MagicTogether

We've used Rino 130's for several years. Similar to the Vista. More memory than the 110 & 120, plus has the electronic compass. We've been very happy with them overall.

VFRPilot, Garmin does offer something similar to what you suggest on the Rino units. If two units are set correctly then you can "poll" for the location of the other unit... provided it is turned "on" and is in range. I remember reading elsewhere on this forum of a snowmobiler who was able to retrieve a unit lost while traveling using this feature.

We have a set-up similar to yours, but with Garmin GPSr so "maybe" this will be helpful. 1. Have you tried downloading and uploading waypoints already in your GPSr, to validate your interface settings and cable? 2. With our setup, we download the .LOC file then open it in MacGPS Pro. From there we choose the File menu option: "Save Waypoints as...", and give it a name and place on the hard drive. Then, from the Transfer menu choose "TO GPS Receiver", select the saved waypoint file and .... VOILA! It is done. I hope this helps you! Jim MagicTogether - Alaska MacOSX 10.4.5 MacGPS Pro v. 6.2

The link from the main geocaching.com page to the forums seems to have been repaired. It is working for me now. Jim MagicTogether

Search is working OK for this lowly free member! Yippee!!! Finally!!! However, no search until logged into the forum. No login without using the link: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/gc/ At least until the main page is fixed, see separate post.

I hope this helps anyone else out there "looking in from the cold" .... and maybe relieves some email traffic for Groundspeak. I think this ought to have been posted by the admin, but if it is I was not able to find it: 5 Feb 2006 "As a result of the new forum software there is a problem with the link to the forums from the main site. You may access the forums from this link. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/gc/ Please let me know if you have any further questions or concerns. Thanks, Michael Groundspeak - The Language of Location"

Just checked your zip code from here, seems pretty sharp. Looks like a small farm, drive-way, blue pickup? off to the south of the drive about half way to the barn, turn past barn to house, etc. You might have discovered a preference setting or option with a key combination that you've accidentally changed. I don't know the program well enough to know the cure. Anyway, it looks like google is sending the photos out with detail OK.

A couple of things I've experienced regarding topographic maps. TOPO is a little wierd, particularly its renaming waypoints during import and erratic printing behavior. MacGPS Pro maps can be reverted to show full borders, etc. by simply duplicating them in the finder. The duplicate shows all scanned info from the original USGS map and prints OK. USAPhotomaps runs OK, but slowly under Virtual PC. It has a good set of topographic maps as a view option in addition to the aerial photos. A screen capture to clipboard (Cmd-Ctrl-shift-4, click-drag to select portion of screen desired) then create new image from clipboard using GraphicConverter results in a good image to print. Most States have somewhere within their web resources USGS DRG files which can be downloaded for free. These can then be used with MacGPS Pro, although purchasing the files from James Associates is easier and not very expensive.

Paul, Route 66 will auto route from A to B. However, it does not provide voice/audio cues, nor does it re-route you if you miss a turn. It does have a pretty good data base of businesses, it can find or extrapolate addresses and the street level detail includes alley ways in some places, e.g. Chicago. It allows you to manually enter locations and save them, but does not support entry via Lat/Lon, nor does it have a Lat/Lon reference scale. I hope it does in future releases. Flawless = no crashes, reliable, easy to use. Jim

Sketchy - Yes, have Route 66 on the Powerbook. It's great for those long road trips. No more paper maps. Having it on the powerbook is much more versatile than a dedicated car nav unit. Taking it into the coffee shops along the way to check email, record video out the window with the dash mounted iSight and simultaneously use the Griffin Rocket transmitter for music and downloaded NPR programs, etc. adds to the value of using the powerbook. It's a versatile traveling unit. In our van the powerbook is the responsibility of the navigator, not the driver. We do occasionally set it up on the cooler between the seats with the routing pre configured and map centering turned "on" for driver reference, but that's as far as it goes on the road. I wrote to Route 66 and suggested that they add way point entry, etc to the next release. They responded that they would consider it. You ought to write also... the more interest I suppose, the more likely it will happen. I run XP Pro on the PC unit. (Blahhh....! )

I tried the VPC route too .... waste of money. It's cheaper to get a discount PC, throw it under the desk and use it for those few times a person needs the PC. You can hook it up to your monitor and keyboard with an AB switch if you want and run both CPU's at once for convenience. I fried a Garmin once trying to update the firmware via VPC.... never again! The GPSr had to go back to Garmin for repair. I use the PC for all Garmin firmware updates now. I use Mac GPS Pro, TOPO and Route 66 (and now Google Earth!) on my Mac with a Keyspan USB adapter ... flawless! VPC .... unfortunate waste of money .... sunken hopes ... disappointment .... "Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore." Jim

Whew .... had me worried about the Garmin software there for a moment!

?? Your old 60C is in the photo is showing location and ±28 feet with only one satellite?

There have been numerous reports on the forums of users having difficulty with cheap adapters. Use caution with store branded or low cost products. I recommend you search for "Keyspan USA-19HS", well made, good drivers for both PC & Mac systems, good reviews, etc. Current street price appears to be $30-40 I've used the Keyspan adapter for years without any problems.

Your work associate may be confused by the use of GPS receivers in many cell phones. GPS enabled cellular phones have the ability to send your GPS determined position out into the cellular network computers. In this instance, GPS can be used to determine your position. Otherwise, the only way I know of to use GPS to track another GPS user is with a pair of the Garmin Rino units. They have the ability to advise other nearby Rino users of their position.

ardfarkle, The charger I use is: http://www.thomas-distributing.com/ap-accupower20.htm If you are considering a charger review article maybe you'll want one of these accumanager 20 units also. Six separate charging channels, but fewer user selectable options that the La Crosse, no 240v. support. And... maybe after your evaluation and comparison of the La Crosse I'll need something else too... but I have no outlet for writing about them, hence the task falls to you! Jim MagicTogether - Alaska

According to the Rino 530 manual, downloaded from here: http://www.garmin.com/products/manual.jsp?...ct=010-00392-01 The temperature can be defined as a data field on the Map, Navigation, Altimer or Trip Computer pages. (Appendix - Pages 109 to110) According to the manual, you should go to a page on which you wish to have the temperature displayed. Then use the thumb stick to move to the data field you wish to use for the temperature display. (Note: The data fields on the page will already have something being displayed there. You will give up that information to gain Temperature) Once the data field you wish to change to Temperature is highlighted, press in the thumb stick to display a list of available data options to display there. Use the thumb stick to scroll the list to Temperature. When Temperature is highlighted, press in the thumb stick to select and display it on the page. Note: According to the manual, temperature is sensed on the Lithium battery pack. This suggests to me that it will not be an accurate measure of actual outside air temperature. You may be better off getting a little thermometer zipper pull, saving the data field for something useful and accurate. -edit- Add: TechSupp <techsupp@garmin.com>

Or.... you can purchase third party mapping software for your laptop, e.g. Route 66, hook your GPSr to your laptop and see real time routing on it. Also, TOPO software does this using topographic maps rather than street maps. On your laptop, you are not restricted to using only Garmin software with your Garmin GPSr. Your Garmin GPSr simply acts as the receiver for the laptop. You do not need any maps from Garmin on your GPSr or your laptop to see real time location and map info on your laptop.

Proper charging is the key to longevity in any battery. With respect to NiMH batteries you must purchase a quality charger designed specifically for NiMH batteries. High quality chargers will sample each battery inserted and taylor the charge cycle to that battery. As a result, overheating and overcharging will be avoided. There are several quality chargers on the market. I use a unit manufactured by AccuPower and have been able to continue using my cells for many years. My charger will accept input from AC house circuit, 12V. car circuit or solar panels. Maha also makes a quality charger which has received good reviews. Google for both. For best reliabilty and least cost I choose NiMh as the primary battery and carry lithium as back-up. Lithium's have the longest storage life and are also the least weight. When the back-up batteries are not being carried, I zip-lock them and store them in the refrigerator. Cold storage significantly extends the storage life of both alkaline and lithium batteries, without ill effects to either. Warm prior to use for best results. I just pull the zip lock out and carry it, closed. If I need the spares they will have warmed sufficiently by the time I need them. Lithium earns their value and is less expensive as a spare than quality alkaline cells due to their long storage life.

We have a pair of Rino 130's and are pretty happy with them. I think most of the relevant points have been covered above. Ours have been reliable and accurate. Elsewhere on this forum you can find comments from users regarding the new 520 & 530's, it seems a little early to buy those. I'd buy the 130's again in a heartbeat. The radio is good, once you adjust the microphone sensitivity downward so you don't overmodulate and "splatter" your voice transmissions. The electronic compass is reasonably good, but not as good nor as convenient as simply carrying a small magnetic compass (recommended). More memory (130) is better. It allows more choices. We use ours when we cross country ski or snow shoe. That way we can take different trails or routes and easily locate each other. We also use one as a receiver to interface with our portable computer and maps when driving on road trips. The serial interface vs. USB interface is a small inconvenience easily overcome with a Keyspan serial adapter. Good units! Jim MagicTogether - Alaska

Replacement is pretty cheap and easy .... if you have the crimp tool. Maybe you can find a radio hobbist (Ham operator) in your area by googling... googleing... Hmm.... how DO you spell that? :-) MagicTogether - Alaska

I agree with Sputnik 57 that the set-up is different. However, if that does not solve the issue then four additional possibilities come to mind. 1. Reference Datum 2. Firmware version 3. Satellite WAAS almanac data update 4. Battery charge level 5. Internal antenna defect If it isn't the reference datum or firmware, then make certain the batteries in both units are at the same high level of charge. Enable WAAAS and take both units outside. Page to the satellite view screen and check/compare signal levels of received satellites. Check that the units are both receiving WAAS corrections as indicated by the small "D" included in the satellite strength bars. If not, confirm that both units are receiving the appropriate WAAS satellite(s), numbers are West Coast =47 & East Coast =35 We use a couple of Rino 130's which are basically the same as the 120 but with a little more memory and a compass. Good units, they should be within whatever the current limits of accuracy exist for the satellite constellation existing at the time you compare them. Let us know what solves the problem! I had one with a bad antenna a short while ago. Jim MagicTogether - Alaska

I've used the very similar Rino 130 for a couple of years and really like it. Some folks have been dissatisfied with the radio quality, however I believe they had difficulty because of the sensitivity of the Rino microphone. You'll find an adjustment to that sensitivity in your menu options. Turn it down to a reasonable and personal level, experiement a bit until you get it right. Also, the family radio service channel numbers vary from one manufacturer to the next. Check the actual frequencies in the manuals in order to find the correct display channels for communicating using radios from different manufacturers. The Rino receives satellite information best when held with the antenna pointed upward. Enjoy! MagicTogether-Alaska

Good News in the press ... Garmin to be MacOS 10.4 compatible! http://www.garmin.com/pressroom/corporate/011006.html

Diverman, I have an old 121.5 manually operated ELT that uses a pair of "D" cells. The 121.5 system is a bit slower to respond than the new 406 system. In addition the 121.5 system only covers North America to a bit South of the US border. The 121.5 system will be decommissioned Feb 1, 2009. That all having been considered, if you're interested in having this older beacon give me a PM and I'll send it to you for cost of postage. I'm glad you are investing time with the Scouts. Jim MagicTogether - Alaska