Rocketsteve

We're currently at 8 finds. 3 micro, 1 small, 4 regular. So yeah our "geo-sense" isn't quite honed yet and pretty much every cache we've found has been hidden in a way that's surprised us. Some of the caches we've been stumped by have been "regular" sized caches with a 1.5 difficulty though which is what had me worried I was doing something wrong with the GPS. I didn't expect it to be 100% right on every time of course. I just wanted to know if I was doing things right which it sounds like I have been. Thanks for all the tips, I wasn't sure how often I needed to calibrate my compass for example. Personally, I like to re-calibrate my compass just before I start caching that day, and in the event something happens to my GPSr, I also carry a "real" compass as a backup.

"Oh, NOZE"? That was YOU? OMG! no... ZOMG!!! That was YOU? I HEARD you!!! It was, like, TONIGHT, right? Earlier? Yeah! I was outside, here in Minnesota, just looking up at that HUGE, BRIGHT MOON when, suddenly, what do I hear, but... "Oh, NOZE!!!!!!!". This means something. Well, I think it's safe to say that the train has definitely come off the tracks.

Well that will eliminate caching on the moon. Moving caches are a violation of the guidelines. Only if your Reviewer doesn't OK the move...

Downloading the latest maps twice instead of once costs Garmin nothing... ARE YOU SURE? Quote Redwoods Mtn Biker: "Garmin pays NAVTEQ a licensing fee for every update. I assume that the one free update deal is a result of an agreement between them and NAVTEQ. Lifetime maps (up to four new versions per year) have been on sale for as low as $79 recently." NAVTEQ produces all the maps for the Nuvi line of GPSr, and Garmin lost the bidding war when they tried to acquire NAVTEQ. If Garmin had been successful in the acquisition, they would've more than likely made multiple updates available to new customers for a specified amount of time. Since NAVTEQ is a separate entity, Garmin has entered into new licensing agreements with NAVTEQ, and part of those agreements may allow for only 1 free download per customer during the first 60 days after registration. If NAVTEQ has placed restrictions on Garmin for the number of free downloads that it may distribute, then Garmin is legally bound to follow those restrictions, or they could find themselves in a "Breach of Contract" lawsuit.

I have a Vista HCx and I've looked for and found caches that were better than 30 feet from where my GPSr said it was supposed to be. If the Cache Owner doesn't have a high-sensativity antenna GPSr, any overhead cover (i.e. tress) will notably impact the accuracy of the cache coordinates. Basically, I use my Vista to get me within 15 - 20 feet of the cache, and then I let my geo-senses take over. Unless I'm having a really bad day, I can usually find the cache within 10 minutes of walking into GZ.

Do you have a problem with Garmin wanting to sell more product? Your posts have had a noticeably negative tone in this thread and you've implied that Garmin's policies are wrong, so I'm wondering if you've had some bad history with Garmin. Do you have a problem with "Capitalism"? Do you believe in the "Free Market System"?

You'll understand the value of topo maps for geocaching the first time you spend a few hours hiking to the wrong side of a river, and see the ammo can on the other bank. I find the maps on my Colorado quite valuable. I'm not familiar with the maps on your specific brand of GPS but in general, topo maps on a GPS are a great tool for cachers I'll second that!

I've gone to the local Army/Navy Surplus store. I'm able to check them for problems with the lid, rubber gasket, hinges, or holes in the body of the can. The store here has them piled in a stack about four feet tall, so there's plenty to choose from.

I was thinking more of a 3D block-type of map where you could also see movements in the vertical. Ex: as you look at the track, not only would you see left and right movements, but you would also see the track move up or down as the plane changes altitude. That example is in Google Earth where you can see that if you wanted to, or have a cockpit POV playback of the track. Is there a special setting on Google Earth that will allow me to view the track overlay?

The update you are entitled to is based on ... Please STOP using this assertion. No one who purchases a GPSr is "ENTITLED" to anything that isn't contained in the manufacturer's packaging. In the spirit of good customer relations, Garmin has seen fit to "GIVE" their customers "1 FREE DOWNLOAD" during the first 60 days after registration, to insure that the newly-purchased unit is up-to-date, but nothing, either morally or ethically, mandates that Garmin must do this! Garmin is in the business to make money; not to give away their intellectual property to everyone who feels Garmin's policies aren't fair. DyverDown, I'm sorry that the timing of your Nuvi update was so bad, but that's what happens in life. We don't always get what we want, but we have to get over it and move on. And after all, we are talking about a car GPSr, and your maps will be, at the most, 90 days out-of date.

Since you like using GM, if you go and buy a car from one of their dealerships, do they owe you a new set of tires when they come out with a better performing tire for your model of car? Do they owe you oil changes every 3000 miles? Do they owe you a tune-up every few months? Do they owe you any or all of these things as long as you own that car? According to you, that would be good customer service. But, the answer is NO! You have to pay for those extra services, so why is a Nuvi GPSr any different. You buy the GPS with all the bells and whistles, and then Garmin "gives" you the opportunity for "1 FREE Download", which they don't have to do, and yet, you still have a problem with Garmin. Are you standing in front of your local GM dealership demanding your new tires, free oil changes, and free tune-ups? I think not.

Why do you think most GPSr come with neck lanyards? When the bear gets to GZ, he rears up on his hind legs and takes to lookin'. I just can't figure out how they can sign the logbook with such long fingernails...

I was thinking more of a 3D block-type of map where you could also see movements in the vertical. Ex: as you look at the track, not only would you see left and right movements, but you would also see the track move up or down as the plane changes altitude.

Could you have used a worse example? GM got into trouble because they agreed to union wage and benefit packages that were absolutely insane. They priced themselves almost to the point of oblivion, and if it hadn't been for the federal government coming in and wiping their butt, GM would have gone the way of the dinosaur. Please compare apples to apples if you want to make a point. Quote OpenTrackRacer: "I also said the customer should do the right thing and his return the unit." DO THE RIGHT THING??!! The right thing would be for the OP to suck it up and get on with life. The right thing would be to NOT return the Nuvi because you didn't get the very latest Garmin update. The right thing is accepting the fact that things don't always go your way and, rather than complain about how unfair life is, get over it and move on.

I like a golden-brown roasted goose, some pasta alfredo, and a bottle of red wine. MM, MM, GOOD!!

Since Garmin is the largest manufacturer of GPS devices in the world, I don't see them having a problem maintaining market share or a solid, not to mention growing, customer base. How can you call an agreement, printed in English and stating that customers get "1 FREE UPDATE" during the first 60 days after registration, MISLEADING? I challenge you to show where Garmin has been "ethically" questionable in their customer agreement or their customer service practices. Quote OpenTrackRacer: "Customers know the difference and will show their preferences with their wallets." As I stated earlier, Garmin is #1 in the GPS market, so it would seem customers HAVE been showing their preferences with their wallets.

I;m using the gpsfiledepot maps on my Oregon 300 and I am very happy with them, I also use the topo maps from http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/ on my Venture HC and Vista HCx. The detail is great but they do tend to eat up quite a bit of memory.

Never done it, but it sounds interesting. I wonder if there's a way to map your movements in 3D, because that would look really cool.

Not usually by choice. Most of the times, it's happened because an afternoon storm popped up and I was too far away from my car to get out of the rain. That's why I carry a waterproof poncho in my backpack, so if I do get caught again, at least I have something to keep me from getting completely soaked to the skin.

IT'S CALLED A CONTRACT! Even if the OP reads none of or only parts of the Garmin agreement, the moment he goes onto Garmin's website to update his Nuvi, he has entered into a CONTRACT with Garmin. Part of that contract states that there shall be only "1 FREE UPDATE" during the first 60 days after the unit is registered on Garmin's website. The OP contracted for "1 FREE UPDATE", and that's exactly what he got. Garmin isn't screwing anyone; the OP is trying to get more than he's entitled to, as per the agreement.

I gave him the secret signal, but he thought I was a Mason. I guess that's better than him giving you the hand signal that let's you know that he thinks "You're #1".

When I've placed my own caches, or helped friends place caches, I've gone to this website to rate them: http://www.clayjar.com/gcrs/ For each section, you click on the response that best answers the question. When you've answered all the questions, click on the "Rate Cache" tab and it gives you the Difficulty Rating and the Terrain Rating, as well as an explanation for each rating. I've found that it's pretty accurate and when I answer the questions, if I'm not sure about one, I always use a more difficult answer, rather than the easier one.

One thing you can do to reduce the amount of time your GPSr needs to get a satellite signal lock, in the Bahamas, is to go onto Google Earth and get the coordinates of where you'll be staying. The coordinates don't have to be exactly dead on. Go into your GPSr setup, manually enter the coordinates the night before you fly out, and when you restart you GPSr in the Bahamas, your sat signal lock will take considerably less time than if you started your GPSr with the last set of coordinates back in North Carolina. Good luck, have fun, and don't forget to do a little scuba diving. Come on, it's the BAHAMAS!!

With only about $175 to spend, I would recommend getting a used unit with maps already loaded. What most people won't mention is that new units only come with the most basic map and you will need to purchase additional maps for the unit to have surface streets and for the streets to be routable. Those extra maps cost @$100. Check the GPS Garage Sale forum here to see if you can find a great deal. Yes, you could buy an used GPSr with maps already loaded, or you could buy a new Legend HCx, and rather than spending $100 for extra mapping software, you can go to http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/ and download all the maps you want for FREE!

I'm in complete agreement. In an earlier post, the OP stated that he didn't read parts of the agreement from Garmin, so Garmin is NOT at fault. If the OP had read the entire agreement prior to downloading the update, he could have decided whether or not Gamin's "1 Free Update" policy was palatable, and if it wasn't, he could have returned the Nuvi and gotten something else. The OP's failure to fully read the agreement from Garmin doesn't entitle him to any special consideration when the newer sofware version is posted on Garmin's website 2 days after he updates his Nuvi with the older software version. Garmin is following the terms of their agreement, and for that, I can find no fault.