Z06_Pilot

Are you speaking of Garmin specifically? I have called them several times and never got the impression they were working from a script. they never asked me the typical dopey questions like, "is your unit turned on"?, etc. each time I called, they directly addressed the issue or question I had and it was resolved quickly...

I have had my 62s for about 2 months and have no issue with the compass recal. I have done it several times, and I get a successful calibration every time. I do recal after every battery change out of an acquired habit, since our DeLorme PN-60 MUST have a recal after battery replacement. the compass is not even close on that unit after swapping batteries...

keep in mind. the 100k topo maps on the 62st are NOT routable. I first bought the 62st as I am new to Geocaching, thinking with the topo map included for the entire US, that would be one less thing to purchase later.....wrong....the 100k won't route you via roads when caching or looking for POI's. this topo may be useful to some folks but not in my case. I returned the 62st and got the 62s instead. i separately purchased several routable 24k topo maps that are just fantastic.... Otherwise, I have found the 62s and 62st to be identical. fantastic geocaching units...

OK Yoga, now you have me thinking. I am out of town on business and had a little time yesterday to find a couple of caches. I am sure that as I approached the first cache, there was no alert. I chose "find nearest" after logging the first one as "found", and I got the proximity alert as I approached the 2nd one. I wonder if you are on to something here regarding what triggers the proximity alert.

i don't think this is really accurate. it may look like a 60 model and may look like it's their direct successor, but on the inside it's more similar to the oregons and dakotas than to the 60 series. at least as far as technology (hardware and firmware) goes, menu-wise it offers a "classic mode" which gives you a similar menu structure as on the 60. +1 on the 62s. I think the form factor of the GPSr is almost as important as the software that runs it. i think Garmin did a great thing. took the best parts of the Dakotas/Oregons(software) and mated it to what I think is the best form factor(the 60 series). with paperless caching, you are relying on one single device for everything and the way the unit feels in your hand(easy to hold/one hand operation, etc), the screen readability in all kinds of light, and the ease with which you can stow the unit and retreive it quickly while on the hunt are critical. I really feel the 62s accomplishes this with great success.

yea same here! we were geocaching while on vacation in Maui a couple of weeks ago, and as you can imagine, it's easy to get distracted by the environment when looking for a cache there. several times the proximity alert snapped me back to reality. I also geocache with my wife, and we will end up yacking about something or another while on the hunt, and this alert brings our attention to the fact that we are probably walking all over the correct spot.

I have had my 62s for about a month. I have had no freezing issues or the GPS positioning getting stuck at all. In fact, I have had perfect operation. I did upgrade to the latest software as soon as I got it out of the box. the software/OS of the Oregon with the form factor and very rugged build of the 60 series and a screen that can be seen clearly in absolutely any kind of light....Garmin really built a fantastic GPSr with the 62s! I am regularly at 5' accuracy, and as others have said, the GPS sensitivity of this unit is amazing. I can be in my basement and have all green bars on the GPS. I have never seen anything like it.

thanks Totem! I will try that...

I have both the Garmin 62s and the PN-60w w/SPOT communicator. for Geocaching specifically, I think the 62s is far and away much better, IMO. the only advantage I find in the DeLorme is the ability to segregate caches into separate files on the GPS which you can't do easily with the 62s. the Geocaching profile and dashboard on the 62s makes finding the proper coordinates for a cache stunningly simply. and although the screen on the 62s is not a lot bigger than the PN-60, it makes a big difference in my viewing experience. I do think the 62s display works better in all light conditions compared to the PN-60 as well. I will say that detail on the PN-60 is better, on both map graphics and verbiage. My understanding is that Garmin sacrificed a higher pixel count to provide a more viewable screen in various lighting conditions. ergonomics are always a very personal thing. here again, i much prefer the 62s. it is more narrow and taller than the 60, and does not feel as "thick", making it fit in my hand really comfortably, and making single hand operation much more natural. I also like the tacky, rubbery case of the 62s compared to the slicker, plastic case of the 60. I also like the various quick attachment options the 62s has. you can snap on a caribiner or a belt clip quickly and easily. very nice. I find that the PN-60 does not hold the compass calibration very long. I'm not talking about battery changes or pressure changes from flights. in my home area, from day to day, I have to recal very often. I never have to do this on the 62s. that, however, could be something going on with my specific unit. I will be calling DeLorme to check on that. For dollar value? Not even a close race-the PN-60 wins hands down. You get ROUTABLE maps for the entire US including HI with the purchase of the PN-60. a fantastic deal. on my 62s, as the OP mentioned, I received no maps at all. I prefer Garmin routables over the free ones available, so that is an extra cost compared to the PN-60. For mapping ability and quality of maps? I am not a hardcore backcountry or "off-the-grid" adventurer, so I can't comment from experience. from the comparisons I have seen, it appears to me that this is the bread and butter advantage of the PN-60 and where it really shines. Plus, you can get the PN-60 with the SPOT option which is a revolutionary development in consumer GPS systems. From a support perspective? I have used both Garmin and DeLorme tech support on a couple of occassions. they are both exceptional, and are both staffed by US-based personnel. When I had to use them, both companies picked up the phone within 5 minutes-very little hold time listening to Muzak! If I had to choose only one to own? Since I use a handheld GPS 90% for geocaching, it would be the 62s, no question.

It would be worth the upgrade to me simply for the convenience of only carrying/using a single device while on the hunt. It's really great having all the information about the cache, and logging capability in the palm of ONE hand with my 62s!

Plus, I don't think the log info. from prior cache hunters downloads to your GPSr unless you are a premium member, just the basic description of the cache is all you get. Having the logs on your GPSr is a real time saver. there were several caches we wanted to check out, but changed our mind after reading the log files downloaded to our GPSr's. If I saw that the last 5 or 6 cachers could not find the cache recently, they told us it had been compromised somehow, so we didn't waste our time going to look for it. Pocket queries are very cool. it was more than worth the $30 annual subscription for premium membership with the vacation we just returned from. I was able to generate PQ's for caches based on all the areas I would be visting while on vacation ahead of time, and with one download to my GPSr had them all there. My time is worth way more than the $30. My only recourse w/o premium membership would have been to download one cache at a time......200 times.. they are also great as you can set them up to run on a regular basis, providing you an automatic fresh list of caches in your home area....

You are really going to like the 62s I think. I am a brand new geocacher, and have had my 62s for about 3 weeks. just got back from putting it through it's paces in the field while in Maui. Accuracy down to 4 ft., and the geocaching dashboard you can invoke on the map and compass screens is just fantastic for directing you quickly and easily to the cache coordinates. I never cached before paperless came along, but paperless logging on the 62s is just great. you have all of the description/log/hint info from geocaching.com on the unit with you in the field, and all of your log notes and attempt info from the field is uploaded effortlessly into the geocaching.com site. just fantastic. you don't need anything in the field for a day of caching except for the 62s. I have several of the 24k topo Garmin routable maps, and combined with Basecamp make a fantastic trip planning combination. All of the caches I have loaded on the 62s appear on Basecamp on my PC via the 24k topo map. this was great for us as we were able to go after specific caches in different areas of the island quickly and easily. Just an idea for a tip...I also purchased the $10 belt clip. on initial cache trips I found myself sitting my 62s down when inspecting caches. afraid I might leave it, I got the clip, and I simply snap it on and off my belt just like a cell phone. a great accessory. enjoy!

thanks folks, actually I bought both the DeLorme PN60w w/SPOT and the 62st. I returned the 62st and bought the 62s once I realized that the included 100k topo maps with the 62st are NOT routable. I now use the 62s and my wife uses the PN-60. the 60 does have some issues. the compass does not stay calibrated for very long at all. I never have to re-calibrate my 62s unless the batteries are replaced. also, when slecting the NEXT geocache after logging a find, the DeLorme will quite often corrupt the name of the next cache with RRRRRRRRRRRRRR. going to have to talk to the good folks at DeLorme about that one. the geocache dashboard for the 62s is sweet. what a great idea the Garmin folks had for geocachers. we plan on keeping both units.... thanks!

My wife and I just started geocaching, and we looked at everything out there. she settled on a Delorme PN-60, and I got a Garmin 62s. after a few weeks in the field, she is serously considering dumping the PN-60 and getting a 62s. Garmin really put a lot of resources into geocaching with the 62s. I am amazed at the sensitivity and accuracy of the 62s. the geocaching dashboard is just fantastic for helping you zero in on a cache. and hooking the 62s to your PC with Garmin's free Basecamp software runnng on the PC is a fantastic combination. all of the caches show up on my 24k Garmin topo maps on the PC, and allows us to decide what geographic area we want to search in-great when you are on vacation and there are caches all over an unfamiliar landscape. you certainly won't be sorry going with the 62s, IMO. good luck!

On of my rides is a 2004 Corvette Z06. Has not been in stock/showroom form since the day I bought it off the showroom floor with 1 mile on the odo. outfitted for weekend roadcourse track duty. looks like a garage queen, but I drive it like I stole it!

Hi Dr. yea I tried this as well. I tried both "on road for time", and 'on road for distance'. after selecting either one, I get the error message, "route calculation error. maps do not have routable roads in this area". thing is, the cache is 4.5 miles from my house, in an urban area I get this message when using my basemap or garmin 100k(I was informed earlier today that neither of these is routable), or the gpsfiledepot 24k map. I may have found my answer. I dug through a lot of messages on the gpsfiledepot site and I found where one of the moderators says that their topo maps are NOT routable. I did use a link provided by a member earlier today to a site that has free, routable 24k topo maps. I created one about an hour ago....it says my request is #234 in line and that "the server has limited resources". might be awhile before I see that one! I think I'm pretty much SOL until I can get the Garmin 24k topo ordered next week...

Hi Dr. don't think my 62st has a "where to" screen? I know my Zumo 450 does, but have not run across that on my handheld....

hi folks, still trying to get my geocaches to route on city streets, and allow me the option via the FIND key to switch between hiking and auto routing. I found out earlier today on this forum that both the 100k topo and basemap that came on my 62st are NOT routable, which explains why when I hit the GO button to begin geocache routing, I get a straight line-of-site route only. I was told that the 24k topos that Garmin sells are routable and would resolve my issue. In the meantime, I thought I would give the free maps at gpsfiledepot a try. I downloaded the 24k topo Ohio map, using BaseCamp slected my county and several around me, and loaded to the 62st. just for grins, I tried leaving all maps enabled, hit GO for routing a geocache, and still got the line of site route. so, I disabled all maps except for the Ohio 24k topo. same thing....line of site routing, no street routing at all. Hitting the FIND key still only allows me the option to end navigation, and not toggle between hiking and auto routing, which I understand is what I should be seeing with a routable 24k topo map. I have been working at this for quite awhile, and at this point the only thing I can assume is the Garmin 24k topos are routable and the gpsfiledepot's are not? Otherwise, I don't know what I am doing wrong? any help would be greatly appreciated! Jeff

thanks mulvaney. I think u are correct, I must not have saved the field notes on the 62st when I tried yesterday. I tried again today on 2 finds and the files were on the mass storage device as they should be. uploaded just fine. thanks for helping out a GC neophyte! Jeff

just an fyi. I am running a 16GB class 4 microSD in my 62st and it is working great..

OHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ok folks, I think I get it now: 100k topo maps have no routing capability 24k topo maps do city navigator obviously does as well so, my choices are: get City Navigator, North America, OR a 24k map that covers my geocaching area, load these to my 62st, and I should be good to go for geocaching to work for both street and hike(crow flies) routing. Or download a free map per the link-thanks for that, BTW. I also have the option of returning the 62st and getting the 62s for $100 less, buy the City Navigator or a 24k map, and come out even on cost with much better mapping than I now have on the 62st. thanks very much.

thanks mulvaney, as far as profiles go, I am using the Geocache profile. I have tried setting orientation for TRACK UP as well as AUTO-makes no difference. under ROUTING, I have tried both OFF ROAD and ON ROAD-also no difference. while I am navigating to a cache, when I hit the FIND button, my only choices are 'find another', and 'stop navigation', so something is definitely wrong on my end based on the selections you have under the FIND key. I have the maps that came with the 62st: TOPO 100k US and Worldwide basemap. Shouldn't the basemap be adequate for the geocaching routing to utilize streets? I live in an urban area and all the streets from my home to the various cache location are all on 62st. My Delorme PN-60 has the same level of maps installed: TOPO North America, and my geocache routes direct me via streets with no problem. thanks for the help. Jeff

Hi folks! got a 62st and a Delorme PN-60w w/SPOT yesterday, and used them both to find my first cache. my questions, however, are specific to the 62st. no problems loading caches onto the 62st, both on internal memory and micro SD card. my questions are about the "hunt" with this unit: 1. when I hit "GO" to start the routing function, it was obvious that it was in line of site, hiking mode instead of auto/street mode. the PN-60 asks you whether you want to navigate via auto or hiking as soon as you press the "GO" button for the cache. I could find no such option on the 62st specifically for geocaching. -general question, as I am new to geocaching. I would think that you would want to car navigate until you reach a parking area, then switch to hiking mode to get a "crow flies" path to the cache. Am I correct about that, and how do you do that on the 62s series? 2. I made log notes on the 62st for my find and wanted to upload them to the geocaching.com site, but could not figure out how, so I went to the knowledge base. I went into the "log notes" section of MY PROFILE, and it says that Garmin Colorado and Oregon units are supported for this uploading feature. I tried locating the file on my 62st mentioned in the log notes instructions, and it's not on my 62st, so obviously the file structure is different on the 62s compared to the Colorado and Oregon(?), so I assume the 62s series is indeed not supported? I'm wondering if anyone knows when they might be? thanks!

just got my PN-60w w/SPOT today and this was a great feature...as soon as I hooked up the 60, Topo 9.0 informed me of the update....very nice-loads firmware from Delorme direct to the PN. no having to "stage" the upgrade on my PC...very cool.

thanks folks!