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I cant seem to get my explorist 500 to talk to my laptop using the mapsend software. There is no software update or patch for this model. im stumped and frustrated.

Ok, I'm obviously a newbie and having difficulty with my software. I've looked through old posts and can't find the answers that I'm looking for. I've also looked at Smittys(something or other) and various other step by step web sites but none of them seem to explain exactly what to do - like "ok....my screen doesn't have that "magic button" you're talking about". So....as complex as it is - can anyone either help me fully or in part with the following questions? If you'd rather, anyone willing to talk to me like I'm 4 can email and we can do it that way. I just appreciate help. By the way - my GSAK and Cachmate are paid for. So here goes: POCKET QUERIES: I see where people have them generated a couple times a week. When I generate mine I say 'send me 50 that I haven't found'. But it keeps sending the same 50, because obviously I haven't changed the information. So, I deleted all my queries and will just mark the ones I've found in the meantime. Why would I keep downloading the same 50 and having to import them every couple days and rework them? Am I missing the point of Pocket Queries? I'm certainly not finding 50 every couple days but I like a good variety in case I travel 10-15 miles down the road. GSAK: Love the program but have a problem converting the files to get them into my PDA. I have to open Cachemate, go through about 15 steps, go back into GSAK and then export them. Does everyone have to go through that every single time? Also, do you list your Pocket Queries by date as different data bases? I have several files, all differnt names, with the same info in them. Does that make sense? Aren't I just wasting computer space? CACHEMATE: I love this program! Great for my PDA. But....does it really do my any good to mark that I've found a cache, put in the time, date and comments, turn around and do the same thing on GSAK and turn around and do the same thing on Geocaching.com? I understand having to do it in one program and then again on the web, but it makes no sense to be doing it three times - I'd rather be spending all that time outside. Isn't there someway my Cachemate can sync with GSAK, other than just importing the queries into my PDA? Well, there you have it. My ignorance exposed (along with a few spelling errors, I'm sure). Again, any insight, help, or laughing would be appreciated.

I recieved the serial cable for my new etrex today, but am having some problems with getting the PC and GPSr to talk to each other. If the etrex is in NMEA Out mode, I can connect to the COM port using hyperterminal and see data coming in. I can also use NMEA to track my position in GPSU. The problem occurs when I want to transfer waypoints etc., as in 'GARMIN' mode I recieve errors from each program I try saying 'Timed out' or 'No data recieved'. Any advice on what to try would be appreciated, and I'm running windows XP.

Hey guy im a neww joiner so i lam unsure on what to talk about thanx guys for the help APAANDSUNLOOKINGFORFUN

According to this trip report, the road to the Boulder River Trail is washed out. Adds a mile to the hike, and parking is limited.

How ironic that I would be on here Monday and Tuesday reading about folks strange adventures while caching. Only to have one happen to us last night. For more details go here and check out my log: Bopp Playground Let's just say this made for an interesting caching adventure.

Hi, I was just wondering what a few things meant when someone logged that they visited my cache. It was "FTF" and "TNLN" i was just wondering if they were abreviations like ASAP or something that i didnt know the meaning of. Thanks.

Noble Knobs that is! Just a shameless plug for my new cache placement.

Okay, I'm kind of new to this, I was introduced to it a while back ('03) but LIFE occupied most of my time, so I'm just now starting to put some equipment together and have some issues. I'm using MapSource 4.09, GSAK 5.5.1, and a borrowed eTrex Legend. 1. I've DL'd waypoints from gc.com into GSAK now how do I get them over to MapSource (or the GPSr)? 2. I also have waypoints loaded in the GPSr, how do I DL those into MapSource or GSAK? In GSAK when I go to 'GPS>Receive Waypoints>Yes' it gives me "Error sending waypoints: GARMIN: Can't init COM3". MapSource seems to read the GPS from COM3 with no problem but I don't see how to load waypoints from GPSr into MapSource at all! I'm leaving for vacation on Sunday and would love to have this up and running for the trip up as well as doing some caching while in N. Georgia. Thanks, Randy

I have an interesting plan for a new hide. I need to incorporate some sort of plaque into the cache placement. Is there any body out there that would have some sort of idea on how to create one? I have considered getting small peices of marble and trying to use a dremel / rotary tool to engrave it,... this however could become expensive very quickly as I don't even have a dremel. The plaque would need to fit the following critera in the end. - Nice finish, or the ability to hold paint to apply finish - Longevity in the outdoors, aging is no problem but I don't want it to be destroyed by moisture or cold (may rule out clay, don't know) - Not easily cracked or chipped - Somewhere around 4 inch diamter, or 4 x 4 square.... not set on these dimensions but would like it to be near that size. Cannot be made of cement as the place it will be mounted that we are creating is made out of that and it would not look all that thrilling. Ideas anyone?

I was heading out with a friend today. Just after we put the first cache away, a Forest Service truck drove up. We ended up talking to this 24-year veteran of the Forest Service for more than an hour. She had never heard about Geocaching. She actually found a cache one time (DeCon container), but it did not have a log inside it, or any other information about it being a Geocache (only a whistle and one other thing), so it ended up in the trash. As we explained Geocaching, she was very open to the sport and thought her own children would like it. However, one thing that surprised me was when she said that even with a big label on a cache container, it wouldn't have meant anything. In this area they have to contend with a lot of trash left by illegal aliens, so without knowing about the game, even a well-marked ammo can might have ended up in the back of the truck to be tossed out. Does it surprise you that someone who works for the Forest Service has never heard about Geocaching? How would you proceed so the local Forest Service personnel become aware of our sport?

http://www.skype.com/ i find this good free inter net phone my user is craigmawdesley

If you were a muggle (I know it may be hard to think in these terms), and your friend, who happened to be a geocacher, decided to teach you the game, what would you think? Not knowing what you know today, would you believe him to be crazy; would you regard him as an inspiration; would you disregard him?

I was wondering what others use to clean their precious Garmin 60cs/60c screens. I've been using a little Windex, or a little soap and water. To wipe it dry I have a small "silk?" sunglasses bag. I think this is safe. I don't have a screen protector on so the actual screen gets dirty and smudged. What do you use to clean and wipe? (YOUR SCREEN !)

I've looked at ever major store in my area for those little tiny baggies people use for micro caches. Where can I get them????!!!

Hello Everyone!! I am the administrator of a new site called GPS Gab. I started this site because I enjoy GPS Technology and am fascinated with it's funtionality. I have live news feeds from the technology sector and update the site with GPS news almost daily. I also am buiilding an extensive list of links and quite possibly may have GPS update software on the site at some point. We have a nice big forum with a lot of nice new topics to post in also! So, stop by and say hello and if you have any comments, gripes, or problems, email me at admin@gpsgab.com Please Visit http://www.gpsgab.com Happy Hunting! Mike Admin for GPSGab.com

Got a Dell Inspirion 1150 with windows XP home for Christmas. I bought the necessary items to use it with my Good Ol Garmin GPS III+ . First off why does no one make a USB GPS cable! How many Laptops these days still have serial ports! Maybe there is one but I jut missed it! I bought a combination power / data GPS cable on ebay for $15, its not a Garmin brand, says its made by “Gibson” I also bought a serial to USB adapter, which came with a driver disk. I have had Mapsource Topo for a while and have had no problems with it on my home computer. (got a great deal on it, knew I would have a laptop eventually) Connects with the Gamin supplied cable just fine to the desktop PC. Put it all together, installed mapsource and the drivers for the adapter. The computer keeps giving me errors that the GPS is not connected! I have tried manually selecting COM1-COM4, tried both USB ports and still get the same thing. I have also tried it with EasyGPS with the same results. I tried using my old Garmin Brand cable with the laptop to rule out the off brand cable causing the problem. I also tried the off brand GPS cable on the desktop computer and it worked fine. A friend of mine has the same set up on his newer Dell laptop with XP and mapsource metroguide as well as Easy GPS. He looked at it and all my settings and could find nothing wrong. Only difference on his is that he has a different brand of adapter and a Garmin brand DC/Data cable. For now the thinking is that the USB / Serial Adapter is bad. Going to try his adapter on my computer later today to see. Just wondering if anyone has any other ideas on things to check?

I was thinking it would be kind of cool to talk to other cachers and I was just wondering if any Vancouver Island Cachers would like to talk on msn? If so Please post your email address so everyone can add you. Ours is thecacheraiders@hotmail.com Drive It Like Ya Stole It! Zoom Zooom Zoooom!!!!!!!!!!!

I was looking for information to do a cache with, and did this search on yahoo... You'll notice that two of the first four results are links to gc cache pages. I think that's a sign that I must now do this cache.

Interview between Cape Talk presenter Kieno Kammies and Prof Charles Merry of University of Cape Town on Cape Talk radio (567 AM) in South Africa, May 3 2001 at 1330 GMT+2. www.capetalk.co.za. Duration is 7 minutes 32 seconds. Listen now (mp3). http://www.geocaching.com/media/CapeTalk.mp3 ------------------ Peter Scholtz www.biometrics.co.za

We all are customers of this site, whether it is explicit, by paying premium membership and purchasing products like hats, shirts, and travel bug tags, or implicit, by keeping the number of visitors to the site up, which helps bring adv. dollars to GC.com. As a customer of the GC.com website, do you like the forums better now that there is a strict policy about being totally on subject and sticking only to talk about geocaching ? My personal view is that the website has become boring, and one could affirm this by looking at the number of times I have logged on recently vs. about two months ago. I hope this posting does not get shut down. I am not posting this question with any ill intent towards GC.com, but rather, am a less than 100% satisfied customer, wondering what other customers think. As a for-profit entity, I am suspect answers to this post could be valuable. Thanks

My fiancee has a Visor edge PDA, while I'm looking to buy the Viewsonic v36. I'm wondering if anyone has any experience trying to beam files from a PDA to PPC or vise versa. Will a database file (for example) from her PDA work on my PPC? Totally new to the whole thing so please forgive my utter ignorance. Thanks in advance!

I found out about a talk in Menlo Park that I thought might be of interest to geocachers due to his involvement with the USGS. Simon Winchester, geologist, journalist, and author, to the USGS. He will be in Menlo Park to speak about his most recent book, "Krakatoa," Friday, August 22, 2003 1:30pm in the USGS Building 3 large conference room A U.S. Geological Survey 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, CA Winchster's previous books include "The Professor and the Madman," and "The Map That Changed the World." He is currently working on his next book about the 1906 SF Earthquake.

I've yet to experience geocaching, but have enjoyed orienteering. I am a freelance writer interested in talking to people in the Toronto, Canada area to get their input on how they enjoy the sport, what draws them to it, is their family going along, etc. If you would be willing to share some experiences and insights with me (and perhaps let me tag along on a sample outing), I'd love to hear from you. Am particularly interested in families for an outing, but want to talk to anyone for feedback. [This message was edited by freewrite44 on June 27, 2003 at 08:36 AM.]

Hi. I'm new to this and I've heard of the NWPA Geocachers. I was hoping to talk to some of the members. I'm mainly looking for tips and any info on joining. Thanks in advance for any replies.