Muddler

I tried the "one hand" manipulation of the keys while holding with the same hand because that is how I operate the Magellan Green I am currently using. I cache with a walking stick and hate to stop so I can use both hands. I didn't have any real problem using the E300 I tested and think that it will become easier as I practice with it. It seemed just a little awkward at first but its just different from what I am used to using. The keys are small but there there was ample space between the keys to switch between screen and not hit the other keys. What I found was that because of the small size it was actually easier to hold the E300 in my hand and manipulate the keys without feeling like I may drop the unit. Cheers Muddler

I use the Plam 125M also. I use Cachemate with it. I have GSAK on my LapTop and export the cache info from my pocket queries to the palm. I would recommend that if you have other software on the plam you may need to consider getting a memory card to load Cachemate to and also load theDatabase created by GSAK for Cachemate to the card. I travel alot and have caches loaded from several cities. I have about 1500 waypoints and the corresponding cache data loaded and it is about 4 mb. Cachemate will also create files on the palm while it is running and doing searches and sorts for you. I got a 32 meg card at Walgreens for $11. Using the plam to tell me about each cache and check information when away form the truck, and using mapping software with my laptop in the truck, I am paperless. Cheers Muddler

Sounds like ComuCash has some hands on advise you should try first. Go with that let us know if we can help. Cheers Muddler

When you deleted the Camera software did you just delete the program from the hard drive or did you use the Add Remove Wizard? If the com port can not be opened it is most likely being used by another device/program. If you did not use the Add Remove Wizard go back and reload the old camera software and then use the Wizard to remove it. Does the new camera software use the com port to download pics? A test you can make is to use Hyperterminal (goto start, select programs, accessories, communications) to try to dial out. Are you using a modem to access the internet? Is it using your Com port? I you have Broadband, as a test, if you have a modem installed in your computer, you can hook a phone line up and use Hyperterminel to dial your cell phone or any phone. If the computer dials the modem (hyperterminal usually uses Com1) then the Com Port that HT is using is working. At least HT is able to access it. If you get the same error you probably have a program that is using (attached to) Com1. This would prevent any other program from using the port. I am making alot of assumptions in your abilities and computer savy so if your are confused feel free to ask questions I'll help if I can. Let us know what you find and we'll proceed form here. Cheers Muddler

What equipment do you cache with or have access to? Do you have a Laptop, and can get some of the maping software (I use Delorme Topo) there are several programs ( I use GSAK) that will allow you to upload Pocket queries to the mapping software. Once you have the waypoints in the mapping program you can select the waypoints to create a route to the caches along the drive you are planning to make. I do this whenever I cache to show a suggested route to get me from one cache to the next. Cheers! Muddler

Wow, so many great ideas and new thing to try. I have seen several that I will incorporate into my cache hunts. I am kind of free form and only do minimal planning usually on Friday night. I use the PQs., load them to GSAK and then export to Delorme Topo after filtering for area and archived caches. I cache with the family, both my wife and daughter are getting into the fun. My daughter is soon to graduating from Auburn University's Vet school and she likes to go caching to get out and away from the pressure of school. There a good number of caches near Auburn, Alabama. She is currently down in Florida doing the final phase of her training and she got a Sporttrac Pro to do a little caching on her own. I usually plan a few caches whenever we travel. We have started to use the Laptop in the car when we travel and look for caches as we drive and have hit several along the road between Home and Auburn, and Birmingham where our son lives. It makes for a slow trip but the trips are a lot more interesting. It usually looks like some kind of fire drill when we pull into the parking area near a cache. Muddler

If you have GSAK you can upload the Waypoints from the GPSr to GSAK. You can then select your waypoint, goto the waypoint menu and select "set as centerpoint". That will show you the distance form the selected waypoint to all other caches in the area. Muddler

So far we have picked a general direction where we can visit a number of caches in some sort of loop. Since we are starting out here in Lower Alabama (LA) there a number of areas we can go and have groups of caches to select from when making a circuit. We pick one in a general direction and kind of go form there. We have all of the waypoints loaded onto the Laptop and display them on Delorme's Topo software. This lets us select the next waypoint from each location and the software with the GPS connected to the Laptop will show us the route to the next site. Muddler

They are pretty small, I will admit that. But I did not have any real problems in using the e300 that I played with in the store. I have used an older Magellan Green up to this time, which has a pretty good size group of keys. But I really liked the palm size of the E300 and as I said it was not a problem. I wear a large to extra large size glove and was able to get the job done. Muddler

For the caches I have done so far using the TOPO software, it will use the trails, unimproved roads or what ever it has to create the route if they are shown on the topo of the area. You can even create trails and the software will use them to create a route. Muddler

Jamie; I checked out the site and you are right that it appears a little complicated. The post I read admits that it not really something a common user might tackle. I went to one of the links and got a site in Russia I think. Anyway the files available for download seemed to be something very cryptic and did not appear to be programs, but Code of some kind. I think I'll wait for the Reader's Digest version! Muddler

Does BoxerLady refer to the dogs you keep, car you drive or an occupation? Just courious? I have found that my GPS works pretty well anywhere that I take it with the exception, that the conditions over your head (tree cover, buildings, cliff walls, etc.) will limit SAT reception. What I have found is that as long as my GPS can see the sky I can get a SAT lock and find a cache. The more "sky cover" you have and the lower number of SATs that you GPSr can see the poorer the accuracy of the numbers you will get. Muddler

Brian: I am not familiar with the Nat.Geo. software, but with DeLorme TOPO you can let the software create a route by selecting a start piont (current location), several "via" points (caches in between start and finish), and a finish piont (maybe back at the house or Hardees for lunch) and the software will create a route based on the quichest, shortest or severl other options. Its pretty cool! We have been using it hooked up to the LapTop in the truck, to keep us on track so we do not miss turns and have to backtrack as much. Before we started using the combo we spent a lot of time going in circles. Be aware though that the software can try to take you down roads that do not exist, or can miss a shorter route because it is not aware the there may be a new road in the area. But when you are new to the area it really can help get you close to the cache most of the time. muddler

I had someone at work tell me that they thought they had seen a program for the Marigold to load other maps. But they could not find the link to the software. We'll keep looking! muddler

I am seeing more and more sites showing the Explorist 500 as being " In Stock" Is there anyone out there that can answer questions about the E500, based on having used one? Up until now I have been using a borrowed GPS and this will be my first purchase. I really hate to only rely on the advertising Hype. Let the rest of us know what you think if you have your hands on one of these new babies. As I said earlier I have handled the E300 in a store and really like what I saw but this was hardly more then a touchy feelly thing and not an actual field test. Muddler

I am new to this sport/game so read this from that perspective. I have a Magellan also and from what I have been able to find out you can only use the Mapsend software to load maps the the MariGold. Form what I have read from my looking around at the different software packages available there, is nothing that will allow you to take third party maps and load them into a Magellan GPS. You are pretty much stuck with the Mapsend software and the maps it provides. I would think that some industrious software guru could figure this out but I have not found anything yet. I have noted your Nic and will forward anything I find out differently concerning third party maps and the Magellan GPSr. God bless you for protecting this great country. We will keep you in our prayers. Muddler

I am relitively new to GeoCaching (January '05) and KC7LFG and I were talking the other day and we got wondering how everone else gets ready to make a cache run. What sort of plans do you make, and how far in advance do you start? Do you pick one to start the day and pick the next when you find the first one or do you plan the route between several cache sites in advance? Do you do the research on each cache and read about all of the ones you plan to visit several days in advance or the night before you go, or is it more free form and plan as you go? Do you put yourself on a timetable, and allow only so much time at a cache site before you call a DNF and move on to the next site on your list? What KC7LFG and I were wondering I guess is what works best for the other cachers out there? Muddler

By any chance does the 76 have NEMA settings? My magellan had to be changed to communicate with the computer when using the DeLorme software TOPO5. Something like XX2.1. There were some other letters where the show the XX. I have to change back to "NONE" to let the GPS talk to the computer when I am loading stufff from GSAK. Hope this helps!! Muddler

I see where some of the retailers show the Explorist 500 as "In Stock" Has anyone got their hands on one yet? I am wanting to know some of the final production specs. I have handled the E-300 and really liked its size and the clearity of the display. I wanted to hear from a user about the display in bright sunsight, the Batteries it uses (can you use 2As), the Antenna type (patch or qual) and have you compared it to another GPSr. Muddler

I was a Cub Scout, Boy Scout (Star Scout /Order of the Arrow) Cub Master and a Troop Leader. Scouting has been a great experience in my life. Once a Scout always a Scout. Muddler

I have a setup similar to several of the others described above: Magellan Meridian with32 meg SD card, Sony Vaio 505 laptop with DeLorme Topo 3d and GSAK Kodak 4MP for the pics, Palm 125M /w Cachemate to be paperless, We use the Laptop to get us to the vicinity of the cache, and use it to upload caching data to the palm and the GPSr. I use the Palm in the field to log data and supply info on cache location, hints when we can't find the blasted thing and use the camera to document the find for the record. We started out printing out a lot of paper but have found that the electronics is better for searching and makes things easier in the field when logging the find. Besides getting to play with all of these toys that I convinced my wife would make my so much easier, you look really COOL wandering around in the woods if you run into someone else. LOL Muddler

Check out the forum at the location below: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=62421 There is a cache about half way down on the second page where they took a log and split it to remove the center. This allowed them to create a larger hole in the center for the cache. If the kites are not to long this could be used. It would probably require access to a bandsaw to make it work. you might get someone at a cabinet shop willing to do the splitting of the log. Muddler

One of my hobbies is Fly fishing and one of the flys I use a lot is the Muddler Minnow. It has been around a while in the fly fishing world (even longer in the real world) and it (the fly) was created to resemble, what else? A Muddler Minnow. It is a small creature (fish) that looks over, under and around the small rocks and pebbles and plants on the bottom of streams for prey and food items. This sounds like the beginnings of a good Lawyer joke, doesn't it? Anyway, I like the pattern and tie a lot of them for my fishing hobby. Its name seems to suggest snooping or looking around for something, so it seem to fit here. Muddler

This ia a test!!

If you spell it like "camoued" are you going to want to "colour" it too? Muddler