Airmapper
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Posts posted by Airmapper
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The Lowrance is a good unit, don't worry about not using it in a boat, it's mostly just marketed as a boat unit, it doesn't lack any land features other Lowrance units have.
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No experience with Garmin models, but I used my Lowrance AirMap 500 to Geocache for years.
The advantage to my unit was it was a small handheld, and in land mode operated as any other i-Finder land based unit. From what I've seen of the Garmin models you mention they are big and designed to be portable, but that is more or less portable between fixed mounts in various vehicles (Plane, car, boat......)
The way I'd use it is mount it in the car for driving me from cache to cache, and use a handheld to find the cache. I wouldn't want to lug a $1,000 (at the low end) unit into the woods, not to mention it's going to have low battery life and it's very bulky. Since your going to have a pretty advanced unit, you might be happy with a very simple handheld to get you to ground zero, that would only cost around $100 or less.
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Not all members need to be present at the caches? Did you have people who were present at each and every one?
More importantly, did those not present at that particular cache log it?
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Hundreds? Must be some event.
It depends on the event organizers. Can you post the event page link?
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IMO, as close as you can. GPS is not dead on accurate anyway, so getting it as close as possible is what I consider the goal.
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Oh shoot, I missed an episode LOST?!?!
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Waypoint Name: %Name by %by %typ %con (%Dif/%Ter) %code
I use that so I can look at my GPS for the main info, and if I need the description or hint I can get out the PDA.
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My Geocaching belt has a buckle on one end, and a row of small holes evenly spaced on the other end.
I put my cache gear in this:
Everything I need goes in there, and with a key clip I can hook it on my belt loop and go. I used to try to pack a lot of stuff I might need, but it was only a pain in the neck. So I say pack light.
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in How do I...?
It's okay, we'll forgive you this time.
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Tried to log in to GC.com, and couldn't get in. Tried via the wap.gc.com, and got this error:
The transaction log for database 'GEO' is full. To find out why space in the log cannot be reused, see the log_reuse_wait_desc column in sys.databasesHope this helps some...
I just got the same message trying to get on Waymarking.com.
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h ddd* mm.mmmm' is the one to go for. You'll only need to go 3 places past the decimal, use a zero for the 4th. As in h ddd* mm.mmm.
What GPS is it? If it is a common brand someone here can probably tell you step by step how to plug in your coords.
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I use Lowrance, and when I wanted a new unit, I got another Lowrance. I literally took the SD card out of my old unit and used the same map file on my new one until I got around to setting it up with it's own larger map file and bigger card.
The way Lowrance works, you buy MapCreate, you also need a Lowrance SD card reader/ writer, (which usually comes with the map program) after that your set. You have up to 5 memory cards you can write maps to. You also need the CD or DVD in the drive to start it, but these are minor since making maps isn't an everyday thing anyway.
There are also a few ways around these features, but I've never needed to circumvent them, as I only have 2 Lowrance units, and 3 SD cards.
That is how I would do maps, since that method hasn't bothered me yet.
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Many TB's hop across vast distances via Stargate....
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Palm M125 or M500 should do the trick. I prefer the M125. Any older palm should be cheap to get and run Cachemate no problem.
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I made a cable using a Serial plug kit (Radio Shack, dollar or two, limited supply though.) and 3 strands of small gauge wire salvaged out of a old printer cable. The GPS end connector is tricky, I never completed making one, I just wrapped the little wires around the little pins and wedged them secure with the rubber door. Pin-outs can be found online to show which wires go to what pins.
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i-Finders are fine units, I used my Lowrance for years and found hundreds of caches with it. When I wanted a new unit I got a newer Lowrance. I can't rule out that your particular unit is not having issues, but i-Finders in general are great units IMHO.
The 4 year technology gap is noticeable. The new i-Finder outperforms my older Lowrance big time as far as signal acquisition and accuracy. Any GPS with a new chipset is going to be better than the units before it.
Another thing to consider is your personal taste in interface. You just may "click" with the Nuvi better. And that is what it all comes down to, the best unit for you is the one you understand, like, and are comfortable using.
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Cache planting advice
Make sure the hole is twice the diameter of the cache and deep enough that there will be 3 to 6 inches of soil covering the cache. Mix soil and peat moss about 50/50. To fertilize I recommend plenty of manure. Feel free to use this post.
But don't use pointy objects to make that hole.......
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I too do not care for Cachemate. I tried it out, even made the payment because it is a good program. My problem is that it is a very right handed program, and I am left handed.
So I use the SunriseXP Desktop and Plucker Reader. But to organize everything in the beginning I use GASK.
Just my two cents, but it works for me.
Same here. I had the Cachemate demo, but I was in a hurry to start using my Palm, so I skipped buying Cachemate, and used the free stuff I could download and go with, and just liked it so much I never went back to buy Cachemate. I'm also Left-Handed, so hearing that makes me think even if I did get Cachemate I probably wouldn't like it for the reasons you mention.
I like it mostly for looking like a normal cache page. Cachemate had the data separated and you needed the stylus a lot, with plucker I can scroll up/down with the hard buttons and not need the stylus until I search for another cache.
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I have a set of saved settings in my HTML export. When you go to update, all you have to do is dropdown the select box and hit the saved settings, and it will change the file addresses, and every other setting to the preferences you have pre-set.
You may already do this, but Sunrise XP also saves settings, so if you are like me and have several different PQ's to run, it will save the info for each one, all you have to do is run the saved setting in he GSAK HTML export, then update he same one in Sunrise, and it's ready to go.
Anther thing I do is Grab Images in GSAK, it makes Sunrise run even faster if your using an internet connection to update the images. Instead of jumping online, it gets them from the HTML export. I have Dial-Up, so this makes a difference, on high speed it may be not be an issue.
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I own a 2 Lowrance units and a Garmin.
Lowrance doesn't get a lot of publicity here, but I'm happy with mine. They do not have Auto-Routing which for some people seems to be an issue, but for me it isn't that important.
I recently upgraded my older Lowrance AirMap 500 with a new Expedition C. It has faster processors, a color screen, higher sensitivity receiver, internal magnetic compass, pressure sensor, and some additional features I'll rarely use. I consider it a top end receiver without the top end price.
Another Lowrance unit that is nice is the XOG. It does have auto routing and some nice mapping features (I think it will display aerial photos) I didn't want one cause I thought it was too delicate, but it looks like one cool do-everything unit.
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Before we go suggesting units randomly, how about you tell us a little about what you need.
What Price range would you be willing to pay?
Will you want Mapping, either Roads and/ or Topo data?
Is it important that it guide you with auto routing to your destination?
How technical are you, will you want one with lots of bells and whistles, or a basic easy to run unit?
What are you going to use it for? (Geocaching, hiking, driving, boating, etc....)
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I've never used one myself, but the main drawback is that there is no "easy" way to send waypoints to it. However there is a way.
Other than that for a GPS less than $100 it's a pretty good unit from what I've heard.
GPS screen protectors.
in General geocaching topics
Posted
I found some cheap Wal-Mart screen protectors for my GPS, and I'm really happy with them for keeping the scratches from accumulating. They are on a little crooked, but it hasn't bothered me much yet.