stedmanrecon

Thank you, niraD. I was trying to do what everyone else suggested to do, but I could not find out how to start a NM log, and later a NA log from the cache page at all. Your link helped out quite a bit. Got the NM posted, and let's hope the cache owners come check the thing out. It is doubtful, because they live four or five hours away from here and placed the cache on a "trip", which I thought was in the guidelines not to do (maybe it slipped passed the reviewer). Anyway, thanks a bunch!

Thanks all.

So, there is a cache in my area that is obviously missing (again). It clearly states in the guidelines to placing and hiding caches that you should live in the area so that you can maintain the cache, and check up on it from time to time. The cacheowner is not from our area (four hours away at least), and even says in the cache description that basically they placed it on vacation. It is pretty obvious this cache has not been maintained, and possibly even removed. My idea was to report to Geocaching the situation, to see if they could get involved with making contact with the cache owner to see what they want to do about it. I have already sent the cache owner a message, but have not gotten any kind of reply. It is a really good place to have a cache, but nobody local can place one there until that one is archived or removed. So, just curious on how to go about reporting it to Geocaching and the reviewers. I can't find a link on the cache page to "report".

Thanks! Lol I guess while you were typing that I ended up finding that article on the Garmin page. I do appreciate it. Let me ask this, do you think that a device that has the "quad helix" antenae (spelling?) acquires the signal quicker, maintains it longer and through worst conditions (deep cover, canyons), and has better accuracy? When compared to devices that don't have anything like that at all? Was watching some of the Garmin videos and they seem to talking that up on the models that do have them, and it makes it seem like they are more accurate and all that. What is the general thought on that?

Okay, after a little digging I think that I was able to answer my question about the Rino 655t and Oregon 650t https://support.garmin.com/support/searchSupport/simpleCase.htm?caseId=%7B0b02f820-03db-11e0-e050-000000000000%7D

Another question I just came up with... What file format does the Garmin Rino 655t and the Oregon 650t use to save tracks? For example, when I am out hiking with my Magellan, I come back to the house and I hook up the USB cable, and save the GPX file that has all the track information (then I upload it into Google Earth). Will the Rino 655t and Oregon 655t have the same kind of file format? If not, what is the extension the file uses? Also, has anyone actually SEEN the Rino 655t or Oregon 655t save multiple tracks? As I said in an earlier post, my eXplorist GC seems to only save one track. If I do another trail it will either delete the previous track when I start a new one, or when I save the second track it will write over the first. Never saves, or gives me the option, to save more than that one track. I have figured out a way around that by finishing one trail, hitting "Pause Track", and then hitting resume when I start the next trail. However, for what I am doing on Google Earth, I would like it if the track counter would start over on each trail. I really think the ability to save multiple tracks is a VERY big deal breaker for me, and I would for sure sacrifice the radio/NOAA for it. So, really curious to know if anyone has had hands on experience with that for either unit, or read a better description online than I have. I just read a product description on REI for the Oregon 655t and it says that you can save tracks with up to 10,000 points, but it didn't say anything about multiple tracks. Thanks. Really hoping to make the purchase this weekend and pretty stoked about it.

Great, thank you.

Is there anyway that you could let me know when the Garmin Rino 655t was annouced and released? For some reason, I wasn't able to pull that website up.

Lol thanks for the great responses. When I started this thread, I only had two choices in mind. Lol now, I'm up to four. Looking at the Oregon 650t, am I wrong in assuming that the "t" stands for topographic and will basically have the same kind of map displayed as on the Garmin Rino 655t?

Thanks for that info about the battery pack. That could be pretty useful. You said that the most direct competetion with the eXplorist 710 would be the Garmin Oregon series. Is that saying that the Rino 655t doesn't really compete with either of those? What is your opinion about the competition between the eXplorist and the Oregon series, especially the newer ones that were just released?

Ah! I had no idea abou them owning that other site. I they just had some sort of legal rights purchased by that other site. Lol sort of how like Pizza Hut doesn't sell Coca-Cola, but has to sell Pepsi lol. Cool deal. That was some good stuff to know.

The criteria that brought me to consider both of these units is pretty simple, actually lol. I own and actively use a Magellan eXplorist GC as well as two Garmin Rino 110s. I believe that my Rinos are a bit older (by a more than a few years most likely), and so I really like the modern look and feel of the eXplorist GC with the color screen and all that. I know that the Rino 655t is oviously updated and has the color and touch screen. If it was still the same black and white screen, it would not even be a consideration for me. Another piece of criteria I think that I could add in here, is that I am wanting to upgrade as my primary usage in a GPSr is changing. I have only used my GC and iPhone for geocaching, and I am wanting a unit that I can expand the usage beyond looking for caches. Obviously, I do like caching and will continue to do it, but I am getting more and more into hiking trails, land navigation, and starting to get into a bit of mountaineering and such. My goal is to find a unit that is "high end", or maybe even top of the line, that I can use for geocaching (even if I can't really do paperless) but will also be a great device to use with the other stuff. I kind of figured that since the 710 and 655t were the top of the line in their own series, that might be what I am looking for. I did not know if there was like a "professional" grade GPSr out there (if there is, could you let me know what to search for?). I really do like the radio feature on the Rinos. The two Rinos that I have now, I basically let the youngins run and play with talking on the radio, and I even use it when we are out camping and I take off walking by myself. Lol the lady likes to get on the radio and talk with me as well while she is back at the camp. I kind of liked the thought of having my own GPSr that was mine that would stay with me and the boys could talk to me via theirs. I know that I am most likely going to have a few buddies join me on some hikes and mountain stuff, and though we won't be too spaced out from one another, I figured they would end up getting the same model as me and we could communicate that way. The weather feature was also a pretty good selling point for me as well, as I do plan on doing multiple day hikes and climbs and would like to have access to knowing if any adverse weather is on the way in. I guess a down side to that is that I believe the 655t has a rechargable battery and if I am out for a few days at a time, I can't get the weather if the battery is dead lol. Honestly, I do not need the radio or the weather on the GPSr. Those were just features that I really liked. Other than the models that you recommended later in your message, what others do you believe could "compete" with the 710? How do they compete, or what do they offer that the 710 doesn't? (of course, in your opinion) I began looking at the GPSMAP 62 (I don't recall if it was the S, ST, or STC; or even if it was the GPSMAP 60). One thing that I noticed on there was that when it talked about geocaching, it was referencing another caching site instead of this one. Open Caching I believe it was. That kind of turned me off a bit because I like this site, and these caches. Since it is geared toward that site, would I be able to use it for the paperless geocaching and have the same result that I do when I use a Magellan GPSr here? Other than the compatibility that I have with my GC and using this site for caching, one thing that I love using my GC for is that I pull the tracks off the GPSr and put them into Google Earth. Right now, I am more familiar with the inner workings of that kind of stuff with the Magellan than I am with anything from Garmin (I still haven't pulled any info of the Rinos; they are older units so I didn't know if they would have the same kind of data or even if it was usable for what I like doing when I get home). One thing that I think sucks about my GC is that when I "Stop and Save Track", it saves it on the device, but I can only save one track. For example, if I want to do two or three trails in one day and record the track for each one. My GC only lets me save one track at a time. If I try to save a second track, it will overwrite the first one. Basically, when I am done with the first track I have to save it, then hook up to my computer and save it there, and then start a new track. There is no option to save "Track 2" and "Track 3" without deleting the first one. I really would like a GPSr that will allow me to save multple track data without it overwriting one. I don't know if there are any units out there that allow that or not. Anyway, pulling the track data off the unit and using it in Google Earth is a big deal for me. To me, the 655t just "looks" more high speed, high end, or professional and the eXplorist line kind of makes me think it looks like it is for something just like day hiking or something like that. I didn't know if they were both basically on the same level and both could be used equally well for the usage that I am wanting to use them for. And, for that matter, what other products out there would match all that stuff. Lol sorry for the long reply. I hope that this info can help you (or anyone else still awake and reading it) give some better guidance. Thanks!

I am deciding on a new GPSr to purchase. So far, I am down to between the Magellan eXplorist 710 or the Garmin 655t. I know that there is a considerable price difference between the two, which I don't mind at all because I would be able to make good use of the radio features on the Rino (though, I don't absolutely NEED it or have a huge WANT for it). Pricing really isn't too much of an issue right now. Can it be said that one or the other is a "higher end" GPSr than the other? And if so, which do you think is? Which do you find/think to be more accurate? If there is anything else out there that is "higher end" than these two, please let me know. Anyone's thoughts or complaints about either one?

I am really considering buying a new Magellan eXplorist line GPS. It will be be one from the 310-710 line. A while back I was skimming through some threads and I believe that I remember someone mentioning something about National Geographic no longer going to be providing the TOPO maps for the eXplorists. Can someone explain this? If I were to go out and buy a 310 with the National Geographic TOPO (or whatever it is called), would I not be able to get any support or updates for that? Bonus question: Looking at the 710, it said something about the Summit Series topo maps. Is that ALL of the topographic information for North America, or is it just for the summits of some popular places in the US? Let me know what you think about any or each of the topo maps available that you have used, and also any of these GPSr units that you have used. Thanks

Ah! Okay, thank you everyone that responded. After reading these, it make complete sense and reallly seemed like a dumb question lol. I was a whiz at land nav in the Army (got out a few years ago), but just didn't know if cachers usually made their own choice about which to use. I couldn't figure out why magnetic would really come into play with GPSrs, so figured I would ask what folks use that setting for with a device. Again, thanks everyone.

I know it can really be a preference, but in your opinion, which is a better setting to use on GPS for geocaching? True North or Magnetic North? Why?

Does anyone use the Vantage Point software from Magellan? If so, what do you think about it?

Okay, was finally able to download the update and get it on the GPS. Lol just had to keep trying and trying.

I just looked up the GSAK thing. It says it is a "Geocaching and waypoint management tool". Lol whatever that means. GSAK stands for Geocaching Swiss Army Knife and you can go to the website GSAK WEBSITE. Granted, I may perfectly well be wrong about the statistics part, but I could have sworn that when I first started doing all this someone in these forums told me that it was GSAK that showed all that stuff. I hope that helps.

In addition to what Chief301, I have seen other people have some pretty amazing stuff in regards to statistics on their profile. I have been doing the cache thing for a little while now, but haven't really dove into the deep end yet. From my limited experience and researching, there is a website (or app or something) that compiles a lot of stuff that is quite a bit more in depth than just the statistics that are on the Premium Membership. I believe that it might be called GSAK or something like that, and I believe that it has a monthly cost to it. I like caching, but I don't think that I am yet that into it to pay an extra fee for something. As for the Premium Membership statistics, I was pretty excited to see those on here but I was a bit disappointed with what all it showed and how it was presented. Some profiles I have seen (I believe with that GSAK thing) showed a HUGE amount of data with all sorts of graphs and stuff like that. May want to try searching the forum threads for GSAK or something like that.

So, tell me. What do you use the Bookmark lists option for? Like, how do you do it personally or what does it do to serve you? Lol looking for any and all hints to make this more fun and enjoyable.

So, found out I really enjoy using Google Earth a while back, and figured out a way that I can use my GPS and also the geocaching stuff in the program as well. Which tickled me pink haha. Anyway, it obviously started bringng up questions for me for some guidance on things. The first question on this thread is what is the difference between KML Tracks and KML Line Strings? 1- I select the Tools tab 2- In the Import tab area, I make sure that the radio buttons for Magellan and Explorist are selected, as well as the Waypoints, Tracks, or Routes (whatever I am wanting to use) in the Import section. Here is where I start coming up with questions. In the Output section, it has check boxes for "KML Tracks" and "KML LineStrings". A- First off, what does the "output" do really, when it comes to Google Earth. Just takes those selected types of data I chose to import, mushes it together or converts it into a type of KML use? B- What is the difference between KML Tracks and KML LineStrings? To be honest, I have gone down both roads (selected one or the other, and both) and have same basically the same result come up. Maybe someone can explain what a KML is exactly? Especially when it comes to geocaching. C- Lastly, there is a checkbox that says "Adjust altitudes to ground height". What exactly does that mean? I do very much apprecaite any information on all of this. Thanks, everyone!

Also, does Vantage Point seem like a crappy software? Is there something else better out there?

Correction... What I have on the GPS now after the Vantage Point update is Version 1.6

Having some issues trying to update my GPS with the new version of the "OS" (software, firmware, or whatever it is called; whatever is on the GPS itself). I noticed that back in Feb, Magellan put out an update for the eXplorist GC. Well, for pretty much two days straight now, I have had no luck in getting it to work. When I would boot up the GPS, it would say that I had Version 1.0 on it. (I also use Windows 7, the latest IE, and have a dang good internet connection and speed) Here is what I have done so far: 1- Went directly to the Magellan support site and clicked on the download button for Version 2.15 for the GC. It asked me if I wanted to Run or Save the file, I clicked run. It downloads for a while and then just stops before finishing or any kind of wizard opens up. No werro messages or anything, the download center still is up and it just sits at whatever "%" with whatever time left remaining. 2- Did the same thing as above, except that I clicked Save instead of run and tried saving the file to my Desktop. Same exact result pretty much. No errors or anything, it just stops. I have done both methods SEVERAL times, and the highest percentage of download that I have been able to complete was 84%, and then it would just stop. Like, the download center at the bottom of the screen would freeze, but nothing else would. And it wasn't excatly that it would "freeze" because I could hit Cancel or anything else and it does what it is supposed to. Just can't get it to finish downloading. 3- I downloaded the Vantage Point software from Magellan and poked around that for a bit. Found out that you can update the GPS through that. I went through its motions and didn't have any issues at all, except that it only installed Version 1.5 on m GPS, and that worked. When I turn it on, that is the version it says is running it. After getting that done, I hooked back up to Vantage Point to check for another update for the GPS, but it says that my GPS is currently up to date and running the current software. Has anyone else had this much of an issue for getting theirs to update? Any ideas, pointers, or suggestions on how to get this going? Thanks.