Robmac123

Thanks. It looks like you have to log the cache find in the caching 'section' of the app, then go into the trackable section of the app, find the trackable you want to log from your inventory, then locate the cache that you already just found again on the map and log the trackable activity to that cache completely separately from logging the cache find. On the old app you could log the trackable activity whilst logging the cache find, you didn't have to do it as a separate job. I didn't even think to go into the trackable section of the app, as you didn't have to previously. I was looking for a hidden menu or some way to do it while logging the cache find. Doesn't really seem like a step forward, but at least it can be done. Thanks.

I'm trying to get to grips with the new app before the old one switches off on 23rd. Until now I've avoided using it as the cut off seemed a long way off. I can't say I'm a fan, but maybe I just need to get more familiar with it. At this stage I'm unsure what is actually missing from the app, and what I just can't find. When logging a cache find on the old app you had the option to add a Favorite point, photo or Trackable drop/visit. I can't see any way to access this in the new app. The trackable option is my main point of concern. I can't believe it's missing, but I just can't see how to do it. Help much appreciated. Thanks.

I'll be looking forward to that app Arogen :-) I wouldn't know where to start with something like that.

I've spent a little time testing and I have established a workflow that allows me to download Pocket Queries, find caches and then log my finds on my iPad once I'm home. All from within the Monterra - No cables in sight !! It seems a bit contreived but, once you get used to it, it works fine and is quite usable. Garmin really need to implement an app to do the steps I have used 3rd party apps to do. Then the Monterra would actually be a useful WiFi caching device. I feel that I have (once again) done Garmin's testing and development, even though the Monterra is hardly a new device by this stage. Anyhow, I thought this might be useful to other people who are struggling with the Moneterra. I'm sure you could fine tune the process, or use different apps maybe, but this is proven to Work: Apps you will need: Pocket Query Generator (made by C:Geo, although it seems to stand-alone, so you don't need the C:Geo app itself if you don't have another use for it) Firefox Web Browser (or similar browser that allows you to attach files from the Monterra via a webpage) Note - Chrome browser would not let me do this so I tested Firefox and it worked. I didn't try others. Winzip (Possibly other android unzipping app, but I know this one works) File manager App Step 1 - Downloading PQ into Monterra Open the Pocket Query Generator app and click the refresh symbol to update your PQ's ready for download. Click the PQ(s) you want and then the Download symbol at the top right. Wait for the download and the message to tell you where it is located. It goes into the sdcard/Download folder by default (note - SDcard is the name that the apps seem to give to the internal storage of the Monterra, it is not actually copying the files to my installed SD card) Click OK and close the PQ Generator app, or just click the Home button. Step 2 - Unzipping and Copying the PQ into the Garmin/GPX folder Open WinZip app, browse to the zipped PQ(s) in the sdcard/Downloads folder. Click on the PQ once and click UnZip at the bottom. Then browse to the sdcard/Garmin/GPX folder (Note - there is a gpx (lower case) folder in the main drive of the Monterra, you need the GPX (capitals) folder insode the Garmin folder or it won't work) and click 'unzip here' at the bottom of the screen. This places the unipped GPX files into the Garmin GPX folder, but it seems to put them in a folder within the GPX folder, where they are not read by the device. There may be away to change this in the winzip app, but I just browse to the unzipped GPX files with Winzip again, select both files, click copy, then browse to the garmin/GPX folder and select 'paste'. you can then delete the folder winzip originlly put them in, just for the sake of tidyness. You can browse to the sdcard/Downloads folder and delete the zipped PQ also, although you don't have to, as you can see the date stamp on these files and select the newest one next time you do it. Note - If you are just updating a PQ that already exists in garmin/GPX with a newer version then winzip will ask you if you want to over-write the existing. I have found that if you say Yes it says 'caclulating file size' and then locks up. To avoid this i go into the Garmin/GPX folder using Winzip and delete the old file beofer I unzip and copy the new one in. Step 3 - reading in the PQ GPX Files I have found the only sure-fire way to bring in the new caches is to power off and back on the Monterra. You can close the Garmin Outdoor app and re-open it, but then the previous logs seem to be missing from every cache. Rather than spend time bottoming out a better way I propose just to power cycle the unit. Step 4 - Finding caches I just use the Garmin outdoor app to look up, select and find caches. I then log my finds on the Garmin app also, and this creates a geocache_visits.txt file, just as it would on any other Garmin GPS I've used. The only downside to this, vs using a 3rd party Geocaching app such as the Official App, C:geo or Cachesense, seems to be that you can only create a basic text log, and can't add pictures or log Travelbugs. (even though the Monterra has a Camera - come on Garmin, really, you need to ditch Opencaching, shake hands with Geocachin.com, catch up with the 3rd party apps and get these features in your own Outdoor app so integrates with the unit ! The Monterra is only a part-solution as it stands) If I want to log pics and TB's I can always log them using C:Geo and upload the logs once I'm back on wifi. Step 5 - Once home, or somewhere on WiFi, uploading field notes The only way I can see to get the geocache_visits file uploaded to geoaching.com without using a PC and cable is via a web browser. Chrome will not seem to allow you to attach the file, so I use Firefox. you don't really have to use Firefox for anything else. I just opened it and navigated to the upload field notes page at geocaching.com then made a shortcut to this page on the main screen on the Monterra. As the shortcut to that page was made using Firefox it always opens using Firefox - perfect ! Assuming you make the shortcut, just click on this, click the 'attach file' button (you will have to pinch to zoom in and find it unless your eyesight is better than mine). It will ask you what app you want to use to browse and attach, select File Manager and browse to sdcard/Garmin folder and select the geocache_visits file. Then click 'upload field note' and wait for the message confirming how many field notes are uploaded. I now use my iPad to go to geocaching.com at my leisure to complete the field notes. I tend to just type abbreviated logs on the Monterra, so the option to amend or elaborate them before sending works for me. You could actually complete and submit the field notes on the web browser on the Monterra, but the screen is too small for me to do this. If anyone finds better ways or shortcuts to this process I'd love to hear them. I'm still learning my way around Android in general. I just wanted to get this out there as a working solution as I couldn't find any other wifi based process documented anywhere, and Garmin support really didn't know how to advise on this. If Garmin could/would bring their Outdoor app for the Montana up to the level of functionality of the 3rd party android apps the Monterra would be a great caching unit. The hardware is great, has Wifi, decent camera, even a torch!, everything I need, but the software is once again their let-down. If they sell a wifi GPS which has Geocaching functionality then they really need to complete the loop and make their caching software fully functional. I, naively, thought that I would have the functionality above out of the box. Happy caching !

Thank you for the input. The main reason I didn't plan on using the mapping in Cachesense or C:geo is that the monterra has no 3G/4G, so I would be relying on the small map areas that I understand you can download into these apps along with the cache information. I've used Cachesense on an android phone and it worked fine, as I could get live mapping via the 3G. I have some good maps and Birdseye Satelite imaging in the Garmin side of the GPS. The maps sections you get in Cachesense are probably ok just to cache with, as you'd presumably be looking for the cache in the close vicinity of it's location, but If I am, say, hiking on a trail finding caches, I want to have track logging, elevation contours and caches all in one place. In C:geo you can search for a cache from the downloaded database, select it, then tell it to navigate to that cache in an external app (ie the garmin maps app). I though this would be a great hybrid solution (using CGeo to look up nearby caches and log the finds, but push the cache out to the garmin maps app to actually find it) but unfortunately the location output from Cgeo doesn't seem to be understood by the Garmin app as it says 'location not found'. dadgum! If I'm missing something on the offline mapping in Cachesense or Cgeo please let me know, as I'm not that familiar with them. There must be a logical way to get GPX files in and geocache_visits files out without a PC.

I'm just getting to grips with my new Monterra. I have been struggling with several things, but have worked out most of them now. I'm still struggling with GPX files. Initially I could not access any of the internal files/folders on the Monterra to drag/drop my GPX files, other than the DCIM pictures folder (like on a smartphone). I added a micro SD card to try loading my GPX files onto the SD instead on the Monterra itself, and now I can access both the Monterra and the SD card fully from my PC via the USB lead. Weird ! Anyhow, it seems OK now so I'll just leave an SD card in it, whether I need to use it or not. Incidentally, I also found that I can't drag/drop or copy/paste the GPX files to the Monterra from the download window they appear in from the geocaching website. They just will not copy, and I get the red 'no entry' sign when I try.I have to drag them to my desktop first, and then the Monterra will accept them dragged, or pasted. Just to back up a bit, I recently lost my Garmin Montana and replaced it with the Monterra. The main draw of the Monterra for me was being able to generate and load in PQ's while out and about (subject to finding WIFI). I rarely use my PC these days, and found all I was using it for was to put my PQ's onto my old Montana. Firing up the PC just to do that seemed like something I could avoid with the Monterra, but it's not as easy as I thought. I downloaded the C:Geo app, and the app they call Pocket Query Generator (I think it's made by C:Geo as an addition to their C:Geo app). Now I have managed to generate the GPX files on the Monterra from the Generator app I have had an issue where all the caches appear but the previous logs are all blank on every cache (when you slide the screen left from the cache page to the Logs page). It seems that if I produce a pocket query from the pocket query generator app on the Monterra and use winzip to unzip it and then copy it to the Garmin/GPX directory using android file manager (more steps there than I imagined I would need to do this!) then all caches previous logs are missing. If I download the GPX files on my PC and drag and drop them into the Garmin/GPX folder I do get the previous logs on each cache. I haven't tested this extensively, copying from PC vs generating on the Monterra, but it seems to be the case. I can only assume the PQ Generator app is not generating the previous logs, or maybe the previous log fields in the GPX file are being misplaced/deleted by the winzip app ???? My questions are: Is there better way to generate my PQ GPX files on the Monterra to avoid firing up my PC ? (I saw Cachesense app got mentioned when I googled this) I'd love to find an app that can generate them already unzipped and place them in the Garmin/GPX folder to avoid all the messing with different android apps to unzip and copy them across to the correct place (I'm not familiar with android, I usually use apple stuff - for my sins) I imagined that Garmin would have a slick process for this on the Monterra. My previous experience with newish Garmin products should have told me otherwise. Has anyone else had the missing previous logs issue on the Monterra and could shed any light on what is happening ? To avoid 3rd party apps and issues they seem to have introduced, I looked at using the Official Geocaching android app on the Monterra to generate my PQ's. As far as I can see the official app can't do this. Can anyone confirm this ? Lastly, If anyone has found a slick way of logging their cache finds from the Monterra I'd love to know how. I have managed to email the geocachevisits text file from the unit, but then I need to use the PC again (cant see any way of using the geocachevisits file i emailed to myself on my ipad to log finds). The other way I can see is to log the finds on the official Geocache app, C:Geo or Cachesense apps on the Monterra then upload them from the app once I have wifi. This seems it would work, but then I have to use both the native garmin app to find a cache and then find the same cache using C:Geo/Cachesense to log it. That just seems like a lot of duplicated effort. It would be great to use the garmin generated geocachevisits file rather than duplicate everything. I appreciate I'm asking a lot of questions, but I'd really appreciate any tips from people using the Monterra who might have found slicker ways that I have dreamt up. My solution seems to involve an app to generate the PQ's, another to unzip them, another app to copy them to the GPX folder, the Garmin app to navigate to and find the cache, a geocaching app to look up the same cache I just found and then log the find. There must be a better way !! If I have to resort to doing the PQ's on my PC and copying the geocachevisits file back to the PC to log finds then the Monterra is doing nothing my Montana could do (in terms of caching anyway).

AFTER moving to gpx file, then what? That's it. Once you've copied the GPX file(s) to the \Garmin\GPX\ folder, turn on the device and it should see the caches. Thank you Just another thing to add, the Monterra needs to be power cycled for it to pick up the new GPX files. I read somewhere that you just restart the Garmin Outdoor app, but that doesn't work for me, I have to power off then back on. I've have had some strange issues where even after I power cycle there are no caches. I have power cycled again and then they show up. I'll post another thread with my other Monterra GPX issues to avoid hijacking yours.

To be honest I find the official app a bit flakey and it frequently locks up while performing the 'find local caches' (which is pretty much the only way I use it). I also found that needing a mobile data signal was a very limiting factor as signal can be non existent in many areas I cache in. It also means I can't use it abroad as I don't have data roaming, and don't want to pay for it ! I stumbled across an app called Geosphere and was rather synical about it initially, but I have found it fantastic. I think it was less than a fiver, but can't recall exactly. You have to download geocaches to it in order to use the app, it does not work 'live' like the official app (as far as I am aware), but you can load in individual caches or download your pocket queries directly into the app via wifi or 3G. It also loads sections of google satellite imagery that are around the cache locations. This means that you can then use this app whether you have 3G signal or not and you still have satalite mapping even when offline. You need a Groundspeak membership to make the most of it as I think it would be much less useful without the ability to download pocket queries into it. It's very slick how you open the Groundspeak website within the app and it 'sucks in' the data from your pocket queries - no messing with file saving and copying into your device etc etc. I have built pocket queries and downloaded them into the app all while out in the field (literally). I still use my gps, and have a Birdseye subscription as I like the satellite imagery, but this app is very slick if you are just caching casually, rather than going out on a planned trip. Particularly useful if you find yourself in an area you didn't expect to and therefore didn't prep your gps. Best of all there is a very clear tutorial video which shows you how to do all the basic functions. You can watch the videos without buying the app here. http://www.gbhometech.com/Geosphere/Videos.html You can get a good preview of the app from the video and see if it is for you. I'm honestly not associated with this app whatsoever, just keen that other people get to see it as I think it is a great bit of work. Being able to use it without a mobile data signal was the biggest plus for me and I have used it extensively in the U.S. by loading the pocket queries I need in via wifi in my hotel and then heading out. Hope this is some use, sorry to ramble on !