Round Robin

You can preview all maps on Garmin's website. They have a viewer, kind of like Mapquest. http://www.garmin.com/cartography/ hope this helps!

The base map is very coarse to save memory, so it is not strange that you should see this. The circle around your current location gives you an idea of the accuracy of your map location based on both the satellite accuracy and the map resolution; assuming you have a good satellite lock, the road should still be within the circle. The base map is so coarse, you may need to zoom out quite a bit to see the accuracy circle. Under map setup, you can select "lock to road", which will snap your location to the nearest road. I only use this when I'm driving since it can wreck havoc when geocaching! If you were to buy City Select, you would find that the resolution of the roads already in the basemap will gain many more points, making them *much* more accurate. enjoy your new Legend C! (great choice, btw)

Thanks for the tip, Robert, and for the great work on GPSBabel! I should add that I have only had problems with GPSBabel when I apply filters--without them I rarely encounter problems. Perhaps the new firmware will alleviate the rest of the issues as well. Oh, to the original poster and others: I mentioned that this software was freeware... it's actually donationware, and I encourage you to contribute to the project, as I have, if you find it useful. Since it seems unlikely that Garmin will be supporting Macs anytime soon, we must rely on the talents of those like Mr. Lipe.

MacGPSBabel is the only software I have found to transfer waypoints into my Vista C. It's a little buggy (crashes alot for me) but it does work. I also use it to convert .gpx files into text files that I print into booklets to take with me. Nice bit of Freeware.

The pointer is only there when you are in navigate mode. The pointer indicates the direction to the waypoint you have selected to navigate to (the bearing). The compass 'bezel' will rotate to indicate the current cardinal directions, and the one facing 'up' on the screen will be the direction you are currently facing (your heading). be sure to hold your Vista C level, since the compass will only function that way (just like a real compass). Also, the magnetic compass will generally only operate when you are stopped; when you are moving, the Vista C will determine your heading by your motion as determined by the GPS ("you used to be there, now you are hear, and that indicates a northern heading") After you've stopped for a determined amount of time (you can set this in the setup menu), the magnetic compass will kick in. this is important to remember because, when you stop, you can rotate your body and the GPS will have no way of knowing this--you are still at the same coordinates. Since the compass will usually kick in after about 15 seconds of being motionless. It is real easy to turn your body (the compass stays put) and when you start moving again your bearing and heading suddenly jump drastically! I set my compass to kick on after I've dropped below 2mph for 15 seconds, as when I slow down to approach a cache. Hope this helps!

I bought a screen protector from Brando for my Vista C. They don't make them for GPSrs, so I bought one for a random PDA and cut it to fit. It is the bet screen protector I've ever used--TOTALLY clear with no bubbles or distortion. If it weren't for the edge, you'd never know there was a protector on--really, it's that good.

I've been very happy with my Sanyo 2500mAh batteries and charger from RipVan100.com. He sells a package of a very good charger with conditioner and trickle-charge mode (most chargers don't have these) and 4 industrial grade batteries for $30. I get fantastic life from these--much better than the Energizer 2500mAh and cheapo charger they came with. Don't just by by the mAh rating--brand matters, and Sanyo are among the best (along with Powerex (Maha), Jetcell and a few others). Cheap batteries may not actually provide the full mAh rating or may lose capacity over time. Also, some ultra-fast chargers tend to overheat the batteries, reducing their life; they also may not reach a full charge. Conditioners perform a deep discharge before charging and this helps the charger achieve higher capacity. New batteries really need to go through several charge/discharge cycles before they reach their full potential.

I have a Vista C Yes, it does receive power through the mini USB port, so that is nice when I using it with a computer. I'm not experienced enough to know if the compass is truly helpful or not, but I will say that it does work quite well and seems to help as I approach the cache and begin walking very slowly. I used a yellow eTrex when I was starting out (borrowed a friend's) and I had a great deal of trouble - largely due to inexperience, I imagine - in getting a proper bearing as I slowed down and the GPS had trouble determining my heading. That convinced me that I wanted a compass. Now, I set it to only turn on if I drop below 2mph for more than 15sec. Seems to work well. I get very good battery life, even leaving the backlight on. I use 2500mAh batteries and a charger I got from Rip Van 100. for $30, you get a very good charger (with conditioner, unlike most) and 4 Sanyo 2500mAh batteries. I've been very happy with them. Works much better than the Energizer batteries and charger I tried.

I really like my Garmin Vista C. It is an all new eTrex model with updated electronics, similar to the 60CS in function, actually. 24MB memory is not exactly generous, but is enough for me to hold all of Pittsburgh, Johnstown and Harrisburg (where we go mostly). It is also quite fast (screen redraws, etc.) I wouldn't worry so much about a patch antenna vs. a quad helix - the receivers are just as important and I've found that my Vista C gets much better reception than the yellow eTrex I borrowed from a friend when I was starting out. New models tend to do better than old regardless of the antenna type. I have never lost lock even under heavy tree cover. It also serves quite well in the car, although the smallish screen makes it less useful than, say, the excellent 60CS. I got the suction cup mount for the windshield and it works great.

I recently got a Vista C and agree that the etrex 'C's are great units. Fast acquisition, and I've yet to lose lock even under relatively dense tree cover. The screen is also quite good, so long as you are viewing on axis (sometimes a problem when mounted in the car) I also agree that the GPS compass works very well. I went with the Vista C over the Legend C for the magnetic compass, but I find that I almost always leave it off. If it only worked with my Mac, it would be the perfect unit for me.

I have a Vista C and recently updated the firmware to the latest - don't know if it is a new feature or not, but you can enable the backlight to stay on. Go to SETUP:DISPLAY:DISPLAY TIMEOUT and set to "STAYS ON". Hopefully, that'll do it for you!

If you buy one of the newer Garmins with only USB--like the Vista C and Legend C, GPS Connect will not work (yet). Garmin does not provide USB drivers for Mac. It's a shame, because GPSConnect for OSX does look like a very nice program. I've had good luck using MacGPSBabel for downloading waypoints. The incomperable Robert Lipe has reverse engineered the Garmin USB protocol and created the only viable Mac/GarminUSB solution so far. I use it both to upload GPX-format pocket queries, as well as to convert them to text format to print out as a booklet for my notebook. Good luck!

I've been wondering about what to put in a micro near my house (which I haven't found yet!) and I decided to bring a $1 bill ring. Here's some instructions on how to make one: http://members.cox.net/crandall11/money/ring/