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DazeDnFamily

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Everything posted by DazeDnFamily

  1. I got a 62s when Bass Pro had it for 199. I could not be happier. It locks on crazy fast, and I've been downloading BirdsEye for a couple of days now. The screen doesn't have the best pixel resolution for imagery, but it moves it around and zooms in and out fast. There is nothing about this thing I don't love. Later!
  2. Our first was a cache owned by a policeman in our then hometown. While we were signing, trading, etc., one of his brethren rolled up and spotlighted us, then began asking questions. Once he figured out that we were playing a game, and not vandalizing the adjacent construction company property, all was good, and we laughed about it together. ^^ Good luck!
  3. I think he's looking to make a point shape file of places trees will go at some point in the future, unless I misread this. If that's the case, you might be better off to see how current the imagery in Google Earth is, and build a kml. Any modern mapping application should be able to ingest a kml, and if I'm not mistaken, GE will export the points as a CSV, or possibly even a shape file, which every mapping app on Earth will use. And, GE is free, and in most places, reasonably positionally accurate. (Again, short of having a professional surveyor derive the coords, your accuracy is going to be limited.) If you're going to use a GPS to derive the points, you should be able to export them in a format a mapping application can use. Also, you might see if a local surveyor would be willing to do pro bono work for the park, or maybe if there's a tech school that teaches surveying nearby that needs a field project. Or, use the trusty can of rustoleum to mark spots. Best of luck!
  4. Once you get used to running PQ's, you'll wonder how you made do without them. Not to mention route planning, which PM allows you to do. We've done a few 4 day weekend road trips, and run the route PQ for it. MUCH easier than hunting down caches one at a time, and you get the full description, ratings and logs for each right on the GPS. (I have a smart phone, but use it only as a backup to my GPSr.) PM only caches aren't even something I think about, but being a PM, I don't need to I suppose. All in all, I still say that if you cache with any regularity, your PM is the best $30 you spend all year. Here's another thought: If you're going to buy a paperless GPSr, you're going to spend at least $150 for a new one, and likely a good bit more for a better unit. If you're spending that much on the unit, is $30 a year too much to actually be able to DO paperless? To me, it's simple: Cache smarter, not harder. My PM fee is the best $30 I've spent in any of the last 3 years. Later!
  5. Field notes could be notes on the notepad of your phone. Just notes you take for later use. (I know it is a formal term on a GPSr, but I think context is more important to that than literal meaning.) Like I said, I pretty much only do that if I'm logging a trackable. Otherwise, I just wait to do the log. Later!
  6. Here in the States, Bass pro Shops has the 62S on sale for $199.99. Not sure if you could get in on that deal. For $50 more than the eXplorist GC (which I also have), you get a night and day more capable GPS, that will work with a lot of free or custom made maps. Best of luck!
  7. There are times I log from my phone in the field, and then edit the log when I get to a proper keyboard. But, I usually note that when I'm doing it. Something akin to: "TFTC. I'm on my phone. More to follow." Then, when we go to eat/get home/get a room (LOL. Depends on the cache run...) I edit the log on my computer to do a proper one. Those usually happen if we drop off a trackable, so it gets logged before someone grabs it. I now have a passport, thanks to a deployment I ended up not going on, so I might make it up that way someday. Later!
  8. Fear not about the length of your logs. I, for one, *refuse* to do a TFTC TNLNSL log...Ever. I figure that they put in the effort to hide the cache, and I got the pleasure of finding it, for free. The effort they put into it deserves a bit of effort from me on the log. Granted, some are more involved than others. LPC's are fairly straight forward, and get a fairly straight forward log. Others, on the other hand, are quite an adventure, and get one like this: DazeDnFamily Hard Labor Creek State Park I had to trim that log twice to get it to fit. The group we cache with here actually have us bookmarked, so they see the logs we post. We have fun with it, and are glad others enjoy reading about out (mis)adventures. At the end of the day, it's your game. Play it how you see fit, and how you have fun with it. It's easy enough for someone to scroll down if they don't want to read it. Later!
  9. If you cache with any regularity at all, your Premium membership will be the best $30 you spend all year.
  10. If you use Vantage Point, it's easy. When you click the "Sync" or "Send to GPS" (I can't recall, and my GC is not here...) button, it asks if you want to move pictures as well (and warns you that it might take time and file size and yada yada). With the GC, Vantage Point is really the way to go. Free download from magellan's site, if memory serves. Good luck!
  11. I'm upgrading from an eXplorist GC. Can't wait. Later!
  12. Hey all. Bass pro is currently running the 62S for $199.99, and has a deal in FEB for free shipping. The total was $215.99 with tax. http://www.basspro.com/Garmin-62s-Handheld-GPS-Unit/product/10206510/ Later!
  13. If they have a smartphone, C:GEO, or another smartphone app. If they get in to it, and start venturing further from civilization, a proper GPS might be warranted.
  14. That's an outstanding price, and I'd jump on it with both feet if I could afford it. Best of luck with the sale!
  15. In all honesty, you'll be lucky to get close to $200 for that unit. The CSx (with the compass and altimeter) can be had for less than 200 on this forum. I sincerely wish you luck selling it, but like I said, I doubt you get anywhere near that for it. Later!
  16. So....Magellan has achieved Legendary status with bad customer support, and they've now broken something that didn't need fixed....... I see a shiny new Garmin in my very near caching future.
  17. Here's the method I use with my GC: 1. Ensure that your PC and GC are powered on. 2. Ensure that your PQ(s) are downloaded, and unzipped into a folder you can find. (I use a folder on my desktop.) 3. Plug the USB cable to the computer and GC. When the option window comes up, select "Connect to PC". 4. A window should pop up in Windows, that gives you options. Choose "Open Folder to View Files". 5. Navigate to the /Geocaches folder on the GC. Copy the PQ .gpx file here. 6. Navigate to the Waypoints folder on the GC. Copy the wpts.gpx file here. 7. Disconnect the cable, and the GC should restart. You should see all of your caches on the list. 8. Also of note, the GC will hold 10,000 caches. I, however, delete all of the gpx files in mine, and do a clean load every time. Easier for me to keep track of that way. I have never even seen VantagePoint, so I have no clue how it works. Hope this helps!
  18. 6. Visit an event, and make friends. Geocaching is an awesome team sport. It's a blast meeting up with other cachers to find difficult caches, and it's incredibly helpful sometimes to be able to phone a friend (PAF). Our 5/5 cache was done on a Sunday, when our local caching group mentioned that there would be an attempt. It required scuba gear, and there were a few qualified divers in the group. All in all, prolly 50 of us showed up, found the cache, and hung out for an incredible afternoon. And, it wasn't even an event cache, per se. It was just a good network of good caching friends. Later!
  19. Here's the method I use with my GC: 1. Ensure that your PC and GC are powered on. 2. Ensure that your PQ(s) are downloaded, and unzipped into a folder you can find. (I use a folder on my desktop.) 3. Plug the USB cable to the computer and GC. When the option window comes up, select "Connect to PC". 4. A window should pop up in Windows, that gives you options. Choose "Open Folder to View Files". 5. Navigate to the /Geocaches folder on the GC. Copy the PQ .gpx file here. 6. Navigate to the Waypoints folder on the GC. Copy the wpts.gpx file here. 7. Disconnect the cable, and the GC should restart. You should see all of your caches on the list. 8. Also of note, the GC will hold 10,000 caches. I, however, delete all of the gpx files in mine, and do a clean load every time. Easier for me to keep track of that way. I have never even seen VantagePoint, so I have no clue how it works. Hope this helps!
  20. Here's the method I use with my GC: 1. Ensure that your PC and GC are powered on. 2. Ensure that your PQ(s) are downloaded, and unzipped into a folder you can find. (I use a folder on my desktop.) 3. Plug the USB cable to the computer and GC. When the option window comes up, select "Connect to PC". 4. A window should pop up in Windows, that gives you options. Choose "Open Folder to View Files". 5. Navigate to the /Geocaches folder on the GC. Copy the PQ .gpx file here. 6. Navigate to the Waypoints folder on the GC. Copy the wpts.gpx file here. 7. Disconnect the cable, and the GC should restart. You should see all of your caches on the list. 8. Also of note, the GC will hold 10,000 caches. I, however, delete all of the gpx files in mine, and do a clean load every time. Easier for me to keep track of that way. I have never even seen VantagePoint, so I have no clue how it works. Hope this helps!
  21. Since you're paying a fee to be a PM, get your money's worth. Use PQ's, and you should have no problems. Later!
  22. As far as I know, the only thing you needed the cypher for was when the signal used to be encrypted. The signal encryption being turned off is what led to the birth of geocaching. Even if you had an encrypter (I can't remember what the designator for it was), it wouldn't matter today, since there is no encryption on the signal. Big disadvantages to a PLGR I can see is that it only had 5 channels (so can only lock 5 birds...) and used government issue crazy size batteries (but you can prolly fit a normal size in somehow.) And, has been mentioned, the size. And, it doesn't have mapping capability at all. I was in one of the units that tested the PLGR for the Marines back in 1996. Back then, I put the thing in my pack and got my map/compass back out, sure the thing was trying to leave me to die in arid southern California. And, that was with no tree cover or clouds at all. Other than obscure bragging rights, I see no reason why you'd want one, and I'd check DRMO (Defense Reutilization and Management Office)or whatever it's called these days first. (that's where they sell broken and obsolete gear.) Later!
  23. When you download the PQ file from geocaching.com, it should come down as a .zip (WinZip) file. If you are using Windows XP or later, you can open it by double clicking on it. It should open a new window that has two files. One is [filename].gpx. This is your Geocaches gpx file. The other is [filename]-wpts.gpx. This is the Waypoints file. To "unzip" the PQ file, you copy these files into a folder where you can easily find it. The easiest way is to select both files (shift+click, or click and drag) and drag them in to the folder. Like I said, I have a folder on my desktop that I copy them in to. If you need more clarification, I can screen cap some pictures, but if this is good I'll save the effort. ^^ Hope this helps!
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