whorton5

I am new to Premium Membership, still new to geocaching (one month), and am just learning about pocket queries (and not even close to understanding GSAK). I have my own home coordinates set for searches and PQs. But say I am going down to Richmond for the weekend and I don't know the local zip code is. What's the best way to find the local caches down there? Along the same lines...we are moving across country this summer. How do you plan caching for stuff like that? I guess I could get some coords by panning with my arrow on the GPSr itself....just curious to hear some tried methods before I go reinventing a wheel. Thanks!

Good goddesses!...definitely gotta check the FAQs...last post here..thanks all. I may just go with Watcher...this suckers complicated.

Well never did make it to that forum yet...gonna do it the manly way and just download GSAK and try and figure it out without directions....thanks for all the replies. Wierd - get a Norton warning that GSAK is attempting to access Internet...guess I gotta head to the FAQ page.

So, do I have to wait until I get the "premium membership" nod from the website before I can download and use GSAK? How about "Watcher"? I guess I can download the programs...just not the .gpx files, right? I'll check out the software section tonight...have a Father/Daughter dance to go to now.

This should be worth it just to filter out micros...which we hate. And find us multis...in fact the favorite ones the kids and I have done so far have been multis..especially this one where we had to "project a waypoint". That was neat. So, I guess I'll swing over to the software section for the next couple days while waiting for my account to "update" and try and figure out which software and how to use it.

Ok..OK. I will sign up, but the only real reason is that I use the site a lot and social pressure from you guys and guilt make me realize that $3 isn't much. I don't think I'll be able to figure out the GSAK stuff, but will try. Thanks for the replies. UPDATE: Signed up - but guess I should have waited. Doesn't automatically update until one business day later I guess. So I can't use the "upgrade" this weekend. Can I still downlaod GSAK or watcher or will I need the Premium membership to do anything with those?

I just passed the one month anniversary of owning a GPSr (Garmin GPSmap 60CS) and geocaching. I and the kids are pretty hooked on it. Thanks for all the help, advice, and encouragement on our few prior posts. Since we seem to be around for a longer haul...I was looking at Premium Membership, but my technology-challenged self is having problems understanding the benefits. We have no PDA (nor do we plan on getting one) and I normally just input waypoints into my GPSr through the Trip and Waypoint manager or manually since we only do 4 or 5 a day at most and only on weekends. If anyone has patience to explain how we could benefit from Premium, I'd be happy to listen.

http://www.geocaching.com/subscribe/ Is the page -- try clicking the Visa, Mastercard, Discover link...it gives you a error page..... Any ideas?

It may be a temporary thing, but is anyone else having problems using the link to pay by credit card on Geocaching.com? I do not do Paypal - plus I like my 2% back on everything that I get with my credit card, but at the moment the connection seems "broken" when I click on the "pay by credit card" button. Edited so I could attach the link that is not working... http://store.Groundspeak.com/ProductInfo.a...uctid=GSPANNUAL Thanks!

Is there anyone in the Wash DC Metro/NVa area who knows where you can pick up an ammo container to make a geocache? These seem to be the best and most durable of the caches we have found so far. Also, please tell me if there are other durable, waterproof containers (other than Tupperware) that are good as geocache material. Thanks!

Stupid cable modem...sorry for the repeat post....

In the last month, I bought and returned a Vista C from REI. Then bought a 60C for my dad and a 60CS for myself from Circuit City.com and Amazon.com. In mine and my dad's neocacher and uneducated opinion, there is no comparison. The 60 series, under heavy canopy and in the car, hold the sat locks much better than Vista C. Never lost a lock with a 60 yet. Lost them often with the Vista C. If I had to do it all over again, I'd save myself $100 and just go with the 60C for myself to rather than the 60CS. The altitude plotting and the electronic compass haven't been used on mine yet -- I have a regular Suunto M-2D compass. Also, was very hard to keep remembering what buttons to press on the Vista C. On the 60 C and CS: Mark button is Mark, Find button is Find, In is In, Enter is Enter and Out is Out, etc.... I also hated the little joystick operation on the Vista C. The big finger pad on the 60C and CS is much easier to use. My 2 cents....

I just bought a 60CS and my Dad a 60C within the last month. The 60C is being deep-discounted on Amazon.com at the moment and represents a fantastic buy! The only thing I like better about the CS is its altitude mapping feature, but that is something I will probably very seldom use and not worth the 10 hour hit in battery time. I have a regular Suunto compass anyway. Whatever you get, make sure it has the quadrifilar helix antenna. I was under thick canopy all day yesterday and never lost a signal. Was not the same for the Vista C (which we returned to REI for my Dad).

IS TOPO pretty current? Out in SD where my Dad hikes, they have added a lot of new trails in the Black Hills over the last 10 years. I thought some folks had said it was rather out of date. I wish I could see how it looks on an installed 60C or 60CS.

I did think of that, but Dad lives in South Dakota, and I live in NoVA (until the Air Force moves us again anyway). I shopped around for City Select too. I am going to just buy at REI because I will get it right away, get a 10% member discount from REI, and will ensure I get Version 7 and not have to wait for another disk - but thanks for the "heads up" though. My Dad doesn't have too much danger of getting lost in Spearfish, SD either (on the roads anyway). He is seriously looking at the topo maps for his hiking. Which is best for that? I don't think the National Parks ones would be worth it...does anyone have the straight TOPO? Recommended?

As a fellow neocacher and one with experience with the Vista C -- returned to REI for my Dad and bought him a GPSMAP 60C instead. A LOT easier for my old man to use (and me)...much better reception..especially in the car and under trees. The 60C is a little more expensive and doesn't have a baro altimeter or electronic compass, but the battery lasts for 30 hours versus 20 for a Vista C or 60CS (which i just received from Circuit City.com (good prices there too). Bottomline and mine and my dad's opinion....60C is much more user-friendly and versatile unit. The Vista C discouraged us and the little pointer-thingee is touchy and annoying. Other opinions may vary...and remember, both Dad and I have little experience with GPSr. Respectfully, Frank

Bookmarked all - much thanks...like I said, got to step 4 last night before I went to sleep, but this crazy thing called work, kids, wife and darkness are all conspiring to keep me from going out and finding the buggers. Looks like I'll have to wait until Saturday, which is OK - was thinking of driving to REI tomorrow and splurging on City Select. I bought my dad a 60C and he says he gets great reception in the car. I assume if I read a little more into my manual, I'll find out how to have my unit guide/route me to the closest road/parking -- (with City Select, of course).

Man, you guys are good salespeople! OK - let me get comfortable with my GPSr and geocaching for a few weeks -- you'll probably see me with a premium membership soon, but not a Palm Pilot . I'll have to see someone do that jazz in person. Took me 30 minutes, but finally hand-jammed two geocache locations here in NoVa thru Trip and Waypoint manager. I have to work in 6 hours so I better go to sleep. Thanks for the spoon feeding and the welcome. I feel pretty comfortable with this GPSmap 60CS. I have already lustfully eyed the City Select maps for the last week at REI and online at Garmin.com.

I have perused the GSAK website and it is very tempting. Databases scare me, but it looks very user-friendly and automatic. Though I don't own (nor do I ever want) a PDA (at least for now), I think this program looks pretty helpful. My last question -- I need the premium membership to download GSAK files and I need to give the GSAK folks $20, right? Not that I am poor or anything...just want to understand costs and benefits. Thanks again for answering a question, I am sure you've answered a hundred times.

I think for my neocaching family, we'll try the simple one for now. My GPSr can't read GPX right? Is GSAK mostly for PDAs? or am I mistaken? Thanks for your patience --this 60CS seems a lot more intuitive to use than the Vista C we tried out. All the buttons are labled for slow folk like me. Thanks for the Sputnik link.

Ooops, page 51 of my brand new Geocaching Idiot's Guide may have the answer, but if you feel like spoon-feeding me....I am not averse to that route either.

First, I am the proud new owner of a GPSMap 60CS. Came today by UPS. I used the search feature and found similar questions for other models, but am very low-tech myself and I can't find out exactly how to load geocache waypoints to my computer then download to the unit. I have loaded the USB drivers, put on the Trip & Waypoint Manager software and plugged the unit in to my computer, but when I go to the Geocache Setup page in the manual, it gives me precious little information on how to enter coords. I figure I can "handjam" them on the unit itself through the editing waypoint screen, but am sure there must be a quicker way. I am SO excited about taking my kids on their first "treasure hunt" as they call it with Daddy's early Christmas present. We even jumped the gun and found one without using a GPSr and just the clue on the cache website. I have seen posts for GSAK and other nifty software, but thought that was for the "pocket computers". I am probably mistaken. Please don't flame me too hard for dumb questions. I am full of them. XXOO

Hi! As the first post said -- feel free to introduce yourself. I and my kids went out for our first geocache yesterday, so we are all certified neocachers. We don't even have our GPSr yet. It arrives tomorrow (Garmin GPSMAP 60CS). I got intrigued while looking for a GPSr for my dad for a gift (through Garmin link). Anyway - we found the cache simply from the description of the area near our house. I am military and an avid hiker with kids so we are really excited about the "sport". We found out our friends up the street "do it" too. Quick question -- some day, we may want to hide a geocache ourselves. Is there a good place to buy a decent larger than a micro-cache container? I saw the stickers for sale here, but not large conatiners. Thanks for letting me ramble. XXOO

You could order a 60CS like I just did for my dad and have it by Tuesday -- All for less than $370! Amazon and Circuit City have similar deals.

Thanks -- I was getting confused by the reference to a free update disk but then having to pay for unlocking.....not real clear stuff to a person who hasn't unlocked, upgraded, or even received the GPSr yet (though Circuit City said it shipped today!).