Olar

I was thinking 98% myself and usually conservative in my estimates.

Excellent suggestion. You can also write the first successive letters thereafter. Say you're looking for GCMN41. Start writing in the graffiti box.. "G" "C" "M" and keep going until it finds what you want. Since there's few caches that begin with GCM in MY local cachemate database, it finds it fast. I sort by waypoint, so this works well for me. And to make it even easier, if you are a GSAK user, you can configure GSAK to drop the 'GC' and your listing would be MN41. Two less letters to scratch out on the pda. Hey! I'm left-handed so give me a break. Cheers, Olar

My 60Cx took a several kilometre run at almost 300kph across town the other day while sitting on my desk, now *THAT* was strange. BC Many of the stories I've been reading lately about the SiRF chip being too sensitive and recording movement while actually sitting still have occurred while indoors. Do these units still do this while outside and having an average or better satellite lock? Some of you may remember the days when the Magellan gps315 was quite popular but had a very bad problem detecting movement. When you stopped moving it would go into it's "averaging mode" and to break out of it the user would almost have to start running for it to sense movement. That's when the "Hulawave" was created. (While holding the 315 in hand, wave your arms crazily in a large, fast circular motion. ) Magellan fixed it with a firmware update then all was good. There is probably a happy medium in there somewhere but I personally would prefer the sensitivity over the other. Cheers, Olar

The only use I've ever had for the basemap is if I'm on an extended motor-trip and did not have enough map memory for the entire route using City Select. I will load up with the destination area maps and any cities in the route that I may have to drive through and leave the in-between to the basemap which most often displays the highway or Interstate that I'm taking. Now with the new 'X' units it's possible to have the entire route covered. If you will be using auto-routable maps of your area then the basemap will serve no function. However if you plan on using maps that will not allow auto-routing then the basemap will provide this function while your own maps are displayed. However because of the very limited detail provided by the basemap (major roads only) auto-routing with it can be a real adventure. Cheers, Olar

Hope you have resolved the problem but if not then maybe this will help. Copied from Garmin's software version update change history page. Olar

When viewing the map page press menu and choose "setup map", scroll left or right to "map setup - information", press menu again and you should see a list of maps that are loaded in the unit (on the card). You will see them preceeded by "show" or "hide". Look for the name of your mapset and if it says "show" then hilite and press enter. Good luck, Olar

Assuming you are talkin' version 4. No problem with it working on the 76csx including autorouting. Must have been an oversight when they made the compatability list. Cheers, Olar

Here is the solution to the same problem reported in another recent post. Olar

The three most popular programs to send waypoints to your Vista would be EasyGPS, GSAK, and Mapsource. CacheMate is for use on a Palm PDA and will not send waypoints to a GPSr. EasyGPS would probably be the fastest to try initially. Download a handfull of caches in .loc file format, open in Easy and send them to the Vista. Olar Oops! Just noticed you are a premium member so you can try either .loc or .gpx format. Olar

The three most popular programs to send waypoints to your Vista would be EasyGPS, GSAK, and Mapsource. CacheMate is for use on a Palm PDA and will not send waypoints to a GPSr. EasyGPS would probably be the fastest to try initially. Download a handfull of caches in .loc file format, open in Easy and send them to the Vista. Olar

If you prefer having the map page displayed during hikes/caching then that blue circle is a quick indicator that the units EPE is on the rise if the circle is getting bigger. Myself, I prefer having the EPE displayed as a value in a data field which takes some of the guess work out of it. Olar

If you happen to be a member of the Garmin camp and have any Mapsource street maps then you can use the freehand drawing feature in the latest version of Mapsource to create a simulated track along the route of your choice. Then just save it and import into GSAK's arc/poly screen. Olar

In four letters or less, GSAK. No self-respecting cachers laptop would leave home without it. As a premium member you can load it up with gobs of caches to cover all your planned expeditions and if you have a PDA then you can mothball your printer. Cheers, Olar

The last time I compared the two I felt, and still feel, that Topo Canada is identical with Metroguide Canada 4 as far as highways, streets, roads are concerned. Of course the Topo maps have the elevation contour lines and probably additional geographic features like streams, swamps, etc. If you are looking for a product that is strictly for hiking then Topo is a very good product. However if you have a Garmin unit capable of auto-routing and want to use this feature then MG Can 4 is the way to go. Street labels are pretty much the same but you don't get the extensive points-of-interest database that comes with MG4. Olar

When you downloaded the maps from Mapsource to your unit did you make sure "Include Route Calculation Data" was checked off? It's located at the bottom of the maps tab display. Olar

If the only concern is that they cannot resell the unit as new because you downloaded maps then I believe there is a way out for you. It's possible to erase the maps and return it to it's original state by downloading a POI database that was in map memory originally and was lost when you loaded maps for the first time. From Garmin's website at this link is the following instruction: Good luck, Olar

In the options menu is preferences and one of the items to select is "merge import files". Don't quote me but I believe that means you could merge your additional cache in with the main list. You may have to try it out to verify that it works. The other way would be to create the .PDB file with it's own unique name and then load it into the "unfiled" category. From there you can move it to whatever category you wish. Sorry I'm unable to try it on my work PC but it should work for you. Cheers, Olar

I filter in GSAK and export .pdb files for each of these categories: Cache owned by me Caches I have found Caches I have not found Caches I have not found but sorted by the cache owner name In Cachemate I have a 5th category "Found today" that is empty until I check a cache as "Found" in the Log page of CM. It then moves automatically from my not found category to the found today category. That feature is very helpful at the end of a caching day when sitting down at my PC to record the finds in GSAK and log in to gc.com. Olar

Heres a shot of my GSAK export window. The destination file goes in the top field "PDB file to create". If you uncheck the "Install to Palm after conversion" box then the Palm install tool will not open. Olar

It certainly does free up memory and isn't difficult at all as long as you have a card reader/writer. The steps I take are: create file folder on card called CacheMate delete all previous caches/waypoints from CacheMate on your PDA filter your cache lists in GSAK and export to CacheMate - I write my four .pdb files to my Desktop drop my four files to the CacheMate folder on my card insert card in PDA and start Cachemate. It will detect new files and prompt you to place each one in the database and category of your choice. Note that you could export the .pdb files directly to your card. I find however that "cmconvert" processes a lot faster if I go to my desktop first. When Cachemate finds the new files on your card it will copy some basic info to your PDA internal memory but the bulk of the data remains on the card. With my four files completed I end up with Cachemate using 1300K of internal memory while the data left on the card is 12Meg. Hope that all helps, Cheers, Olar

I agree. That's an excellent review. A few points (pros) that I have not seen posted as yet. I think I'm sold. If the gentleman looks like a "typical Garmin troll" then we must have numerous in Southern Ontario. At a night caching event a couple of months ago I would estimate that 95% of participants looked just like him. Olar

Dam! Guess that eliminates me. Olar

I use an external for roughly 75% of my caching trips/hikes using a 76C and have never noticed any appreciable amount of extra burden on the batteries. Using it is not really too much of a hassle as I velcro it to the top of my backpack but I am hoping that it will not be required once I eventually go to a unit with the new SiRF chip. Olar

Another consideration is how you must orientate the unit while walking/hiking. I believe for best reception the Legend should be held horizontal whereas the 60 is best in a vertical position although with the new SiRF chip that may no longer be necessary. I'm leaning towards the 60CX myself mainly because of the improved reception but also it lends itself better to hanging from a neck lanyard or belt clip/pouch. Cheers, Olar

That feature didn't make it into the 60/76C(CS) units either for some reason or other. I think the V is the only handheld that did have it. Someone in their wisdom must have decided that users did not need it. There are a couple of other features the V had that I really miss in my 76C. I can't remember what they are but I recall being disappointed when I first got the 76C and found it was without. Olar