reidster

This is mostly pure conjecture, but… I’ve never read anything about magnetic declination being part of the GPS data stream and I’m inclined (pun intended) to believe the GPSr does it all internally. It’s probably computed in a matter very similar to the way it does for ionosphere-delay corrections by using a fixed grid. However rather than receiving a set of dynamic grid-point corrections from satellites, static declination corrections would be stored in internal flash memory. The GPSr would interpolate its specific declination from the surrounding four grid-point values. But I’m just guessing.

Now, now IVxIV be nice! Now for your first lesson in GPSr diversity training repeat after me: Baaaaaaaa, Baaaaaaa, Baaaaaaa....

I know this may be a little OT, but seeing the 1K week error reminded me about GPS timing. Here is an FYI article about this and the cursed 1K roll-over problem...Earth Observation Magazine, What is the GPS Week Rollover?

Ya think they (Magellan, Garmin, & Lowrance) would learn a thing or two from each other!?! Now I'm not slamming or praising one over the other here, but my two year old iFinder allows this to be done quite easily. Just enter an address, select find-on-map, then save the cursor position as a waypoint. What's so hard about making this firmware feature? BTW: Lowrance's latest GPSr, iFinder Go, says it's NMEA 183 compatible, but then there's no cable available or documentation. Is anybody in charge of product development and marketing? Sorry if this is OT, just needed to rant. reidster

No, they're very new and this forum is pretty much dominated by Garmin owners.Visit Yahoo iFinder forum for more advice. Lowrance makes very good, high quality GPSr's. They don't spend much, if any, on marketing. Hence their low price and market share. TigerGPS has them for $69. These units do have the standard NMEA serial interface, but that's all. You can not use a PC to load data or maps to these units. Another reason for the low price. They probably have the highest resolution (200x140) of any unit in this price range. However these are just base maps (Highways, exits, and major roads only). It is a great unit for the price. Just remember its limitations. I hope this was helpful, reidster.

True, but I'd like to expand on this a little. The iFinder does connect to a PC, but it's a talker only. It's RS232 port is only for sending NMEA (standardized GPSr protocol for listing position and GPS info) to your PC. Nice if you take a laptop along your trips. To load maps and transfer any GPSr data (waypoints, trails, & routes) you must remove the SD card and place in a card reader. Removing the card is fairly simple and only takes a few seconds. The MeriGold is similar, but also I believe allows map and data transfers via the RS232 port. But using the RS232 is many times slower than using the card reader. The Legend (old model, not C) does not have removable memory and all map and data transfers are done only via its RS232 port. How slow, I don't know. Can someone give us an idea how long it takes to fully load a legend? The new Legend C has a USB port, making it the fastest. I hope this helps, reidster.

Really? I never noticed. We iFinder fanatics are out-numbered here about 1000 to 1. Ok, I'll say it... The Legend is ok as a first GPSr, but I won't back down on my opinion that the Basic iFinder is a better unit for about the same price. The MeriGold is also a great unit, but a bit more expensive. For the most part... all Garmin, Magellans, and Lowrance GPSr's are equal in reception and accuracy. Each has it own quirks, advantages, and disadvantages. The iFinder does not have games. Very good, including WAAS! No. Get a $20 active antenna, but only after experience proves it is needed. (ok JV?) Yes. So if you're thinking about mapping, get a unit with PC connectivity. Pick one: Direct RS232 cable (slow), Removable memory (very fast), Direct USB cable (really, really fast). Too many to list, but it's usually a non-issue. If you want what everybody else has, get the Legend. If you're a free thinking individual, get an iFinder. (I have over 700 hours on mine with no problems and really like it). reidster.

Since I don't own a Legend or live in the Northwest, I can only give general WAAS help. First visit Dale's page about WAAS.WAAS info by Dale It's probably the best and the only non-commercial one I'd recommend. From the maps it seems that you should be able to see #47 in your locale, but probably not #35. It has been mentioned by many etrex owners that it takes over 15 minutes to load all the WAAS info. You may want to move this thread to "GPS Units and Software" for a better response.

Vlad, I agree with everything you said in your post, except this (maybe). You're entitled to your opinions, especially if they're backed up by experience. However some details are lacking I think. I'm not bashing you or Garmin; I just want to better understand your critique. The more we educate each other, the better we'll all get along. I know this may sound stupid, but which user interface of what Garmin model? What's being selecting and how? For buttons Garmin GPSr's seem to come in three favors: side buttons and stick (Etrex); buttons on front-top (76); and buttons on front-bottom (60). Having used an iFinder for so long, whenever I use an Etrex I go stark raving mad. Having to scroll and toggle so much while needing to use two fingers and a thumb of only the right hand is not for me, can't do it. But I will say the new 60C looks mighty impressive. (It's almost identical to my two-year old iFinder.) Although I've never used one, the 76 doesn't look to be very easy to use with one-hand. What exactly is convoluted? I've never heard this criticism before. However , if you mean which menu item do I select to toggle a certain feature? Then… Yes, you do have a point, because certain ones do stink. They did seem to miss the mark when they sorted what commands should go into either the System Setup or GPS Setup drop-downs. In their defense, it seems in the Advanced Mode there are so many commands that all those pertaining to one menu item wouldn't fit on one screen. So the extras got pushed from one list over to the other. (Now has anybody out there ever needed to "Map Fix" his or her GPSr to a topo map?) However I must give them credit for having a menu dedicated to saving and editing waypoints. It allows for easy entry of your current position, auto-averaged current position (love it!), map screen position, and manual Lat/Lon coord's. There's no need to create a temp position on one screen and then toggle around to another to edit it. BTW: The newest Brunton is just a re-badged iFinder with a Brunton price. Thanks, reidster.

But then where's the fun? Seriously though, I am sorry to hear of your loss. I hate it whenever a good piece of technology of mine dies. All I'll say/ask is to seriously consider an iFinder GPSr. Lowrance makes great and dependable units at a very good price. They spend hardly a dime on marketing, which explains their low price and small market share. Regardless, I have over 700 hours on mine with no regrets. Assuming you don’t need any fancy bells and whistles, I can faithfully recommend the iFinder Pro and iFinder H2O. Besides mapping they both have dual-processors, 16-level gray scale, large back-it high-resolution screen (3”, 240x180), and removable/expandable memory. Do a little research on your own and you'll see that they are every bit as good as I have said. "Break from the herd and never be lost." reidster

Yes and no. It should be included with the Baja. This "accessory" is the self-contained weatherproof GPSr with just a NMEA comm cable that connects to your Baja. Think of it as a really nice $249 Delorme EarthMate module.LGC 12W Manual I don't think it will. The 12w antenna module has only a serial connection. Not me. I've used it and find it easy to use and adequate for most purposes. MC, like most mapping sw, isn't perfect, but well worth the expense.

dadgum! I love my iFinder!!! It has over 700 hours of use without any problems. I'll admit the manual isn't the best, but I still rate the iFinder as the best value in GPSr's. Bar none!!! Lowrance doesn't sacrifice anything for a great price. Maybe the other manufacturers take advantage of the prevailing herd mentality. Basically one spends a lot on marketing (and you pay for it) and one doesn't. To anyone else out there who has trouble with their iFinder; please post your concerns here. (Or better yet, go to the aforementioned Yahoo Group). This is what forums are all about. Don't brood for months then blast some pithy condemnation of a great product without really trying to solve your dissatisfaction. reid.

I always leave WAAS on and I pretty much agree with everything that JV has mentioned. Its effect on battery drain is always being disputed, but for me it's a non-issue. I'd worry more about a battery's charge and capacity first. Besides, I always carry spares, lots of them. Also like JV said, it seems maps have a far greater impact on speed than WAAS/EGNOS calculations. I think the Dale DePriest WAAS page that is listed is very good, accurate, and informative. Beware! There are many other similar pages posted by well-respected individuals that are out-of-date and contain errors! WAAS has been certified in the US for navigation by commercial aviation, July 2003. The "WAAS" system is only usable in the US. EGNOS is the European equivalent. The generic term for both is SBAS (Space Based Augmentation System). Fortunately the data structures are identical and a GPSr should work in both places. Therefore I think using one or the other should be transparent. (Anyone know for sure?) SBAS, it's a Grid thing… (please reference Dale's WAAS page) The main difference is where each system has their respective ground reference stations. The biggest error these systems correct is the ionosphere related signal delay. Although the Iono-correction grid covers most of the Earth, only points covered and calculated by the ground-based systems are up-linked. It is these grid point corrections your GPSr needs for the most benefit. I hope this was helpful, reid.

Only if you need their more advanced capabilities. Then they are worth 10 entry level ones. Those who do not need the features or functions of the more advanced and costly units shouldn't worry too much about it. Otherwise save your dimes and quarters and get the unit that meets your needs for the foreseeable future. Team cotati697, Good sound advice! For most ordinary purposes (geocaching, hiking, simple trips, etc.) these units are ideal. The $30-$50 for PC connectivity is the most worthwhile price increment, imo. Value per dollar seems to decrease for most other available features above that. Features like color, electronic compass, and altimeters are nice, but are not a requirement for most enthusiasts. However value and need are synonymous. So if you need it, you buy it. That being said, after buying a GPSr with PC connectivity I would suggest researching what mapping software is available for your particular unit. I'm not an expert on this, but I'll babble about the little I do know. (Feel free to add or correct.) There are basically four categories: Basic streets and POI's; Streets with routing/auto-routing; Topographical; and Specialties (lakes, harbors, etc.). I have just the basic version and really enjoy having it. However, be aware of their faults… They'll are only reasonably up-to-date; Accuracy is good overall, but horrendous in certain areas; and Copyright protection is becoming more and more restrictive of its use and portability. Reid.

I think most everyone will agree that for a basic/starter GPSr with a PC connection the following three are highly recommended: Lowrance iFinder Basic, Magellan Meridian Gold, and Etrex Legend. The Legend by far has the most market share. However many cachers (including myself) prefer the other two for the simple, but very important, reason of removable/expandable memory. I have an iFinder Basic and still think it's the absolute best value today. Regardless I think you should privately research their features and purchase one of the three I listed. Good Luck, reid.

Probably none with regards to the .usr file format. The file format documentation has been around for a long time and at least GPSBabel and ExpertGPS now support the .usr file format. However, copying icons from a copyrighted program is, I think, a big no-no! I'm sure somewhere in the license is a statement that this may not be done, but then I'm not a lawyer. I too became impatient and wrote a similar application some time ago. One thing to be aware of I found is those long names (neat huh?) will be truncated (poof!) when you edit the waypoint with your iFinder. reid.

Probably not, but there is a legitimate alternative. GPSr’s that have removable SD memory. (Sorry Garmin). Most Maggies and iFinders have this feature. In a matter of seconds you can remove it and place it into an USB card reader for the same convenience of a direct USB connection. This also gives you the great advantage of having nearly limitless memory. I have an iFinder and this method works great. Probably cause it suckz, the reception that is. Unless it, or any other GPSr, is held right up close to a window, I don't believe you'll receive many satellites. I've seen this problem reported in other threads about reception in planes and cars with windshields having a metallic coating. Personally I've encountered this in my own car. Depending on how and where I place it on my dash makes a big difference.

Thanks, but personally - Eeewe! Good for you! Ok, but only if it's a stated or implied (goofy/wordless trinket) intention, imo. If the geocacher wants/says it is to be treated like a TB, so be it and I can't/won't complain. (Just hope they log their visit though). Conversely, I'd even respect their request for it to be left in permanently. But... if there's a card addressed to the owner or even just says something to the affect of "Hello from the Andersons. Thanks for the cache!" I personally view this as a thank you note to the owner and shouldn't be casually relocated. This is just my opinion. It's not at all intended for anyone in particular; just something to politely consider should this situation occur. reid.

Forgive me for going OT here, but it's true. I too have seen many bidders go crazy. They'll pay more than the price of a new retail unit for a used one, or worse, just a used GPSr and no other parts. However I do frequently shop eBay. When I do I first research the net and previous auctions. Then I determine my highest bid and stick to it! I do not ever waver or doubt my decision during an auction. If I lose, so what? There will always be another chance. Only after a couple of losses do I ever re-evaluate and up my max bid. When I have lost by a buck, and I have many times, it stings. But that pain disappears quickly, especially when you see the ridiculous bidding of others.

Briansnat, I'm confused. When I visit a cache I do not ever take a sig card. On the other hand, when I cleanup my own cache I remove and add them to my personal collection. This is what I do and it seems totally appropriate to me. However... Are you saying it's appropriate for cache finders to remove someone else's sig card? Or worse imo, put it in another cache like a TB? Ok and I maybe totally wrong (haven't read the official guide lately), but to me I think it's improper to consider a sig card as an exchange item , coming or going. I'm in no way trying to start an argument with you or anybody else or be judgmental, but what is the generally accepted rule regarding this? Just curious. Reid.

WOW! In many ways this has been one the best threads yet on this subject. Every post so far has been pertinent and accurate, without the usual abrasive bashing and pontificating regarding brands and features. Although we didn't touch on all the available features ($), it's not necessary when the topic is inquiring about a basic/starter unit. If all one (ever) wants to use a GPSr for is casual geocaching of a handful of finds and occasional hikes AND does not require the saving/loading of data and maps, then any lower-end model will do. In the sub-$100 range you'll be quite satisfied with your purchase of an E-Yellow, an Ex100, or an iFinder Go. (I plan on getting one of these for my 10 year old very soon.) However if one can spare an extra $30, I whole-heartedly recommend purchasing up a level. Within this range I've seen qualified support for the iFinder Basic, MeriGold, and Legend. (If you want to see a really ugly topic thread, vaguely ask which one is the best). Every point Briansnat listed I can substantiate from personal experience. Another point for this recommendation is my personal need to constantly load and save trials. Sometimes just having a waypoint isn't enough. It's been indispensable for those times when I want/have to return directly to some obscure spot. (i.e. a trip back to that beautiful scenic outlook over Lake Michigan where I proposed to my wife in a state forest where every intersection of unmarked paths looks the same). I have saved many trails, each of which has been a real time and stress saver. Reid.

However, it has been done before. I have an old Lowrance Eagle that uses this very idea. Its battery compartment accepts both AA's and a special battery pack developed by Duracell. The GPSr and pack were designed with an interlock to prevent charging of the AA's. Joe and Jack still post a review of it from eight years ago. FWIW:I don't know about GPSr's, but Li ion batteries are being used more and more in digital cameras because their higher capacity allows for a more compact, and flexibility of, design. reidster.

coolclay, Thanks for the update. BTW, what brand/model GPSr are you referring to? reid

I will not belabor the point that you can discuss things without screaming FACT, name calling, and a condesending attitude. Manners and maturity here and elsewhere speak for themselves. They are also qualities that will encourage others to listen to your "FACTS." From the Garmin Etrex Manual What do you think? Garmin is speaking about the limitations of WAAS and the negative effect on their GPS units. A degradation of the units ability to draw maps. Therefore, a reason not to use WAAS in these situations. So, even the makers of these units at Garmin believe there can be a degradation of the performance of their units with WAAS under certain conditions. Exactly what my original post and quotes suggested. Don't get upset with me for posting a quote from Garmin. I'm just asking you to consider that they may be right. That your "FACTS" might be incorrect. Upset? Not in the least. In fact it just goes to prove my point even better. The source (copyright October 2002) you quoted is out-of-date and inaccurate. WAAS is developed to the point that it has been FAA certified for aviation navigation, July 10, 2003. If that's not good enough, God help us all. The remainder of what they say, although true, does not support what your original post suggested. The author's quote you posted only addressed accuracy, which is the only thing I ever disputed. To broaden the scope to include issues (mapping speed & power consumption) that have nothing to do with my original premise (accuracy) in order to discredit my integrity is truly immature. So stop attacking me with petty nonsense, but feel free to address "exactly" what I stated as fact with facts.

What do I think? That my statement was correct all along! Thanks for your support. My original post was based on hours of research and facts. Yes, I did have an agenda and that is why I said what I said. I am a mature intelligent person who sees the benefit, and often facilitates, the exchange of factual information. I've seen the statement I and others referred to as bogus here and elsewhere and felt it was time for a thorough discussion of what WAAS is and isn't. I want to thank Thot, EraSeek, JohnnyVegas, and others for their contributions. VJ, Did you even read my post? My post did more than just label the author's statement as bogus. It contains relevant statements of facts to support my position! Facts that were endorsed by others and proven true. "false sense of superiority"? ROTFL