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3 Hawks
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Posts posted by 3 Hawks
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Looking for a New Zealand cacher who needs the information I have in my possession from the WI cache. I'm in no hurry on my end, and will gladly give up the needed information to a willing New Zealand cacher in return for the information I need at a future and convenient date.
Kapa o Pango kia whakawhenua au i ahau!
3 Hawks
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I got around this by putting a shortcut to the query file on the desktop. Drag icon of file over to icon for GSAK and it should open.
This "work around" did not work for me back when I was having the problem. A friend of mine, who is quite adept in the ways of computers, was quite befuddled as to the dilema in which I found myself. One day, I was able to open the PQ's received through my Road Runner account and the next day, I was not. No manner of manipulation of the file would work and changing my security settings and permissions did not remedy the problem.
With that said, hopefully one of the offered remedies will work for the OP.
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I ran into a problem like this a while back. The problem is with your e-mail service provider. GSAK would say my zipped/unzipped PQ files were corrupt; however, if I forwarded my PQ's to my wife's Outlook Express e-mail account, GSAK would open up the same file without any problems. I just created an Outlook Express e-mail account and set it up so my primary account would forward my geocaching e-mails to my Outlook account. That cleared up my problem. You could also try setting up and using a Gmail account. Good luck.
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127 in one day, 4am to about midnight with a 1.5 hour drive to the dense town we had targeted. All log books signed and we threw in some interesting caches to break up the monotony. We had about 10 DNFs. But yes, most were mind numbing. But you gotta do it at least once to figure out if you like it or not, just another aspect of the game. How? Planning, paying close attention to previous logs and a good driver. Food on the run. Optimal number for the group, 3. One to drive, two to search and get the next couple of targets up on the laptop / GPS.
So does the driver actually get out of the car to "find" the cache, or do the other two just sign the driver's name to the log?
Yes. If the car is parked right next to the hide, then no. We play by the "three musketeers" method, where if one finds the cache we all get to log it. "Hucklebuck' would be too tedious for a numbers run. 75% of the fun on such a run is the company.. some weird stuff ALWAYS happens, great memories.
I only posted the question because I've heard of people using the 3 or 4 team method where the driver never leaves the auto and never finds a cache, yet the driver gets to log a find for each of the caches.
Why not just form up a team of 10 cachers in the morning and come up with a team name for the day. Now send everyone off on their own to find 50 caches that day where they sign the team name and meet back up at the end of the day to report on found caches. Now everyone in the group can go home and log 500 finds because someone in their "team" found a cache 20 miles away.
I've cached in groups of up to 5 cachers, and I know how much fun it can be. Great memories and great laughs and we've done a few caches where the cache was found before everyone even exited the auto but this is quite rare. The only way having a designated driver would be an advantage is if that driver never left the auto and the other two did the quick dashes to the caches. Planning and setting up your route in advance would mean a designated driver and navigator are not required.
I've even read a few profiles of some cachers with over 20k finds that state they found upwards of 1,000 caches in a single weekend. Of course they were caching with others. Just work out the numbers and you will see there is no way to find that many caches in 48 or even 72 hours even if every cache was a Wally World hide.
Hucklebuck or not; everyone in the group should at least see the cache.
I just find it funny how some people get all up in arms about how some people play the game and yet have no problem employing practices that are clearly all about the numbers.
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127 in one day, 4am to about midnight with a 1.5 hour drive to the dense town we had targeted. All log books signed and we threw in some interesting caches to break up the monotony. We had about 10 DNFs. But yes, most were mind numbing. But you gotta do it at least once to figure out if you like it or not, just another aspect of the game. How? Planning, paying close attention to previous logs and a good driver. Food on the run. Optimal number for the group, 3. One to drive, two to search and get the next couple of targets up on the laptop / GPS.
So does the driver actually get out of the car to "find" the cache, or do the other two just sign the driver's name to the log?
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I like that option. It seems to be the best of both worlds.
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Look at pcnation.com. They offer the 400t at $487.63. I don't know how they can do it for that price and it takes 2+ weeks for delivery.
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That sure didn't format as hoped.
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We are just past two of that six months, not four - you are off by two months ... nice try. Feel free to triumphantly refer to your quote in four months.
It was late....and I've never said I was smart. Not to mention, it has seemed like an eternity waiting for the updates. I know it has not been that long, but the Colorado has soooooo much additional potential and I keep thinking the next update will be the one that blows me away.. Two months.....four months.....what ever. My initial point was that time will clearly show if the Colorado was released too early. When the "finished" product is out it will be easier to determine this contended point. It is far easier to look back and say "This is how it should have been from the start" than to say "It was perfection from day one."
Anyway, moving on ... I guess that I am one of the rare few who "lucked out" and received a unit that I have no serious complaints. My Colorado is an excellent geocaching unit and after a ~35 cache day I was even more sold on my 400t. Is it perfect? No. Do I believe that the other small issue that I have with it will be fixed? Yes.
I never used the words "rare few" in my initial post. However, I'm glad you received a fully functioning unit. At least you did not have to endure 3 or 4 returns before finding an acceptable unit. I guess I'm just use to my prior Garmin experiences in that my GPSr's have always worked as expected straight out of the box and I didn't have to sit on the edge of my seat waiting for Firmware updates. Heck, I went over a year with my first GPSr before I even knew of Firmware updates and I never knew I was missing anything.
It is also good to see you admitting to issues with the Colorado. It is always easier to meet on agreement when people are willing to step away from the extremes. There was a time when some said the only problems with the Colorado were due to user error and unrealistic expectations. There are still a few who refuse to step away from this extreme.
Their first firmware update was not simply a ho-hum update, as you seem to suggest. It fixed several serious problems that people were complaining about, including my two biggest complaints : slow startup time and not keeping track up after panning.
Where have I suggested that the updates were "ho-hum?" What I think is one of the most telling results of the Firmware updates is Garmin's choice of words. They use the word "corrected." In order for something to be corrected, it must first be incorrect. Those who initially sniped at people voicing concerns over functionality seemed to soften their tone once Garmin admitted to problems with the initial release.
Yes, it's really unfortunate that so many are having problems with their Colorado. Maybe I should send Garmin my 400t so they can clone it for everyone.
That would be nice and I'm sure Garmin has a few of their initial test models set aside for that purpose. As it is with all consumer electronic devices, the Colorado is the sum of its components and is only as strong as the weakest part. Garmin has placed trust in the companies manufacturing the components. I hope Garmin works things out because one shouldn't have to cross their fingers when opening up the box in hopes of a fully functioning unit. Can you think of any other consumer product where this would be acceptable?
...The Colorado is what it is. It all comes down to individual preferences. Are you willing to give up certain features for the new ones on the Colorado? If you answer yes, buy yourself a new Colorado and have fun. If your answer is no, stick with what you already have, or get a 60csx or one of the HCx's, and have fun.
Essentially, I think that you are correct. Garmin will fix the existing problems but I seriously doubt that we will see most, if any, of the wish-list items in this Colorado.
Hey now.......ummmm.....I didn't think we were allowed to agree on anything. That's not how this game is played.
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When the Colorado was first released, I was part of a few heated debates regarding functionality issues. More than one felt the initial release version of the Colorado was "essentially exactly" what Garmin had hoped. Another said the initial release version of the Colorado was a great tool for serious mountain climbers and would be seen on Everest this year. Well the Colorado may make it onto Everest, but I sure hope someone in the group has a unit that offers a reliable back-tracking feature.
My close to the early Colorado groupies was this question/statement: "I wonder what all of you will think about the initial Colorado release after 6 months?"
One brave individual even went so far as to predict the date of the second firmware update with subsequent updates every two weeks. Well those predictions were not even close. Then again, this individual also said all of the "issues" people were having were due to user error. This individual went on to imply most GPSr users are too stupid to know how to use the Colorado and expanded to say that we shouldn't purchase the Colorado because we are too poor. Even if this individual is twice as smart as asserted, all credibility was voided by these gross, uneducated, and inappropriate generalizations.
Garmin has added some features, enhanced a few, and "corrected" (their own words) other problems. Their Firmware is in "Beta" form. Production has been halted due to hardware issues that are being worked out. We are almost four months into that first six and where do we stand? Is the Colorado a "serious tool for serious users" or is it a first generation concept unit released into the market to offset R&D?
Some have lucked out and received, what they feel are, fully functioning units. Others have had 3 or 4 faulty units. Some problems seen unit specific while others seem to be affecting large percentages of production. Some love their Colorado's, some regret the purchase, and many are still waiting to pass judgment under the assumption Garmin will work everything out.
Here is a questions for you; If you were Garmin, would you invest a ton of additional money into the Colorado when the next generation chip-set is already out or would you simply roll that money into the next generation GPSr?
Who knows? Maybe there will be a Colorado 300/400 "x" version in the future. Maybe it will offer more bang for the buck with enhanced and added features? Don't bet on Garmin adding all, or even any, of your wish list features. The Colorado is what it is. It all comes down to individual preferences. Are you willing to give up certain features for the new ones on the Colorado? If you answer yes, buy yourself a new Colorado and have fun. If your answer is no, stick with what you already have, or get a 60csx or one of the HCx's, and have fun.
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So, according to the Milwaukee police, you can grow pot on your own privately-owned property and get away with it as long as you (as the property owner) don't complain about yourself?I've also walked straight into a pot growing operation while caching. The darn cache was within 100 feet of the "gardener's camp." I looked up and saw this large and dirty guy giving me the "evil eye." I just turned around and got the heck out of there. I called the police and they said the property was privately owned and the owner would need to call. I called the owner of the land, the Milwaukee School District, and was told they didn't want to get involved. The pot growing operation was within 200 feet of the District Office and within 300 feet of a school playground. Go figure!!I never said it made any sense.
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Nothing helps the police make a case better than a digital picture and a witness.
I had my camera with me, but I just wanted to get out of there. If he saw that I took a picture of him, he'd possibly have reason to come after me and I was alone.
You do realize that with his pants down around his knees (or lower), he's going to take a moment or two to get ...rearranged... for pursuit.
Not that I'm condoning unsafe action; I'm just sayin'...
...A female is naked in the woods, GREAT caching experience... .
Not always, my friend, not always. I've seen some pretty scary women out there in my day.
Note how I included the word HOT!! Then again, hot is rather subjective and what I consider HOT may be scary to some.
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I had something similar happen last spring. I was about 250 feet from a cache and spotted a rather portly guy standing behind a tree about 100 feet off the trail. Now in our parts, you will run into bird watchers from time to time so seeing someone standing very still in the woods isn't always odd. However, when I moved to within 50 feet, I noticed the guy was not wearing any pants. I froze and said "What the #$%^ are you doing?" The guy turned and ran off with his pants in his hand. At least he was smart enough to keep his shoes on. From my vantage, the guy was "getting in touch with himself in nature."
I've also walked straight into a pot growing operation while caching. The darn cache was within 100 feet of the "gardener's camp." I looked up and saw this large and dirty guy giving me the "evil eye." I just turned around and got the heck out of there. I called the police and they said the property was privately owned and the owner would need to call. I called the owner of the land, the Milwaukee School District, and was told they didn't want to get involved. The pot growing operation was within 200 feet of the District Office and within 300 feet of a school playground. Go figure!!
On another excursion, a strung-out junkie came after me. Luckily, I made it to the relative safety of my car only seconds before the junkie got to me.
I've run across two large porn stashes in remote sections of urban parks. The police officers, to whom I turned in the porn, thought it stranger that I found the porn than the fact it was there in the first place.
Then there was the time I walked straight past the HOT, young, topless female sunbather. I don’t think I’ll ever forget that caching experience. I wouldn't mind running across this type of weirdo again.
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On occasion I have heard of GPS units glitching up, freezing, or having a blank screen with a line runing through it, and people wondering what happened to their unit. I have heard an explaination of this being a result of bad data, a glitch with the satellite signal. Well this stuff does happen (as this article points out) as it did several times in Oct 2007.
Garmin yesterday released new firmware for the three older units that had the "vertical line of death" problem and the release notes said they "updated WAAS" so maybe this is the long-promised correction to that problem.
Vista: http://www8.garmin.com/support/agree.jsp?id=95
Thanks for the heads-up. I'll have to pull out Old Blue, my semi-retired Legend, and install the firmware update.
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Last year, I started a streak at about this time and had at least a find-a-day for just over 6 months. The streak was starting to take over my life so I made a decision to take a day off. Sure the streak was over, but I proved to myself that I was still in control. Sadie, my GPSr, was angry and stopped talking to me for two months, but she eventually got over it. Now Ziggie, the insult geo-monkey, went into cache withdrawl, started throwing feces around, and ran off with a crazed Terracacher to join a Waymarking cult. You want to talk about nuts!!! Those Waymarkers have real issues and need professional help.
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I dropped my Garmin eTrex Vista Cx getting out of the car today. It was probably about 2 feet or less drop. Didn't hurt the outside of the GPS. Will dropping a GPS effect the accuracy of the GPS or compass?
Well anything is possible, so the answer would be maybe.
I have a Vista HCx. I've taken great pains to take better care of this unit than my old blue Legend. However, I too have dropped my Vista a few times. One of the drops was from about 5 feet onto a large boulder. My Vista bounced off the boulder and came to rest in some tall grass. Thankfully, it struck the boulder on the rubber gasket (side of the unit) and did not break the screen. My abuse did not seem to have any impact on accuracy or the compass.
If you are having accuracy issues, you might want to recalibrate the unit. It may not rectify any problems you may be experiencing, but it can't hurt.
Good luck!!
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I really don't see the purpose behind thread after thread and post after post of Colorado bashing.
YOU EITHER HAVE A DEFECTIVE UNIT WHICH NEEDS TO BE RETURNED,
fail to understand some basic things about a complex GPS unit and its performance,
OR there are other issues like not having the latest firmware, defective batteries, contacts, etc., or are flying off emotionally due to what I believe is a poor purchase on your part.
I think a lot of geocachers simply can't afford a $600 GPS unit and when it burps or farts they are claiming projectile vomiting or bloody diarrhea.
I wish you guys would stop with the drama and take back your units and then take your old GPSmap 60 units out for an evening of dining, dancing, and a romantic, riverside hotel that you've been wanting to whisk her off to. <smooch!>
So what your saying is that either the unit is broken and should be returned, or the user does not know what they are doing, or the user is emotionally unbalanced, or the user is too poor to spend $600 in the first place, or the user should perform illegal acts on a piece of electronic equipment?
Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, the people posting their experiences and expectations are doing so honestly and without any ulterior motive? The OP simply reported his/her experiences and explained why the unit was being returned. The OP did not attack anyone. The OP did not insult anyone. The OP's report only expresses his/her experiences and does not attempt to sway readers one way or another.
Consumer reports and evaluations are valuable pieces of information and should be reported. If someone has unmet expectations, why shouldn't they express their opinion? If someone has a faulty unit, why shouldn't they advise? Would it be better if only positive feedback was provided? To what end would that serve?
The OP and those expressing their experiences and expectations are not the ones grandstanding. The grandstanders are the ones who relish the opportunity to throw around insults in a quite transparent, and self defeating, attempt to appear superior.
How in the heck do you know who can or can't afford to spend $600.00 on a GPSr? I've seen you throw this assertion, and others like it, out there half a dozen times and every time they sounds just as smug. Who put you in a position to judge when and if someone's purchase of a Colorado is a poor purchase on their part?
Once again, there is no requirement for a post reader to respond to every post to which he or she is in disagreement and insults and unbiased assertions have no place in these forums.
Then again, I'm sure you and the rest of the “A-men” gang already knew this since you seem to know everything about anything.
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A scientist will (or at least should) know this. Most GPS users aren't scientists!
Is this a statement of fact or an assumption? Do you have concrete scientific data to back up this theory? If so, can we see the raw data? What was your null hypothesis? Did you perform a T or Z-test? What was your sample size? How do you define scientist? What percentage of handheld GPS receiver users are scientists and/or have formal scientific training? What percentage of geocachers are scientists and/or have formal scientific training? Would you say scientists are smarter than other users of handheld GPS receivers? Would you say you are smarter than other geocachers?
Blah, blah, and blah. What kind of smoke are you blowing my way? Hey, while you're ...
I stopped reading the post, but did catch the last question. Answer: Considerably (on average, of course.)
Wow!! A self proclaimed genius scientist resorting to weak and shameless middle school humor is sad....very sad. At least you didn’t suffer us to another unrelated parable about checking a babies diaper.
By the way, the only smoke being blown around here is that emanating from those who feel it is their responsibility to berate and insult those expressing their honest experiences and expectations in these forums.
If you'd like, I could re-cap all of the insults some have thrown out since the Colorado's release. There are only two or three offenders, so even us average geocachers should have no problem retracing the thread posts. They are not flattering and only support the fact that some of the more self absorbed are not nearly as intelligent or wise as they believe themselves to be.
Here are the simple facts:
1) Some have had no reported issues with their Colorado.
2) Some have had real issues that have nothing to do with user error.
If you had been unlucky enough to receive one (or more) of the “bad” units, you might have an entirely differing opinion. Opinion and perceived reality are often related to first impression and first hand experience.
Why did Garmin use the word “corrected” in their update/Firmware lists for the Colorado? They also use words like “added, changed, and enhanced.” Nobody held a gun to Garmin’s head when they put together and published these lists. In order for something to be corrected, it first must be incorrect. I won’t bore you with the definition of incorrect. To quote an unnamed poster; “Would you like me to draw you a picture?”
I’m glad you have a strong self image. Good for you! I’m glad your Colorado is perfect. Good for you! You first hand experiences are valued in these forums, but nobody is qualified to tell someone their first hand experiences have no value and/or their expectations are unrealistic.
Please refrain from attempting to pass off opinion as fact. Please try to limit your insults to yourself. You are entitled to your opinion, but some things just don’t need to be said in these forums.
Thanks!!
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A scientist will (or at least should) know this. Most GPS users aren't scientists!
Is this a statement of fact or an assumption? Do you have concrete scientific data to back up this theory? If so, can we see the raw data? What was your null hypothesis? Did you perform a T or Z-test? What was your sample size? How do you define scientist? What percentage of handheld GPS receiver users are scientists and/or have formal scientific training? What percentage of geocachers are scientists and/or have formal scientific training? Would you say scientists are smarter than other users of handheld GPS receivers? Would you say you are smarter than other geocachers?
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I am pretty sure that Garmin will stick to a two week schedule from here out (and not indefinitely). Mark March 4 on your calendar and check here about 4:00 pm Central Time. - Pat
Your crystal ball must have been a little cloudy.
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If you don't think it's wrong, then you are wrong.
These GPS units for sure use the time they can calculate from the satellite information, once a position has been established. This is all included in the PVT calculations (Position - Velocity - Time).
However, to facilitate quick startup, they also keep an ordinary quartz-controlled clock running when powered down. This clock is powered by the normal batteries in your GPS. If you remove them, the clock is powered by a backup energy source. In the case of the Colorado, this is a so called supercap.
There is no doubt whatsoever that the Colorado should be able to display the correct time and date, when you turn it on, even if you don't have any position calculated yet.
The difference between the 60 CS and the 60 CSx is not that the clock isn't running when the later is off, it's that the clock chip used can't issue the proper interrupt required to make the GPS power itself on, after a certain interval.
THANK YOU Anders for adding your more than qualified view on the issue.!! Your insight, expertise, and experience is greatly appreciated even though a few of the self proclaimed "uber intelligent" might have an unqualified opinion in opposition to you. I wonder why?
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Hey g-o-cachers,
Do you think it would be prudent to start a new issue/feature request/wish list thread? Just a suggestion in the form of a question. The recent update has addressed many of the initial issues to one extent or another and a clean thread would eliminate some of the clutter.
Thanks again for all of the time and effort you have put into updating and monitoring the FAQ and issue list.
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Holy crap, start up time from about 3 minutes to under 25 seconds!
Love the panning ( no more switching to track north ).
I can see my GPX geocaches ( I deleted my POI geocache database to check ).
I like that you can now log your caches found ( they show the open chest afterwards ... as for a DNF ... hmmm ), etc. and "Find Next Closest", then how you can see the found caches via the left softkey ( doesn't seem to show the found caches sorted by time logged, not a biggie, though ).
Me so happy!
Well, for his sake, I do hope that 3 Sparrows ... or is it 3 Hawks ( I can't remember ) is able to still find something in this unit to bitch about ... I'm sure that he's panicking now. Well, there IS still the "IXP7" issue so I'm sure that he'll still be around, brightening our lives.
I'm glad to see you remember me. Luckily, I was the only one who had complaints and concerns. I'm glad they released the update. I'm happy you enjoy the updates. Then again, you didn't have to load the updates if you were so happy before the updates. I'm sure you will refrain from enjoying any of the future updates that result from feedback to Garmin.
Thank you for your childish jab. It sure makes you look mature and enlightened.
Kindest regards.
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What a GREAT feature. I starting to love my CO!
I already loved mine. Now I want to marry it.
What have you named her??
The Shires Foreign Exchange Cache.
in All Nations
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Thanks Peter (coslan) for answering my post!! The information you provided was the exact 4 digit number I had divined 24 hours ago after looking over the new cache listing. Your provided information validates my solve for the start of my adventure.
Your needed information has been e-mailed.
Happy caching!!
Matt