Suscrofa

Har dee har har!! I haven't used mine outside with the door off either, it is just that the rubber gasket does not extend up around the lock. Like I said, I am sure I was worried about nothing! In fact I looked at it, and I really think that it is possible for water to seep through the hole lock as there is no gasket. Now may be inside, there are gaskets. It is indeed strange but as people said they immerse it without ill results, I tend to believe it.

Sorry but datum is not the point, use of decimal degree is. Decimal degree is also the standard used in files exchange BTW As for newbee, I do not see an issue as when you start you are open to new things ? The issue is with the oldtimers reluctant to change. When it comes to basic arithmetic on angle, it is also easier, here again many posts on this forum of people who can't add angles because they can't handle base 60 numbers ! And newbee, and oldtimers, why do they come regularly with these format questions and conversions ? Decimal minute looks to me like an hybrid in fact, part decimal part base 60. I often use Google earth or other similar product to determine WP or POI and when I want to load a few of them so not worth to use file download, I input them by hand and so has to change the GPS set up. So, what is easier, request Google earth and others to display in DD MM.mmm too or add the decimal degree format to caches ?

True Google earth accepts any format BUT you can't have it display or output in DD MM.mmmm, it is either decimal degree or DD MM SS. As for UTM I know its limitations which are normal as earth is not flat, and I don't advocate its sole use but yet, it is usefull in lot of cases. There are enough posts on this forum to document it. Anyway, what I advocate is the standardization to Decimal degree instead of the others formats for polar coordinates.

Shake light and dynamo are just plain crap. LED are so efficient nows that you get days of light at the same power out a set of AAs you can share with your GPS !

I can see that the most common formats are DD MM SS (maritime) and DD.ddddd. The first one for historical reason and the decimal format because it is easier and in fact it looks like it is the format used internally by all computer based system (indeed it is almost "metric" , too late to impose "grade" and radian is only obvious for a few choosen one). But Geocaching uses DD MM.mmmm which is not directly supported by many tools that became de facto standard like Google Earth ! Thus all these posts about coordinate conversion. So my question is, for geocaching why not switch to metric, OK, fellow Americans, don't panic (although just UTM would make your life a lot easier and is painless !), I meant decimal degree ?

Does anyone knows if the magnetic declination on Garmin GPS accounts for its variation over time (although minimal), be it predetermined in the firmware or with firmware upgrade ?

Yup, because of budget cost the British navy is using Etrex !!! And the army uses the camo model ! Com'on boys ! Don't conclude anything from a news media picture. Often the pictures to document an article is taken from somewhere else ! True, it is a documented fact that some soldiers uses their own private GPS as they have more features than the military one.

That is not the issue, the issue is in case of problems while downloading, you may end up with a dead GPS, will not start or be able to download again and you will have to send it back to Garmin to fix !

I don't rush to upgrade either, let the other's get the pain then if OK and justified, I do upgrade but never without a pinch for fear my 60CX would not reboot and get stuck ! And NEVER, NEVER use webupdater, always do it locally and after having stopped every applications, antivirus of course and even disconnect from the net ! If the PC get screwed while updating the GPS, brrrr... !

How do you convert 7 yd 5 foot 3 inches 3/16 to decimal yard or feet and decimal inch ? The logic or should I say the illogic is the same ! In fact minute and second are even simpler it only base 60 not base 3 then base 12 then base 16 !

For sure the InvisibleShield is dadgum expensive but it sure does buy you more peace of mind than two pint sized glasses of Guiness that cost the same !

No antenna needed. I have a 60CX and it keeps a fix even stored in my hunting jacket while going through dense pine tree (sometimes almost crawling) where visibility is about one meter in every direction, ever up

The basemap is useless and for the cost of the EU version you can get the US version plus tons of maps. I live i the EU and have a US based 60CX. The best all around unit so far. I'm going to Europe as well and have the Garmin eTrex Legend cx and was wondering if it is worth the $300 to get the City Navigator Europe or is there something less expensive out there. I already Purchased City Nav US. Do a search here, Metroguide EU can be made routable and metroguide is sold at a "honest" price. Autorouting is a definite plus in the EU as streets and roads are far more intricate than in the US. Furthemore posting is less than optimal and worsened by the various languages.

The basemap is useless and for the cost of the EU version you can get the US version plus tons of maps. I live i the EU and have a US based 60CX. The best all around unit so far.

The basemap is useless and for the cost of the EU version you can get the US version plus tons of maps. I live i the EU and have a US based 60CX. The best all around unit so far.

Learn also how to use UTM, it comes handy when you have to estimate distance, WP projection etc... Also it is the easiest way to approach a cache as it is easier to move a certain distance than a certain number of seconds.

As said, TB and coins got to move regardless of whom moves it. Besides cache owner worked harder to set the cache than the finder isn't ? And the fact that someone finds a cache does not entitle him to any kind of "price" ! I feel that this is why some people tends to take items of higher value than the one they put in the cache. See an other thread regarding this. The reward of geocaching is the fun we gain from it, be it a finder or a cacher. It isn't a lottery.

Based on the same idea but without the conversion hassle, just use UTM. So you know how many meters you are away, and move accordingly first looking for the correct Northing then Easting. I too noticed you get better accuracy while moving, that is heading for the spot than staying stationary and figuring out how much and in which direction to move.

Frankly I think caches should be hidden in "special" spots or the container itself be "special", something unusual by its nature, size, shape. For example if in the wood, a stump of special shape, a larger tree or of a unusual nature. You must have to exercise your sense and logic. Otherwise you end up scanning each square centimeter of a 10 by 10 meter area because of GPS inaccuracy. It is a brute force attack that takes time and I consider frustrating as it does not bring you anything. It is why I also prefer multi cache with puzzle.

As a rule all cache descriptions should be made in the local languages and english and use metric units when needed. This is the beauty of geocaching, to be able to carry on all over the world but we must agree on a common language and measurement standard, as in science, technology, business. Besides it is not a formidable task as many geocachers are fluent in more than one language. The automatic translation tools are most of the time a real pain that makes a two stars cache a five stars ! biggrin.gif

I think one should not use webupdater but just download the new firmware and run it, loading direct PC to GPS avoiding potential data loss or corruption with webupdater and internet.

For that kind of money you can get Metroguide EU and look further down to make it routable. You can always sell it when you are back to the US if you want.

BTW, you never asked France for permission to use the frog, did you ?

How do you encrypt chinese ideograms ?

A new category would allow people interested to sort them out. I am for it too. Note that it can be just an attribute provided we can use it for sortering/filtering.