m.pedersen

You might be better served by visiting http://www.serialio.com/ And seeing if there is a way to hook the palm directly to the gpsr. It will involve two cables (sorry, you can't prevent that), but what you will do is get a serial port cable from the store I linked above, and get the serial cable from Garmin, and hook them together. Once you've done that, you'll be able to use a plugin available at CacheMate (look for the Garmin Export Plugin) to install waypoints directly onto the Garmin. I'm working on a fairly long article that details all my steps for my setup, but this won't be ready for any publication for several weeks (up to a month).

Whoa, the 101 doesn't have a PC interface? Guess I'd better stop uploading/download waypoints to it then! Sorry, my sarcastic streak (which is at least as wide as I am tall) came out. Yes, the 101 does have a PC interface, but the cable is separate, costing $15. I know, because I have it, and I use it, and am even working on a fairly long article on paperless caching using it. Hopefully, to be posted in the next month.

I'd like to put in a positive note for a Garmin ForeTrex 101. The only time I lose the signal is when I'm sitting indoors. It does a fantastic job. I've been very happy with it so far.

My suggestion? Go for the Garmin ForeTrex 101 (or 201, if you prefer not to have batteries). Small, light, wear like a wristwatch, simple to operate, can be attached to the computer with a $15 cable, costs $120 itself, compatible with most anything that speaks the Garmin protocols (which includes the GSAK, CacheMate, GPSBabel, and more than a few others). I've been using it for a few weeks now, and have had zero problems with it. Very happy customer here

I'm sorry. I've just noted that the cache owner has listed this TB as missing from the cache, so will be unable to do anything to move it on.

Dang! Just found this thread. If desired, I can rescue the bug. I'm already rescuing one this weekend (I'm not telling which one, though, I really want to be the rescuer for it). If you haven't sent it yet, please don't! I'll get the actual bug this weekend, and you can keep the backup tag for another time!

Well, I won't sell mine, but I will recommend it. It's a Garmin ForeTrex 101, and it's absolutely incredible. Small, light, simple to use, and gets and holds lock in situations where I didn't think it would. The only time it has failed me has been in a building which, despite getting 4 bars of cell signal on the other side of the wall I sit on, gets zero signal where I sit. Not too bad, really. Oh, and the total cost? $130 (unless you want to start paperless caching. Depending on what you have, and what you need to get, paperless can get up to about $250 pretty quickly when you include the ForeTrex).

Sorry guys, this was a dupe post. I'd delete it if I could, but will settle for removing the long beast, and replacing it with this.

Yay! Another monster post from me. I really should respond more than once per day to avoid this, I guess. Ms. Hathaway? Would you do us all a favor, and give us the name/GC name of the cache? I notice in one of your posts you mentioned having found it. The name is usually in the upper right corner of the screen, and will start with GC. We'll go from there to make sure the cache owner gets the info (or, alternately, send it to the site administrators, if you don't wish to make it public). I think you'll find that even us newbies (like me) would prefer to be nice guests. And, even better, get a chance to meet several hundred dogs and drive an older pooch at home crazy with jealousy I can only wish I could have practiced any martial art that often. I got as far as yellow belt in Tae Kwan Do before having to give up (lack of money for more lessons). I'll never be in great shape. Not gonna happen. But I do want to reach the point of being in acceptable shape. I should be able to go on a moderately significant walk without needing a major break afterwards, and I'm definitely not there yet. Well, from what I can gather, Cecil isn't too far away from my friend, Dave. That should be workable, I think. After reading that log, you are very correct. The knee trick would have been bad. But you did do the other bit of advice: If you are at all uncertain, keep your distance. Especially on open ground, this is usually very easy to do with a dog. With multiple dogs, not at all, but a single dog? I'd give myself even odds in a one-on-one encounter with any dog. That, though, is because I have played very rough with them, and they've played back. While it's a lot of fun, i've also found that I learned how to protect myself from them in case of need. Then again, looking at this thread, it looks like I'm not alone I am truly sorry to hear that. I've had to let go of various pets over the years. And the heartbreak that goes with it is tremendous. If there's anything I can do to help you through it (including just reading post after post about her), let me know. I'll try to help.

Ah, it sounds like we are very much in agreement. I know I can be rather offputting with some of my comments. Sometimes, that's okay, but I don't generally have that as a goal. Very much it wouldn't have mattered. I'm glad you weren't injured by it, definitely. Ahh, toot your own horn. The fact that neither you nor dog got injured by its error in judgment is a great thing. Very nice moves, and sounds like something that would be worth learning. Of course, getting in shape again would be even better (so far out of shape it's not even funny). Funnily enough, I'm actually getting something of a workout on the weekends, since I started geocaching. And it is helping. It's a long walk with a goal in mind. And since we seem to be doing terrain 3 hikes, it's definitely a workout. Now that is an amazingly useful training tip, and one I would have loved to known for longer than 5 minutes. Thank you! That will be used on our next puppy, definitely. I already knew that ignoring/banishing is incredibly effective for dogs, but never knew about the "jumping for attention" bit. Most useful! Hey, you're down there? That's only about a 2 hour drive for me, and I've got another friend in the area. He also happens to be a cacher. Maybe we should try and get all four of us together for a day (including my wife, who is loving caching!), just to hang out a bit. His member name is mykaen. What do you think? Shall we try for it?

Wow, go to bed, and when I finally get a chance to get back, see that I've got a lot of replies to make. Here goes: To reply to cimawr: I'll agree with you, totally. I'll also point out that I was answering a specific question: How to tell if a dog that is running at you is friendly or intending harm, and do so within 5 seconds? I stand by my answers to that question. I'll also point out my subsequent edit: My answer will only cover you about 75% of the time. You're still going to have to pay attention in each and every instance. No two dogs are identical in what will work for them, and what will not. If there is any uncertainty, keep your distance. This is usually easy to do, especially out in the open. How can I say that? At some point, in order to do you harm, the dog must make an actual lunge or charge. If you are watching the dog, and keeping your distance, you will have sufficient time to be able to step to the side, and push off on the approaching dog. This will throw the dog away from you, and keep more distance. If the dog stays low, the same principle applies: Step to the side, and push, though you must now do it with your legs and feet instead. Regrettably, this will often mean some sort of kick. I don't condone it, but I do understand it, and would use it myself if a dog were attacking me. I also did not cover a slew of other cases. What about a full grown Newfie? St. Bernard? Each of these dogs will have a minimum weight of over 100 pounds. They are considerably harder to push off, and even a knee-check or hip-check could leave you off-balance (or even knocked over). They are considerably harder to defend against should the need arise. Still, much of the time, for much of the canine population of this country, my advice holds sufficient water. You're right, again. That dog owner, though, needs a fairly savage beating with a cluestick. His dog acted in a manner that was too easily mistaken for an attack. If I were the owner of the dog who jumped you, and knocked you over, there would be three things I would do, in this order: 1. Pull the dog back under control. If it was off-leash, it would now be on. Get the dog physically removed from you as part of this, so that you have space in which to move/act/stand again. 2. Check to see if you're okay, and deal with any injuries (hopefully, you'd have sustained none). 3. Discipline the dog. One of the pieces of said discipline would be an immediate end to the outing. It goes home, now. End of story. And the dog will know that I'm very displeased with it. Beat the dog? No. But it will have to assume a submissive posture for me, and for you. To reply to JohnX Your reply was one of the funniest of them all, actually. You quoted me twice, though put the quotes at the beginning and ending of your "selection" of quotes, so that people would think there were more attacks. Clever boy, I guess. The reality is that you showed yourself to be of such a pathetical social skills level and reading comprehension skills level here that, in person, I'd bet you would be unable to say even 1/10 of what you did. The internet makes things nice and anonymous, which is what people like you need. It allows you to lash out and make yourself feel superior. Enjoy the anonymity. It seems to make you feel better. Did I saw it was acceptable for the dog to jump? Has anybody? If so, I've sure not seen it. What has been said is that the cacher in question severely overreacted. No harm was done, and the dog owners were very sorry that it occurred. Heck, you've even been given some advice (along with some others!) on how to handle unknown dog encounters. The whole incident shouldn't have happened. But it was made needlessly worse by a cacher acting like an utter jerk. And then the original poster who brought it all up gets people like you responding, telling her she's a horrible person. It's sad, really. It is. To reply to NotThePaint/Paul I am truly sorry to hear of what happened with you and dogs. I would not try and cure your phobia, but then again, I'm not a psychiatrist. However, something that can be done that might help out a bit: Find a nearby friend who has a puppy. The younger, the better. You see, puppies have near limitless energy (at least, that's how it seems). They also don't know very well how to control themselves. Sit down and play with that puppy. The rougher the playtime, the better. I don't mean that you (or the puppy) should be allowed to attack. But allow the puppy to play with you as roughly as it wants. You will get nipped. It might even draw some blood, but will likely not require serious medical care (a band-aid covers dang near everything that puppies will do). Now, why do that? You're going to learn how to protect yourself from that puppy so that it doesn't do harm to you. If you play with it regularly, you're going to learn how to protect yourself as it turns into a dog, too. The end result is that you will no longer be nearly as afraid of dogs (well, you would at least have less reason to do so), as you now know something about how dogs move. Because of that, you gain some knowledge of self-defense. Not perfect knowledge, to be sure, but definitely some. If you don't want to do that, that's okay. It's just an idea I had that I hoped might be able to help you out. To reply to CoyoteRed You're right on one thing: I'm a dog lover, and have never liked the feeling of a dog licking me. I understand why they do it, and why they need to, so tolerate it. But definitely don't like it. As for jumping: On me? Fine. On anybody else? Nope, not tolerated. And finally, to Ms. Hathaway Like others on this board, I'll apologize for a bad first experience. And make an offer: If ever you're in NW New Jersey, stop on by. Jess and I will take you geocaching somewhere. Or maybe just make a meal, who knows. Anyway, I think you'll agree that we can be lots nicer than the one caching group you've met. Oh, and dogs are not only welcome, but very nearly mandatory

Wow... Just... wow. My first respone to this is full of such vitriol that I have to forcibly constrain my typing right now. If I were to see you tell somebody off like this in person, I can guarantee you would not have finished your first statement, never mind finished your entire response. If a dog is running at me, I can tell you what that dog is looking to do when it reaches me. Furthermore, I can adequately protect myself if that dog is intending harm. Here's a hint: If the dog is running at you, and its' muzzle is pulled back revealing teeth, it wants to do you harm. Your proper response is to ensure that your knee meets its nose. Hard. Second choice: Ram your knee into its chest (as it will very likely jump to bite you). It will harm you very mildly, and will completely stun the dog for a long enough time to put you in total mastery of the situation. On the other hand, if it's tongue is flopping, you are unable to see more than the tips of teeth (they have long teeth, and are unable to completely hide them), its' muzzle is not pulled back, it wants to meet a new friend. Your proper response is to smile and laugh. It's likely to jump up. If you don't wish that, pick up one leg, and bend it at the knee. Worst case scenario: The dog bounces off your knee, and gets the wind knocked out of it. Pet the dog, play with the dog, and the owner will be by within a few moments to admonish the dog for jumping on you. Notice the theme? If not, here it is: Use your knee! If you are worried about what a dog will to you, get that knee bent! Mean dogs try to hit the throat. Friendly dogs try to jump and play. In both cases, your knee will hit the chest, knocking it back and knocking the wind out of it. As for the rest... You sir, are in desparate need of some social skills. I used to think I was bad at getting along with other people. Fortunately, I have people like you to remind me that, though I'm no social butterfly, I'm quite capable of getting along with many people. Unfortunately for you, dunderheads are not people with whom I can get along. EDIT: Ahh, quick note: My rules above are generalities for people who do not know how to deal with dogs. They will cover enough cases to allow you to protect yourself and judge the situation correctly well over 75% of the time. As any dog owner or lover will tell you, though, every rule has an exception. Some mean dogs may go for the feet, pulling you down and leaving you very vulnerable, for example. The ultimate rule, the one which has no exception, is always in play: Be careful. If you're unfamiliar with a dog, and too uncertain of intent, try your best to play with the dog without touch. Keep distance, but keep engaged. If it's a loved dog, the owner will be by shortly, almost guaranteed. If it's unloved, and/or mean, you need to keep that distance, and the focus, to make sure you don't get hurt. But, by no means should you freak out about the situation. A dog, mentally, will never be as intelligent as the average 6 year old child. Use your brain, not your fear, and you'll come (intact) out of any situation involving a dog.

Quick reply is good. I was about to go to bed Now: The 101 may have problems acquiring sites. I haven't seen any issues so far, though I've only had it for a week. I do know that I just did a Terrain 4 cache through some nasty woods, and couldn't see the sky at all. And the 101 held the lock wonderfully for me. On the flip side, I did have it acquire the lock in clear sky. Honestly, I couldn't find the 30x anywhere as a product I could purchase, so didn't look for info on it. As a result, I don't know what it has to help perform better. Now, as to differences between the forerunner and the foretrex: I found a lot of forum posts that discussed it. The gist of it is that the forerunner is, more or less, a runner's watch with some gps features. You can use it for geocaching, and people reportedly have great success doing just that. On the other hand, the foretrex is more of a straight up gps, and as such has features the forerunner does not. While I don't know the list of features, here's a link you could use that will give you entirely too much info, I'm sure: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=...amp;btnG=Search

Well, this won't be a comparison, but it ought to be a starting point for you. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...d=2524645 I hope it gives some help/info for at least one of the devices (the 101).

Well, you did ask for opinions, and since I've got one, here you go: I just got the Garmin Foretrex 101, and have absolutely fallen in love with it. I couldn't ask for an easier way to handle caching. I'm going to put up a full paperless caching article in the next month or so, once I've gotten my last linkup done (connecting the Palm to the Foretrex), and will discuss there some of the pros/cons of various items. Here's a short rundown on my experiences so far with the 101. Didn't get a lock inside of a building. Then again, I also don't get cell signal where I was trying. Outside, it gets a lock quickly, and keeps the lock. I've gone on an hour hike through some nice deep woods with not a hint of sky visible overhead, and this thing kept a fantastic lock on my location. The Foretrex 101 uses 2 AAA batteries. I like this. Many do not (and I will not get dragged into a batteries/no batteries debate here, wait for my article if you want to hear my reasoning). If you fall into the "I prefer rechargeables instead of batteries", look at the Foretrex 201, which is the same as the 101, except no user changeable batteries. Oh, and about 0.25" thinner. Now, with that, the next part becomes "How do I get the waypoints into the garmin?" The answer to that can go a number of ways. My way that I'm using is somewhat complex to describe, so I'll go for a cop-out answer for now, and give the complex answer in my future article. Get the Serial Cable for the Garmin (the 201 comes with it, the 101 makes it an extra cost of about $15). And get either GSAK (Geocacher's Swiss Army Knife), or use Garmin MapSource (about $25). Mind you, I do not use either, but that is because I have a palmOne Tungsten T5, and am ordering cables to connect it direct to the Garmin, and already have CacheMate (and that will be my preferred solution). My links list (below) references The GPS Store. I have no idea if they are the cheapest locations or not. I know that's where I bought the hardware, and I was pleased enough with their service to be willing to link to them here. Your mileage may vary. I'm not affiliated with them in any way. I haven't received the T5 cables yet, so can't comment on them in any way. I just know I've placed the order, and the order left Hong Kong on Friday, Oct 12. Useful Links: Garmin Foretrex 101: http://www.thegpsstore.com/Detail-Garmin-Foretrex-101.asp Garmin Foretrex 101 - Serial Cable: http://www.thegpsstore.com/detail.asp?product_id=GAX10484 Garmin Foretrex 201: http://www.thegpsstore.com/Detail-Garmin-Foretrex-201.asp Garmin MapSource: http://www.thegpsstore.com/detail.asp?product_id=GAX102154 CacheMate: http://www.smittyware.com/palm/cachemate/ GSAK: http://www.gsak.net/ My T5 Cables Source: http://pc-mobile.net/ Hope that at least gives enough information to help out a bit. Will post more if you have more questions!

Sweet! I can finally offer up some help and advice to somebody. My wife has the exact same thing. Here's a short summary (I'm going to be writing more once I get the last of my cables in place in about two weeks). Get CacheMate. Register it (it's $8, so you're not going to lose much). After that, get CacheNav. Free plugin for CacheMate. Both are obtainable at http://www.smittyware.com/ Got that much? Good. Also get CMConvert (from smittyware, as well, also free). Finally, get a premium account at geocaching.com. If you're nervous about it, get a month of it (for $3, how can you go wrong?). Now, finally, configure CacheMate to use the GPS. To do that, tell it to use the "Serial" port (*not* the RS-232 port! They're not the same on this setup!). Leave all other GPS settings as they are. To get to here, Menu->Option->Preferences-GPS Setup Finally, all is ready. Get some .gpx files of caches you wanna visit. Using cmconvert, turn them into .pdb file (make sure to turn on all the checkboxes that will add information. You'll thank me later!), and upload that file to your visor. When you startup CacheMate, it will find the new caches, and import them. You're all set to begin your caching. Click on one of the caches in CacheMate, click the "Nav" button, and you're off to the races. One thing I didn't try: You might need to "Start" the GPS in Map Manager (or elsewhere), so that GPS data comes into CacheMate. Good luck!

Here's the best solution, to my mind: Go to Google Mail, or Yahoo Mail. Doesn't matter which one. Get an account there. Have geocaching send you the file to *that* account. From there, it will act very much like a regular email program. You can check your email, and download the attachments. From there, you should be able to convert/install it. This is a high-level view, but I hope it helps!