GeoLeeBea

Well, I just got my eTrex 20 (a week late -- my mail carrier is afraid of the snow) and took it to the field. All I can say is "What a difference a day makes!" The change from just the iPhone was swift and dramatic. The specificity was greater and the "dancing around" aspect was significantly reduced. It definitely let us know when we were at GZ. I chose the eTrex 20 over the 62s based on all your reports of their comparable features [special props to ADKer & BlackRose] as well as for the price. My daughter loves how the unit fits in her hand as if it was made for it. She insists on holding it and taking the lead. This is fine with dad who can man the iPhone, without which he feels naked anyway. With the eTrex we found our first micro caches yesterday, just like seasoned pros. I added a Pocket Query from here with only minimal suffering. (Surprisingly there are steps that neither this site nor Garmin fill in.) I also located my old Garmin MapSource TOPO 2007 disc, so the only question now is whether I use that or download newer (better?) Topo maps from online. Feel free to chime in on this. Thank you for everyone who contributed to the discussion. It was enlightening and enjoyable to read.

Interesting…. Is that from any particular features, or do you simply find the 62s to be more accurate?

Wow, great info, ADKer! Just what I was hoping for. I discounted GLONASS but now see where it really helps. (In your "bang-for-buck" comment I gather you meant "can't be beat by 62s.") Also I didn't know the eTrex was just as waterproof. I guess I yielded to "external antenna envy" in favoring the 62s. I suppose Freud might say, "sometimes an antenna is just an antenna." Thanks again.

Thanks, and I appreciate what you are saying. The searching I'm down for, what I'm trying to shake is a GPS that has inconsistent readings. To answer your question we are focusing on beginner caches, but that does not absolve our directional device from changing frequently while standing in one place. Lack of pinpoint accuracy I can live with, the lack of consistency needs fixing by using a device meant for such purposes.

Spyglass by Pavel Ahafonau https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spyglass/id332639548?mt=8 They are all in the same family of apps. See for yourself: http://happymagenta.com/spyglass/manuals.html And it is probably the best for iOS.

I just started geocaching this week along with my 8 y.o. daughter. Great fun, yadda yadda. Short story is that it looks like we'll be doing a bunch more. So far we have ventured out with only the Groundspeak iPhone app, the merits and deficits of which (there are both) needn't be raised here. I will say that the jumping-around of the cache location (e.g., 14 ft. west instantly becoming 22 ft. east then to 8 ft. north) is a growing frustration. All but the most obvious hiding places become flotsam. Nano Cache? Forgettaboutit. Also the app beats down the iPhone battery like it holds a grudge. So I'm in the market for a handheld, and after a cursory search came up with the Garmin GPSMAP 62s as the answer. See if you agree. (I was considering the eTrex 20, but didn't think it would have the same in-woods accuracy.) The factors to be juggled are these: • Looking for spot-on, locked-down accurate readings to the thousandth of a minute. [Correct term? Like "38° 53.246" seen in GC descriptions] I know about WAAS but I'll admit ignorance about GLONASS. • Waterproof-ish, in case the kid drops it, etc. • I believe somewhere I have the Garmin MapSource discs for Topo North America. (I bought it ten years ago for a unit which was stolen before I loaded the maps. Maybe I ebay'ed it, but I think it's around.) In any case I can download the maps I need. • A camera in the GPS is of no real use to me. • I have a trove of rechargeable AA batteries at the ready. • I have an 8 GB MicroSD card laying around looking for a new use. • Importing geocaching data direct to the unit sounds like a nice feature. • Budget was $200 US, which I am stretching a bit to $250 for the 62s. The $399 base model of the GPS MAP 64 is out of the question. Pundits, please hold forth.