TurLee

The site Redwoods pointed to is the place to go. I wanted to enter lat/long into a Mio Moov 500 so I could use it to drive to cache sites. It was a fiddly challenge, took a good number of hours over the course of several days and lots of technical reading and learning to get it all worked out. The solution I chose was to install iGO 8 on my Mio. I don't know if I could use gpx or such with it or use cache icons; I just enter the coordinates manually and then use my hand-held from car to cache. BeeLineGPS is another option on an unlocked Mio; it will do the whole paperless caching thing as well as road navigation but I haven't used it so can't say how well it works.

Regarding whether to place it first or log it first: On the “Report a New Cache” page there is a check box reading: “Yes, this listing is active (For new listings, if you want to work on this listing before it is reviewed, uncheck this box. Reviewers will only see the listing in the queue when it is checked.) “ You can write up your cache, get the cache number, etc., but keep that box Unchecked until the cache is actually in place and ready to be found. I recently placed my first cache. It was published on the website about two hours after I clicked that Yes box to send it to the reviewer ... and about two hours after it was published had the FTF, shortly after midnight … and the cache is in a swamp. So yes, have it in place, ready to be found when you send it for review … but you can work on your page beforehand.

It's more complicated than just labeling caches. I think most people who thought they had discovered a bomb would not get close enough to read the label. I think a lot of people who did read the label would have no idea what it meant. If sticking a "geocache" label on something meant you could place it anywhere you like, I think the people who do plant bombs would start sticking geocache labels on their bombs.

You've nailed exactly what I've been doing; identical selections of all three image types. Thanks to TotemLake's tip about the quad names it is now easy to keep track of what I'm doing and when I go to the map set-up screen that you led me to, it displays a list of meaningful names of nearby towns. I was vaguely aware of the existence of the zoom level options but was just using the default settings. Through a little experimentation I just discovered that I had never actually even seen the Sat 10 pictures on my unit because I was never zoomed out that far. Going through the list and turning on only one type at a time I found that the only one I really use is the Color DOQQ, since I really only use the unit to zero in on the cache site, not for road navigation, and I don't do any long wilderness hikes. It appears there is some overlap in the zoom levels at the default settings and I'm not sure how the unit decides which picture to display (I don't think I've seen the other DOQQ pictures either); maybe that has something to do with “draw layers”, another term about which I am clueless. Anyway, it looks like with some trial and error experimentation I can probably fiddle with the zoom levels and only transfer the parts I actually use to the SD card and will probably be able to fit a much larger area onto the card. Since I've already downloaded a lot of my local area I can just go back and recut the maps to suit my needs. (I used a form of “cut” in a sentence … see, I'm trainable.) This truly is a serious tool, huh? Edit: One more question (or two). Why, on the Map Setup screen under Data Management, is there the option to uncheck the individual map sections? Why would I want to do that?

Ah, thanks. I think a lot of my puzzlement is because I am baffled by the unfamiliar terminology; haven't a clue as to the difference between a quad and a grid, they are squares and rectangles to me. I got the Quad names turned on in the Options menu; that's a big help. I had quickly abandoned my original plan and started naming areas for a town; turned out to be pretty close to those Quad names. That will make things much easier to manage. I'll tidy up some edges and stick with using the Quad names. I just needed a plan … hated that feeling that I was stumbling around in unfamiliar territory. CowboyPapa, you led me to a screen I hadn't seen before … not sure what it might be used for … and that term “cutting” is one of those words that still baffles me. I click little red rectangles, download them, and transfer them to the PN-40 … I assume some part of that process is referred to as cutting a map. Another question: I choose a type of image, select an area, and add it to the list, then when I choose another type of image I have to select the same area again. Is there a way to select an area once and get all three types of images without having to keep selecting the same area over again each time?

When you say "quad names" do you mean the quads have names in T7 or you give them names? Is a quad the rectangle that turns red when I click to select it? (You can tell the terminology is a bit beyond me by my use of the word "chunk".) I've seen the 1GB figure and am now trying some downloads mostly just to see how many little red rectangles with all three imagery types adds up to how much. I selected a 10 by 5 grid and it came to 201MB so it looks like a 10x10 will be about right. ... Except that (This is a work in progress; I am doing this as I type) the 201MB 10x5 map package shows up on the SD card as five separate files, not as one file, so do I want to aim for 350-400MB (or 1GB) as the total for the package or as the max for any one file in the package? I used Hometown 10E 5S as a file name(ten little red rectangles east by five little red rectangle east). Figuring 10x10 will be a good size that leads then to Hometown 10W 10S, Hometown 10E 10N, etc. It's gonna get unwieldy, methinks, as I go farther from home. There's gotta be a better way. And no, I'm not ashamed. The cure for ignorance is education. Edit: Turns out 10x10 is too big; had to go 10x9 ... and I notice now going back in to T7 that the areas I have already downloaded do show up on the map ... so maybe it isn't going to be all that tough.

Anybody have anything to share about how you are managing your downloads to the PN-40? So far, with the nasty weather and trying to make the free downloads last, I've just downloaded the area right at the cache site, so I have oddly named little spots of stuff all over the place. Now preparing for the weather to break and to have lots more outdoor time I'm ready to pay the subscription price and cover a good sized area around home base … but as I loaded up Topo 7 and started making selections it occurred to me that I really don't have any plan to keep track of what I have already downloaded. Any of you have some clever naming scheme or advice on what size chunks or how in the world are you guys who have huge amounts of data keeping track of what's done and what's not?

I did a lot of research too and concluded that while the 60CSx is a fine unit and sells for about the same price as the PN-40, the add-ons for the Garmin really add up. And even with the 60CSx + a PDA + GSAK + $100 maps you still have an older pieced-together setup that lacks the photo imagery of the DeLorme. I also think the unnatural color will be much easier to spot when the day comes that I manage to drop my PN-40 into some dark underbrush or wherever. It's not a fashion accessory; it's a tool.

Take a look at BeeLineGPS.

Couldn't be any easier ... you don't even have to double-click ... and it works. Screen shots

Does anybody know if any part of this update resides on the SD card or if it was just used during the transfer process? Just wondering if I will have to download and/or update again when I change the card? And, yes, it works. Used to only get WAAS on rare occasions and now it just locks right on.

That model does not allow you to enter lat/long coordinates. There is a way around it by using your unit (which is really just a PDA set up to run only the software it came with) to run other software such as iGO 8 but it is not easy and requires quite a bit of computer knowledge and research. If you're up for a challenge you can start by doing a Google search for "mio or igo running on sony nv" with the quotes. Even if that doesn't scare you off most people will tell you that while a car unit "can" be used for geocaching it is a much better choice to have a hand held unit. Have fun.

I've found the PN-40 to be very good in the woods; stable and accurate. Only tried it once on the road; after a short time I switched to my Mio Moov because I didn't like having to think about how many beeps meant what. While the PN-40 will do road navigation that is not its strong point. I suspect most any unit specifically designed for car travel will be a better option. Yes, paperless is nice. I can't address flying or Macs.

I think you'll have a hard time finding PN-40 owners who aren't happy with it. I live in the mountains of PA and many of the caches around here are in dense stands of trees. On my first find with the new unit I got an accuracy reading of 0.1 ft while standing with cache in hand; some of the other logs for the same cache were reporting being off 90 feet or more.

Don't know about the water but if you're in cold weather the batteries can go weak real fast. Then again, sometimes GPS units just do that, maybe weird atmospheric conditions or something. It's also possible the hider was off a bit. When it goes all wobbly that means you are close. At that point I usually back off some until I get a steady direction reading, mentally draw that line, then walk around about 90 degrees to the side and see where the lines cross ... X marks the spot.

I wish I were creative enough to make up a story like that.

I'm not positive at all but I think the dlls go in the root directory of the SD card. I'm not a regular over there; just found the site a couple weeks ago when I was trying to find a way to get my Moov 500 to use coordinates as a destination. Once you solve your login problem you'll get much more help over there than I can give you. Like I said, it takes a while to get things worked out ... finding all the parts, where to put them, paths, user settings, etc. It can be done; enjoy the challenge.

Unless you miss the card reader slot and stick the card in the floppy drive slot and have to eat a popsicle to get the stick to put the sticky tape on to go fishing for a little bitty thing in a dark dark hole.

Expect it take some work but I think you'll be able to get it going. Lot of people have that same problem. Look around that forum, there is a batch of missing dlls. I have all kinds of things running on a Mio Moov 500 ... but it took a few days to get it worked out.

I haven't tried it but I think BeeLineGPS might be just what you are looking for. Take a look at MioPocket. I believe it includes some version of BeeLine. I've had a lot of fun with my Mio and that site; it's not for everybody but I suspect you will enjoy it. Edit: Oh sure, now I see your other post.

Don't know if this will help you decide what is important to you or just make it even more confusing but here is what those letters mean: "H" = high sensitivity receiver "C" = color screen "x" = microSD card reader "S" = barometric altimeter and electronic compass

Here is another recent thread on the subject with some good discussion. Swag Etiquette

I bought a PN-40 a few weeks ago ... have a 16GB card on the way from Amazon for $29.99 even though the 1GB card it came with is nowhere near full ... have the nearest 500 caches and lots of the aerial imagery near home on it. While there may be some speed advantage to having the internal memory I suspect it would only be noticeable to serious power users. This thing is plenty fast and I am very happy with it.

Sounds like you're doing a good job of preparing your kids for real life, going out prepared to trade rather than swapping whatever shabby item they might find in a jacket pocket or under the car seat. Let everybody trade who wants to. Teams like yours are good for the game.

I would say you should expect the first time to take a while … once it sinks in, the next ones take only a couple of minutes. I used the tutorial TotemLake mentioned. I also found the Help files in Topo 7 to actually be helpful. When it came to getting the PQ downloaded, the hold-up for me was not realizing that even if you click to only run it once you still MUST choose a day to run it … choose today and you'll get it quick. Once you get the .gpx file you can just drag and drop it onto the right side of the map in Topo and it will automatically do its thing … saves a few clicks on those strange menus. Hope this helps. Just keep in mind that the first time is by far the hardest … after that it's clickety click click click and head for the car.