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Unsuccessful First Try, GPS Too Old?


sweeney6

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I went out with my family yesterday to look for our first cache. We didn't find it. I was using a gps my husband had received as a gift about 4-5 years ago. It is a garmin emap software version 2.1. It seemed like I had to turn the device on and off to update the reading. At one point it said that I was within 20 feet but we still didn't find the cache. I doubted the reading as when I walked away from the site quickly it said I was over 300 feet from the cache. I had plenty of help looking and we still didn't find it.

 

Do you think my GPS may be too old? Is there away to update the software as opposed to buying a new one?

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The latest e-Map firmware is version 2.9 (available here). Make sure that your datum is set to WGS84 and your format is set to h ddd° mm.mmm (hemisphere, degrees, mintutes.decimal minutes). If you get within 20 feet of the cache, your should stop looking at the GPSr and start asking "Now where would I hide this thing?" Welcome to the recreational activity/sport/hobby/addiction!

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These GPSr devices sure are keen but they arent perfect. Your unit may have a problem but i would say that is unlikely. There are some that work better than others but for the most part, the units we use won't put you dead on the money. It is normal for the readings to change even while you're standing still and sometimes these can really go awry depending on different factors.

 

Best advice given by Sputnik above,,, Make sure you have the right datum and format set in the GPSr. Keep in mind what size container you are looking for and after arriving to the general area, look for those more obvious hidng places where this size might fit. Difficulty ratings sure help too and if it's high then most likely the cache is gonna be hidden better or in a less obvious place.

 

Have fun and dont get discouraged,,, it all gets easier with time! :)

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Hi!

I'm a newbie too, and what I try to do when I get close (within 50yards or so) is use the coordinates instead of the "find" thing. If you try to find the screen where the coordinates are shown (I don't know your GPS), look at these and compare with the coordinates for the cache. When you get really close, look around. If you can't find it and if the coordinates change even if you're standing still, try go away in another direction and go back, maybe you can "average" a position this way. Especially in the forest it's often hard to get a good reading.

 

It has very little to do with the age of your GPS, even though the newest are a tiny bit better, the old ones should be good enough. Mine is old, and it's not the receiver's fault that I miss things!

 

Good luck!

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Thanks for your feedback. It would have been so much easier if it was just a problem with the GPS and not me. But I am not deterred. I am going to try an easier cache this weekend.

Welcome to this wonderful addiction! Your life will never be the same..... soon, waiting until the weekend will be intolerable.. LOL

 

:P

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I started with a Garmin GPS45 that is 11 years old. It tracks 8 satelites SEQUENTIALLY, not in paralell like the new GPSrs. Takes forever to settle down. Has a removable antenna that is attached to the side of the GPSr, and I have been accused of having a GPSr that was so old it had a crank on the side! :) Found my 1st 250 with that one.

 

So, no, your reciever is not too old! As others have said, once within 20', start looking. Sometimes triangulating will help. That's where you walk towards where you think it might be from 3-4 different directions. Each time, you might be in a slightly different spot when the GPSr says you are close, but somewhere in the middle of those 3 or 4 spots will be where it is most of the time.

Edited by Stumpy75
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So, no, your reciever is not too old! As others have said, once within 20', start looking.

 

Good advice in this thread but I put my GPS away at around 50 feet and start looking. If I come up empty I will pull the unit out, move away from the area and approach it again.

 

Micros are particularly hard for a novice until you've found a few , so try regular sized caches first.

 

Oh, and don't be afraid to log your DNFs. We all have them and there is no shame in it.

Edited by briansnat
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Have to ditto Brainsnat, it is that important for new cachers. They spend a lot of time trying to get the GPS to say 0Ft when they should be looking at where they are. So...

 

1. Use the compass screen versus the map screen. Tells you where to go and how far left to go.

2. Rather than trying to get to the 0 point on your GPSr (basically standing on top of the cache, or at least where your unit thinks the cache is) stop about 50 feet from the expected location. Then STOP LOOKING AT YOUR GPS and start looking at your location. Look for the obvious clues to the cache location. Piles of sticks, rocks, dead hollow tree, or stump in plain view. Don't forget to look at the size of the cache you are looking for before heading out. Nothing like thinking you are hunting a regular sized cache, when it is actually a micro-cache. :(

3. Start out with the easiest dificulty caches (D/T). So go for the 1/1 to 2/2 caches first.

4. Have fun and enjoy the great Winter weather... :(

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All above are great suggestions and I'll add, get a magnetic compass. Unless your GPS has an electronic compass built in (I don't think your's will) the compass on the GPS doesn't work when standing still. You have to be walking at a pretty fast pace before the goto feature will work. Your GPS can give you a bearing to the cache (a compass direction) and you can then use a magnetic compass to find the right direction.

 

Hope this helps, don't give up, and welcome to Geocacheing

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I started with a Garmin GPS45 that is 11 years old. It tracks 8 satelites SEQUENTIALLY, not in paralell like the new GPSrs. Takes forever to settle down. Has a removable antenna that is attached to the side of the GPSr, and I have been accused of having a GPSr that was so old it had a crank on the side! :( Found my 1st 250 with that one. ...

 

Me, too. My old GPS45 was good enough for finding caches, but not so hot for hiding them, as my coordinates would be off by a bit.

 

Here's the thing: Don't rely too much on the gadget. When you get close, start "thinking like a geocacher", and looking for good hiding places. After a while, you will have enough experience that you will start spotting the hides from a distance. Of course, with some hides--like in a huge heap of rocks--there is no substitute for accurate coordinates. Also, read the logs from previous finders--you may glean some useful information. Read the cache page carefully, and use the information to help you narrow the search. For example, if the terrain rating is 1.5, then you probably don't need to climb that rock face, even if the gadget does seem to point you there. And don't be too proud to use the hint!

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This seems to come up a lot and everyone offers the same advice. Everyone also forgets the most important advice though:

 

Put your GPSr someplace with a clear view of the sky and leave it on for 15 – 20 minutes to allow it to download the almanac data.

 

Do that in the car on the way to the cache area if it’s convenient. Bad almanac data will result in readings that are off, whether hiding or finding.

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