dbly1850

not the best solution but might work. I have a yahoo account and I store the drivers in the briefcase on line storage. I go to internet cafes and download the drivers, do what I have to do, then delete them off that computer. You can also shut off the overwrite, then save the tracks as you go till the memory fills up. which hopefully will be near a internet cafe...

I was in your shoes. I live in a wooded area, and the legend had issues. I couldn't find my first 3 caches. I bought a basic garmin GPS 60 -> no mapping -> but a great geocaching mode and a helix antenna. walked right up to those caches I couldn't find. Again in my neck of the woods, the antenna was the difference. The cost was about the same. a new never used Garmin gps 60 is around 129, plus shipping. There is a software upgrade on line too. and Yes, it comes with a cable to download the info. Unless you want to spend more money most of the other GPS are $150 and up. Unless you buy used and take your chances..

You are not going to find one with a compass built in , for under $150. Besides a "Real" compass doesn't kill batteries faster..in fact when the batteries die, you can still find your way out.. Plus if sight model compass it can provide more info than a GPS compass.. Want cheap and dirty, basic Garmin GPs 60 and a handheld compass can do a lot (I do agree the newer "x" models have better ears and can get readings indoors..and as soon as their price drops to the $200 range, I'll be the first to buy one.. But I have a feeling that price won't be here any time soon)

I work for law enforcement. Those idiots want to take out a lot more than a couple of hikers in the middle of no-where.. I've never heard of a geo-cache booby trap.. As far as safety.. I went to one cache rated "3" was straight up the side of a hill (More like a 5 or 6 rating) and pride wouldn't let me walk a way.. dadgum near twisted my ankle AND rolled down the 100 foot hill going back down.. next time I take repelling gear to a 3 and up rated cache in my neck of the woods

I tried the Legend and it stunk under tree cover. I bought a Garmin GPS 60 (Basic -> has no street maps but does has a map display with a UTM grid) a new unit (not used) can be bought for your budget. It does exactly what you are asking for.. Simple to use, has a built in Geocaching Mode under finder (so you can log and manage your finds) and a USB cable to download the info. WAAS reception too.. For the cost factor it's hard to beat.. I am a new starter myself.. After couldn't find the caches with the Etrex legend (basic) I took the GPS 60 and walked right up to them.. No question on the antenna in the woods.. Just add yourself a good handheld compass to go along with the GPS 60 and you got most of the bases covered..

I agree and you get less bounce in the woods. I sure wish I had the budget for the newer model..However I wonder if you are picking up satellites or WAAS in your basement or indoors? (( I can dream of owning a "x" series -> can't I))

I started out with a basic Garmin etrex Legend. I attempted to find 3 caches and lost signal under light cover and got skunked for all three. Well I sent the Legend back to the store and got a brand new Garmin GPS 60 for about 125 bucks. There is no qusestion on performance. The basic GPS 60 did not lose signal on the same 3 caches I attempted to find with the basic legend etrax. So if you don't need maps and want a great unit with a geocache mode built in. I give the basic Garmin GPS 60 5 stars. Interesting Note I was at one of those caches and another couple had a Garmin 60scx. They started to lose signal, while my basic GPS 60, still held 5 Satetiles. So who knows. maybe the old school way, still holds true...

There is a free software called Trimble Planning. You can find it at http://trimble.com/planningsoftware_ts.asp This software tells you everything you want to know about the GPS satellites in your location. In real time, you can find out what satellitess are over head, and you can even plan ahead and choose a future date or location.. This is a cool program..

Thanks so much for the reply. I checked into the 60Csx, and the wife said for that kind of money it BETTER, interface with the cruise control ->drive the car->while making coffee I am sure with the new chip set it's the way to go. However, my job pays for and makes me carry a blackberry. So I have Google map, which gives me full auto routing, maps (even satilite photos) So I can get to the location with no problem. That's why the Garmin GPS 60 looks so good. Got a quad antenna, WAAS, and the price is 150 bucks out the door. Doesn't need extra software for mapping and it comes with a cable to download the days caches.

I'm with you, I don't care for color or mapping. I carry a Blackberry and it has Google for directions and maps (even satilite photos) I bought a Garmin legend. Plugged in the 3 closest caches, and lost every one under light tree cover. I decided to return it and I am waiting on a Garmin GPS 60,it has a quad antenna, so I hope for better performance, under light cover. It has a longer battery life, but doesn't hold a lot of caches as some of the other models. I don't see that aas a problem as I doubt I would ever visit 50-250 caches in a week. I'd just load the days event and delete the unneeded stuff. Garmin GPS 60 has WAAS so the accuracy should be there.. and best of all, a brand new one goes for $150. bucks out the door and you still get a cable to download the caches info.. I'll be posting my report on what happens, as soon as the unit comes in. I have feeling I am going to find those 3 caches now..

I have a Garmin Etrex Legend.. I want to use it more for geocaching and POI (Points of Interest) Mapping roads and streets is not a big issue. I find I currently lose reception under any light cover. I read about the Garmin GPS 60.. basic but has all the features I want as far as a geocaching mode and can handle local POI (Points of Interest) it has a quad antenna, so I hope for better reception under light cover. (Which is pretty much any place I go ) So what do the experts on here think about this? Am I down grading? by going to the GPS 60? I have 24 megs of storage (Legend) vs 1 Meg (GPS 60) but I don't see that as a problem, since I am only loading Points of Interest. Also the GPS 60 adds Audible Alarms when close to at next way point? What would you do?

Yep, that's what it says.. I am so confused, when I read about others, with the same unit able to get close and find things..

I got a Garnin Etrex Legend for fathers day. Took it out and was off on every cache. and Yes I knew about turning off the "Road on" feature, had WAAS on, and all other the right settings.. I would be standing on the cache and the unit is telling me I had 180 plus feet to go and th accuracy was showing 10 feet? I have not gotten any of the maps. Just using the basic unit, with built in apps.. Will loading the Mapsource software help in getting better results? It's more money for the extra mapping software and I am think it would be better spent on a better featured GPS.. unless that is, it will help in getting closer to caches. I know it will never be within 30 feet.. But 180 plus feet.. That's a lot of extra work and area to cover..

I have a Garmin etrex legend. I'm usually 25-45 feet off 95% of the time. Infact, I will waypoint my car as I leave, and when I return to my car, my gps indicates that I'm still 30-40 feet away! This is with the WAAS turned on. I'm ready to exchange it for another. Maybe the next one will be w/in 10 feet 95% of the time. Don't even get me started on losing signals on a clear day w/ hardly a tree branch above me. Good luck. Same here, My first GPS and it was a big mistake. Took my 6 year old son and promised all the cool things we would find.. Got skunked.. I had to search internet for a cache with enough hints to find it. then standing on top of it I was a little over 180 feet away with accuracy of 10 feet and waas on. I was ready to leave the Legend GPS, if I could have fit in in the container.. (Can you say a Not Happy Camper) I am upgrading a.s.a.p.

becareful .. I bought a Garmin ETrex Legend, for around $120 Was able to download way points. Then tried the unit.. Lost Sat in any kind of cover, Accuracy was 10 feet with WAAS on. Standing on top of a cache, the unit told me I was 185 ft away. I am upgrading A.S.A.P. Cheap is not going to help you find caches very easy.

I am ready to take the dive and buy the Garmin MAPGPS 76CS. I found out it does not come with detailed local maps, thus I could use some advise on the add on's. Is there a site that allows a preview or reviews the different maps? I saw a blurb on the "Fishing Hotspots and Lakes" Looked up the index and not a single lake in my county.. Sure glad I didn't waste $89.99 on that CD.. Now I'm afraid I could get stuck with another dud.. BTW my interests is Off-Trail Hiking and a good detailed Auto route map software for the car. -David

If that's the flag your talking about, the properties shows it to be a JPEG. I wonder if the site automaticly converts it to a JPEG? I do think that the text on your profile page requires it to be a JPEG. I'll have to look now. This flag is a .jpeg, the first which moves is a .gif and I have used on other forums, with no problems.. I have been looking around and the only thing that moves is the little post icons,I got to feel, I'm not the only person with a moving .gif Avator, so I'll just keep what I got. No sense in starting a tech support nightmare, in trying to make it work.. ( I troubleshoot for a living and KNOW- what a pain that can be..)

I have a moving flag, that looks like it blows in the wind.. It meets the requirements as far as size, yet when I post and look it doesn't move.. So does that mean someone threw the switch to turn off Avators (.gif's) that move?

What about .Gif files? So why doesn't my flag, move like it's blowing in the wind, like how it does in other forums??