In Need Of Serious Help W/ New Explorist 600

[+storm180]

Well where do I begin. I wrote in a while ago I was wondering if I should buy the Explorist XL or the Explorist 600. I decided to go with the 600. So I get it in the mail yesterday and began to program it. I also bought Mapsend Topo 3D Usa. Configured it to the best of my knowledge. Uploaded my detailed map to the unit. Everything was going good until I loaded up a cache to go look for it.

 

This had to be one of the most painful experience in my life. First off the triangle which is you on the map screen moves but does not move in the direction I was moving. I also noticed I can only zoom down to 100ft in detail. When I go to the compass screen to try to zero in on the cache and follow it, I get close and then it spins the opposite way of where the cache was. Also from the map screen there is no way of telling which way to walk.

 

Now I could have this thing configured wrong but I have checked everything even recalibrated the compass and such. I have been using the Garmin Forerunner 201 and I guess I expected it to be similiar. Nice big directional arrow telling me which way to go on the map screen. This was not the case. Now I have my forerunner set up to do Orient map north and it works the way I want where the map is stationary and the little icon moves towards the cache. I set my explorist up to similiar settings and it just doesn't seem to track my movement properly.

 

On the Explorist 600 I tried all the oreientation setting and none of them delivered what I wanted. I have the North set to true. So I guess I am really confused and not sure if there is some setting I am missing or what. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Storm180

[+Jamie Z]

Hm... at first reading, I was going to suggest that your GPS is acting normally. If you have the map screen set to North up, your little arrow will turn relative to North. If you set it to Track up, the arrow will stay pointed straight up, and the map will turn relative to your position. Is that not what you see?

 

As for the zoom level going below 100ft. Yes, this is normal. Smaller scale than that, and you're under the limit of GPS accuracy. You'll find that it's much easier to search for caches using the compass screen rather than the map screen.

 

As for that compass screen, it's completely normal for it to swing around when you get close to the cache. Imagine the GPS has a 30-40 foot error, which is quite normal. You walk within 25 feet of the cache. At this point, the cache could be 25 feet in front of you or 15 feet behind you. In that case, the arrow can easily swing completely around while still pointing at the "cache." (Or where it thinks it is.)

 

It's best, when you get within 20 or 30 feet of the cache to put the GPS in your pocket and start looking. No GPS can get you any closer anyway.

 

Everything you describe is completely normal behaviour for GPS... just give it some more time for you to get used to the UI.

 

Jamie

[+storm180]

I know there are differnt map orientation modes and none seem to produce the results I want. I read the manual for the descriptions and I tried each one to see which one I like or which one works the best for me and it seems none of them were acting right. Maybe its just me. Can anyone clarify them for all for me. One that I am not sure of is the CompassHDGUP.

 

Also the compass on / off option. Am I to understand that when its off the compass screen is only using the gps to find my location and when its on its just acting like a regualr compass?

 

Anyone out there who has a 600 can let me know how you have it configured like magetic north or true north and what oreintation you have it set to along with any other added configurations. Seems like my garmin forerunner 201 is alot easier in leading me to my location than the magellan at least for the test last night unless I had something messed up.

 

I understand you need to put the GPS away when you get 20-30 ft away and start looking. Its just getting to my destination using the 600 seems alot harder yesterday. My better half was using the forerunner 201 and got closer to the cache than I did. Actually at some points she was going the right way and I was going the wrong way. Maybe I just need to get used to the new GPS.

 

Storm180

Edited June 7, 2006 by storm180

[+embra]

If you've not calibrated, the magnetic orientation won't mean anything. You might want to try GPS orientation for a bit, as that should behave more like the Forerunner.

 

Jamie and I have 500's; I'm not sure how the 600 toggles the magnetic orientation on and off (maybe that's the compass on/off toggle you referred to?). On my Meridian Platinum, there was a toggle between magnetic orientation and GPS orientation; that's the language I'm using in the paragraph above.

[+Old Sailor]

On my 600, I have it set to magnetic north. Did you calibrate the compass? Give it some time and you'll like it. compass heading up will always show the triangle pointing up no matter which way you go. don't know about compass on/off as mine is always on.

[+storm180]

I did calibrate the compass a few times to make sure I had the exact procedure down and getting it perfect. I did it last night before I went caching also.

 

I guess the only thing that stumps me right now is the map orientation on whether I should have it on North Up, Coarse Up, Track up, or CompassHDGup.

 

The thing about the compass I was just wondering what is the difference when you have electronic compass set to on or off. I do not see a difference when I go to the screens its still working. Unless it means that the compass won't spin like on other gps unit that don't have an electronic compass.

 

One other thing does any of the map orientations mode give me a arrow that shows which way to go. I know some of the modes gave me a small arrow in the top corner that was sometimes pointing to the way I needed to go. I think it was in track up map mode. Just not understand the actual meaning of all these terms even though I have reread the reference manual a few times on the map orientations.

 

I will try my unit later today with it set to magnetic north and see what happens. Any comments on the above issues would be helpful.

 

Storm180

Edited June 7, 2006 by storm180

[+CondorTrax]

I did calibrate the compass a few times to make sure I had the exact procedure down and getting it perfect. I did it last night before I went caching also.

 

I guess the only thing that stumps me right now is the map orientation on whether I should have it on North Up, Coarse Up, Track up, or CompassHDGup.

 

The thing about the compass I was just wondering what is the difference when you have electronic compass set to on or off. I do not see a difference when I go to the screens its still working. Unless it means that the compass won't spin like on other gps unit that don't have an electronic compass.

 

One other thing does any of the map orientations mode give me a arrow that shows which way to go. I know some of the modes gave me a small arrow in the top corner that was sometimes pointing to the way I needed to go. I think it was in track up map mode. Just not understand the actual meaning of all these terms even though I have reread the reference manual a few times on the map orientations.

 

I will try my unit later today with it set to magnetic north and see what happens. Any comments on the above issues would be helpful.

 

Storm180

 

When I go out my preference is to have the osition cursor on the map screen (black arrow) pointing in the direction I'm traveling. For example, when I'm driving and need to turn left, I prefer to have the arrow moving "up the screen" so that the street I need to turn left on is on the left side of the GPSr screen.. To do this, I set up my map screen preferences as follows: make sure you're in the map screen, press the menu button. Scroll to Map Setup, click Map Setrup. On the next screen highlight the Orientation option and select Track Up from the options. That's it. Now on the map screen you'll also notice on the top right a smaler arrow with an "N" in the middle. This icon will show which way North is.

 

The electronic compass while on allows you to emply the compass functionality while you're standing still. When it's turned off the compass still works but only while you're moving. As previously posted, once I'm within approx 100' of the cache site, I switch from map screen to compass mode. The needle on the compass then gives a fairly decent direction of where GZ should be. I say direction becasue the cache will often be somewhere along that general direction. Also note that you should be orienting yourself via the red portion of the compass needle. Sorry if that's too obvious. When you have a cache selected you'll also see that a small icon is on the compass screen at the tip of the red arrow. Just another graphical pointer of where you should be headed.

 

And last, the GPSr accuracy is determined by several factors. Just remember that the cache owner's GPSr also had those factors so don't rely simply on your hardware. When you're within about 100' or so you need to start looking at general direction and possibly things that don't look right (pile of sticks, unusual rock formation, single hollowed out tree, blends in too well/ or not at all), etc.

 

Sort of long but hope it helps.

[+storm180]

I will give that a try and see how it goes. It was rainy today so it was not a good day for caching. Thanks for the suggestion. I appreciate everyones help.

 

Storm180

[+Renegade Knight]

When the electronic compass is on, you will be able to stand still and the GPS pointer will still point towards the waypoint. If you don't have an electronic compass the GPS needs to be moving to keep itself oriented so it can point the way.

[+storm180]

Well today was my first real day of geocaching with the advice you guys gave and all went well. Except for one thing. The distance line that shows the triangle icon to the cache location. I have them both turned on. So I go and set the goto to a cache. As I am driving there it appears to be working. So I get out and put some gas in the car and I look at the unit and the line is gone. I zoom out and find the line and its not even near the triangle icon or connected to it. I start out driving and again to see if it fixes it self and it did not seem too. Not sure if I am doing something wrong or the gps is not working right. I my garmin forerunner the line is always connected to the icon and the cache. The exlplorist seems to get disconnected at time.

 

It was the Pos-dest line & Depart-Dest line one was a large orange line it showed. That was the one giving me screwy readings. I had both turned on and when I shut off depart I got a dotted line. Which was is for what and what do I follow.

 

Storm180

Edited June 12, 2006 by storm180

[+embra]

Well today was my first real day of geocaching with the advice you guys gave and all went well. Except for one thing. The distance line that shows the triangle icon to the cache location. I have them both turned on. So I go and set the goto to a cache. As I am driving there it appears to be working. So I get out and put some gas in the car and I look at the unit and the line is gone. I zoom out and find the line and its not even near the triangle icon or connected to it. I start out driving and again to see if it fixes it self and it did not seem too. Not sure if I am doing something wrong or the gps is not working right. I my garmin forerunner the line is always connected to the icon and the cache. The exlplorist seems to get disconnected at time.

 

It was the Pos-dest line & Depart-Dest line one was a large orange line it showed. That was the one giving me screwy readings. I had both turned on and when I shut off depart I got a dotted line. Which was is for what and what do I follow.

I think things are working normally, but you're running into a frequent complaint about the explorist. The Departure-Destination line is bold and easy to see, but it's not the one that most of us use because it is fixed and never changes during the life of the GOTO (your departure point never changes, and neither does your destination).

 

The position-destination line (the one you want and describe on the forerunner) is a thin dotted line hard to see. It blends in easily with roads. I'd suggest leaving your settings as you described in your last paragraph. That's about the best you can do.

Edited June 12, 2006 by embra

[+storm180]

Thanks for the reply. They need to fix that thing to make it easier to see. I like the thick orange line thing which I thought was the one I should have been using and not the dotted line. Well I guess I will just have to get used to it. Thanks so much.

 

Storm180

[+embra]

They need to fix that thing to make it easier to see. I like the thick orange line thing which I thought was the one I should have been using and not the dotted line.

Send your comments to Magellan...although they seem slow to respond to these requests, they sometimes do make firmware changes in accord with customer desires.

[+storm180]

Yeh I sent them off an email this morning but I can see from the list of other things other users want fixed on the explorist this is just something to add. I own the Roadmate 700 which I upgraded just recently to the 760 through thier V5 firmware which was pushed back almost 11 months when they first announced it. So yes I agree the firmware upgrades for the explorist are probably off in the distance.