BowerBunch

My family has an idea for a TB that we would like to start on it's way. However, we would like to start 4 TBs on the same TYPE of trip but to different destinations. Is there any reason why putting 4 TBs in the same cache to start them off is a bad thing? Or is that ok to do? (We're new at this and these are our first TBs.) TIA bowerbunch

Ok, MACpa, I get the point. I guess I was getting a little carried away with something that is supposed to be FUN. (Which it is.) So how many sticky notes and pens do you think I will need to re-map the whole country. There is a project for SETI where SETI uses massive amounts of computing by "borrowing" peoples machines when they are idle. SOrt of spreads the work. Now if we could get ALL the people who have GPSs to help on this project....... Thanks for the reality check, MACpa. I did need it. I'll try your ideas later tonight and see what I find. Again, thanks. bowerbunch

It sounds like my GPS is telling me I'm where I am but that my map is telling me something else. So the GPS is accurate but the map is not. Well, ok, that means (I guess) that I will be able to find caches because I'm not dependent on a street in most cases. But IF I'm trying to use it to get somewhere via driving, I may or may not find it. Since the main purpose is the geocaching (what a great excuse to buy new toys ), I can live with this portion of it. But we have to "accept" it. I don't think we should have to accept it. I realize it is based on somebody's input but we are living in a high tech society now, folks. Let's be more pro-active about getting accuracy. (I'm sorry I'm getting on my high-horse about this but accuracy is important. Just not many people believe me. But imagine your doctor who is supposed to remove your appendix and removes your liver instead. How are you going to feel about it if his attitude is "whatever".) Ok, I feel better now. I'm not happy with my unit but if they are all this inaccurate, what can I do?

Couple of comments back on all of your posts: 1) Finding the cache I couldn't find: My georookie friend found the cache that I couldn't and he was using my GPS. SO I assume my GPS is pointing in the right place. But I will NOT go back to that cache without him. (I've been three times and got stung by three bees. He went twice and found it and didn't get stung. So I'm sticking with HIS luck.) 2) About the GPS knowing where I'm at and me knowing where I'm at. The place where I notice the error is at my house. I can see my street on the GPS map, I can see the cross street. I know where my house is on those streets. But the GPS shows me east by about 500 ft according to the scale on the GPS. I can try other streets and locations by walking around. But I still don't have a clue as to why it does this. I'll try some of the ideas above but have done so in a slightly different way. (I think I can find a street to stand in the middle of .) bowerbunch

I posted a message a while back about my "location" being way off. The map display shows me about 500 ft east of where I know I really am. I got several suggestions from people and I STILL am way off. Questions: 1) Is it possible for a unit to be bad and show it in this manner? 2) One person referenced "map datum". a) I tried several in setup with no change, I haven't found any good explanation of "map datum", c) I would assume the software that I also got (from Magellan) uses the same datum out of the box as the GPS. But given those assumptions, things didn't change. And I could never find out from Streets and Destination what datum they are using. 3) Anybody else got any suggestions? As you might imagine, this is getting very frustrating. In one cache I located, I was right on it (0 feet) and there it was. The next cache I didn't find but I don't know if it is because I am blind and didn't see it or is it 500 feet west of me. How would I know if it is unpredictable? HELP!!!! (whimper, whimper, whimper). Michael Bower bowerbunch

GPS Unit is Meridian. Over the weekend as I've used the unit, it shows me what roads I'm on and I track fine. Today when I used it on the way home from work, it kept me correct one road then was 250 feet off the rest of the way. How can that happen? Did I hit something I shouldn't have? (I don't think so.) Last week I went to my home location and made a waypoint called "HOME". Later in the week I noticed that it had moved but thought maybe I hadn't done it right. (I'm new.) But now my "HOME" waypoint is off just like the roads and tracking were earlier today. I wonder if this happened last week as well. Anybody got any ideas?

I've looked everywhere on these pages and can't seem to find where I activate my TBs? Can some kind soul please point me in the right direction? (I'm not getting that blind, am I?) TIA bowerbunch

I just got the Meridian but that doesn't mean the software on the unit is the latest and greatest. How do I get the upgrade and how do I apply it?

(If you reply to your own message, are you talking to yourself) Further info: I suspected that the problem might be something wrong with the media itself since it always stopped at the same place. Well, I went to ANOTHER machine (Win 98 SE) and finally got my maps to upload. So that eliminates the cable and media. I'm still at a loss for what is happening on the first two machines. bowerbunch

Earlier this evening, I put a post here about loading my Meridian using Windows XP. While waiting for replies, I decided to try on my laptop which is running Win98 SE. Well, I got further but not very far. I have several regions defined in size from 52kb to 2100kb. I have a 32meg SD. It is empty. The only region I can upload is the 52kb region. For all the other regions, each one goes so far (seems to be sending to the unit) and then stop. For each region is it predictable. That means if I try to upload region XYZ and it stops on 4.7% upload, it will always stop on 4.7%. I have not done the math on each region to see if the percent is a certain size but I do know that the bigger the region, the small the percent before it dies. Once the program stops, the only resort is to delete the executing process (which is now "not responding") and to start over. I've tried various combination of com port speeds. I have the flowcontrol set to hardware (as they say to do). One thing that I do notice is when it stops I seem to get a sound like a drive is cranking up (very quietly). And that is my note that I'm done (it won't go any further). I thought perhaps it was trying to crank up the CD (as I did a "typical" install but it is not the normal CD starting up sound. (For good measure, I'm now loading the entire CD on the HD to see if that helps.) I am not a happy camper. I cannot load much of anything on my unit. Any ideas? bowerbunch

I just installed MapSent S&D on my Windows XP. I have my Meridian attached properly and according to the Magellan website, I have the settings set right. However, when I try to upload to the GPS from MapSent, it "busies" the com port and then won't talk to it. The com port will stay busy until I reboot the machine. Has anybody gotten MapSend to work with XP and, if so, how did you do it? TIA Bowerbunch

I have a gps purchasing dilemma (don't we all?). When introduced to geocaching last weekend, the two people both had Magellan SporTrak Pro's. I liked the features and the size. Ok, so now I'm hooked and want to get a GPS. In searching the area (local area) for GPS units to see what I can get, I find very few stores carry Magellan's. ALL seem to carry Garmin. I still like the Magellan's but it bothers me a little (I'm not good a decisions) that no one is selling Magellan's. Now I can take this several ways: 1) Garmin does a MUCH better job of marketing their devices therefore more people ask for them therefore more stores carry them. This has NO bearing on quality, just on good marketing. 2) Magellan's are not that good. 3) Magellan's are more for the elite therefore not aske for much so stores don't carry them. So I'll ask this wonderful group (flattery certainly can't hurt, right ). I'm looking in the $250-300 range and all makers make them in that range. ALL!! comments welcome. Thank you very much in advance. BowerBunch