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storm180

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Posts posted by storm180

    Problem with Magellan eXplorist 500

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted · Edited by storm180

    So you did find the directory in the internal memory of the gps that said Background Maps and you put the file in there as is unconverted just renamed? The Nav+PWR button should work on the 500. Don't know why it is not working.

     

    If you did all that then I am out of ideas maybe someone else can help.

    Problem with Magellan eXplorist 500

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    Don't use the conversion manager. It does not need to be converted. Make sure your SD card is removed. You need to just copy the BASEMAP.MGI file as you would a windows file and find the background maps directory on the explorist internal memory and copy it there.

     

    If you downloaded the file from the link I posted rename the file to BASEMAP.MGI

     

    Follow the instructions from here.

    http://www.imhz.com/2006/05/my-explorist-is-screwed.html

    Garmin 24k topo map of california is NOT a USGS QUAd MAP

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    correction...public lands are shown in a green color on the garmin 24k maps,

    the sections are not shown though

     

    I dont know how to capture a screen off of the oregon ??

     

    if someone can tell me how then I can capture the garmin 24k and post

    it along with a screen shot of nat geo usgs topo.

     

    Side note:

    USGS map: "Old Chink Mine"

    Garmin 24k : "Old Chinese Mine"

    [

     

    At least garmin is being politically correct.

    eTrex H a good gps

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    Why basically waste a $100.00 on a unit that is just the basics. You might want to look into one of the HCx models so you can upgrade the maps at a later time. If the kids don't like the sport then sell the unit and you can probably get back almost what you paid for it. If you plan on doing woodland caches then you want maps, its really helpful to know what side of the river or moutain a cache is on. I started with a forerunner 201 which I still have and made the mistake of hiking up one side of a moutain when the cache was actually over the moutain and across the river where I originally came from. With a mapping unit I would not have made that error.

     

    My advice is to get a middle of the line unit like one of the HCx and a 60CSx. They keep their resell value and people want them if you need to sell. At least with the HCx you have the option to expand if you need to.Might even want to look for a refurbed 60CSx.

     

    Spend the extra money now and the sport should be more enjoyable for you and your kids. I have taken kids out geocaching and they get really bored when your hiking to a cache and realize you went the wrong way or crossed the wrong river. It tends to make them not like the sport as much, like too much effort has to be involved. When you can go right to the cache the experience is very good for the kids.

    Anyone else had problems with ActionGPS.com

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    There are various reviews for this company some good and some bad. I remember I looked at this company to buy a colorado 300 a few months back but the reviews were horrible. Just looked up th reviews on bizrate again and it appears they have improved. Call them and find out whats up with your package. If you get no repsonse or no help call your credit card company and cancel your card and dispute the charge which they billed to you all ready.

    Waas?

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    ...I hope someone can send one to you because I would like to hear what your results are.
    Not sure why., but you sound really, really angry about this. In its original context, even one line quote above sounded more like "I dare you" than "let's see if there's a way to fix this."

     

    I'm not saying that I can make it work, just that I want to give it a shot. If it won't work, I want to know why, and if I can make it work I'll detail the instructions for anyone who needs them.

     

    Know anyone who has a working 500 or 500LE with 2.17 firmware installed?

     

    I apologize if it sounded really angry, was not meant to be. I went through the frustration trying to get a friends 500 working to grab waas info. He bought it on clearance at a local sporting goods store for a good price. Spent a better part of a week emailing techs, forums, etc.. Finally called magellan and they ended up sending him a triton 500 as a replacement. He currently hates the triton because of all the issues and lock ups he has been having. Due to all these issues he hates geocaching now and as he put it "I am stuck with this piece of garbage" I told him to put the triton on ebay but he doesn't believe in selling off problems to someone else. Hopefully I can find him a deal on a 60CSx in the near future or maybe a firmware fix from magellan.

     

    I consider myself lucky I have a explorist 600 that got the info from the waas sats last year about the change so it knows about it. If I ever have to hard reset that unit, I will have to do the 2.57 update to it becuase I will lose the info on the new waas sats. Mine is about 2 years old and has the 2.03 firmware on it.

     

    Once again I apolgize if I came across as angry.

    Waas?

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted · Edited by storm180

    ... This has been discussed and tried many times on here and in the explorist forums and it does not work...
    Well, if you read it on the Internet it must be true :)

     

    I'd like to get my hands on a supposedly non-upgradeable model and see if I can find an alternate truth, that's all.

     

    It just so happens I have I actually tried it on a 500LE with 2.17 on it. I can also tell you that s guy who lives in canada who actually repaired explorist for a living and was associated with magellan says its impossible. I may have read it on the internet but those people who posted have actually tried it and failed. What makes you think you can do it? Are you a technician for magellan, or a software designer who is going to make some new firmware code? There is no alternate truth ask anyone on here who has attempted it.

     

    You must be like one of these people who can watch 10,000 people do the same thing and fail and insist on trying it only to fail like them. I mean if this was like physical challenge I would be like go for it but this is a technical challenge and I know there have been a lot of people who have tried including myself and get the same results. I can guarantee your results will be the same. I hope someone can send one to you because I would like to hear what your results are.

    city navigator, which version

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    Use NT

     

    i have a 2gb card from kingston on my 76 & was locking @ city navigator & 2009 NT also. so is this the typical garmin map rip off & u need the base for $80 & then $58 for the NT update also ?

     

    btw amazon.com has 95 customer reviews up on NT

     

    I thought they were coming out with a City Navigator 2009 Full version so you would not have to buy the full City Navigator 2008 and get the 2009 update for it. I also thought that garmin gave you the free update to 2009 if you bought 2008.

    garmin communicator

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    Oh I get it what you are trying to do now. Garmin Communicator will auto-detect where it is installed. Try all your slots, if it doesn't work then the adapter is the issue and its not broken it just won't communicate. As I said I have experienced it before and sometimes those adapters don't work as promised.

    Waas?

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted · Edited by storm180

     

    Explorist 500LE cannot be upgraded to firmware 2.57... ?

     

    Truth or fiction? I'd like to take a shot at making that work. If you have a 500LE that does not get WAAS and have been unable to upgrade the firmware, PM me on this.

     

    Well many people have tried on the newer 500's and the firmware seems to upgrade but when the unit restarts it goes back to what it was. This has been discuused and tried many times on here and in the explorist forums and it does not work. The only firmware that can be upgraded is the 2.03. Also you cannot put 2.03 firmware on top of the 2.17 firmware the newer units are shipped with.

     

    http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...158222&st=0

    iPhone Geocaching App

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    I noticed this post, wanted to add my 2cents.

     

    I am a recent newcomer to Geocaching, only doing it now for about 2 weeks. My first solo geocache I went with paper printouts and my BlackBerry 8800 with GPS and GoogleMaps. Went ok, but I felt the 'live' interaction with the site was lacking - I hated the paper printout thing. I mostly do geocaching when I go on mountain bike rides, so I don't like the idea of paper stuff on me.

     

    I then discovered the Geocaching Navigator from Trimble, which for $4.99 per month let's you interact with the geocaching.com website and your account. So now, I use just my BB 8800 and that one app. and i'm off to the races. It's a breeze now to go geocaching as I can view hints, details, a "radar" of my location relative to the known coordinates of the cache, mark as found, etc. all live as I am hunting for caches. So the immediate solution to the iPhone and Geocaching situation is to port this app. immediately to the iphone and you will have all you need.

     

    The thing I am most interested in, is creating an open source project and re-write the similar geocache navigator on an open platform, that could be run on the iPhone or any other mobile platform - JavaME seems like the best candidate for this since it's the most portable platform. Any thoughts? I would be willing to contribute development and management time if required - I work in open source already for a living.

     

    If you are interested in working on such a project - email me and let's setup a working project location (google groups?) and let's get the ideas going to start and see where it goes from there.

     

    cheers

     

    Hey, welcome to geocaching! I fell in love with it after finding my first cache and haven't looked back since. I'm a gadget geek at heart, so having a mobile device and a GPSr just seemed like the natural activity to me :-)

     

    Just want to let you know that there is already an application in the works for the iPhone platform that does just what your looking for called Geode. I'm currently working on this project as lead UI (and part time Public Relations guy), and as a dedicated geocacher, I can tell you that this is one fun app to use. You can load geocaches on to it, browse from a list and choose one to navigate to, have an interactive map, and a compass that will allow you to change function (north up, track up, or track up with cache pointer). I know I sound a *little* biased as I'm a part of the project, but I wanted to start this project because I was tired of lugging around my GPSr and having to use my iPhone to browse GC's website when I got stuck or needed some more info. This application started off as a list of "You know, if I could create an app" much like what you posted. We're very much listening to the community on features to add, so your input would be VERY much welcomed!

     

    Take a look at our site and tell me if this was something you were looking for (at least for the iPhone side of things)

     

    Geode

     

    BTW - I know this is my first post, I've been having crazy account issues with this forum. Bleh :-P

     

    App looks really nice. Quick question though, I don't currenty have an iphone. Does gps features work if you have no phone service signal?

    Colorado location errors

    in GPS technology and devices

    Posted

    Yesterday I finally saw the drift, not on my colorado 300 but on my friends when we were out caching. The location we were at was very difficult at establishing a sat lock it took a good 15 - 20 minutes. I did not find this weird because we had a 60CSx in the group and took about the same time to get a good lock.

     

    My friend put in the first cache to start to go to which was about 40 feet from where we were standing and his EPE said 26 feet. The distance showed 170 feet away while my colorado and 60Csx showed about 40. I had him turn on and turn off his unit and all of a sudden the numbers were back to normal and matched what ours said.

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