Jump to content

phlatlander

+Premium Members
  • Posts

    199
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by phlatlander

  1. Presuming you wish to go to a waypoint by other than car/truck and this waypoint is not a geocache -

     

    Goto Profile Change and set profile to Recreational.

     

    You also might check:

    Setup>

    scroll downn ro Routing>

    Guidance method> Off Road

     

    In a similar vein,if you wanted to use the Oregon in your car for non-geocaching -

    Goto the profile page and set profile to Automotive.

    Setup>

    scroll downn ro Routing>

    Lock on Roads> yes

  2. Jholly - Been using GSAK for a couple of years for my Nuvi 1350 and Oregon but never knew about that slick circle feature - thanks a bunch. Just collected some gcs around Custer`s battlefield for a trip next week. Much simpler than finding the lat/long and doing a pocket query. This feature alone is worth the price.

  3. When I bought my O550 in January it came with a slick 110/220 charger (with various plugs) and 2 decent AA NiMH batteries. These items are not bundled with the O450 so the deal is even better! I have loaded up a 4gb micro sd with about 10 maps and geotagged pictures of restaurants we hope to visit Budapest and Prague next month.

     

    BTW, I am very pleased with the O550 running v5.50.

     

    BTW again, very informative posting about maps by Atlas_Cached - thnx.

     

    Be sure and get and install a screen protector!!!

  4. Hope my posts are relevant to the topic. Again, this is not something I use frequently enough but here is an explanation from my friend "MuStash" who uses an Oregon450.

     

    Hi Phlatlander,

     

    I've attached a jpg file which shows a map I made of the trails in Assiniboine Forest. Feel free to use it however you like.

     

    I'm not sure of the complete gist of the discussion forum. But here is my technique: First of all the Oregon has to be in its default mode where it will "Record" tracks. I often turn this off now and have to remember to turn it back on through the "setup" and "tracks" menus.

     

    Once it is in that mode, starting and stopping the Oregon's stopwatch will save a gpx file on the Oregon of the track that was travelled during that time interval. So later on, when you download your tracks to MapSource, you won't have to do a bunch of editing to snip out part of a huge file just to get the trail you want.

     

    To make a map like this, I accumulate a bunch of these tracks in one MapSource file and display them as desired using which ever background map I prefer for the purpose (I've got a bunch). Once it is displayed the way I want it in MapSource, I take a simple screen shot using the Windows built-in shift/PrtSc function. I open Paint and paste the screen shot in there. In Paint, I'll crop and edit as desired and save it as a jpeg file. Et voila, you've got a map in a file that you can have some fun with...

     

    Cheers,

    MuStash

     

    stopwatch_trails.jpg

  5. Well, if you don't mind a rather short battery life and you are comfortable using lat/long data, then you can use an automotive gps.

     

    I use a Nuvi 1350 and an Oregon 550. If the O550 is home I can still geocache. I load both units with geocache data from GSAK and actually, because the I can use TourGuide files on the Nuvi, I simply set the proximity to about 100m (300feet) so I can see little cache icons as I am driving along. With TourGuides you can also show a message and sound a tone. The Nuvi displays all the cache info, description, hints, attributes and logs in various text colours and large font.

     

    When I actually want to go find a cache, I remember the decimal digits of the lat and long from the cache description and then use the Nuvi. Press and hold the center upper bar until your current lat/long appears and you're good to go.

     

    Certainly the O550 is a better gps for gecocaching given its better batter life and full host of features and display items, but the Nuvi does an adequate job.

  6. I have an O550 and I like the touchscreen. I installed a 4gb micro sd and have loaded several maps and many geotagged photos in preparation for a fall trip to Budapest and Prague. I really never looked at another brand as I previously had a Garmin Legend and currently use a Nuvi 1350.

  7. I have a 3 yr old Nuvi 1350 and aside from only a 2hr handheld battery life it does a reasonable job of paperless geocaching.

     

    I did have an 7yr old Garmin Legend with a questionable screen (may or may not work) so a friend lent me an Oregon 450 over Christmas. I liked the unit and ended up buying an Oregon 550 from GPScity (Calgary, Alberta, Canada). I am quite pleased with this gps and it has many features. The camera is only acceptable at best but then I only wanted the camera for geotagging which it does quite well.

     

    I have installed a 4gb micro sd card and I have many maps installed from OpenStreetMaps ( My link )and TalkyToaster(UK). I store ALL geocaches, redlight files and assorted POI files on the card too.

     

    GSAK is a good investment if you intend to be a more serious cacher as you can use it to install goecaches to both your Nuvi and Oregon (for example).

     

    Currently at GPScity an O450is $270cdn while the O550 is $320cdn. The O550 comes with NiMh batteries and a slick 110/220v charger.

     

    Regardless of the unit you finally get, purchase and install a screen protector. I have a ZAGG and it has saved my screen several times already.

  8. First thing, purchase and install a screen protector - I have a ZAGG - excellent and well worth the investment.

     

    Do a "Profile change" and select how you want to navigate/display. If you wish the navigation arrow to stay on the road, select "Automotive" then go to "Routing" Select "Lock on Road" (I haven't tried this on the "motorcycle Mode" under "activity").

     

    Demo mode (satellite off) - "Setup" then 'System" then "GPS" then "Demo Mode"

     

    Back to main screen and select map. Press a finger on the screen and move your finger and the map scrolls.

     

    If you find a place you are looking for, press the screen at that location. A red pin will show as well as a description on the top of the screen. Press the description and on the bottom of the screen you will see three choices; the exit arrow, a flag in the middle and a GREEN GO. Press the flag and you can save the point as a waypoint. Press again and you can edit the waypoint and give it a name.

     

    From the main menu select "Where to" then "Waypoints" and you can go there either in the demo mode or for real.

     

    I used to own a Garmin Legend, but the Oregon is much more advanced and versatile. Spend some time searching out its many features including downloading and going to a geotagged photo - neat stuff.

  9. True, but I'm old school and prefer an Excel spreadsheet...

     

    Funny thing about geocaching, go with a "good cacher" and it's different. I consider myself to be a good creator/maintainer but just barely a so-so cache finder. A friend here in Winnipeg has 1500+ finds, creates inventive caches and owns three gps's. When he gets within say 15', he turns them off and sort of goes into a caching mode. I'll be still trying to find ground zero and he'll say "Aha". Regardless of the technology, you have to be observant and good at deducing where the cache might be not just wandering around following a jumpy compass...

  10. Pretty good advice on this topic especially from Planet. Once you get within let's say 10-15 feet, don't use the compass, instead note the published lat/long and then use your gps' lat/long. When you are at ground zero, ignore the gps and start looking. Bear in mind that the published location is based on the owner's gps and even if he/she has taken care to do several checks, this location is only accurate to within +/- 10-18 feet.

     

    I know where a datum is and my O550 is reads 6' NE of the "absolute" position. When I publish a cache location I have done a MINIMUM of 3 occasion checks and on each occasion I park my gps for 5 minutes. Usually the 3 read +/1 .001 to .002 apart so I average and then I factor in my known error.

  11. I would ensure regardless of the make of gps, that it can download and display TalkyToaster maps - the best for England!

     

    I personally own a Garmin Nuvi 1350 and an Oregon 550. With a 4gb micro sd card in the 550 I currently have the following maps installed and displaying:

    all of North America, England (TalkyToaster), Northern Italy, most of Spain, Europe along the Danube from Budapest to Nuremberg then to Prague, Mexico and Cuba and also city maps of Budapest and Prague.

     

    All that to say that in my opinion (and use) I would only consider a gps that can handle an sd or micro sd card for several maps.

  12. I have a 550 but a 550 and 450 Oregons function the same.

     

    When you enter coordinates you are creating a waypoint, not a geocache. So after you enter the coordinates and press GO and then select the compass page note the small icon in the lower right hand corner, sort of like a 1/2 full rectangle. Press the icon and ensure you are not in "Geocaching Active" dashboard.

     

    If you are on the compass page and you have the "Geocaching Active" selected, the larger compass it just that. The smaller compass points to the nearest geocache, which in your case is not where you want to go.

     

    The last coordinates you entered are saved as a waypoint which you can recall and edit/modify. However, if you enter manually another set of coordinates, this new waypoint overwrites the old one.

  13. Maps? Check out http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ Take the time to figure out how the tiles work. On my 550 I have Canada, Mexico, USA, England(from TalkyToaster), Barbados, Cuba, most of Italy, Germany and Spain, and city maps of Budapest and Prague. Of course I have an 8gb micro sd.

     

    Purchase a micro sd card (minimum 4gb) Store everything you add to the sd card; geocaches, waypoints, maps, custom gpx files, photos (I think the 450 will process geotagged photos). BTW, the 450 will process gpx and csv files.

     

    In addition to the previous advice from kunarion about the Oregon Wiki (great info and forums), keep reading and searching this website and you will pick up lots of info.

  14. Well, I don't own a Montana but I do have an Oregon 550. Use a micro sd card and you could literally load a 1000 or more pictures. I keep all geocaches, waypoints, additional maps and photos (every file that is not specific to the Oregon)on the sd card. Otherwise plug your Montana into a PC and check properties.

     

    Most photos on my Oregon (rated at 3mb) are less than 1mb so in your case divide the amount of memory (in mb) by 3mb (approximate maximum size of a Montana photo) and you will get a rough idea of the # of photos you could store without a micro sd card.

     

    I load geotagged pictures to my Oregon but I have preprocessed them to photos about 1600x900 in medium resolution as you can pan around a photo. If the photo is of a person then it is resized to the screen size of the Oregon 240x400.

×
×
  • Create New...