dexnjan

I'm sure some others have found the answer for updating the Geomate Jr by the new method, but will review it here a bit. Download the Geomate Loader and install it. Go to mygeomate.com site and bring up the program. I find that I have to use the newest version of Firefox now. After the site is up,use the select an update tab. Select Region, and then select cache list type. Then use the tab that says "download for Geomate loader". DO NOT USE THE BLUE UPDATE TAB. Then this will give you a file with the extension ".cry" , then save it to file or let the geomate loader use the file to send to your Geomate Jr. This worked good for me. I do have another gps unit, but nothing beats the Geomate Jr when you are traveling, it holds so many caches at a time, you can just stop and hunt caches anytime without having to download local caches. I'm so glad someone took the trouble to revive the file system for the Geomate Jr.

My favoite find lately was near a municipal water tower. In the description of the cache the container was described as "other". It took me 3 trips to find it. There was just nothing else near "ground zero" as shown my gps. It was on the side of an electrical cabinet, a stainless steel switch cover with a couple of screws showing. It was magnetic and a ziplock bag with the log in it was in turn held to the cover by another small magnet inside the bag. It really looked like it belonged on the cabinet. TRICKY!

Never mind trying to answer my query. I found the answer was in configuring GSAK correctly for my use. Once I used %CODE, that fixed the pocket query to the correct format that I wanted to use with my Legend HCx.

I have a Garmin Legend HCx GPS and use GSAK to load my GPX cache file into my Legend HCx. I think the lists used to use GC code names, but somehow now all I get is the cache names in my list. I like to log my finds by GC names, but I have done something wrong and messed up this feature. Where is my mistake in GSAK or in my Legend HCx?

Hi Jo, I didn't see the reply for a long time. No - I didn't get any reply at all after yours. I since have acquired a new cable and things are working again. Messing around on some forums, I discovered that the update site is working again. Great news! I have since purchased another GPS unit because I was afraid there would be no more good updates for the Geomate. You are right, the Geomate filled a need and will continue to do so as long as we can get updates. Pocket queries are OK, but covering 1/3 of the US in one download is the best! Hope this finds you -- Best Regards - Dex

Hi Dex, This is Jo, i was the person who was helping you at Geomate.jr until all the Apisphere staff were laid off at the beginning of Jan. I actually spoke to the person who was taking over the Geomate at Airity about your request for a new Update Kit and they told me that they would handle it. Did they ever get back to you? I am so sorry if they did not. If any one else is reading this, please know that all these changes happened in a very short time and the staff of Geomate.jr tried everything in our power to prevent 2m/Airity from taking the Geomate.jr. As we knew that they neither understood or cared about the Geocaching community. We had worked so hard over the last few years on the Geomate.jr, and more importantly we felt that the Geomate.jr still had more to give. To see it end like this is very hard for us to watch. We had been lucky to be embraced into the geocaching community and we have met some great people along the way. So thank-you to you all and again we are deeply sorry for the ending of the Geomate.jr. Jo Dex, if you want an Update Kit still please PM me, i may be able to find one for you.

Yes, I will not be changing the settings very much, it's working good the way it is. On another related subject with the Geomate, the site for then getting their updates has become active again, and I can use the Geomate again. I will be keeping the Legend for local caching. The weather here in MN has been very good all winter, I will be going out a lot in the next week. Best Regards - Dex

Thanks for the replies, The Legend is behaving all OK now, and another question that I had, you answered. The part about if I should be using bearing or course compass settings. I think the trouble all went back to the previous owner, he no doubt had been playing with all the parameters, and got them messed up for the way that I am using this unit. Like I said I had been using a Geomate jr for geocaching, and it worked quite well. The thing is, the company went out of business and now the update site will only do pocket queries. Before you could put about 1/3 of the US into the unit, so you could travel all over and always have caches to look for just about anytime. Thanks to those who responded - Dex -- of dexnjan

I do have the latest update. I did do a complete reset on it after I posted my query. I don't know if you are supposed to orient the unit so North is up or have it so that the arrow points in the direction of the cash. There was another broken line on the face of the compass, it might just have been right angles to the North arrow. When I use my old Geomate, I have to be moving also to get the arrow to point at the cache. A friend has an Etrex that I played with a bit, an older Etrex H, where the arrow was very stable. I'll try more hunting and see how it goes since I did the reset. I bought this one from a friend who only used it a very little bit. Thanks - Dex

Hello, The Legend HCX is a great GPSr. A couple of things you might already know but you didn't state, this unit does not have an electronic compass. Therefore, you must be moving slightly to get an accurate reading. Next, have you updated the unit to the most recent firmware version? You may want to describe exactly what it is you are doing it and how you are doing it. This will help others understand how to help out but until then, these two things should help out a little. Good luck.

I just acquired a Garmin Legend HCX and I don't understand how the compass is supposed to work or behave while searching for a cache. The pointer seems unstable. My old Geomate is easier to understand. email me if possible - dexnjan@charter.net -- Thanks

I had been in contact with a customer service person, and they were leaving the position shortly, and passed off the message to another. I resent my request to the new person and never heard anything back. Makes you wonder what is going on -

I am very new to this sport, and not having much luck at finding the caches. I use a car gps to get close, then a handheld gps. I live in Southern Minnesota, and winter is just starting. We don't have any snow as of yet. Do the people who place these caches retrieve them and quit for the winter? Do they check on them to see if they are still intact? I have probably looked for more than 10 sites, but only have found 2. Any ideas? Thanks - dexnjan