Anyone Else Feeling Overwhelmed?

[whitetailfan]

To get started in geocaching, like most other technology purchases, I sought out the best stuff I could afford because things keep getting better everyday. So I did my research and bought a eXpl400 winderness pack for Canada. The accessories were cheap for an extra $30.

 

While I have learned the bare minimum to geocache at home, there is tons of other stuff this thing can do, but holy cow, do they offer a college course on this thing?

 

Manual 120 pages long. Mapsend topo CD included that I'm starting to try and learn and getting no where. Firmware upgrade disk that does not seem to support the explorist, just everything else.

 

Getting way too stressed out trying to get this all under my belt because we want to use it in the vehicle on holidays is two weeks

[+geobc]

Hint: bring the manual with you on your holidays. ;-)

 

I suggest you make a list of the key functions you want to perform so people can give you very specific instructions.

 

I just sold my father-in-law my Garmin 76C a couple of months ago. I didn't give him much in the way of instructions but he read through the manual and was comfortable using it to record tracks and use the auto-routing feature. If he can do it, I'm sure you can. Don't feel daunted by the manual. Just focus on tasks.

 

GeoBC

[+groovetopia]

I didn't get much out of the manual on my explorist 500. I think that it just takes time. My dad is taking a long time to figure out his xl, but my brother picked it up and was using it right away. It's just a different curve for different people.

 

Put it under your pillow. That'll help.

[+Breiti]

I gave my mum my old Garmin Etrex Vista C and she loves it.

She is 65 now and not too sophisticated in computers, but she is downloading the City Select maps to the GPSr like hell and road navigating with it is really self-explanatory.

[Free2BeMe]

Hi whitetailfan,

 

I'm new to the GPS scene and have also just purchased a Magellan eXplorist - I got the 600. At first I was pretty overwhelmed too by the manuals -- in fact I kept nodding off while trying to absorb all of that!

 

My Topo3D for North America also came with a firmware update CD. I phoned Magellan the CD does not apply to the eXplorist (so you may as well toss it out) -- use the firmware upgrade on their website. You may not need it though, mine didn't.

 

It's actually very easy to use the map software. After loading it on the computer I simply drew a box around an area and saved it. I added POIs that I wanted to test and took off the next day. I EASILY found several petroglyph sites that I'd searched for many times without GPS. I am hooked! Now all I need to do is go try a few geocaches.

 

Forgot to mention - after you save your edited maps to the computer be sure to use the MapSend conversion program to upload the maps (and POIs) to your eXplorist. You'll find the link in the Magellan eXplorist folder on your computer.

 

To get started in geocaching, like most other technology purchases, I sought out the best stuff I could afford because things keep getting better everyday. So I did my research and bought a eXpl400 winderness pack for Canada. The accessories were cheap for an extra $30.

 

While I have learned the bare minimum to geocache at home, there is tons of other stuff this thing can do, but holy cow, do they offer a college course on this thing?

 

Manual 120 pages long. Mapsend topo CD included that I'm starting to try and learn and getting no where. Firmware upgrade disk that does not seem to support the explorist, just everything else.

 

Getting way too stressed out trying to get this all under my belt because we want to use it in the vehicle on holidays is two weeks

Edited July 1, 2006 by Free2BeMe

[Free2BeMe]

Hi whitetailfan,

 

I'm new to the GPS scene and have also just purchased a Magellan eXplorist - I got the 600. At first I was pretty overwhelmed too by the manuals -- in fact I kept nodding off while trying to absorb all of that!

 

My Topo3D for North America also came with a firmware update CD. I phoned Magellan the CD does not apply to the eXplorist (so you may as well toss it out) -- use the firmware upgrade on their website. You may not need it though, mine didn't.

 

It's actually very easy to use the map software. After loading it on the computer I simply drew a box around an area and saved it. I added POIs that I wanted to test and took off the next day. I EASILY found several petroglyph sites that I'd searched for many times without GPS. I am hooked! Now all I need to do is go try a few geocaches.

 

To get started in geocaching, like most other technology purchases, I sought out the best stuff I could afford because things keep getting better everyday. So I did my research and bought a eXpl400 winderness pack for Canada. The accessories were cheap for an extra $30.

 

While I have learned the bare minimum to geocache at home, there is tons of other stuff this thing can do, but holy cow, do they offer a college course on this thing?

 

Manual 120 pages long. Mapsend topo CD included that I'm starting to try and learn and getting no where. Firmware upgrade disk that does not seem to support the explorist, just everything else.

 

Getting way too stressed out trying to get this all under my belt because we want to use it in the vehicle on holidays is two weeks

[senecaripple]

i'm still overwhelmed with my lowrance iway 100m, and the m&m. have yet to see if either work. bought the iway last aug, and the m&m(map&mp3) last feb.

[+ATMS]

I just bought the XL and I love it! I did have difficulty at first on a few items, but I went to to the web and printed the ENTIRE user manual (they pretty much use a basic generic manual that they send out with all of their GPSr's). It was HUGE. So maybe you can scan the Manual online and only print the area's that you have trouble with.

 

Good luck!

[+jwheels1]

Amigo

I found this web site helpful with explorist issues

 

http://www.mtgc.org/robertlipe/exploristwiki/index.php

best