JohnTee

DeLorme LT-20 Sold! Cache On! JohnTee

Sold the DeLorme PN-20 and the DeLorme LT-20. Hanging onto the eTrex Legend for now. Cache On! JohnTee

globalrn, Check out this NEAT discussion that is just along the lines of what you would like to do . . . Nuvi 3xx Series. Beginners guide to TRUE paperless caching., Version 1 Cache On! JohnTee

pilotsnipes, you are AWESOME. I'm paperless with my Vista HCx and Palm anyway, but this is just TOO cool to not play around with. I'm going to try it now with my Nuvi 360! Thanks for putting the time in to figure this out. Cache On! JohnTee

Hi globalrn, Welcome to geocaching. If your 650 is anything like my 360, it probably only zooms into 120', vs. 20' for my Vista HCx. It WILL put you in the general vicinity of a geocache, but it will also leave you with a VERY large search area. Go ahead and give it a try. If you can find another local geocacher, maybe you can hook up and see how using a handheld GPS compairs to using your Nuvi. As far as using your Nuvi goes, you can upload caches directly to your Nuvi by connecting it to your PC with the USB cable and clicking the 'Send to USB' button. It will detect your Nuvi, and any installed SD Card, and give you the option to send to either. The geocache/s will then show up in your Favorites (Menu -> Where To -> My Locations -> Favorites) with the GCxxxxxx code. Cool thing, say you load three caches. Choose the furthest away cache as a 'Go to' destination. Then go back into the Where To menu and choose the other geocaches in the order of closest to next furthest. You will be given the opportunity to add them as 'Via' waypoints. Your Nuvi will then street navigate you to each, in order. Not sure how it will handle caches if you put them in different orders. Fun thing, if you do get a handheld, you can load caches to both your Garmin GPS and your Nuvi in this manner; navigate to the caches with the Nuvi and then hop out with your handheld to find the cache. So, that was the long answer. Short answer is, yes, you can use your Nuvi, yes, you will probably be happier caching with a good handheld. Cache On! JohnTee

Here's an outline to building a basic PQ that I wrote for the class I recently did on Paperless Caching . . . Building a Simple PQ 1.Login to your geocaching.com account 2.Go to http://www.geocaching.com/my/ or click on your UID (name) in the top, right corner 3.Premium Features a. Build Pocket Queries 4.Create a new query 5.Steps a. Query Name b. Days to Generate c. Show me xxx caches d. Of Any type / Any container e. That I haven't found f. And Terrain/Difficulty greater than or equal to x (1) g. Within None Selected h. From Origin My Home Coordinates OR Postal Code / Within radius of xxx miles i. Placed during None Selected j. Attributes to Include k. Attributes to Exclude l. Output to this account's email address m. In the format GPS Exchange Format (*.gpx) n. Compress files into *.zip format (recommended) o. Submit Information Check Your E-mail 1.Save the *.gpx file to someplace you will find it. A folder called “Downloads” on your Desktop is a handy place. Cache On! JohnTee

Interesting idea and an interesting way of setting up a cache, and if it was at the base of the only tree or bush for many yards, could even be workable. However, I don't see you getting the accuracy to hide a cache with Google Earth, that you could by standing on site with a GPS in hand . . . Cache On! JohnTee

I was using an eTrex Legend with my laptop. Here are a few ideas: You have to be aware of the interface selection in the Garmin Setup Menu. As far as stuff I used went, M$ Streets & Trips requires the NIMEA In/NIMEA Out Interface and GSAK uses the Garmin Interface ('Main' - 'Setup' - 'Interface'). Which COM Port your USB adapter is using and which the computer is expecting. I have three USB ports on my laptop and each has a different COM Port address. The COM Ports that are indicated as available vary depending which one I'm plugged into. You may want to plug your USB adapter into one port and then cycle through the COM Port selections that your software gives you. Find out which Com Port is being assigned to each of the different USB Ports. It may not be one selection solves all. This may seem like a "DOH" suggestion, but make sure your Garmin is 'ON'. Cache On! JohnTee

O.K. I've sold the PN-20, I'm keeping the eTrex Legend as a backup and getting a Nuvi 360, something still has to go! DeLorme LT-20 GPS Receiver with DeLorme Street Atlas 2008 $45 + shipping to your location The DeLorme LT-20 is one of the smallest on the market, measuring just 1 7/8” w x 2 5/8” h x 9/16” thick. It comes with an attached 5’ USB Cable with a suction cup on the cable designed to hold the GPS against the windshield or on the dash for optimum performance. Just plug the other end of the cable into the USB port of your laptop PC. It is best to avoid drastic temperature extremes, so bring this GPS indoors when not in use, just as you would a cell phone. The yellow reflective casing helps reduce high temperatures while on the dash. Never Get Lost Again! If you already own a laptop and don't want to spend $200-600 on a dedicated in-car system, why waste valuable travel time because you took a wrong turn in an unfamiliar location? Now there's an affordable and reliable solution -- the Earthmate GPS LT-20 receiver. The Earthmate GPS LT-20 is a high-performance, easy-to-use Global Positioning System (GPS) Receiver. Earthmate, connected to a USB laptop PC, shows your real-time position on DeLorme's detailed Street Atlas USA maps anywhere in the U.S., so you will always know where you are and where you need to go. Do even more with your laptop PC by adding the Earthmate GPS LT-20. Getting Started is Easy! Simply load the Street Atlas USA software, and plug the Earthmate GPS LT-20 into the USB port of your laptop PC. The low-power chipset draws power from your laptop, meaning no GPS batteries are needed. With an Earthmate GPS and Street Atlas USA 2008, you are prepared to GPS track on address-to-address routes you have created. Street Atlas USA mapping software includes detailed and routable street maps of the entire U.S. Annotate your maps with GPS logs collected with the your Earthmate GPS. Use the Street Atlas USA 2008 tools to easily customize, use, and print quality maps and directions. You can import GPX files directly into Street Atlas and have them show up as waypoints on the map software. Cache On! JohnTee Edited to remove dead link . . .

I have one like this that has been very popular. I wish I could remember who had the 'Sportsman Series' that lent me his idea . . . This isn't actually tooooo difficult to implement. Mine is in an old lightning damage cavity in the side of the tree. The 40 lb. fishing line wraps around two screws about six inches apart (placed in dead wood), it then goes about 20' up the tree to a branch. Hanging from the branch is a camo painted carabiner, attached with a piece of camo, nylon parachute-type cord. The line lays against the trunk of the tree most of the way up, then loops through the 'biner. It then runs about 100' to another tree, about 20' up the trunk, similar 'biner. When the cache (a well rinsed, small, Gatorade container, wrapped in camo tape) is 'wound' up all the way, it hangs just below the second branch. Only give away might be the shimmer of the line crossing the clearing, if the sun is right. Problems: 1. Monofilament degrades over time. Plan on replacing it every six months, or more often. 2. Branches may come down out of the tree (ice/thunderstorm) and break the line. 3. Branches may blow and 'pick up' the line, causing it to run over something extra in its path. 4. Hauling the 24' extension ladder a 100 yards into the park so you can get up the tree to place the 'biners. Solutions: Replace the line before it breaks. One easy way is to tie one end of the line to a bead (which will easily go through the 'biner opening), attach the new line to the same bead and use the old line to pull the new line through the system. Use a HEAVY weight monofilament; minimum 20 lb. even for a small, light cache. No solutions for the other problems. Cache On! JohnTee

Can't address the Quest 2, but as for the Garmin, I'm pretty sure waypoints and routes are different memory, so your routes should not affect waypoints. 1. What software are you using to transfer waypoints? 2. Is it shareware with some type of restriction until you buy it? 3. By any chance, do you have waypoints already loaded in your GPS, like maybe 450? Try deleting ALL waypoints in the GPS and try it again. Let us know how it goes. Cache On! JohnTee

The 60CSx with the quadrahelix antenna is pretty much the Cadillac for Garmin Geocaching. My dad likes his. On the other hand, you have similar features and accuracy in the Vista HCx, with a smaller form and great battery life. My little Vista is great. With a significantly lower price, I vote Vista! [] Cache On! JohnTee

I'll second what Robespierre said. They hold soda and carbonation in as soda bottles, so they are pretty darn water tight. On the other hand, they are as waterproof as the last cacher closes it. I have a bunch of preforms out. Most are suspended or otherwise somewhat protected from the elements and have never been wet inside. One is in a hole at the base of a tree (in a park, I hate micros in the woods!) which fills with water. It HAS leaked; somebody didn't close it up tight. Luckily, it only contained a steel rod with a label for the coordinates for the final; no paper. Another, along a path (GC1403V), just went through a flood with something like 5-6' of running water over it. I was absolutely amazed that it didn't wash away. It even stayed dry inside. Cache On! JohnTee

Go Garmin, go Garmin . . . I think you would be very happy with a Garmin 60 CSx and it would fit well within your price range. Two local geocachers have switched from Magellan to Garmin, one to a 60 CSx. I don't know the models they switched from, both had compass, but . . . One was a brick, and actually a pretty solid unit for signal strength. It up and died on him. He just bought a DeLorme PN-20 I had. Part of the reason for the switch to DeLorme was his SAR group used the DeLorme Maps. The other guy had a similar, but less expensive unit. We could get in the car and he would have a hard time getting any kind of decent signal. My eTrex Legend would outperform in the car. The other guy's Magellan did a better job. Yes, the 60 CSx has a 'quadrahelix' antenna which gives it VERY good reception. My dad can sit in the house and pick up satellites with it all day long. These units, and Garmin's new 'H' series, seem to compare pretty favorably in accuracy. The 'H' units still have the 'patch' antenna that your friends eTrex had, but come with a 'High Sensitivity' chip. I can set my original eTrex Legend and my new Vista HCx side by side on my living room coffee table; the Legend might get a weak peek at a satellite or two, but no fix. The HCx will give me good signals and a 20-30 accuracy. I can even go down in the basement and get a signal! The 60 CSx seems to have been the Cadillac of GPS units among geocachers, well, Garmin users anyway. We'll see how the new Colorado units do . . . I don't know about the Magellans and maps, but the Garmins don't come with anything more that a crude basemap. Cache On! JohnTee

Hi Andrea, Thanks for your interest. I recently sold the DeLorme Earthmate PN-20, so now plan to keep the eTrex Legend as a back-up. I just bought a Garmin Nuvi 360, so I'm going to put the DeLorme LT-20 up soon, for laptop users. Cache On! JohnTee

ibycus, those look GREAT! Can't wait to play with Missouri. Thanks for your hard work. I'm serious about the preforms, if you would like them. Cache On! JohnTee

Without being able to see what maps look/act like in the field in advance, I think it's safe to say that you will find a lot of interest in your maps. I'd really like to see more data on my handheld when I'm caching . . . It's hard to justify spending the $120-170 on Garmin Maps that would be NICE have have vs. I NEED to have (which I don't - ). Probably need to post a reference in here someplace to a How To/Requirements . . . for those without MapSource, or experience in loading maps. Sign me up for Missouri. Alternating with the beginning and end of the alphabet, with a jog in the middle. I'd be happy to send you a dozen preforms (make nice micros) as a token of appreciation. Cache On! JohnTee

Editing . . .

Ed56, I can't speak specifically for the 76S . . . but you might check the interface. Probably someplace like Main Menu -> Setup -> Interface (Garmin OR NIMEA In/NIMEA Out). I believe it has to be in Garmin Interface to use the 'Send to GPS' function. Cache On! JohnTee

Contact Garmin Tech Support by phone and see if you can't negotiate a lower charge. I called up about mine and had very good results. Here's a link to the forum message: Garmin Support, My experience with support Cache On! JohnTee

By any chance, is your Garmin in NIMEA In/NIMEA Out Data Format instead of Garmin Data Format? Something like . . . Main Menu -> Setup -> Interface -> Data Format BTW, what's a "numpty"? Cache On! JohnTee

*Some place on your eTrex H is a button that you can push to mark your current location. *Push and hold it to do so. *A window/page will open, probably showing a guy holding a flag. *Another button will allow you to move 'down' through various portions of the page. *Your first waypoint entered this way will probably show up as "001". *You should be able to highlight that field, then 'enter' into it, then edit it to something like "GC19CMR" (the cache GC ID you want to go look for. *Go down to the two lines that look something like: N 37 18.574 W089 32.974 In the same way you edited the "001" to "GC19CMR" you can enter into and move through these coordinate number fields to enter the lat long you want to navigate to. *Go down to "OK" and press your 'enter' button. (see note below) *Now, push your 'Page' button (probably the top/right button) until you get to the "Main Menu" and look for "Find" *Enter the "Find" sub-menu *You will probably see Waypoints, Favorites, maybe a few other choices. *Go to Waypoints, 'Enter' and choose either 'Nearest' or 'By Name' *Find the "GC19CMR" and 'Enter' *Choose "Goto" at the bottom of the page. *You can now use the pointer or the map page to navigate to the cache. Keep in mind, that when you get within about 20-30 of where your GPS SAYS the cache is, it's time to put down the GPS and start looking for a hiding spot. Under good conditions, your GPS will have a 7-10 foot EPE or Estimated Position Error. If the hider was having a good day, his GPS had a 7-10' EPE. Your GPS may put you, say, 10' WEST of the actual physical lat/long entered, while the hiders GPS may have put him 10' EAST of the actual physical lat/long. Meaning while your GPS says you are there, you may actually be 20' or farther from where the cache is actually located. (Note: you may have the choices of, "Goto", "Map" and "OK". You may just abe able to hit "Goto" and both save and start navigating to that waypoint.) Hope this helps. Cache On! JohnTee

Another silly POI trick . . . Had my dad bring in his Garmin StreetPilot. Downloaded the Garmin POI Loader, took his list of caches and exported it as a single GPX file. Connected the StreetPilot by its USB Cable, turned it on, fired up the POI Loader and sent all of his geocaching waypoints to his StreetPilot as POI's. He can call up POI's on his StreetPilot and navigate to a POI, then hop out with his handheld when he gets there. He thought that was pretty neat. Cache On! JohnTee Edited to add: You could probably just take your original GPX files from the PQ and load them straight to the car GPS. However, using GSAK (EasyGPS, etc.) would allow you to filter, manipulate, etc., before you export.

Hi Ric! Checked after I got home and it does have the latest firmware. The PN-20 is a nice unit, and had I started out with something like that, I might be biased toward it instead of the Vista. Just for the mapping, it's a great deal. I guess over two years of using a Garmin seems to have me biased toward that unit. I think overall the Garmin software interface is a little more user friendly; though Garmin could take some pointers on manual coordinate entery from DeLorme! The DeLorme feels a little clunkier in my hands, the tactile feel of the buttons is different in a way I'm not sure I entirely care for and the processor sometimes seems to take a little catching up. Coming to either of the events March 30th? That's my story and I'm sticking to it! Cache On! JohnTee

Oops! Didn't happen. Still available. JohnTee