eXplorist 400

[+AuroraQuest]

i don't know how to create a goto ( i guess thats what i need) from the Geocache pt that i loaded from my PC

i have info about the caches how do i make this thing work. i want it to "SHOW ME THE WAY"

i am very new with PC's and this is my first GPS

[+letmein]

It is a bit daunting to be starting out. I'll list four ways to geocache. The first two don't require muck skill on a PC, but the last two do.

 

1. You might first start by not even doing a goto on your unit. You can print out the data from geocaching.com, then you can travel to cache and move around until you get to the coordinates. This really isn’t too hard. You can get pretty close just by looking at the map that is on the cache page. It is pretty obvious that as you go north the north coordinate will increase. Go farther west, then the west coordinate will increase. I think doing a couple of caches this way will help you learn about how your unit works, and will give you a feel for the coordinate system.

 

2. The second method you could try is to create a mark in your GPSr, then edit the mark’s coordinates, then do a GOTO that mark. I don’t have my unit with me today, so I’ll just give general guidelines. On the lower left on your unit is the mark button. Assuming you have a lock on the satellites, when you hit the mark button it will create a mark at your current coordinates. Before you save it, make your way to the coordinates. Press in on the joystick (the enter key function on eXplorists). Up and down on the stick will change the value of the digit you are on. Right or left will change to other units. Enter will move you to the west coordinate. If you press enter again, you will be out of the edit on the coordinates. You can use the joystick and the enter to go back in to edit again. You can change the name of the marked point. When I was playing with this, I always just re-edited a mark I saved as “A”, rather than making a new mark each cache. The GOTO function has a choice: my points of interest (the marks you have saved), or geocaches (ones saved through a download). Play with this, you’ll get it.

 

To move onto the next step, you might get help from someone who is really good at PCs. If you can find a geocaching event in your area, all the better. There will be many cachers there who would be thrilled to help you.

 

3. The next step is to download the cache’s coordinates directly into your GPSr. This can be a bit tricky. Download the .loc file and save it on your disk somewhere. You can download up to 200 caches individually and transfer them in a single batch to your 400. use the Magellan Geocache Manager. Hit the icon that looks like a manila folder. Open the .loc file you downloaded. Select the radio button that says “Append to existing list” !! This should be the default in the program, but alas, it is not. Continue adding the .loc files. Save the file named as you want. Now you can upload the file to your GPSr. Connect the GPSr to a USB port. The cable on the GPSr must run down the back, not up. Power up the unit. Find the button in Geocache Manager that is the “Send to GPS”. Transfer all the points in the file to the GPS. Now you must set the GPS to use the file of geocache points. Disconnect your unit from the computer (you may need to power down and restart). Make your way to the preferences setup screen. Select Active Setup. The bottom value in that screen is the geocache file. Select the file you just transferred. Now you are ready to do a GOTO. Hit the goto button. Select the “geocaches” entry. Sort on nearest to position. Select the one you want to go find. Many people use the screen that looks like a compass to find the cache. I customize my screen to show the distance and the direction. I use those two values without looking at anything else to find the caches.

 

4. The last step is to become a premium member on Geocaching.com ($30 per year). Do a pocket query. Save the pocket query from your email to your harddrive. Run GSAK ($30 one time fee) to load the .gpx file you just downloaded. Export to Magellan file format. Copy that file to your GPSr. Make that gecocache file the active setup file. Goto it!

 

That is the general idea. I’m sorry if I make mistakes in the typing or the exact details, but that is pretty much the process. It sounds tough, but do it a few times and it will be second nature. Happy caching, and welcome to the club!

[+AuroraQuest]

It is a bit daunting to be starting out. I'll list four ways to geocache. The first two don't require muck skill on a PC, but the last two do.

 

1. You might first start by not even doing a goto on your unit. You can print out the data from geocaching.com, then you can travel to cache and move around until you get to the coordinates. This really isn’t too hard. You can get pretty close just by looking at the map that is on the cache page. It is pretty obvious that as you go north the north coordinate will increase. Go farther west, then the west coordinate will increase. I think doing a couple of caches this way will help you learn about how your unit works, and will give you a feel for the coordinate system.

 

2. The second method you could try is to create a mark in your GPSr, then edit the mark’s coordinates, then do a GOTO that mark. I don’t have my unit with me today, so I’ll just give general guidelines. On the lower left on your unit is the mark button. Assuming you have a lock on the satellites, when you hit the mark button it will create a mark at your current coordinates. Before you save it, make your way to the coordinates. Press in on the joystick (the enter key function on eXplorists). Up and down on the stick will change the value of the digit you are on. Right or left will change to other units. Enter will move you to the west coordinate. If you press enter again, you will be out of the edit on the coordinates. You can use the joystick and the enter to go back in to edit again. You can change the name of the marked point. When I was playing with this, I always just re-edited a mark I saved as “A”, rather than making a new mark each cache. The GOTO function has a choice: my points of interest (the marks you have saved), or geocaches (ones saved through a download). Play with this, you’ll get it.

 

To move onto the next step, you might get help from someone who is really good at PCs. If you can find a geocaching event in your area, all the better. There will be many cachers there who would be thrilled to help you.

 

3. The next step is to download the cache’s coordinates directly into your GPSr. This can be a bit tricky. Download the .loc file and save it on your disk somewhere. You can download up to 200 caches individually and transfer them in a single batch to your 400. use the Magellan Geocache Manager. Hit the icon that looks like a manila folder. Open the .loc file you downloaded. Select the radio button that says “Append to existing list” !! This should be the default in the program, but alas, it is not. Continue adding the .loc files. Save the file named as you want. Now you can upload the file to your GPSr. Connect the GPSr to a USB port. The cable on the GPSr must run down the back, not up. Power up the unit. Find the button in Geocache Manager that is the “Send to GPS”. Transfer all the points in the file to the GPS. Now you must set the GPS to use the file of geocache points. Disconnect your unit from the computer (you may need to power down and restart). Make your way to the preferences setup screen. Select Active Setup. The bottom value in that screen is the geocache file. Select the file you just transferred. Now you are ready to do a GOTO. Hit the goto button. Select the “geocaches” entry. Sort on nearest to position. Select the one you want to go find. Many people use the screen that looks like a compass to find the cache. I customize my screen to show the distance and the direction. I use those two values without looking at anything else to find the caches.

 

4. The last step is to become a premium member on Geocaching.com ($30 per year). Do a pocket query. Save the pocket query from your email to your harddrive. Run GSAK ($30 one time fee) to load the .gpx file you just downloaded. Export to Magellan file format. Copy that file to your GPSr. Make that gecocache file the active setup file. Goto it!

 

That is the general idea. I’m sorry if I make mistakes in the typing or the exact details, but that is pretty much the process. It sounds tough, but do it a few times and it will be second nature. Happy caching, and welcome to the club!

[+AuroraQuest]

thats a lot of info. we have been playing with the GPS and PC. we have had a little luck with upload/download whatever you call it. some of the time we get one cache on the screen and other times we have several and it signals when we are close to another one. we tried to put cords. in manually but can't seem to figure it out. thanks for taking the time to write me back