cliptwings

Actually, you CAN load descriptions, hints, and logs on the Venture HC using a GSAK macro and Garmin's poi loader. It's not as pretty as the Dakota or Oregon, but it works! Go to GSAK.net and under macros, look for 60cxpoi. I think it's right on top. The owner of this macro no longer updates it, but he provides a link to another macro that works just as well.

Take a look at tritonforums.com. It provides lots of help finding and building your own maps using google earth and USGS topo quads.

Well if the intention of the writer is to add selected trails to their map display, they can do it with a GPX file. I use everytrail.com to download GPX trails I am interested in. The GPX file loads just like a pocket query and displays on my Garmin as a line showing the trail of your choosing. I must be missing something, because it is REALLY easy. If you can't find the trail of your choice, google something like "Ventana Canyon trail GPX." I guess it also depends on how sophisticated a receiver you have.

Well, I have been having big problems with 2.7 loaded on my dakota 10 with webupdater. After I loaded it and the second time I turned it on, I got the "no system software" message. Went to the fine folks at the Dakota wiki and I was able to resurrect the receiver with version 2.4. The receiver worked just fine with the earlier version. Just to make sure it wasn't something else causing the problem, I used webupdater to update the receiver to 2.7 again. (Yes, I am tempting fate). After starting up the receiver with 2.7 aboard again with no problem, I enjoyed 2 hours of geocaching in the Chicago forests before shutting it down to go into the grocery store. Upon coming out of the store, I turned on the receiver and guess what? No, not the "no system software" message this time, but it displayed the initial configuration and language screen. There is definitely something wrong going on with 2.7, at least on my GPS receiver. Anyone else have similar experiences? BTW, the receiver is now chugging along happily on version 2.5. Oh, by the way, I also lost my basemap and all the City Navigator maps I had onboard. Custom maps seemed unaffected.

Wow, the difference in my screen brightness is like night and day! Oh, wait a minute, that's a pun isn't it. Sorry!

I'm sure you know this already, but just in case you don't - you can adjust the backlight brightness by momentarily pushing the power button. A menu comes up and you can then increase the screen brightness. I have mine on max bright and it's fine for me.

I am a real tightwad, but I forked out the $70 for topofusion because it is the easiest and most complete tool I have found to put many, many different images on my Dakota and Oregon. The price is really worth the ease of use, broad selection of maps available, and other capabilities I now find essential in a mapping software program. What took me an hour to do with Google Earth now takes minutes with Topofusion. It georeferences the aerial photography, topo map, landsat data, etc, and automatically breaks a large image into multiple maps to make it immediately useable in the new Garmins. Every time I use the program, I find some new capability. I just discovered its ability to trace trails I am interested in following and save them as GPX files. Not only that, but the program color codes the route according to elevation changes! The 3d view is helpful too. Just to let you know, I have no connection with this business. I just want to say how good this program is. Finally, the developer is very receptive to your comments, and makes improvements to the program often, based on these inputs. I highly recommend this program. Just like many other things, you get what you pay for. Only in this case, I think you get a LOT for your money.

I have both an Oregon 200 and a Dakota 10. These are similar to the Oregon 300 and Dakota 20, except the 200 does not have compass or altimeter, and the 10 does not have compass, altimeter or SD card slot. Comparing the Oregon to the Dakota: Oregon has more capability, having the ability to store pictures and go after Wherigo caches. It also has a bigger, higher resolution screen, and it has the SD memory card slot. The advantages I see in the Dakota are a brighter screen and longer battery life. If you get the Dakota 20, the only advantage I see the Oregon having is the larger screen, picture storage, and Wherigo caches. If I had to get rid of one tomorrow, I think I would keep the Dakota. I really like the brighter screen and long (15 hour) battery life. I would suggest going to a store (REI, Sports Authority) where you can look at them all at the same time.

I'm pretty sure GE by itself does not tile photo maps. All you can do is save the picture in your display. If you still want to use GE, you need a program like graster that will tile it for you. Just google graster to find the website. But then, you are doing multiple steps that topofusion does automatically. Plus, TF adds shading to any of your maps, which really make the maps "pop out" on your GPS.

Merry Christmas! I just wanted to add my two cents about Topofusion. If you can swing the $69.95 for the Pro version, it is the perfect tool to add many different kinds of maps to your Garmin Oregon/Dakota/Colorado. I have been playing around with it, and it is much easier and in many cases higher resolution than Google Earth and other map sources. All I need to do is zoom in on the area I want, select the type of map, hook up my GPSr, and download the map! The program automatically georeferences the maps, and tiles them as needed for use in the GPSr. It even lets you know when you go over the 100 files limit. Finally, you can also add shading to any of the maps, which really adds to the clarity of the display. I have no connection at all to the Topofusion company, other than to let you know that it is a great resource for downloading raster maps. Okay, back to the eggnog and watching "A Christmas Story."

So I was experimenting with the file system on my new (used) Garmin Dakota 10 today. I was tired of loading maps of one area, then erasing it as I loaded another. I thought to myself, "Self, what if I go into the Dakota's Garmin folder and change the name of the mapsupp.img file to something like TUS.img, then load another area and change its name to something like SFO.img. Would I then have two .img files that show up on the Dakota? Well ya know it worked. Now when I load maps of a different area, I change the name from mapsupp.img to something more meaningful. I'm sure there are memory and map limits to this process, but it saves me from reloading maps. I'm sure 99% of you out there already know about this, but I offer this to those other Homers out there who have not discovered it. Oh yeah, you can do this with the GPX folder too! Now I can load more than one file of geocaches by just changing the name in the GSAK transfer box.

Yup, I'll add my vote for the Venture or Legend HC. It's super-sensitive, small, long battery life, reliable and cheap on Ebay or Amazon. AND you have the opportunity to upload FREE maps of the UK! Finally, if you can swing a premium membership with Geocaching.com, you can go paperless and upload all your cache information and hints via the garmin POI loader. I've owned a couple of Venture HC's, and was very happy with them. Good luck!

When I had a Magellan Triton 400, I discovered tritonforums.com. One of the forum topics is custom maps. In this forum, some folks a lot smarter than I am came up with a way to extract all kinds of map images and convert them into raster maps to upload on the Triton. The process uses two programs, gmapmaker, and tritonRMP. The first program may be useful in grabbing jpeg images for use in the Garmin. It can access Google, Yahoo, and MSN sites, as well as some I am not familiar with. It's an easy program to operate, and even automatically tiles the image you select, as well as provides you a zoom option. If this could be helpful, you can google gmapmaker, or gmapmaker utek. Here is a direct link to the triton forum topic that includes a reference to the free download: http://www.tritonforum.com/forum/viewtopic...690&p=14327

Thanks for the info. Just bought a Dakota 10 and can't wait to try it out!

I am considering buying the Garmin Dakota 10/20. Will my old MetroGuide USA and GPS File Depot maps work on the new receiver? Yes, I am a cheap SOB, but I just wanted to find out if I could save some $$ before shelling out more for a receiver/software package or additional NT software. Thanks and howdy from Tucson.

As a pilot for American Airlines, and as a geocacher, I was just a little excited about this news. As of now, you are able to turn on and use your GPSr on American Airlines aircraft when you hear the "ding" at ten thousand feet. You must turn it off on descent when the nice flight attendant makes his/her announcement. The word has been disseminated to all crewmembers, but it won't be published in the inflight guide until next month. Of course there will be the 10 percent that don't read their mail, so if somebody tells you to turn it off, just go ahead and comply, okay? Now I can geocache at 35,000 feet!

I posted this in the Delorme website as well. I just purchased a 1 year subscription for Delorme imagery downloads for $19.95 plus $2.25 shipping from J & R Music, through Amazon.com. Their website is http://www.jr.com/delorme-mapping/pe/DLB_00562/ It took 10 days to get to me, but that's the only downside to this deal I can see. Once you get the card, you plug in the 15 digit code into your Delorme mapping program (I have Topo 8). Then it works the same as a code you get by email directly from Delorme. It allows you continuing downloads for a year, from the time you put in the code. It's also the same imagery available. I can find no expiration date on the card, so if you currently have a subscription, I suppose you can use the card when your subscription runs out. Just a heads-up to my fellow cheap-skates!

I don't know why someone else has mentioned this to you, but if you go to gsak.net, and then go to the gsak macro library, the first entry is gps60csxpoi. This is what I use on my Vista HCx to make my geocaching paperless. I would suggest doing a search using gps60csxpoi, and I would bet you would come up with lots of help on how to use it. If you don't want to build your own, I would highly recommend you using it. It works terrifically! It will give you ALL the info that is in the normal cache description.

Magellan Tritons can display aerial photos, and folks at tritionforums.com have free software to make your own. It's 3 step process, but I think it's worth the effort. I use free programs called gmapmaker and tritonrmp with Vantagepoint, and they come out clear and very accurate. You can even make hybrid maps that show the street names as well as the aerial photograph. Just my two cents.

Thanks for the info, guys. My Triton must have a faster or different way of processing the images, because they redraw very fast - almost no delay. Map building, formating, and uploading takes about 20 minutes on average. I really like the ability to download a multitude of different aerial and satellite maps from free sources (google earth, msn hybrid, yahoo, etc). It allows me not only to see the streets between me and the cache, but any buildings, fences, or other obstructions on my quest for the holy grail. Yes, the downloads available from Delorme are great, but being a COG (Cheap Old Guy), I was looking for a comparable method (free) that does the same thing as the Maggie.

Okay, I'm a GPSr junkie. I have a Vista HCX, a Triton 400, and now a Delorme PN-20. I like each of them for their particular strengths. I have been having fun making my own aerial maps for the Triton, using gMapMaker and TritonRMP. I believe the Delorme PN-20/40 uses raster images for its maps, just like the Triton. So, can I make maps for my PN-20 the same way I do for my Triton? Has anyone out there tried? The maps included with the PN-20 are great, but I want more!

I had a CX for a while, and it was great for geocaching. But the other replies are true -- you just can't beat an "HC" or an "HCX" model for accuracy, quick satellite acquisition, and maintaining position. You can get a Venture HC for under $100 on eBay now. I have owned a couple of these, plus the Vista HCX, and I am having a hard time finding a better GPS for the money. I think you would be happier in the long run with an "H" model Garmin. I have seen the CX models going for under $50 on eBay, so I can see how it would be tempting. But I would guess the folks selling these are getting frustrated with the loss of signal and upgrading to another model. The CX is a good GPS, but there are better choices out there for the same or slightly higher price.

Misinformation. The 9.95 is for S&H, not for the product. Potato Potarto. It's not even symantics. You got it wrong the first time, and you're trying to obfuscate what you meant the seond time. One word - Decaf!

I did a search in this forum and did not find an answer to this question. On the Magellan Triton 400 I just sold, I was able to upload really nice Google Earth images and navigate to caches with them at various levels of magnification, using gmapmaker and tritonrmp software. It was really helpful to see what buildings, creeks, fences and obstructions were actually between me and the cache. I know Garmin uses an entirely different method of presenting maps and images on their displays (vector vs raster), but has anyone been able to put aerial and satellite imagery on a Garmin? A picture is worth a thousand words, or 500 cartoon street drawings. Thanks for the info.

One more thing to consider is whether or not the GPSr will accept user defined POI's. The Vista and Legend will accept them, while the Venture does not. What does that mean for you? Well, by using Garmin's POI loader, plus a GSAK macro, you can load most information from a cache page onto your GPSr. That's called paperless caching! No need to carry extra equipment like a PDA or reams of paper with your caches, because it can all be loaded on the same machine. You can do a search on paperless caching, or POI and find the string that discusses how to do it. I find this aspect of the Vista I own (or Legend) very important and useful to me. Just my three and a half cents.