Geoff78

A friend is looking for a mapping unit at a low price and leaning toward a Legend. If anyone knows of any current specials, please let us know. Thanks a bunch

I will try to clarify to the original poster. You can get the info you want without getting a PDA. If you download GSAK and use pocket queries to get a .gpx file of the caches in an area (up to 500). Then simply open your file in GSAK and then export it to whatever program you use to communicate to your GPSr (I use Mapsource) or you can transfer directly and use a couple of special tag codes that are built in to the program. For example %dif1%ter1%drop2. The %drop2 will drop the GC from in front of the waypoint. %dif1 will represent the difficulty as a single digit number and %ter1 will represent terrain as a single digit number. So for instance a cache named GCJR2T with a difficulty rating of 4 and terrain rating of 3 will be renamed 75JR2T. Other codes can be used to add if it is multi and cache container size, etc. in terms of a number. So that 1 means traditional, 2 means multi, etc. Then you just have to recognize what's what. So you can do this for all 500 caches in one quick conversion and then download to your GPS. Just check what the maximum number of charecters that cna be displayed on your receiver and be sure you don't exceed it. There is help on GSAK available with the program or on this forum. Plus you can download it for free and try it for a month.

Garmin Mapsource Metroguide Version 4 is a great piece of software. I use it on my eTrex Legend in Nova Scotia and it is very accurate, a huge improvement over the standard base map. I can load maps that cover Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and PEI all at one time. Unless you are doing real long trips, the memory space shouldn't be an issue. If you use Mapsource Topo Canada you are going to be even more limited in map coverage due to the increased map detail and memory space.

For an extra $50 definitely get the Kegend, I use one and instead of looking at navigation page, arrow and distance, you can get a map and look at your movement as it relates to lakes, roads, trails, etc. Plus you don't have to dig out your paper maps and try to figure out where you are on that, etc. Much, much more enjoyable caching with the Legend. I'd spend the extra $$$ every time.

I connect my Legend to my computer through a serial connection and download waypoints, tracks, etc. into a .gdb file using Garmin Mapsource Metroguide software. One could also use EasyGPS or similar programs but without the on-screen mapping capabilities. Using EasyGPS the files will be .loc or .gpx types.

If you are going cheap get the basic eTrex Legend and the Garmin Mapsource product to go with it. If you can afford it you can move up to the Vista, Legend C, Vista C units, but still make sure you have enough money for the software ($125 or so new sometime $50 on eBay and others). I use a Legend but would prefer the Vista, due to compass and altimeter, and would definitely love to have the color screen. The 8MB size limitation hasn't affected me yet, but I don't travel that far either. Good Luck

I use a Legend and the additional basemap features is definitely worth the extra $50 or so. You can just download the waypoints, turn on the map and see the best way to get in the vicinity. The easiest download method to figure out is to simply download waypoints from a search in .loc files and open them in EasyGPS and send them to your receiver. Running queries also works and they can be downloaded in EasyGPS as well.

does anyone one know a way to filter caches, either through the web site or post download software, by difficulty rather than proximity?

I am just wondering if it is possible to search or filter through geocaches by difficulty. I would love to see all the nearby caches ranked starting with the most difficult, so that I could select an appropriate challenge. I spend alot of time trying to find ones with high difficulty ratings.

I use a Garmin eTrex Legend that is like four years old. Still works great, gets signal quickly and doesn't lose it easily. If I was buying a first one again I would buy the same unit, for the price it can't be beat. I have good eyes though too, if you're eyes aren't what they used to be, get a color one, my father can't see much on my Legend. For the extra $50 bucks from the eTrex yellow you get the mapping feature that I use all the time. I hardly ever even look at the navigation screen, I do all my routing from the map page. Love it.

Do you have a Garmin mapsource program and a serial cable to conenct your GPS to computer? Are you familiar with the geocaching.com website and how it works? If not, that is where you should start. Find a geocache in your area you want to start with and go from there.