rbrugman

Does anyone else have the problem that the 60csx takes a really long time to acquire a first fix when having been off for a few hours? Mine takes up to five minutes sometimes. I'm running software version 3.00 and chipset software version 2.70. When the unit has been on recently it fires right up, but having been off overnight, or even for a few hours is causing it to take a really long time. Robert

does your light have a red bulb or a red lense filter on it? It should help at night so it wont put off so much light. It's a Princeton Tech Apex. It didn't come with a red filter but I'm sure I could get one for it. Go for blue instead of red. Red light stands out as obviously man-made. Blue light is softer and looks like moonlight. I field tested a blue LED model that was great. Wish I could remember who made it. Even with night-vision goggles you wouldn't notice it unless you were looking directly into the lens. Thanks for the suggestion. I contacted Princeton Tec to see if they make either color filter for the Apex. I'm awaiting an email back from them.

does your light have a red bulb or a red lense filter on it? It should help at night so it wont put off so much light. It's a Princeton Tech Apex. It didn't come with a red filter but I'm sure I could get one for it.

I'm sorry. I didn't post in the body of the message that this issue is with my Garmin Quest. My 60csx picks up both without a problem, but my Quest, even with the roofmount antenna, can't pick up either one. Robert

My best guess would be to pair both PDAs to the gps and see if they can both connect. There is a high possibility though that the gps allows for only one active connection at a time. It's the same thing that happens with those (ugly) phone earpiece things. They only allow one connection so you cant listen in on someones conversation.

How do you go about caching at night though, especially in the woods. I suppose that no one is there to see you (if you're wearing a light like I am), but I know caching is done. Urban caching is a bit easier since there are street lights and such, but I never seem to see any fellow cachers at night even though I know they are out there.

I've been trying to contact garmin and ask them if they are ever going to support WAAS sats 48 and 51 in the firmware. I never get any response from them. Is it just my unit, or does the software not support those satellites? I have the latest software from garmin. Thanks, Robert

I actually took a trip to a military surpluss store to see what they had that could make caching a bit more comfortable (actually I needed more ammo boxes). After seeing that the army uses UnderArmour, I decided to pick up a couple. I got these: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001WCCL...0428064?ie=UTF8 They work quite well. I don't know if they actually make you any cooler, but it removes moisture better so you feel cooler. $30 bucks a shot but worth it in the long run. Robert

I am a little curious about how to hide from muggles. The other day I was caching at night with my headlamp (which is extremely bright) and I kept having to turn it off when cars drove by. What are some tips for getting the cache done without being observed?

Copy & Pasted from another post of mine: In/on my backpack I have: GPS (Garmin GPSMAP 60Csx) Map of area (currently unused but worth the weight of the paper just in case) Victorinox Swiss Army Knife that I purchaced in Austria because it was cheaper than Switzerland tongue.gif Military Surplus foldable shovel (sometimes) Princeton Tec Apex Headlamp Digital or desposible Camera Maglite non-LED flashlight 12-16 Energizer 2500 mah rechargable batteries Polarized sunglasses Silva Polaris compass (useless in some areas where I live due to large iron deposits) Cell phone Swag Extra ziplocks, logbooks, pencils, pens Camo Duck Tape CITO bags Bug spray Small survival/first aid kit Motorola Talkabout radio I think that's about it. In the winter there are a few additional items: Snow shoes Polarized ski goggles Heat packs Extra socks & gloves If I'm on my bike in town I pack a lot lighter and usually just bring my camelbak, gps, compass, cell phone and a couple items for caches.

That's why I drove a V8! If anyone follows me I'm going to pop the curb and take a shortcut.

Any area myseriously missing a drawer full of tracking bugs?

I use a Walmart "Outdoor Equipment" hiking backpack I picked up for $29.95. Big enough to hold an ammo box, plenty of pockets and has the ability to use the bladder out of my Camelbak for water. Sometimes when my brothers don't feel like going with me, I venture out alone so I bring quite a bit of stuff just in case I should get lost, injured or stranded. In/on my backpack I have: GPS (Garmin GPSMAP 60Csx) Map of area (currently unused but worth the weight of the paper just in case) Victorinox Swiss Army Knife that I purchaced in Austria because it was cheaper than Switzerland Military Surplus foldable shovel (sometimes) Princeton Tec Apex Headlamp Digital or desposible Camera Maglite non-LED flashlight 12-16 Energizer 2500 mah rechargable batteries Polarized sunglasses Silva Polaris compass (useless in some areas where I live due to large iron deposits) Cell phone Swag Extra ziplocks, logbooks, pencils, pens Camo Duck Tape CITO bags Bug spray Small survival/first aid kit Motorola Talkabout radio I think that's about it. In the winter there are a few additional items: Snow shoes Polarized ski goggles Heat packs Extra socks & gloves If I'm on my bike in town I pack a lot lighter and usually just bring my camelbak, gps, compass, cell phone and a couple items for caches. Robert

33-51 are WAAS Satellites. 35, 47, 48 and 51 are US WAAS Satellites 33, 37, 39 and 44 are European EGNOS Satellites (WAAS Compatible) 42 and 50 are Asian MSAS Satellites (Also WAAS Compatible) In the US, #48 and #51 are in "test mode" and are not yet fully operational. They are expected to be fully operational in Fall 2006.

I like usefull stuff. Here is what I put in my cache: Flashlight - $1 Batteries - $1 Rain Poncho - $.50 First Aid Kit (Pretty nice one) - $3.99 Mini can of bug spray - $.89 Detailed topo map of area - Free Local Postcards - $.25 each I also included a $10 Silva compass as a first-finders prize. Went over quite well. Robert

wow i just ordered mine YESTERDAY with $3.99 overnight shipping from Amazon, and im waiting for UPS right this second. How's that for a swift kick in the balls. I guess I could refuse shipment and order another one next day air and get back $46 You have me beat. I'll just live with it like I was going to anyway. You always pay a premium for having the best in technology. Once a new version comes out you can get five for a buck. The 60csx is my unit of choice and was well worth the money.

That sucks. I just got my 60csx about a week ago. Nothing like a swift kick in the balls I suppose

I was wondering why WAAS sucks in my area (Upper Peninsula of Michigan). If I'm on a really big hill, I can see three WAAS sats, but two of them are not operational yet. I can see 35 at certain times during the day but otherwise it's only 48 and 51. Neither ever get a "D" on my Map 60csx.

I was going to say. I didnt even think my GPS can display 4 miles. If that's as accurate as it gets your better off using it to start a fire or something.

I do know that as you get closer to the north (or south I assume) pole, GPS reception gets worse. Like most satellites, I think the best reception is 45 degrees north and south of the equator. I live in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, so there may be better times than others. I noticed the other day that I can receive 5 satellites during the day sittng on my computer in my room. Right now, slighly after midnight, I have 12 with nearly full strengh. All these issues must have something to do with the way the earth is tilted or something like that. I'm not a satellite expert, but those are my assumptions. WAAS also seems to work better at certain times of the day than others. Unrelated to GPS, I've also noticed that my Sirius Satellite Radio gets better reception in the winter, even under ice and snow. I don't know why, but once summer rolls around the signal is much less. Part is probably due to the tree cover, but I think there is something else. Robert

Latest. Just updated the other day after 3.00 was released. Now this evening when I went back out on my bike it locked nice and quick. Maybe it was just the time of day when there were no sats directly overhead. I have no idea. Robert

I've been having a problem with my 60csx locking satellites. I don't know if its just my area or if there is something wrong with my unit or if some settings are just screwed up. When I first got it it would lock a full almanac of sats in under 15 seconds. Today when I took it out on my bike it took 5 minutes to get a lock at 225m accuracy, an nearly 15 to get a WAAS lock. It only locked on to 5 sats the entire ride. I tried to do a hard reset but that didnt do much. Is there anything I can try? Thanks, Robert

I usually don't mention it unless it's way off, because there are differences in the way GPSr's calculate the accuracy. My GPSMAP 60csx may be different than someone's explorist. It doesn't always mean mine is 100% correct and theirs sucks. Usually when placing a cache I use mine to average the coordinates and then I use a friends Magellan to test the coords. Changes in the season, tree cover and a bunch of other factors can make things less accurate. If the cache was placed before selective availability was turned off you're in for a much larger-scale hunt. It's nice to make note of a "possible" inaccuracy.

Sounds like one of the caches I went to find. The cache was not on private property, but the coordinates were 100 feet off due to very heavy tree cover. After walking around on the wrong sign of the river for almost an hour a couple prison guards came to greet me and my brother and told us that it wasn't a huge deal but that the side of the river we were on was prison property. About 30 feet down river there was a sign so I guess we would have figured it out anyway.... The moral of the story is that I stay away from that kind of location even if it means not finding the cache. This one is a little more intriguing since there are a LOT of signs posted in a small area. If the cache is on the border of the area that's one thing, but if it is over the fence, I think it would be great if someone asked the land owner for permission first.

I'm sorry to hear that you are having such trouble. I paid with mine through the non-paypal credit card option and I had my account upgraded the day after the transaction date. Three days total.