DogFleazJR
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Posts posted by DogFleazJR
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Yes sir, I have my Gilsson out the window, I'm getting 10 sats with WAAS and 14 foot accuracy.Yep, I'm just trying to brainstorm the issue. It just seems familiar, one of those “one off” things. (Or I’m way-off myself)
Just curious, are you trying this while you have satellite connection?
I had the same problem earlier in the day when I was out on the road getting good reception. Today was the first time I tried to use this option since I bought the 60Cx.
I am using City Select and have the same 60CSx as VoltageHz. (ok, not the same EXACT CSx, but same model, same software and firmware)
I select FIND / All Point of Interest / MENU and the first choice is Find by Name.
As BlueDuece says, it may be a CN thing.
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Just to be sure... Even with the news above, I still don't have to reset my GPSMAP 60Cx which came with chipset software 2.80? Is that correct?
If anyone could help with this (without trolling) I would appreciate it, thanks
Volt,
you have the latest software versions and you should be set to see #51 in New Jersey. I routinely pick up #51 with a dark bar, but no D. As I understand other postings here, that is because #51 is sending the WAAS correction data but not data useful for determining your location (ranging data).
I did not need to do anything for my 60CSx to find the new satellites. Others with different units have had different experiences, but I assume since we both have the same hardware, software and live in the same part of the country, we should have similar experiences.
When I was in Kansas a few weeks ago my 60CSx (with 3.00 and 2.8 versions just like yours) was using #48 for correction data. I don't recall seeing #48 here on the east coast, but #51 routinely.
As an aside, my ol' GPS V also picks up #51 and I never did anything to the unit for it to get it. When this thread started weeks ago, I booted 'er up that night and there was #51 was on the sat page. Interestingly, the V displays a D on #51.
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Check your setup icon there is a power saving option in there somewhere. You probably don't have it on since your 60CSX does not default to that setting and it would make geocaching a lot more difficult if you did. You might want to contact Garmin. This may be an issue that will require them to replace your GPS.
I can't find the power saver feature on my 60CSx either.
Can someone point out where to find it?
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I had it off for a short time, I turned it back on because the blue circle was annoying me (I'm very particular sometimes
Why do you turn your auto-nav maps off? Is that because you switch to topo maps when off the road?
I'm still debating whether I should get topo maps or not.
Yes, I switch to topos when off road.
It took me five years to buy the topos. If I just geocached, I would not bother getting them, at least not in the east where I live. I do a lot of hiking and other activities with my GPS that made it attractive to get the Topos. They are nice to have even with their limited detail and errors. It still amazes me that you can get all this information in the palm of your hand.
For the unit to display the topos, you have to hide the auto-nav maps (CS in my case). In order to auto-route you have to show the auto-nav maps again. It just makes sense for the unit to do this automatically based on the nvaigation route you select, or at least ask you which map set you want to use if you choose off road.
I also have TopoFusion on my laptop which lets me plot tracks and waypoints over detailed topo and arial maps. A very cool feature is the ability to average a number of tracks to make an "averaged" track. A great feature if you want to map trails, as averaging a number of tracks should result in a more accurate track than a single pass. $40 for the full unlock. A very nice program for planning and analysis. Of course you can't down load these maps to your garmin unless you create your own maps - there are numerous threads on the forum that tell you how to do this, although I have never tried. Something to play around with on stormy days this winter.
Of course there is a lot more personal challenge using your GPS in conjunction with a paper map and compass. That is still my overall preference.
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Night Stalker, the other day when I was having a problem, it was both on the map page and the compass page (I have a Cx without the built in electronic compass). As soon as I switched LOCK ON ROADS off, it worked the way it should have in both screens.
Great to know, I will keep this in mind for future.
These units get more and more sophisticated and more complicated to use. I agree with your comment that a great upgrade for the future would be to automatically disable Lock on Road when navigating Off Road.
Now I have to remember to turn my auto-nav maps off (and back on again when I get back in the car) and Lock on Road off and on.
I think I will try it for awhile with the Lock On Roads off all the time and see if there is any change in auto-nav or display.
Thanks for sharing.
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Having "Lock On Road" set to ON will also screw you up while looking for a Geocache that is close to a road, so make sure to turn it off while Caching.
It would be nice if it automatically turned itself off when you choose to route "Off Road". When routing off road, there is no reason to keep the "Lock On Road" feature turned on, all it is is a hinderance.
I don't understand why Lock on Road should affect finding a geocache if you are using the compass and bearing screen and Off Road routing. As I understand it, the GPS doesn't change your location to match the road on the map, it just displays your position as being on the road on the map. The bearing pointer still points to the waypoint from your current location, correct?
I leave my GPS on Lock on Roads all the time and never noticed a problem. Then again, I don't do many road side micros, either.
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EDIT: DogFleazJR, when I did a master reset I did the following: "Hold down ENTER and PAGE while powering up".
I assume your method (Quit / Menu / Zoom Out / Power) is different? Maybe I should try that way.
Terry at Garmin told me the steps for a "master reset" which is the Quit / Menu / Zoom Out / Power described.
I did the ENTER / PAGE / Power reset before I called customer support which seemed to help, but the unit's performance improved dramatically after the "master reset" as requested.
I don't know why it improved, nor do I understand why it was so poor out of the box. But I am a happy camper, now.
Good luck! and happy navigating.
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Impressive. I respect both your preparation and your enthusiasm. May there be many fine hunts ahead.
For most caches, it's just me, the GPS and a pen.
I also carry a fanny pack for all-day adventures with the following standard equipment:
bear whistle (just in case)
pen
4 new batteries in new packaging
'biner clip that acts as the safety clip for the GPS which I clip to the back of the pack
Multitool
An empty zip lock bag or two (came in handy once to stick my wallet in during a downpour and no rain gear)
Plastic shopping bag with several snacky snacks, doubles as trash bag, too
quart+ of water in a reusable bottle (I hate the trash of disposable water bottles)
I also usually have a cell phone with me, but it hardly ever gets a signal.
I never trade, so I don't need those items. I'm not a responsible person and don't carry maintenance stuff for caches, but have notified owners of problems so they can follow up.
I almost forgot the most important item. I always try and remember to wear a smile. Sometimes I forget, but I always regret its absence later.
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If you add a solar panel for recharging batteries you should be good to go for and extended period of time.
Solar patio lights - water proof, solar, with battery back up and a light. All you need is the circuitry to make it flash if that is important.
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I've heard batteries are really nasty for the environment, you aren't even supposed to throw them in the trash cause they are hazardous waste.
anyone know if this is true? got a link?
I'd guess it'd be better to use rechargables if it is.
I do not dispute Eraseek's information on disposing of batteries in household trash.
However, some localities do prohibit disposing of batteries in household trash. The municipality I live in in North Jersey is one. Batteries, even disposable comsumer batteries, must be disposed of at approved collection centers.
I think this has to do with the disposal contracts that the municipality enters into for trash disposal. Rather than taking a risk that hazardous goods get thrown into the trash and exposing the town to fines and other damages, they just restrict all similar items.
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Ill try that but I thought it only routes when the gps is on...............
Just hit MENU on the sat screen and select Use With GPS Off, then follow Peter's instructions above.
It will ask if you want to simulate route, select No. You will see the turn by turn instruction list as you normally would when the GPS is on.
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Just to make sure everyone knows, if it says 11 feet accuracy does'nt mean it's 11 feet wrong, it means it could be up to 11 feet off.
I believe Garmin units report a confidence interval - there is 95% probability that your true location is within the reported radius.
There is a 5% probability that you are someplace else altogether. Freaky.
I agree with Sputnik - it is a relative measure and not absolute. My ol' GPS V will report accuracies of +/- 6 ft (with clear view of the sky), where as my 60CSx has never dropped below 9 ft (this was in Kansas) and 11-15 is typical in the car here in NJ. From experience, I have more confidence in the 60CSx even with the lower reported accuracy
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Does anyone pay attention to true north vs. magnetic north? Which is the default for Geocaching.com? Has anyone seen a cache based on one or the other? I know there is one in my area that specifies true north. I am just curious.
Most folks use magnetic north. Your GPSr was probably set to magnetic north right out of the box.
If you use a handheld compass, you will probably want to have the GPSr set to magnetic north so they will read the same.
Unless it specifies on the cache page to use True North just use magnetic north. When we set up a cache we use the GPSr in conjunction with the handheld compass so that means use magnetic north for our caches.
John
Actually, the GPS default is true and I would guess that the majority of people leave it on true. For most caching it doesn't matter, as another poster pointed out, the GPS will point a bearing to the waypoint, it doesn't care if you are set to true or magnetic.
If you are using your GPS with a map then set your GPS to true.
If you are using your GPS with a magnetic compass then set it to magnetic.
95% of users will never need to change this. Just leave it on true.
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Two months ago I upgraded from a 5+ year old Garmin GPS V to the 60CSx.
The 60CSx is better in every way, although in many ways marginally better. For me the best improvements are the USB interface (MUCH faster than the old serial connection), the expanded memory (I find the card that came with the unit acceptable for the time being, but eventually I will expand it), and the much faster route calculation when auto-routing.
Accuracy is slightly better than the ol' V (maybe) but it never loses signal, even under the oak forests here in North Jersey.
If I just used the GPS for geocaching I would not have upgraded. The ol' V could be a little frustrating at times, but it worked just fine. It is still my first choice for kayaking since I can lash it to the deck and the screen still faces towards me with the antenna up in the air.
No regrets for upgrading, the 60CSx is a great device, just a wee bit of buyers remorse. I guess I was just expecting more wow! Or, maybe I just under appreciated my V for too many years!
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Is this for multi caches? I can't think of any other time it would be used. Or am I missing something? I would think that if this were the case they should specify which they are using. Just be lucky you arn't in the military and have magnetic, true and grid, and have to convert from one to the other on the fly, oh those days, I miss them so, in the old days when you had to bring in birds and you didn't even know what a gps was.... I digress, do you know if that is the case, whether this is for multi caches or something else... DavidMac posted that map as I was typing that. That is cool. You should be able to find what the magnetic declination in your area is. And DavidMac is correct, in most cases the difference is negligable, unless (and this is a very big unless) you are traveling a large difference following that azimuth. It all depends upon what you are doing with the data, how far you are traveling, what the azimuth is leading you to, etc.
Use true unless specifically instructed to use magnetic, or you are using your GPS in conjuction with a compass bearing.
Maps are stated in True
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Another Noob here! I will be using my 60 csx for business travel as well as geocaching. Can I get by with the city navigator software or do I need to get the topo maps as well???
Thanks
It took me five years to buy the topos. You can geocache just about anywhere without them, but they are a "nice to have."
The auto navigation maps, even with their flaws, are invaluable, especially for business travelers. I never leave home without mine.
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Geo...com gives you the approximate miles from your zip code to every cache listed. Or, you could put the cache's coordinates into your GPS and set up a GOTO to it, to read, at your home, what it says is the distance you are from it. If you can ignore great circle considerations, if the distances are just 100 miles or so, you could use Pythagorean theorom after figuring X and Y coordinates by figuring miles/miliminute of latitude, which is constant everywhere, and miles/miliminute of longitude, which varies with latitude, it being smaller than that for latitude by the factor of cosine of angle of latitude. Assume Earth's radius is 3956 miles. Mi/mmin latitude = 2(pi)(3956 mi) / 360 deg (60 min/deg)(1000 mmin/min) = 0.001150753754 mi/mmin. At 42 deg latitude, for instance, mi/mmin longitude = 0.001150753754 (cos(42) = 0.008551767 mi/mmin. X coordinate is (lon2 - lon1)(0.001151)(cos((lat2 + lat1)/2). Y coordinate is (lat2-lat1)(0.00855). Distance = sqrt(X*X + Y*Y). I use miliminutes because I assume that when you subtract L2-L1, the result will be thousandths of a minute (I'm usually concerned with feet/mmiliminute, to figure shorter relative positions. You might do better for what you want to do to just figure mi/deg instead. Direction angle is arcsine(Y/X). Good luck.
Bearing is =atan(delta North / delta East). This is equivalent to =asin(delta North / r), where r is the radius (or hypoteneus of the triangle) as determined from the quadratic equation as you outline above.
The easiest way to get around the difference in length between minutes of lat and long is to use UTM coordinates, especially when you are in the same UTM grid. Without converting to UTM or making the corrections as Don&Betty describe above you will get erroneous bearing calculations regardless of how close together the origin and destination are.
The problem with using Excel to calculate bearing is that atan/asin report a value between -pi/2 and +pi/2. Therefore you can only determine which compass quadrant you are in by evaluating the delta East and delta North from your chosen origin.
A further complication is that atan/asin will report a value of 0 deg for due east, when on a compass 0 deg is due north.
These problems can be overcome by using a simple lookup table as below:
The first step is to determine the angle using the asin function (asin reports in radians which must be converted to degrees to be useful)
I. r = sqrt((delta North)^2 + (delta East)^2)
II. angle = degrees(asin( r / delta North))
Then check if the destination is west of the origin
III. Wvalue = if(delta East < 0, "A", "") ; if the destination is west of the origin the value will be A, if east then blank
then check if the destination is south of the origin
IV. Svalue = if(delta North < 0,"B", "") ; if the destination is south of the origin the value will be B, if north then blank
Determine the W/S lookup value
V. WSvalue = concatenate(Wvalue, Svalue) ; this just sticks the results from steps III. and IV. together
then lookup the WSvalue in the following table
90 (destination is in northeast quad)A270 (destination is in northwest quad)AB270 (destination is in southwest quad)B90 (destination is in southeast quad)using the following formulaVI. compass bearing = vlookup(WSvalue, lookup table range, 2, 0) - (angle from step II.)Sounds complicated, but it is five formulas plus a 4x2 lookup. Again, the distances must either be from UTm coords or coords adjusted for distance from the equator. -
I have a 5+ year old Garmin GPS V and a fairly new 60CSx.
With an unobstructed view of the sky, both have similar accuracy. In fact the V will report better accuracy, although I suspect this is just how the calculation is done and not necessarily true. When I first got my CSx I did a lot of field comparisons to my old V carrying both at the same time. The CSx is better, no doubt, but the ol' V was actually quite adequate (why did I upgrade again???)
The CSx does hold location better under tree cover and around ledges, cliffs and other obstructions. I clip it to the carry loop on the top of my fanny pack while hiking, it maintains accuracy, never loses signal. It will even hold acquisition in the side pocket of the pack, but accuracy will degrade appreciably. The CSx records smooth tracks without the spurious odd-ball points that the ol' V is prone to do.
The CSx has a cone-type antenna and will perform best when pointing vertically to the sky.
The CSx reports a position when I'm standing in my garage and will continue to report one when I walk into my basement, reporting an accuracy of +/- 38 ft or better. However, I find these readings dubious at best.
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I use Radio Shack rechargeables. No complaints.
I get 12 - 15 hours of use in my 60CSx (2 AAs) and 15 or more hours in my ol' GPS V (4 AAs). Depends on which specific batteries are in the unit (some last longer than others) and how fresh the recharge is. It takes overnight to recharge them.
I have learned the hard way to always carry a spare set of fresh alkalines in my day pack. Yeah, yeah, yeah I was down to one bar, but's only going to be an hour's hike at dusk. We survived, but I always carry spare batteries, now. For the wife's sake.
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No, you are not obligated to tell anybody what equipment is required. I would expect to make 2 or more trips for a true 5/5. The first would be to size up the situation. Too many people expect an homogonized, predictable hunt. It's a 5/5. Its supposed to be hard. No need to hold their hand.
Right on.
The second 5 represents the difficulty of the terrain and whether specialized equipment is needed.
The first 5 represents the difficulty in solving the hide. Once you put that first 5 on you've declared it is going to be a difficult challenge and likely not to be solved on the first try.
A traditional ammo can under some rocks on top of a butte where climbing equipment is required would be a 1/5. If you want to let potential finders know that climbing equipment and experience is required, great.
An ammo can disguised as a rock perched on the side of the abutment 50ft down from the top, that's a 5/5. No explanations or apologies required.
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Greetings All!
I am a GPS/Geocaching noob but have dived in head first. I bought a Garmin 60CSx which is really cool BTW.
I'd like to purchase the City Navigator NT v8 maps. Should I purchase the DVD or the preloaded MicroSD card? What is the benefit of one over the other? Does it make more sense to buy my own 1GB MicroSD card (<$40) and get the maps on DVD?
Is there a good place to purchase accessories like carrying case, car power adapter, external antenna, car mount?? Should I look solely at Garmin accessories or are there well respected third-party suppliers of parts? Is there a recommended website for GPS stuff?
Thanks in advance for all advice.
-Bud
I bought the Garmin suction up mount from Amazon when I purchased my CSx, was about $20 if I remember. I am a frequent business traveler and I can take the suction cup mount with me when I travel and use it in any car (techically windshield mounts are illegal in CA and Minn, although I have never had a problem). The suction cup is very secure and a big improvement over the older version I bought for my ol' GPS V.
By luck, the car charger for my BlackBerry has the same connector as the CSx (plugs into the USB connector on the back of the unit), so I use that in the car. You could shop around for chargers with that same mini-pin connector - lots of USB enabled devices use this style (cell phones, digital cameras). Of course every manufacturer looks to make big margins on selling accessories like car chargers so finding a great deal may be tough.
I also agree with others, buy the DVD so you can use it on your computer.
I had plans to buy a 1G card for my CSx, but I am ok with the card that came with the unit. I can store all the road navigation and topo maps in a 2-hour driving radius from home, plus a few additional maps for where I'm travelling to. The download speed with the USB is MUCH faster than the old serial connection, so downloading map sets is no big deal. Someday I will get the bigger card, but not urgent.
Enjoy.
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A few weeks back I was complaining that cn8 creates longer routes in my city that make no sense. Someone said it can't replace your own knowledge of getting for point A to point B on a familar route. That it will get you there if you are lost. So I accepted that and moved on.
Well I find this isn't true either. CN8 will give me a route to my local interstate where there is no exit. It puts me under the overpass. This is not good if someone doesn't know the area. What if it was a bad part of town that I shouldn't be in with my family? Yes I have tried faster and better routes to no avail. This is anacceptable for something that cost as much as CN8
I have been auto navigating for over five years with a hand held Garmin GPS V, and just recently with a new 60CSx. I have used my V to navigate all over the USA and in Quebec, Ontario and NB. I am still using the original CS v4.01 that came with my GPS V. I have never updated the software. Am I too cheap? Maybe, but I've never really seen the need to update.
I have experienced what you describe - had me exit an interstate onto a state highway where no exit existed. Obviously I kept going, it recalculated and had me get off at the next exit. Did it cost me time? Probably. Did I get to my destination? Yes. I have had a number of experiences like this.
I have also had experiences like Neo_Geo. I was leaving a Pistons game in Detroit one night with a group of customers and trying to get back through the traffic jam to a hotel in Dearborne. I selected shorter route and followed the GPS. The guys in the car who knew Detroit well thought the thing was broke and insisted it was taking us the wrong way. Of course we got to the hotel just fine and 20 minutes quicker than the other group who took the interstate. A couple more GPS converts were added that night.
Before I had a GPS, I printed mapquest directions out. Sometimes I had a local map, but usually not since I tend to travel all over. Are the mapquest directions more accurate than the Garmin maps? Dunno. What I do know is I would never give up my GPS to go back to driving and trying to read a sheet of paper, trying to remember what line I was on... I'm not aware of a mapquest feature for "avoid bad areas."
Would I like accurate, up-to-date maps from Garmin? Yes! That is part of what I'm paying for. Even with their limitations, I personally have gotten good value out of the hardware and software I have purchased from Garmin. Even from maps that are 5 years out of date and riddled with errors.
Just my thoughts, happy navigating.
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By the way, I have a very detail track log of the "Cactus to Clouds" trail that we hiked on Oct 14, thanks to the 60CSx that allows me to log data onto Memory Card. I set the track log to record data in 2 second interval and collected over 27000 data points. I converted the track log data into Google Earth track and it looks very nice in Google Earth. If anyone interest it, I can email or upload it in both Google Earth or GPX format.
DCHa
TrailRegistry is a great place to record tracks like these for use by other hikers. It is certainly not perfect since the site seems to be a part-time hobby by the moderator and the data is user supplied, but I have found several useful tracks there.
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thank for the help it seems to work now.
I, too, had a lot of accuracy problems when I first got my 60CSx.
I was in the process of returning it, talked with Terry in Garmin customer service and he asked that I do a master reset and Auto Locate before I decided to return it.
That made all the difference. I have tested against a couple of benchmarks and map generated waypoints and it is now consistently within a 15 foot radius, even under the trees and around the ledges and escarpments found here in North Jersey and NY.
When I turned on the 60CSx for the first time, I changed the location from Tiawan to NYC and let it run for 30 minutes or so. Accuracy was running 15-18 ft in the open, 50-60 ft under the trees. MY ol'GPS V was better than that! I did a user reset which helped tighten things up, but my V was still far more accurate. Even after 2 battery changes (30 hours of use?) it just wasn't getting any better and I decided to call Garmin to arrange to send it back.
The master reset made a huge difference. Don't know why this is. Go outside where you have an unobstructed view of the sky (I went to a soccer field), turn the power off and then press and hold the following keys in the following order (you might need three hands!) Quit / Menu / Zoom Out / Power. Continue holding all of these for 10 seconds, then release. You may get a dialog box about maps, enter ok, then let it run for at least 20 -30 minutes, or longer if you can.
I then took the unit to Kansas with me (I was going on business, not just to test my GPS!) and just let it run under the big sky plugged into the rental car all day (I use my BlackBerry charger, same connector as the USB cable, one less charger to carry!). Of course, in Kansas I was getting +/- 8 to 10 ft readings. In Jersey +/- 10 to 14 ft on the road, +/-14 to 18 under the oaks. Sometimes higher, but generally below 20ft in most conditions.
Interestingly, WAAS doesn't seem to make that big of a difference with the 60CSx. While in Kansas, I would drive for 30 minutes with it off and watch the reported accuracy. Then I would power down and turn WAAS on. I was receiving 48 loud and clear, solid black bars all the way across with Ds (except no D on 48 or 51). Perhaps that is the point, with nine strong signals the GPSr has all the info it needs to get an accurate position with or without WAAS. The jury is still out on WAAS in Jersey. I get 51 just fine. Sometimes it seems to make a difference, other times it is hard to tell. I just leave WAAS on all the time and don't obsess over it any more.
Good luck with your 60CSx. If you have any doubts, I would call Garmin customer service. I had to wait on hold for 30 minutes but they seem to have helped me out.
"Lock on Roads" setting for GPSMap60CSX
in GPS technology and devices
Posted
Thanks for the info, I have learned a lot about how to get the most out of both of my GPSs from the many excellent posters here.
I think I've got it now: Lock on Roads On to better auto-nav, Lock on Roads Off when routing off road but near other roads. Once you're a bit down the trail it doesn't matter anymore.
My experience has been like that of Night Stalker - I have always left it on and never noticed a problem. I will likely keep it that way, but know that if I'm getting wierd results from the unit, I know what to check first.