PAWINGERS

We want to get a GPS for our son for Christmas for his car. He already has a 60C and he and his girlfriend enjoy geocaching. We have a 2610 and love it and he has used it at times. The 2610 is a great unit but getting hard to find. I'm looking at the Nuvi's and love the smaller size. I know you can enter longitude and latitude in the Nuvi's but I really need to know if we can download multiple caches from GSAK into the Nuvi and will they show up on the screen like they do on the 2610. Does anyone know the answer to this. With the 2610 they show up on the screen as we drive along and I wonder if the Nuvi will do this. Looking forward to any input.

No, we already have handhelds (60Cx). We're looking for strictly an automotive GPS.

I already have a 2610 and love it but we're considering getting our son one but need help. The 2610 is a great unit but maybe you guys would suggest something else. I definitely want Garmin and the GPS has to accept waypoint such as geocaches. The 2720 looks nice because they already have the maps loaded. The smaller units look great but my question is, can you download waypoints such as caches like I do on the 2610? What would we be giving up on the C330 and the C340 type GPS's that we have with the 2610? I guess I need your input. Thanks in advance

The Carels are dedicated cachers and good friends of ours. They set out on a mission and got er' done. They are fantastic people but they have some very strange friends.

We have several questions about this paperless thing. I bought a used Palm IIIc and currently use Spinner and Plucker. It works for us but we have some questions and concerns that we would like some help from the experts on this board. 1. Battery life is only two hours or so, do you think maybe the battery is shot or is this to be expected? 2. We use Plucker and Spinner and it works but seems to involve a lot of fooling around. One problem is the fact that we get some strange waypoint numers for some strange reason. For instance, most waypoint numbers beging with a (GC..) but for some reason we have waypoint numbers that begin with (M & R & V) . In other words, a cache maybe should be GCG1PN but on my Palm it is MCG1PN. Why is this. Lots of the waypoint names are correct. 3. There are some caches that have things that don't show up on our Palm. A cache called Crossword Crosswalks has some a crossword puzzle that is apparently a img. and things like this don't show up on our Palm so we can't use the Palm for these. 4. We're wondering if we wouldn't be happier with a Pocket Pc, what do you think?? 5. Also think we would like to use Sonar or Cachemate or maybe something else other that Plucker. Are some of these programs made specifically for Palms and some for Pocket PC's? What do you find that works best? 6. At times I may want to just send one or two new caches to my Palm or Pocket PC because maybe they just showed up and I don't want to reload everything, is this possible and how? 7. Sonar looks pretty neat, is it easier to use than Plucker and Spinner? 8. Will a Pocket Pc do a good job or is paperless caching more designed around a Palm? Thanks in advance.

I did turn the electronic compass off but haven't got to check it out yet to see if it helps. I'm not sure if the walking speed thing is an issue.

We've had the Vista for a couple years and it always does a good job but lately it's giving us fits. When we start hiking into a cache the arrow is very unsteady and will flick all different directions and if it wasn't for also carrying our yellow Etrex we would have problems. It usually is when you're within 1/4 mile or less but there is no pattern and it is sometimes when you're a lot closer than that. The arrow simply goes wild and just in case you are wondering, yes, I do calibrate the compass after changing batteries. Any suggestions?

I did print out the specs for both models because I also was torn between which to get. All indications are that they are exactly the same except the CS has the Electronic Compass and the barometric altimeter feature which includes the Elevation Computer. All other features are exactly the same. Now this is only my opinion but I bought the Vista a year ago because I felt I had to have the Electronic Compass but now I see that I never use it and actually have it turned off. I always carry a regular compass and the Basic Etrex compass works when I'm moving. As far as the Elevation thing that's not a big deal to me but everyone has to decide what's important for them. I think I'll be going for the 60C.

Brian, Why am I not surprised by your comments. If I was so obsessed with the numbers I would be sitting in front of the computer logging finds on the numerous Virtual Caches that really don't even require a hike, you simply have to submit a picture of some significant required thing and you have a find. If you were to check our finds you would notice we don't have these kinds of finds. But I don't expect you did that because you were to anxious to stick your nose into something that you knew very little of the details. If you knew the details, you very well may see things differently. I won't waste my time going into those details because it really doesn't matter whether you like it or not. I neither disagree or agree with you because your opinion and judgements mean nothing to me. I've said all I intend to say relative to this subject on this forum so now would be a good time to get in your two cents without being contradicted or confronted. Happy Caching and thanks for your amusing comments.

This is amazing, some people need to take a chill pill. I don't even know where to start. Firstly, we logged a find because the cache owner told us to. Based on the info we gave him, he knew we were in the right spot and it was obvious to him that we put a good bit of effort into visiting a cache that was 400 miles from our home and many miles by snowmobile trail and over a mile out on the ice. Maybe I should have just lied and said we found it but didn't fill out the log book. Instead I took pictures on the island and looged our experience on the site. I also had several e-mail conversations with Bluehook and Team Kuebbing regarding this cache. Bluehook decided to leave it unarchived because he felt it could have blown from it's hiding place and was buried in a snowdrift. I respected his decision and he told us to log a find. If someone has a problem with that, too bad, (here's a quarter, call someone who cares)!! If the site administrator has a problem with us logging a find, I would respect their decision without a seconds hesitation, but I don't look for that to be the case. In fact the NJ administrator is well aware of what went on and he was more concerned about the cache needing checked on. It's pretty obvious they keep a close watch on things but have more to worry about than us logging a find for a missing cache. We have 103 finds and have notified the administrators about issues regarding "Sled Cache" and "Keep Your Paws Off Our Cache" cache. I feel confident they will handle things fairly. Our other problem cache was "Keep your Paws off Our Cache" cache. We hunted for this one 4 times. On the 4th time we found it scattered about. We cleaned up the site and notified the owner. The logbook wasn't to be found nor was any of the better stuff that was in the cache. Now I suppose some "Big Whiner" is also going to complain about that being logged a find. Again I say, tough, just deal with it! We put a lot of effort into our caches. We travel many miles, hike many miles, survived tick bites, Lymses disease and pitch dark hikes. Out of 103 finds, two were no finds because of missing caches and we enjoyed every minute of it. If us logging a find is going to upset your day, that suits me just fine! Team Kuebbing should also be able to log a find if he was misled. They certainly deserve it and honestly will it hurt anyone else if they do? Maybe we should have just kept it to ourselves and claimed that we found it and let others look for something that isn't there. Would that be the right thing, I don't think so! I know that Team Kuebbing is now upset that he was told that it was okay but he couldn't find it. I believe him, the island is not that big so it is apparently missing. I'm also not going to sling mud at Bluehook because maybe someone else tampered with it. Team Kuebbing, Bluehook and myself had a few discussions over this cache and they both seem to be good responsible cachers. I wish some people would enjoy this sport for the pure pleasure of it and quit their petty complaining. What really bugs me is when they complain about the administrators of the site. Apparently these whiners don't have the slightest notion what it takes to maintain this site and are too stupid to realize that without their effort our fun would come to a screeching halt. Jeremy and all of the administrators are to be commended. All the cachers that put the caches out and look for others also should take a bow. All the whiners need to take a hike without their GPS.

It has to sit outside for at least 15-20 minutes after locking on to sattellites.

Everyone has some valid points here. I also have both the yellow Etrex and the Vista. We use both of them. Usually my wife will use the Vista and I will use ole' yeller'. They are both great. Take this advice however you want but I would strongly urge you to start with the basic Etrex first. The Etrex will do everything you need for geocaching and you and is extremely user friendly. The Vista is quite a unit but you may find it to be overwhelming for your first. I will never get rid of the basic Etrex and when I have to do some quick waypoints or need a quick reference I always grab the Etrex. When caching they are both equally accurate. The Etrex won't cause you to pull your hair out and gets twice the battery life. The Vista gets about 10 hours on batteries and you need to calibrate the compass everytime you change batteries. This isn't a big deal, but if you forget the GPS will give you fits.

Did you re-initialize the GPS after updating? Did you re-calibrate the compass? You will have to do both of these things. Also have to recalibrate after changing batteries.

I have an Etrex and love it. It is all the GPS you would ever need for geocaching and is very user friendly. I also just recently got a Vista. The Vista is real nice but I won't part with my Etrex for nothing. The battery life on the Vista is a bummer and the legend would be the same. As far as the rebate, I have been waiting for 7-8 weeks and still no rebate. Garmin advised me recently to allow up to 12 weeks. Now what can possibly take 12 weeks for a rebate? The USB cord can be purchased very reasonably.

Just got a new Vista and noticed the exit numbers are the old numbers instead of my mileage. Is my new unit an older model and has anyone ever noticed this? Do we think Garmin would ever provide an update for this issue?

Try www.geocode.com I think it will suit you fine.