you.

cinnamon...Yeah, I've had great luck w/ my ex200. One important question: Where do you live, and what is the general relief of the land around you? I live in n. Minnesota, near Lake Superior. It's not at all uncommon to have 10-12, even 13 satellites locked, and 7-10 foot accuracy, unless I'm down in a valley. One thing I would do is to download the .pdf owners manual, which is much more comprehensive than the pamphlet that came with the unit and will explain some of the functions better. Here is a link for it: http://www.magellangps.com/assets/manuals/...st200Manual.pdf Something else that would be worth a try is to erase all memory, and start from scratch, in case the almanac got corrupted or something. To do that, press the menu button, select Preferences, on the next screen select Clear Memory then--on the next screen--select All. This will erase EVERYTHING (including any waypoints you've entered, so keep that in mind) so that when you turn the unit on again, it will be just like it left the factory. This time, initialize it in an open area so that it can re-discover the satellites. Unless you are in a valley area, where view of the horizons is limited, you really should be able consistently to get 20 feet or better accuracy when out in the open, especially after the unit has been on for a few minutes. You asked the reasons I like the 200. I guess just because it's simple and straightforward, and small, but I'm sure one of the smaller Garmins would suit me just fine too. I have found the 200 to be very accurate. Sure, the lack of PC connection limits its capabilities, but the basic thing I ask of the unit is to tell me where I am. If I'm in back country I'll have a map and compass along anyway. I don't do the hundreds (or even thousands) of caches that some posters here do, so entering coords by hand is no big deal for me. Someday, perhaps.

The 5-10 minute delay sounds normal to me for a cold start. On a warm start my 200 acquires WAAS almost as soon as it aqcuires the other satellites, but cold starts take a while longer for the reason Hard Oiler said.

But you do know how to enter a waypoint using the Mark/Edit technique, right? My eX200 easily gets 14 hours on a set of batteries Again, are you entering waypoints manually, then using the GoTo function? Your post makes it sound like you are just hiking about until the lat/long numbers agree with the cache coordinates. If that's the case, you're missing out on most of the functionality of the GPSr.

eXplorist 200 has help menus built in.

Just to clarify, the eXplorist 200 does NOT have a built-in battery. It uses AA's that ARE replaceable in the field. t_miller: You are going to get lots of posts admonishing you not to buy the eX200 because of its lack of PC connection. While there is some validity to those posts, especially if you plan to do a lot of geocacheing, I use a 200 all the time and I think it has a lot of bang for the buck. Look at some of the other eXplorist threads here and you will quickly see that people respect the receiver/processor in these units. It is very accurate. On the other hand, you can get an Etrex Legend for about the same price, with PC connection. I can't comment directly about the relative accuracy of the Legend v. eX, but the impression I get from reading these boards is that the eX's do a slightly better job in the accuracy dep't. It's difficult to know, when you first begin a hobby, exactly what your needs will be. For me, the eX 200 has sufficed just fine. I used to sell photography equipment and I think that what I observed then still applies: You probably don't know what you really need until you get into the activity for awhile. Only then---after you've used the stuff for awhile, and availed yourself of resources such as these boards--- will you be informed enough about the equipment, and about your own needs, to be able to make a truly informed choice. The second purchase is usually best.