yeahright

Lots of great advice here. I'd like to emphasize something Briansnat brought up. Sock Liners. If you get synthetic sock liners (cheaper than the original silk ones) the friction occurs between the socks, not against your skin. This also sounds like the least expensive thing to try first. Long distance runners often use "blister-proof" socks wich are simply a double-layer sock. They have worked miracles for me. I also get callouses in certain spots. They keep getting thicker which eventually causes more pressure in that spot. So every once in a while, I take them down about 80%. Not all the way or else you have to start over with tender skin.. Leaving some there provides some protection in a spot you body is already trying to protect. Try the sock liner approach. I'd bet that improves your situation noticeably. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

(from a previous post) No matter how precise you think you are, you still have to deal with accuracy. Most units give an estimate of “gps accuracy” or EPE “estimated position error”. These are evidently numbers the unit has calculated from the variation of the received position information. This is an estimate – it has it’s own lack of accuracy. We’ve all observed that when you get to “ground zero” , it keeps moving around. The bearing and distance fluctuate wildly. While standing still you can observe with great precision that the cache is 8 feet away, no, it’s 27 feet, no wait a minute, now it’s 53 feet away, hey now it’s 17 feet away. To be practical, when cache hunting, it has become my habit to stand off about 100 feet while my son starts searching under rocks, bark, limbs or whatever. Over several minutes I watch the distance and bearing display and observe the minimum/maximum distance to the target as well as the minimum/maximum bearing changes. Using a real compass, I then can determine the target area. The cache is usually, sort of, in the middle region of the target area. You have to keep in mind that when the cache was placed, the cache owner’s GPS gave them a position with some inaccuracy also. This approach works well when the target area is in a position of poor GPS reception. Step back to an area with a better skyview and then determine the target area. Keep working with it and you’ll get the hang of it. Then you’ll buy another unit with better features thinking this is the Holy Grail and that you’ll not have any more uncertainties. But even with better precision, the new one will still have to deal with lack of accuracy. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

Having a display that reads to .0001* (ddd.dddd) means a north/south precision of 36.5 ft and an east/west precision of 27.6 ft (at 41*north latitude). An area of 1000 sq ft. Setting the display to .01’ (ddd mm.mm) means a north/south precision of 61 ft and an east/west precision of 46 ft (at 41*north latitude). An area of 2800 sq ft. I think the reason many people use UTM is that they can relate better to seeing a distance number (even if it is meters) on the display rather than a lat/lon number. Also, for those units that support UTM but do not provide precision finer than that above, UTM can provide better precision. On my Magellan 315 (not upgraded to 3.15 software yet), my distance precision when approaching a waypoint is .01 mile. That is 53 ft. I’ve been told the upgrade will give me better precision. Therefore, I use my Garmin Legend which gives me a reading in feet to the waypoint. To use the Magellan, I have to compare the target UTM coords to my current UTM coords. This is precision, not accuracy. To say that I have 2.3846 children is a very precise number, but hardly accurate. No matter how precise you think you are, you still have to deal with accuracy. Most units give an estimate of “gps accuracy” or EPE “estimated position error”. These are evidently numbers the unit has calculated from the variation of the received position information. This is an estimate – it has it’s own lack of accuracy. We’ve all observed that when you get to “ground zero” , it keeps moving around. The bearing and distance fluctuate wildly. While standing still you can observe with great precision that the cache is 8 feet away, no, it’s 27 feet, no wait a minute, now it’s 53 feet away, hey now it’s 17 feet away. To be practical, when cache hunting, it has become my habit to stand off about 100 feet while my son starts searching under rocks, bark, limbs or whatever. Over several minutes I watch the distance and bearing display and observe the minimum/maximum distance to the target as well as the minimum/maximum bearing changes. Using a real compass, I then can determine the target area. The cache is usually, sort of, in the middle region of the target area. You have to keep in mind that when the cache was placed, the cache owner’s GPS gave them a position with some inaccuracy also. This approach works well when the target area is in a position of poor GPS reception. Step back to an area with a better skyview and then determine the target area. Still tough to do with a non-upgraded Mag 315. Gotta get that upgraded. Keep working with it and you’ll get the hang of it. Then you’ll buy another unit with better features thinking this is the Holy Grail and that you’ll not have any more uncertainties. But even with better precision, the new one will still have to deal with lack of accuracy. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

Usually when heading towards the cache, I use the compass screen. However, the breadcrumb trail came in real handy this weekend when returning to the car. The trail we were on was not always clearly marked and we diverged a couple of times. It was obviously not obvious which way we should go to rediscover the real trail. By checking the breadcrumb track, I could see that we were to the right of our original path. Once we saw that, we could work our way over to rejoin the trail. You should always carry an actual compass with you. When you stop moving, the direction of the track on the screen is no longer reliable (just stop and turn around, the display does not adjust to your 180 degree turn). If you pull out your "real" compass and find north, you can line up the display's north indicator and then see whe actual direction of the track. Keep working with it. It does get easier. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

I found the same behavior about a month & 1/2 ago. I like to compare the Mag 315 against the Garmin Legend and usually find they are within 20' of each other. When caching, it was a good thing the cache location was obvious by description, else I wouldn't have known which to believe. It was from 80-140' off. Then again, I had not had batteries in the Mag 315 for a couple of months. So it certainly needed to refresh the almanac. But even after a few hours the accuracy was still way off. I kept batteries in it and the next time I used it, they were back in harmonious approximation of the coordinates. Keep checking it. You'll probably find it behaving itself again. BTW, My son carries an etrex yellow. His seems to be consistently closer to the mark than even the Legend. Of course, he's got a bunch of rechargeable batteries and keeps it running almost continuously, even when at home. Good Luck! Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

Yup, everybody is correct. But, which to use when? At first, I always used North-Up because I visualize my position as it relates to a map. That's ok, but if you are moving east or west, you can't see much ahead of you because of the short distance to the edge of the screen. Also, when driving/hiking west and you want to follow the route south, all you need to do is turn left. But when looking at the North-up screen, you might think you need to turn a 180 and go back behind you. I found track-up to be confusing at first because I wanted to relate my direction to north. However, when following a route, the display is much easier to relate to when in Track-up. Your current direction is ahead of you on the screen, just as it is ahead of you on the road/trail. Any turns in the route are already displayed relating to your current direction of travel anyway. So it can be much simpler to view. When driving along, when not following a route, I keep the map display showing track-up. If I am looking for a road/street name to turn on, it'll display up ahead as a right or left intersecting road. You'll find your own preferences for when to use each. Just try them out in lots of situations to get used to them. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

I use a Garmin Legend that has maps, but does NOT do Autorouting like the Garmin V. However, it can accept an auto-routed route from a PC. Did a trip to the boondocks of Maryland. Nice country. It was my first attempt to use the GPS for navigating over the road. Using Garmin mapping software, I pre-routed the trip using the starting and ending points only. Loaded the route into the Legend. The trip down was in the dark, I had the GPS connected to my laptop and would check the laptop display only when approaching a major intersection to see if I turn or go straight. Worked well, but I only had the laptop powered up for the last 2 hours because I was concerned about vibration damage while driving (truck, not car). On the way home it was daylight. No PC connected. Previously I would have the GPS map screen displayed. This time I used the Navigation screen which looks like a big compass. I found that, when following a route, as you are approaching a turn (stored in the route as a waypoint), the "bearing" arrow bends in the direction of the turn. If I'd known this, I would not have used the PC on the way down. Maybe your GPSr has a similar function when following a route? Try one locally with definite turns to find out. Also, Although I had only created a route in one direction, the unit allows you to "reverse" the route for the trip back. The only suggestion I have for Garmin regarding this (and I will send it to them), is to allow the user to alter the amount of warning distance/time as the turn comes up. At 60mph you got the bent arrow at about .25 mile before the turn. Not much warning. The warning distance appears to shrink as you go slower. I had a "distance" field displayed which, if I paid attention, shows the decrementing remaining distance to the next turn. So, on a freeway with right hand exits, it was ok. But on residential roads, I might not know which way to turn until I'm too close to the intersection. Otherwise, I was very pleased at how easy it was to just use the navigation screen instead of making sense out of the tiny detail on the map screen while driving. I don't plan on keeping a laptop running for this anymore. Then again, I've loaded DeLorme Xmap Streets & Atlas Handheld edition into my PPC PDA. This software can autoroute within the PDA. I can connect a Legend or even an Etrex Yellow (or anything with NMEA) and observe the moving map display on the PDA. Usually the simplest way is to just use the Legend's Navigation screen on a route downloaded from the PC. There are many map programs that can take GPS input to show a moving map display. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

Don't give up! If I didn't have my 20 year old son along, I wouldn't have found several of them. He spots the small details, I'm better at looking for likely hiding spots. But when it's hidden "under a rock, some sticks and leaves" and you are looking at a rock wall/ledge of nothing but rocks, sticks and leaves, he is the finder. My contribution in those situations is to back off about 100' and watch the bearing change. When I find the minimum/maximum, I pull out the compass and determine the right/left boundaries of the search area. Then I go 100' away in a different direction and do it again. This helps to narrow down the actual search area, since standing within the coordinate target leaves the GPS seeming to point in every direction with changing distances. Backing off 100' clarifies the search range. Then you set the GPS aside and search the identified area. Keep in mind that if your compass is adjusted for magnetic declination, you set the GPS for True north. If your compass is not adjusted for declination, set the GPS for magnetic north. Then whatever bearing the GPS displays is what you use on the compass. As we succeed finding more caches, we are becoming more aware of how to find the hiding spots. Good Luck Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

I had followed the user group discussions but found there always seem to be variables in someone's "success". I had MS Streets & Trips in my Axim and couldn't get it to recognize the GPS. Following the suggestions, I made a male-male null adapter that does NOT contain pin 2 on the Axim side (same as if pin 3 on the GPS side is missing). If you can't find a male-male null adapter, get the male-female null adapter and a male-male gender bender. You can make this easily by removing pin 2 on the side you are aiming at the Axim. Still didn't work. There were suggestions about stopping Activesync (already did that). But there was another about using another piece of PPC GPS software to "wake up" the Axim's serial port. THen I got "GPS Engine" freeware from the web. Don't remember where, but the software screen says, "www.arecon.de" So, you connect the Axim and GPS via cables with the null adapter (less a pin), stop Activesync, startup GPS Engine (pretty cool to watch anyways), stop GPS Engine, startup Streets & Trips, and it works. After all that, I wasn't too excited about streets & trips. I picked up the Delorme Xmap Street Atlas Handheld edition and love it. The delorme software autoroutes within the PPC!! Good Luck. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

So, if you manage to get a great picture you'd like to share, consider geosnapper.com Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

I found this site less than a year ago. At first all I knew to do was read the recent discussion postings. I learned an awful lot and am very appreciative of those who patiently posted thorough answers to newbie questions. After awhile it's natural to think others should know at least what you know and think less of the newbie. But if anyone reflects back to when they got started in this, they'd have to admit they needed those answers just as much as today's newbies. Again, I respect the patient answers, still given to newbies, even if I already know the answer. The humor at times is priceless. The attacks are a waste of everyone's time. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

Geez ... This is one of those theoretical problems that can NEVER be demonstrated. Ignoring Einstein's essay treatment of the difficulty of the concept of simultaneity, even if you could get all the geocachers up on chairs you could never get them to jump off anywhere near the same time. Everybody would be looking at their elevation reading. 1/3 would be wondering why they don't show an elevation change. Another 1/3 will be wondering why their elevation continues to change. The final third will be tempted to disclaim even being a geocacher since they were the only ones that jumped on-time and now look silly. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

Maybe try adjusting the contrast? If the park covers entire map regions, you can selectively turn them off until you need them. The base map will show through any areas without a selected topo or road map. If you get Metroguide or Roads & Recreation, you can load all map types, but only turn on which ones you wan to see. Turn on MG or R&R until you get to the park then turn those off and the topo on. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

So, my son and his mother drove to visit her folks last weekend. After their return we loaded his tracks into Mapsource to see where they had been. She drove the first half on the way back, he finished. Interestingly (we hadn't examined detail before), you can check the breadcrumb trail and it'll report a timestamp as well as average speed for each breadcrumb leg. She was doing 74mph on the Mass Pike (BUSTED!), while he was never over the limit. Yet she always gripes about him going too fast. He agreed to never mention this, as it's better to let sleeping dogs lie. I can't imagine the cost of a state equipping all cars with GPSrs, administering the retrieval, storage and analysis of the data, as well as tracking the gasoline consumption. The cost of a program like this would outstrip any increase in refined revenue. They'd have to increase the taxes greatly in order to collect the small differential they are currently after. Hopefully sane minds will arrive at a more practical alternative. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

Check Here And Here Lots to consider. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

Here is a discussion comparing MetroGuide, Roads & Rec, and MapSource Topo. Check Here Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

I found that, in the ActiveSync connections screen, I could change it to COM 3. This ended the contention for COM 1. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

Answer to Poindexter ... All I've ever seen in CT are 7.5 minute Quads with 10 foot contours. Granted, Connecticut is a small area. Some older USGS maps are available. Check the bottom of this map section for details. http://docs.unh.edu/CT/roxb55sw.jpg Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

My average age is 24. Next year it'll be 24.5 They year after, 25 Hey, I like this average age stuff! Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

Sorry, not a Magellan owner. I use a Garmin Legend that has maps, but does NOT do Autorouting like the Garmin V. However, it can accept an auto-routed route from a PC. Just got back from a trip to the boondocks of Maryland. Nice country. This was my first attempt to use the GPS for navigating over the road. Using Garmin mapping software, I pre-routed the trip using the starting and ending points only. Loaded the route into the Legend. The trip down was in the dark, I had the GPS connected to my laptop and would check the laptop display only when approaching a major intersection to see if I turn or go straight. Worked well, but I only had the laptop powered up for the last 2 hours because I was concerned about vibration damage while driving (truck, not car). On the way home it was daylight. No PC connected. Previously I would have the GPS map screen displayed. This time I used the Navigation screen which looks like a big compass. I found that, when following a route, *** you are approaching a turn (stored in the route as a waypoint), the "bearing" arrow bends in the direction of the turn. If I'd known this, I would not have used the PC on the way down. Maybe your GPSr has a similar function when following a route? Try one locally with definite turns to find out. Also, Although I had only created a route in one direction, the unit allows you to "reverse" the route for the trip back. The only suggestion I have for Garmin regarding this (and I will send it to them), is to allow the user to alter the amount of warning distance/time as the turn comes up. At 60mph you got the bent arrow at about .25 mile before the turn. Not much warning. The warning distance appears to shrink as you go slower. I had a "distance" field displayed which, if I paid attention, shows the decrementing remaining distance to the next turn. So, on a freeway with right hand exits, it was ok. But on residential roads, I might not know which way to turn until I'm too close to the intersection. Otherwise, I was very pleased at how easy it was to just use the navigation screen instead of making sense out of the tiny detail on the map screen while driving. Good Luck. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

I created a waypoint in my Legend at opposite coordinates. Should be literally on the other side of the world. After saving, it reports the waypoint is just over 12,400 miles away. Diameter of earth is under 8,000 miles. Circumference is about 24,900 miles. Therefore, this GPS is reporting the great circle distance across the surface of the earth. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

Yes, the Nat'l Geo. / Topo! maps are the USGS maps. They've added features like printing just a section you choose, with coordinate markings on the borders, create a route and they generate an elevation profile of the path. The Garmin MapSource Topos only have 30 meter contour resolution unlike the 10 foot contours of the USGS maps. At first I was quite disappointed, but now I realize a 10 foot contour resolution would create an extremely cluttered GPSr display (along with previously mentioned need for economy of filesize). I've gotten used to it, and now think it was a good move. The USGS map sections are still the best for taking a hardcopy along. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

Took me awhile to figure this out previously. Estimated Position Error I have this on my Magellan 315. It equates to Garmins "Accuracy". Gives you an idea of the accuracy range of the calculated position. If I sit still, the display starts averaging, and I don't see an indication of accuracy until I start moving again. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

My son & I already are well stocked with GPSr-s. But I'd like to get him a PDA that could be connected to the GPSr and provide moving color maps when in the car. Autorouting and turn by turn instructions would be nice. We could do autorouting on the home PC and then download the route to the GPSr. I'm looking at the Dell Axim PDA. Seems to be a great value. Will I be able to cable the GPSr to the AXIM? Will the Axim be able to use mapping software that has already been developed for other PDA's? If I go down this road, what software packages ($$$ or free) do you suggest I get for: mapping waypoint management autorouting Thanks for your advice. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.

It works ! After letting it stew for a long time with a clear sky view, it now runs fine. Even acquires quickly on power-up. The manual says it'll power down after 15 minutes of no key presses if not tracking satellites. So, my son just had to press a key every 10 minutes until it finally locked. This is the third pawn shop GPS unit I've picked up. First was a yellow etrex that couldn't find satellites until I upgraded software, then works fine. Gave it to a friend that hikes alone near her home but didn't have the courage to try some trails because she didn't know if she'd find her way back. Second was a Magellan 315, new in the box, works great. This is my backup GPS (primary is a Garmin Legend). My sons both have yellow etrexi, the Garmin 45 will be my second son's backup, unless he wants to give it to a cousin. I keep accumulating inexpensive units hoping to put together a family gps treasure hunt - and these units would be loaned to anyone without one. Thanks for the feedback, I'll record the reset info in case I need it sometime. Faster, Better, Cheaper Pick any two.