winston61
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Posts posted by winston61
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I've got a chance to buy a new gps and I am choosing between two Garmins. A Nuvi 550 or GPS60CSX. Both has the functions I like. The CSX has been the pipeline a long time, but the 550 looks like the way gps may go, more into the crossover realm. Any insights from the real world would be appreciated. Thanks to all.
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I picked up an Explorist 200 to use for caching and wondered if anyone uses the pc mobile data cable with theirs. The cable price is right at $17.00. I use EasyGps 'cause it's free. Yeah, I'm a cheap date. I save my more expensive Garmin and Magellan for fishing trips and camping.
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You want professional gear, not the mass market junk the rest of us use. Contact Garmin or Magellan and tell them what you need. They have pro lines that will stand up to abuse that would send the other units to the dumpster. There is a world of difference between extracting humans from life and death situations and looking for little boxes with paper and pennies in them. Plus pro equipment will stay in the parts and service pipeline for a very long time.
Howdy,
I'm with a S&R team and have been tasked with making the recommendation for GPS units to be used on an S&R mission. There is a section of the Cumberland Trail recently opened that travels across our jurisdiction and in this section of trail there are many hazards in which we believe hikers will get themselves in trouble.
Out intended use for these units will be to transfer waypoint information of the trail and have this information stored in a laptop. Then when we are at an incident the Incident Commander will have an opportunity to view where we are on the trial and develop the easiest way to extricate the patient.
So far we have been looking at the Rino 530 and the 76CSx. Of these two units which would provide us the best support for out intended use and are there others we should consider. For the most part there is a heavy canopy so we are more interested in units that can deal with this sort of terrain.
I'm new to this type of technology and so any help or information will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks to all,
Bill
Sale Creek Fire & Rescue
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I'm an old fan of the pawnbroker. Got both of my units at the pawn shop. Sent them both back to the manufacturer and got re-furbished models back just for the cost of one way postage. They are not brand new, but they do just fine for geocaching. We ain't splittin' the atom here, just lookin' for boxes in the bushes.
Went on pricegrabber and found some decent prices on the Garmin 60 CSX, however, I also know how some of those places work. They either whack you with some outrageous shipping. They call you in an hour and try to hard sell you stuff you don't want or need. Then when you decline, it's suddenly not in stock and it's like pulling teeth to cancel the order....
So, any reputable places on Pricegrabber that can be recommended that did pretty good with price and quick shipping?
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We are all using civilian standard gps devices with little or no guarantee of accuracy. We can hope for the best and get pretty close, but that's about it. Just as the previous post states, there are many factors at play. Relax, we ain't splittin' the atom here, just lookin' for boxes in the bushes.
I have been geocaching with my Lowrance Ifinder and my husband has a Magellan 400. It is not unusual for us to put in the same waypoint and have our units send us in two different directions. Sometimes mine is right on and other times his is. This happened several times yesterday. We then went to yet another site where we both walked up to exactly the same tree. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to which GPS will get us to a cache. Anyone know why this happens?
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Similar experiences myself. Don't rely just on the GPS. When you get the general area, start looking around. Remember that sometimes hints can be meaningless. Take a look at the last time someone else found the cache. Has the weather changed? Has the season changed? Leaves and trees do fall and hide caches. Floods do happen and wash caches away. Groundskeepers do throw containers away. Do not forget that civilian model GPS devices can sometime have large errors. Old chip sets, more errors. When I go out to an old grave yard and I see deep leaves I know there's a good chance no cache will be found. I'm not taking a leaf rake and a metal detector or a dip net to find a cache. You can be TOO clever and hide the cache so well that no one will find it. Don't hesitate to report an unfound cache. It may not be there anymore. Geocaching can be a pleasant excuse for exercise and to play with your toy, but when it get frustrating, it's time to search for something else.
I am a newbie to geocaching. Became very interested a month or so ago. Got an early model etrex off ebay (with no WAAS) for small investment just to see if this is something I would want to stay with. Even bought Geocaching For Dummies ...I just checked in with myself and find that I still like this pastime an awful lot even though I find myself cacheless after two attempts. The first cache I searched for a good 45 minutes until I lost daylight. Came back the next morning to the same cache sight and spent over an hour searching with no results. I then went to another cache which what I thought should have been a piece of cake only to strike out again and come up with yet another DNF. These are 1/1 caches. I am feeling rather stupid that I have yet to come up with my first find. Has anyone else had the same difficulty till they found their first cache?
I read these logs on the geocahcing website and I get a little intimidated with all the success stories.
I might add that I did enjoy getting some excersize in searching for the the caches which is one of the things that attracted me to geocaching.
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Hello to all- I recently purchased a second hand Meridian Gold. I upgraded the firmware myself. The back light screen was blotchy, so I sent it into Magellan for an exchange. The base map was not upgraded. The base map loaded into the unit is labeled NA M Land- 1.03 in the about screen. Using Hyperterminal I found the file is actually called NA_G103.BIN. After some research into upgrading the basemap (Yes, I know I have not done enough to find out for myself) I found another base map file on a Russian website. After extracting this file I see it is called na_110 (meri & st).mgn.
Is this an appropriate base map file for a Meridian Gold? Do I need to rename the file to something else with an *.img extension? Is this process as simple as erasing th current base map and using Magup to load the new map? Should I just forget about doing this myself and send it back to Magellan(another nightmare in itself)? Is upgrading the base map something I should care about to begin with? I know I am asking a lot but I do think that everyone had to be new at this at one time. Thanks to all.
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Yeah, I read the manual. It's amazing what you can learn. When you are ready to throw it over the fence, sit down calmly with the user guide and all will be revealed.
quote name='SgtSue' date='Dec 28 2006, 12:19 PM' post='2633772']
Doesn't any one read the manuals any more?
Read the manual?
That takes the fun, challange, and adventure out of it. If someone is smart enough to build this thing, I should be at lest smart enough to figure out how to work it. -
Hello to all- Does anyone have GPS reception problems through the windows of General Motors trucks and SUVs? When I drive my bosses Suburban my garmin does not seem to perform as well. Anyone else?
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Hello to all- Just a quick question. Are re-radiating antennas generally a good product? Any thoughts. opinions, experiences good or bad?
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Check this out- I have no idea how it performs, just found the link. http://casanovasadventures.com/catalog/maps/p1320.htm
I wasn't sure where to post this, but I figured paper is kind of soft
. I wanted to to print custom maps from my ink jet and take them into the field. As inkjet documents run/bleed quite easily when exposed to moisture I am looking for a way to produce weatherproof/waterproof maps. I read about National Geographic Adventure Paper, and that looks good. It's a bit pricey, and there's no local oultet here, but it's got a lot going for it. I was just wondering if anyone had more economic alternatives. -
Whenever I bought something at Best Buy I thought it was just annoying to be asked for my telephone number. Turns out there is a reason. I lost a receipt on a Best Buy purchase. I called customer support to ask what my options were. The rep asked for my phone number. He told me what I purchased, the date and time, the cash register number and the employee number. I could get a duplicate receipt just by walking into the the store. I bought a Magellan GPS device in a pawn shop. God knows who had owned it. I called Magellan support with a problem. It took fours calls but I finally got an RMA and an offer of a free repair, just pay the send in postage. 'Richard' told me that even a Magellan purchased second hand has a 90 day warranty. Not too shabby. So, moral of the story, call the store where you bought the gadget. They may have a record. It's worth the effort for a potentially free repair.
Thanks everyone, I actually called support tonight and got someone right away.
However, the guy wants me to provide a proof of purchase... I purchased it 10 months ago and I'll be pretty hard pressed to find the receipt. It's kind of a pain in the butt. I asked the guy if I could not find it, am I out of luck for Warranty repair... apparently yes.
Argh!
GPS_David
Call 800-707-9971. You can reach technical support for Magellan® consumer products toll-free within the U.S., Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. P.S.T/P.D.T. They have outsourced their level one support, but you will quickly be serviced. They will give you an RMA number.
It's funny you mentioned that you had a pin break off. I just got a replacement unit because the diddly stick broke off. I have an eXplorist 600. I love it, but IMHO, the keypad is just too delicate for hard use in the field.
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Thank you very much for this information. Last week it took four calls to Magellans 'level one' support to get the answer and RMA I needed.
Call 800-707-9971. You can reach technical support for Magellan® consumer products toll-free within the U.S., Monday through Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. P.S.T/P.D.T. They have outsourced their level one support, but you will quickly be serviced. They will give you an RMA number.
It's funny you mentioned that you had a pin break off. I just got a replacement unit because the diddly stick broke off. I have an eXplorist 600. I love it, but IMHO, the keypad is just too delicate for hard use in the field.
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No, perhaps I did not make myself clear. What I have is a gps power/data cable with two leads leading away from the cigarette lighter plug. One for power, one for data with a 9 pin serial connector. I would prefer not to have to roll up the other cable with the serial connector when I want to use the power/data cable in my car. I would like to dis-connect this part of the cable. It is a power/data cable with two leads. One is for the power connector that goes to the gps device and the other cable has the nine pin serial connector at the end. What I want to do is remove the data cable close to the cigarette lighter plug. Anyway I believe I already have a solution. Thank you though for your reply. I will in future more carefully phrase my questions so as to be more better understood.
Let me get this straight.... You want to remove a connector and replace it with a connector just so you can have a removable connector on other end of connector...
Dale
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I've got a data/cigarette lighter cable for my Garmin GPS12. The serial connector portion of the cable is not detachable. I'd like to cut and splice a connector into the line so it can be removed for auto use. Can anyone suggest a connector type for this? Something I can pick up at Rat Shack or the local DIY? Thanks to all.
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Hello to all- I just got one of the diabetes travel bugs. And of course I promptly threw away the envelope it came. I want to cache the bug, but I can't register it without the two codes. What can I do? Thanks to all.
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Hello and Thanks to all for your very fine suggestions. I got my power/data cable in the afternoon mail. Hooked everything up, upgrade the firmware. I had to remove/reinstall the batteries to get the device to power up after upgrade. Put the SD card in the unit and powered it up and bingo! There was the card and card utilities selection on the menus. Re-formatted and scanned and it seems good to go. Again thanks for the ideas. For what it is worth, the Magellan tech on my last call told me that even a Magellan unit purchased second hand has a 90 day warranty. Just get an RMA and photocopy the receipt from whoever you bought it from. Not too shabby. Back to the woods!
Ed
Hello- I picked up a Meridian Gold at the local resale shop last week. It functions well and as soon as I get a data cable I will upgrade the firmware (still running 3.08). I thought I would try a memory card. I've got a Sandisk 64 MB Sd card. So read the pages in the users manual, and put the card in. No card utilities on the menu, no indication at all the unit knew it had a card in it. It's a good card, it works in other devices. It only took four calls to Magellan tech support to be told that the unit needed repair. Got an MRA number and the address for the repair center. Does anyone else have a Meridian that would not read a card? Anyone else have this kind of problem with Magellan tech support?
I know it's a crap shoot buying any electronics second hand, but at least there won't be any charge for the repair, just postage one way. No real point to the story just be sure you know what you are getting when you buy second hand.
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Hello- I picked up a Meridian Gold at the local resale shop last week. It functions well and as soon as I get a data cable I will upgrade the firmware (still running 3.08). I thought I would try a memory card. I've got a Sandisk 64 MB Sd card. So read the pages in the users manual, and put the card in. No card utilities on the menu, no indication at all the unit knew it had a card in it. It's a good card, it works in other devices. It only took four calls to Magellan tech support to be told that the unit needed repair. Got an MRA number and the address for the repair center. Does anyone else have a Meridian that would not read a card? Anyone else have this kind of problem with Magellan tech support?
I know it's a crap shoot buying any electronics second hand, but at least there won't be any charge for the repair, just postage one way. No real point to the story just be sure you know what you are getting when you buy second hand.
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I bought a Magellan and was frustrated with the inadequate users manual.So I got my money back and went to a local pawn shop and bought an old Garmin GPS 12. Put new batteries in it and 15 minutes later I was on the trail. Just my $0.02 worth. Garmin rules.
First time cachers, full of frustration. We wandered a cemetary for an hour and every time we thought we were getting close, the other coordinate was way off. Is there a secret? And is there a way to enter the cache coordinates in this GPS?
thanks!
I am a newbie to geocaching. Became very interested a month or so ago. Got an early model etrex off ebay (with no WAAS) for small investment just to see if this is something I would want to stay with. Even bought Geocaching For Dummies ...I just checked in with myself and find that I still like this pastime an awful lot even though I find myself cacheless after two attempts. The first cache I searched for a good 45 minutes until I lost daylight. Came back the next morning to the same cache sight and spent over an hour searching with no results. I then went to another cache which what I thought should have been a piece of cake only to strike out again and come up with yet another DNF. These are 1/1 caches. I am feeling rather stupid that I have yet to come up with my first find. 
. I wanted to to print custom maps from my ink jet and take them into the field. As inkjet documents run/bleed quite easily when exposed to moisture I am looking for a way to produce weatherproof/waterproof maps. I read about National Geographic Adventure Paper, and that looks good. It's a bit pricey, and there's no local oultet here, but it's got a lot going for it. I was just wondering if anyone had more economic alternatives.
Wet Log, Replace
in How do I...?
Posted
'tother day I found a cache with a wet log. I removed the log, dried it, signed it and put it back. I made a note in the log and will leave it to the owner to repair.