Bolingbrook Joe

I'm guessing that you could cancel your monthly membership subscription and then pay for an membership. As a monthly subscriber, your status is good through the end of the month. Once you pay for the annual subscription you should be extended another year. Do all of this before the end of the month and you shouldn't lose anything.

Did you lose the waypoints or just the custom symbols? If just the symbols, check that the files didn't get overwritten. On WinXP, they're in My Documents\My Garmin\Custom Waypoint Symbols.

Looks like the 530 had 56MB of internal memory only. I don't see that it supports extra memory cards. You should be able to download multiple map sets to the unit and choose which one to view via the menu. You can only view one map at a time but can alternate between them. I'm not sure how different the map sizes are between CN and Metroguide (what I have). I know the NT version of CN would definitely be smaller but I don't know if the Rhino 530 supports the NT versions. As a data point, all of Illinois on my Metroguide version appears to be around 37MB. That would still leave room for some Topo maps but I'm not sure how much coverage you'd get in the remaining space since I don't have the Topo maps.

You're understanding is correct. Both versions have the same content, just different compression and map segment sizes. The NT version will permit all of North America on a 1GB card with a small amount of space left over. The non-NT version requires a 2GB card. Of course, more space will be required if you want to load additional maps (Europe CN, Topo, etc.).

I haven't tried this but how about via the Add/Remove programs tool? Start->Control Panel->Add or Remove Programs

I've recently started caching myself after buying a handheld GPSr (a 60csx in fact). The 60csx is a great receiver. I bought the unit primarily for use while walking in unfamiliar cities both in the US and Europe so I purchased the Metroguide versions for North America and Europe off of eBay. Both products provide detailed maps and POIs for their areas. They do not, however, provide routing capabilities on the 60csx (only on the PC) without using some hacks so aren't that useful for auto routing. Since I already have a GPSr that does auto routing (see more info below) for the US and Canada, I didn't opt for the City Navigator (CN) version of the maps because a) they were more expensive, I rarely drive when in Europe, and c) they are locked to the receivers and I wasn't sure I wanted to try to sell a unit with the European maps down the road. Perhaps, some day I'll pop for the CN products but I'm happy with the maps I have for now. While reading the manual I came across the geocaching feature which sparked a few brain cells into remembering that I had heard about it before but had never pursued it. Upon investigating, I found out that there's a pretty good density of caches in the Chicagoland area so figured I'd use my new toy to get off my butt and get some exercise/fresh air. I also like solving puzzles and similar mental agility type things so this is a pretty good fit for my personality. So far I've been having a blast. It'll also give me something to do when I have some free time when out of town. As far as using it in the car, you'd want to go with the City Navigator North America NT version. The CN products provide routing within the GPSr and the NT version will fit the entire map set for North America on a 1GB micro SD card with some room to spare. Of course, the non-NT version will all fit on a 2GB card. If the price difference between the NT and non-NT version of the maps is significant, and if you don't need all of North America at once, you could opt for the non-NT version; the data is the same on both versions, just compressed differently. My Metroguide shows quite a bit of detail for Vancouver and I'm pretty sure the CN product has the same level of detail (plus routing info for the GPSr). You can check what each Mapsource product contains via the Mapsource viewer tool on Garmin's website (http://www.garmin.com/cartography/). Since I have another GPSr (Lowrance iWay 500c) just for use in the car, I find the handheld to be less than optimal for auto use. The interface is a little more cumbersome due to the lack of a touch screen which makes data entry much easier. Also, the smaller screen on the 60csx, at least for me, it too hard to see from the places I'd want to mount the receiver. My 500c sits on the dash where I can easily reach it and, even more importantly, see it without having to move my eyes too far (less movement required than looking at the speedometer). However, I got used to the larger, car-only unit first so your mileage may vary.

I'm not sure I can help but I may be able to clarify the OP's situation. From the last post, it looks like the OP was using one of the Paypal links for an upgrade and not going through the Groundspeak Store which is used only for direct credit card puchases (i.e. not credit card via Paypal). I presume, since the OP doesn't have a CC, they don't have one listed on their Paypal account as a backup for instant payments. I know that every recent purchase I've paid for with Paypal (including my subscription here) that has been funded from my bank account has a CC listed as a second payment source in case there's a delay in the bank transfer. I'm not sure if this is also done when the funds are in a Paypal account since my account is usually dry. I think this is where the OP is running into problems using the link to Paypal from the geocaching.com/subscribe page. The only think I can think of is to make sure that the funds are coming from your Paypal account rather than a bank transfer. There should be a link near the bottom of the page for more payment/funding options. I don't know which option is the default. Sorry I can't help more than this. Joe