elmuyloco5
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Everything posted by elmuyloco5
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Thanks for clearing that up a bit. I'm not saying this to argumentative, but isn't what your saying assuming that most people will buy a Colorado? I think it could easily go the other way as well. Since the Colorado is just about to really be released, couldn't one say that their sales might be affected by the fact that they are limited to their audio capabilities? I can say, for us, we looked at all the new GPS capable units. We tried two Tritons and returned both due to the firmware bugs they are currently having. We looked at the PN-20 and liked it, but wanted to combine paperless caching and it won't provide it. We even looked at using a GPS extension on our PSP. Then we went to look at the Colorado, but because it is limited on what it can do paperlessly (it can't do paperless as "completely" as my PDA will) and it's audio limitations, we decided against it. I'm sure others will have the same response. Not many realize the limitations the unit has yet as there just aren't many out to physically play around with. From what I'm seeing online from Mscape and from the one tutorial I was able to play on the emulator, limiting audio only "limits" one's creativity. I haven't been able to try out the sound capabilities of Wherigo, but the sound through Mscape is good. I imagine that if Wherigo isn't as good audio-wise, it won't be long before it is. It looks to me like PPCs are the way to go if you want to really get into the game.
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Well, since I went with the "Deluxe Bundle" and also purchased the bicycle mount and belt clip carrying case, I spent a bit more that that for the PN-20. As you note, your PN-20 includes a lot of things not in the 400T package, muddying direct price comparisons. I think the most significant "extra" in the PN-20 packages is the Delorme Topo7 software. My understanding is that the 400T includes built-in national topo maps, but that doesn't sound like you would be able to use the maps on the computer. According to some people who have the Colorado already, it doesn't have mapping for the computer, they are only loaded on the unit itself. Plus Delorme offers $100 of additional maps for free right now.
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Why no great geocaching GPSr?
elmuyloco5 replied to Skeptic1970's topic in GPS technology and devices
The Garmin Ique has been discontinued according to their site. You'll need to look for a gently used one, or get lucky finding one. But there are other Pocket Pcs that will fit the bill. -
Prices of Garmin Colorado 400t
elmuyloco5 replied to freak4mac's topic in GPS technology and devices
The biggest issue is when a cartridge will rely on the sound to perform the task. Mscape is a similar type game setup that does rely on sound for many of the tasks. I don't see how Garmin could fix this with a firmware update. I think a better speaker would have to be designed into a new unit. It's a shame as I can see where audio could really enhance the game and make it feel more "real". -
I will note that from experience playing different iterations of cartridges that sound is really not a big draw when it comes to playing location based experiences. Our early experiences used longer dialogue and we quickly scrapped that in lieu of sound effects or nothing at all. The novelty of location is really what the draw is for these experiences. Perhaps sound will take on more of a focus but it really only has a marginal impact on the experience. I guess I'm confused about Wherigo. You'll have to forgive me, we're still waiting for our PPC to be shipped to us and our current gear won't support the tutorial. I was assuming (and maybe a bad idea) that Wherigo was similar to Mscapes. Mscapes, from what I've watched relies heavily on the audio portion and is greatly enhanced by the acting that is part of the "experience". With your comments about the audio portion, I'm now not understanding the whole thing.
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Magellan Triton series
elmuyloco5 replied to Redwoods Mtn Biker's topic in GPS technology and devices
I think it's a shame that they dropped the ball with this one. We were really looking forward to upgrading with Magellan because we were so happy with our older one. We tried two units and neither would function even after the updates. But, I do think that they will get the firmware fixed in time. Hopefully, they won't lose too many customers in the meantime. I think you'll start seeing some of that happen when the new Colorado comes out though too. They've been advertising full capabilities with Wherigo and paperless caching, but that's not the whole truth either. I think they are going to find some unhappy customers after the purchase. In my opinion, both companies messed up this round. -
Criminal Trespassing w/o Letter of Permission?
elmuyloco5 replied to vigorousblue's topic in General geocaching topics
I would suggest keeping a print out explaining geocaching and the geocaching.com website name on it with you when you cache. It might also be a better idea to look for caches that are roadside, in the wilderness, or in areas that people would still be later in the evening such as shopping areas, gas stations, rest stops, etc. You might also want to consider paperless caching, if you don't already. You would have been able to show the officers the info that you obtained about the prior permission and it would also give the officer the screen name for the cache owner if they feel they need to take it further. It might not be the best answer, but it will definitely help to show that you're telling the truth. I really feel for people not caching with kids. We got stopped a few days ago by an Department of Indian Affairs Officer (no we weren't on Indian land, we were at a building that housed medical services for Indians within a large city) and were told that we were trespassing on Federal property. But, with three small kids with us, we don't seem so suspicious and they let us go with no real trouble. We've been escorted off of land by Border Patrol too (well above the border, but who's gonna fight these people?). It's never fun, but it also doesn't mean that the owner of the cache didnt' have permission. Maybe note in the log that caching at night at that spot might not be in anyone's best interest. -
Yeah, I agree. I didn't mean anything bad towards what you said about it. I only mentioned the point because some people don't realize that it doesn't give you an area to enter info. Since the OP had been using a PDA, I wanted to make sure that they understood that point. For us, it came down to the price. We could justify paying $600 if the Colorado would allow us to sell our PDA and our TomTom. But, it just can't replace what those can do. The PN-20 is a great machine for mapping, but didn't give us the other capabilities. SO, we decided on a PPC because it could do all of it. But, our option isn't for everyone either. I also mentioned the sound issue because alot of people aren't realizing it either. I'll admit, it didn't cross my mind when I was thinking of the Colorado. I happened across the info in the Wherigo threads and thought, well crud, it doesn't make it fully Wherigo capable either. It's really not worth the money for us. The Colorado is overpriced for it's functionality. Everyone's bashing the Triton for it's firmware issues right now (and don't get me wrong, we took two separate units back with issues), but if you think about it, the firmware can be fixed and it will function as it was advertised to. You can't add a speaker with firmware. The Colorado will never be all that it advertises. The PN-20 is a very capable GPSr with outstanding mapping abilities for a whole lot less. I think the OP made a good choice.
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Blackberry 8810 World Edition
elmuyloco5 replied to Team Leirplass's topic in GPS technology and devices
You can cache with your blackberry. Someone that was finding my series of caches was using their blackberry. It was kinda fun as we were chatting back and forth online as they went between the caches, and it felt sort of like I was getting to cache with them. Of course, you won't always have a wifi signal to do that type of thing, but it was neat none the less. -
Prices of Garmin Colorado 400t
elmuyloco5 replied to freak4mac's topic in GPS technology and devices
Keep in mind that the Colorado does not have audio capabilities besides beeps. If a Wherigo cartridge has audio clues or components to it, you won't be able to do it. -
I just thought I should point out that the Garmin is not FULLY paperless. It's more like, less paper caching. When compared to a PDA (what others are using to paperlessly cache) the Garmin falls short. It does not have adequate space to record down data such as answers to a puzzle or multi while out caching, nor does it have the ability to create a text log like a PDA and programs like Cachemate do. The Garmin does have a small box for notes on the Waypoint edit screen that might allow for a few words to entered, but nothing like a PDA will. Like I said, it's less paper, but not fully paperless. Secondly, when considering a Garmin for Wherigo, it's important to remember that the Garmin Colorado does not have sound other than beeps. There is no speaker or headphone jack. This will limit the number of cartridges that you can do on Wherigo as an audio component will be present with some. The reigning argument in favor of Garmins is that placing a speaker would inhibit the waterproof rating. However, the Triton has a voice recorder and playback available with the same waterproof rating. Not to mention, there are several MP3 players on the market designed for swimmers to use underwater. For a product advertising it's versatility towards Wherigo, it sure falls short of all the necessary equipment. Garmin really goofed up with that one. The PN-20 looks like a better GPS for the money, IMHO. It was what we were going to buy until we decided to combine all of our equipment into one unit and purchase a Pocket PC instead.
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Magellan Triton series
elmuyloco5 replied to Redwoods Mtn Biker's topic in GPS technology and devices
You're correct, as that is all that I saw too. I was just mentioning that they do have it on their site. Is it kept up with? Clearly not. Hopefully, it will be in the future. Unfortunately, when you try to contact their support via email, they don't list the Triton as a product either. I wrote the webmaster on Magellan about that issue, but they don't seem to be doing anything about it. From what I understand though, Vantage Point is supposed to alert you when your unit has available updates. Why would you need the notices online? We had our two units for a very short time, but when we tried it out, it immediately told us on VP that we had updates available. Is your software not alerting you? -
Have you looked into a preferences area or anything to see if it got switched to "off"? I have a T2 and don't have any issues with mine, but it has a designated area to write at the bottom that is always there.
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The media (and people) like to blame things like cell phones, eating, etc. but the fact of the matter is, it's the fault of whoever is driving. If you place your priorities on a cell phone/whatever while you're driving, you're bound to have an accident. You just have to put your priorities on the road and all the extras come next. When you do that, they're not a distraction at all. No one is outlawing radios, tvs, or IMHO the biggest distraction of all, kids. Our three kids can cause more of a distraction for me than all the other items combined, at times.
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Magellan Triton series
elmuyloco5 replied to Redwoods Mtn Biker's topic in GPS technology and devices
Actually, they do have it on their website. If you go to magellan and get to the Products, then GPS units, then pick Triton. Go to your model and click on Products and Support. Towards the bottom of the text there is a section for updates of firmware. If the model has any available, it will say it and the ones I've seen in the past tell you to go to your VP software for it. Good luck all, we took back two units. -
Yes, and with our three kids, we're getting crazier by the minute I have three kids too. Two are in college. Just wait until you get that bill. That'll drive you really crazy! OOOOOOoooo...that IS a killer. I'm dreading that day....ours are each a year and a half apart so that bills gonna really bite when it comes along! Here's to hoping for scholarships!!!
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Just wanted to respond about the waterproof speaker. The Triton has a voice recorder and speaker, yet has the same waterproof rating as the Colorado. Also, there's several MP3 players on the market that are literally made for swimmers to use underwater while training. It's not only possible, it's readily out there. Garmin fell short on this one.
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This was mentioned in the Wherigo threads and it's something that didn't dawn on me, but the Colorado doesn't have a speaker, or a headphone jack. This will seriously limit the numbers of Wherigo cartridges one could do as any made that rely on sound based components won't be doable on the Colorado. I'm really shocked to see that a unit that was supposedly in partnership with Groundspeak and advertises it's ability to Wherigo isn't fully capable of doing the full variety of Wherigo cartridges that will be available. There's really no excuse that a $600 unit couldn't have a speaker on it. The Triton 2000 has a voice recorder and a speaker and it still has the same waterproof rating (not saying the Triton is the answer, just giving an example of a product that has the necessary equipment).
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Yes, and with our three kids, we're getting crazier by the minute
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Garmin Colorado feature requests
elmuyloco5 replied to Sparrowhawk's topic in GPS technology and devices
I think something that would really be useful is an emergency beacon. There is a company, SPOT, that you can purchase an inexpensive beacon with and pay a monthly service. You would have the option to pay for the service or not (like you do with Groundspeak for geocaching services). They would likely have no problem obtaining a partnership with the company and could charge a little more for the unit with one. I would be a wonderful addition for people wanting to go backpacking, or for those who travel far off coastal shores. I thought that we would be interested in the Colorado at first, but the paperless caching aspect fell short of our expectations for the price. If it had an emergency beacon, I would get it anyway. -
We found out it won't play well with Vista, so what about the HP ipaq rx5915 (travel companion)?
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I can see it being fun. I enjoy seeing all the cool things that the techie people out there create off the gaming platforms and other various units. I just personally, don't have that kind of time or patience, truthfully. I'm a homeschooling mommy of three and am lucky if I manage to get the laundry and dishes done by the time I have to slip into bed. I love my computer time (generally my only outreach to the adult world until the Hubby gets home), but I only get snippets here and there.....definately not long enough to devote to learning this software. I would be there in a snap though if Sony ever got some designated software working for it. I love my PSP and it suits me much better than our PS3, but they each have their strong points. Anyhoo, guess I'm not cheap enough
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Ah, found the manual for it http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Map_This%21 It says that it take hundreds of MB for maps depending on the detail. What have you been able to download into what amount of space?
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Don't get me wrong, I'm not pushing the TomTom. It's ok, but the base unit (the One) is a limited unit. Again, we're still looking for alternatives as I said, we're not completely satisfied with it. I only mentioned it to compare prices and the fact that it has a complete map installed as apposed to having to cut all of the ones you want for the PSP. I know you meant the first one was 12 hours, I think I stated that it was your first. I was just trying to point out that the software isn't very intuitive. Maybe you could explain how you have your computer do the mapping at night. And how large of an area are you able to store on a 1GB card? I know you said to me that you hadn't tried using the topo portion of it, do you know anyone who has? I'm not against the idea of the PSP, and we really did want it to work. The display is, IMHO, wayyyyyy better than alot of the navigation units out there for street mapping. That software is a real PTA though. My hubby couldn't figure out how to do itineraries. I haven't had the chance to mess around with that part of it. We were both working on the mapping part and weren't too thrilled by the level of work to put into getting one map. I hate to ask you to explain it all, is there a better tutorial online about using it? Also, for you itineraries, are you able to rename your waypoints? I know it uses the Google Maps interface, but Google trips doesn't allow you to rename waypoints. I use it now all the time when we go on large trips and I can put in the coordinates, but Google automatically changes the coords. to different setting than the one I input (so the text reading of it is off and requires me to handprint the name of the waypoint of each). I've tried to rename them, but it won't let me with the coords. Also, Google only allows for 25 waypoints per route. Does this program have the same issue? I am forced to make several separate routes when we travel a long distance to cache. The TYRE program for the TomTom really improved the Google interface and allows for all that stuff, and it was really nice. I'd love if that guy would write the program to use with other units' software as the TomTom software alters it a bit. The TYRE program does a much better job at plotting your course. He says you can use it for PDAs and such, but you have to have the TomTom software for your PDA. Since the software already alters it a bit on the TomTom units, I imagine it would do the same on you PDA too. Plus, the TomTom software isnt' cheap and doesn't do offroad.
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I know, I know, Pocket PCs aren't the best option to use geocaching. We've been caching for a while and we have a dedicated Magellan Meridian Platinum. We also just got a TomTom a few weeks ago for car travel. And lastly, we have a PDA to do paperless caching. But, what we're looking for is to combine all of them (and no, I don't want a Garmin Colorado.....not completely paperless....at least not to the degree that we want). We've been doing some serious looking around as we're not really all that satisfied with our TomTom for the driving portion. We've looked into using our PSP, but the software available for the GPS add-on isn't that great. We've considered keeping our TomTom (trying it out on our first trip tomorrow) and getting a Delorme PN-20, but we started reading about the Mio P550 and thought it might be an option. We know that it's not as rugged as a handheld, but with a good case, it won't be an issue for us. We're careful and it has a landyard clip on the unit. It's really no different to us than the PDA we already cache and hike with. We're not worried about rain (we don't go out caching or hiking in it, and if we're really concerned about it, we can buy an otterbox for it for any sudden downpours). We're aware the battery life is shorter than a handheld, but they sell small units you can plug in with 4 rechargable batteries that will charge the unit 5 times on one charge of the AA's. It recharges quickly from what we've read, and it can all fit into one of the otterbox cases. We always take extra AA's for our handheld now anyway, so it's no big deal. Not worried about software as we have a topo program that will work. We have Cachemate already and there are some inexpensive programs that allow for GPS function that will look and respond just like a handheld available. We also know that it will be slightly larger, and probably heavier especially if you consider the otterbox into the equation. But, it would combine all of our units into one, and it would still be cheaper than our TomTom and the PN-20 together. So, are there any of you out there that use the Mio for caching, and what do you think of it? It says it has the SiRF III chipset in it, how well does it work? Thanks!