More...How do you geocache

[+mocheesehead]

Hello All,

 

I am just getting going in GCing (have about 16 finds) and have been reading the forums to see how others do it. I am currently bidding on a pda because it seems like paperless caching is the way to go! I am thinking I am going to use GSAK and cache mate. My question is this. Using those prior mentioned programs, I can get all of the cache info, hints, etc on to my pda, but is there a way to get a least rudimentary mapping info (like google maps stuff) onto the pda? I am not talking about detailed turn by turn, just, "Here's a map of the region (or area) and here are where all of the caches that you have listed are basically found". I'm not good enough yet to go without any maps.

 

Any help would be appreciated!

Pat

[+PlaidPirate]

I use MS Streets and Trips, and pocket streets. GSAK export, inport the pushpin data into ST, then export it as a pocket street map with pushpins for all the cache locations in the area.

 

Works pretty well, plus if I hook up my bluetooth GPS I can see where I am at on pocket streets too, though it does not do turn by turn.

 

This method only works on pocket PC's, not palms, as pocket streets doesn't run on palm.

Edited January 15, 2007 by PlaidPirate

[+Rockin Roddy]

I can't speak for the PDAs, but my new Magellan Explorist 500 LE makes it mostly possible to paperless cache...and I get the maps and everything right there on my unit!!

 

The unit cost me $200 at Wally World, I paid an extra $10 (but that was a special offer...regularly $150) for the MAPSEND Topo 3D USA software, bought the exta battery/ac adapter for another $20 and then the car power supply for another $20...total for me=$250!

 

Everything comes up...you can insert the hints and difficulty (you may be able to enable that to be downloaded, I haven't figured that out yet) into the description page RIGHT ON THE UNIT!! It shows all the caches right on the map, the map gives VERY detailed info of the roads, nearby attractions, you can even get the phone number to a motel or Pizza Hut RIGHT ON THE UNIT!! TOPO info is shown, rivers, drain ditches, parks etc...

 

I didn't know this unit could do all that, was a nice surprise indeed!!

 

NOW, I'm sure that many other high end units do this same thing and maybe more yet...but for my unit, fully loaded and ready to go, $250 is almost a GIFT!!! I paid $130 for my Etrex and cord...it did NONE of this...for a bill more to get all this??? WOW!!

 

My point I guess...check out your options and see what works best for you.

 

BTW...my signal reception...HUGE DIFFERENCE!!! No more lost signal in thick tree coverage!!! You do get what you pay for!!

 

edit to add: WOW...sounds like a lot of extra work to get all that loaded onto a unit...glad I don't do all that, mine brings them up on screen right at street level...NOT turn by turn, but just about as good!!

Edited January 15, 2007 by Rockin Roddy

[+Rockin Roddy]

Should add that your GPS unit will be your most useful tool, you should get the best possible one for the money and worry about all the other toys as needed!!

 

There truly IS a difference in signal from the cheaper models...I wouldn't have known that before buying the Magellan!!

[+sbell111]

Should add that your GPS unit will be your most useful tool, you should get the best possible one for the money and worry about all the other toys as needed!!

 

There truly IS a difference in signal from the cheaper models...I wouldn't have known that before buying the Magellan!!

I don't think that I agree.

 

You should consider the features that you want and not pay extra for fluff that you neither need nor want. Many people find plenty of caches with a low end GPSr. My current trail GPSr is a geko 301. The truth is, I would have gotten a 201 instead, but the price on the 301 was too good.

 

In my opinion, there is very little or no difference in signal quality as you move up a product line. Certainly, you will get better performance with a model that has WAAS v one that doesn't, but that;s about it.

 

Recently, a few people have been posting that some models, such as the etrex yellow have poor performance. This is not true. It is my understanding that all of the etrex and geko models use the same patch antenna. Therefore, I find it hard to believe that one would give better performance than another.

Edited January 15, 2007 by sbell111

[+Isonzo Karst]

My husband has a couple of mapping programs that accept the waypoints as loc. in his PDA. And that's all I know - not the names, not if they're freeware or $$. But they absolutely exist.

 

On the question of better reception with higher end units, I think not - we own waaaay too many GPSr units of low end high end, Garmin Magellan and a bluetooth enabled device that transmits position to the PDA or laptop. Keep the firmware updated, and know the way the unit likes to be handled - they're all about the same.

 

The Magellan eXplorist 400 I have is faster, less boomerang effect than the old Merigold - but I don't see that the ultimate coord accuracy is any different between them and the old yellow banana or the Garmin 60CX.

[+nekom]

Personally I use a very low-end GPS (Explorist 300), and paper. Sometimes a printout of the cache page, but more often hand-written notes. I almost always scope the scene out first using topozone and google earth. I guess I'm very basic about it.

[+briansnat]

In my opinion, there is very little or no difference in signal quality as you move up a product line. Certainly, you will get better performance with a model that has WAAS v one that doesn't, but that;s about it.

 

That was once the case, but now (at least with Garmin) moving up does improve your reception. The older eTrex units (yellow, Vista and Legend) get fine reception when used properly. The problem is that many people do not do that.

 

Anyway, when you move up a notch to the newer CX eTrex units, reception is significantly improved over the older Garmins. Step up another notch to the 60CSX and 76CSX and there is a MAJOR improvement in signal quality. I'm sitting at my kitchen table right now with an older Vista and a Map 60CSX. The Vista has no signal lock. Not one bar. The 60CSX right next to it has 8 solid sats locked in.

 

NOW, I'm sure that many other high end units do this same thing and maybe more yet..

 

Yes indeed. You can do similar things with the Garmin 60CSX and 76CSX.

 

As for the original post, I would recommend you to get a mapping unit so you have maps right in front of you. Using a unit like the previously mentioned eXplorist or a Garmin 60CSX and the POI loader, you can load the hints and other cache data, making the PDA nearly obsolete.

Edited January 16, 2007 by briansnat

[+sbell111]

...Anyway, when you move up a notch to the newer CX eTrex units, reception is significantly improved over the older Garmins. Step up another notch to the 60CSX and 76CSX and there is a MAJOR improvement in signal quality. I'm sitting at my kitchen table right now with an older Vista and a Map 60CSX. The Vista has no signal lock. Not one bar. The 60CSX right next to it has 8 solid sats locked in. ...

The 60 and 76 series GPSrs use a quad helix antenna, not a patch. That's why I didn't include them in my post. My old 3+ and V also had a quad helix antenna. As you have experienced, I routinely was able to get good sat lock with them, even though I was on the first floor of my two-story brick home. I've seen no evidence to suggest that a 60 series GPSr gets any better reception than a V (the 3+ did not have WAAS). Edited January 16, 2007 by sbell111

[+briansnat]

The 60 and 76 series GPSrs use a quad helix antenna, not a patch. That's why I didn't include them in my post. My old 3+ and V also had a quad helix antenna. As you have experienced, I routinely was able to get good sat lock with them, even though I was on the first floor of my two-story brick home. I've seen no evidence to suggest that a 60 series GPSr gets any better reception than a V (the 3+ did not have WAAS).

 

It has nothing to do with the patch vs. quad helix antenna. I have a 60CS with a quad helix and the reception in a Legend CX with a patch antenna was usually better than the reception of the 60CS's quad helix. The Lowrance unit I used was far better than the 60CS even though it has a patch antenna.

 

I just turned on my 60CS to compare it with the 60CSX. Both have a quad helix antenna. After 3 minutes the 60CS was still acquiring sats. Not a single bar showed. The 60CSX had 6-8 sats. I realize that the 60CSX was on already and might have had an advantange, so I took them outside so both had a lock, then brought them back inside. The 60CS lost its lock almost immediately while the 60CSX continued to have a strong lock.

 

The difference is not in the antenna, its in the processors. The eTrex CX units have more advanced internals than the older eTrex units and the 60CSX uses Sirf III technology which is a major step above other Garmin units.

 

Though the eTrex X models were released at roughly the same time as the 60 and 76 X models, Garmin purposefully did not include Sirf III technology in the eTrex line. This created tiers where the technolgy (and reception) improves with higher priced models.

 

So Garmin basically has 3 levels in their current product line that generally correspond with the unit's price. There is some overlap, but generally, the more you spend the better your unit's performance will be.

 

Older technology (Geko, Map 76, GPS 72, eTrex Vista, Legend, yellow eTrex, etc...)

Updated technology (Vista CX, Legend CX, Venture CX, GPS 60, Map 60)

Sirf III technology (Map 60 and 76 X models)

Edited January 16, 2007 by briansnat

[+StarBrand]

If you purchase the addtional mapping software for your GPSr and load the areas you are heading off to - you don't really need the maps on your PDA.

 

Assuming of course that your GPSr is capable of displaying maps. - Much fine advice from Briansnat above on selecting a unit.

[+sbell111]

So, if you are primarily searching for caches inside Brian's house, make sure that you pick up either a Map 60 and 76 X. Otherwise, any GPSr will work just fine for caching.

 

As I explained way up in post #5, you should consider the features that you want and not pay extra for fluff that you neither need nor want.

[+StarBrand]

So, if you are primarily searching for caches inside Brian's house, make sure that you pick up either a Map 60 and 76 X. Otherwise, any GPSr will work just fine for caching.........

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I will be the first to tell you that I am a technology dummy.

 

I don't know what's inside a GPS, don't want to know.

 

Just like a computer or a car - I turn it on, use it, if it works as expected I am a happy camper.

 

As far as a GPS I know that I want to turn it on, select a waypoint and have it guide me there.

 

So I buy based on the features I want and don't much pay attention to the technology - my eyes glaze over if I have to read a spec sheet.

 

A readable screen, reasonably shock and waterproof, routing maps, lots of memory and PC accessable.

 

When a new machine comes out that is suppossed to have those features and more, I upgrade. If it doesn't work as advertised or 'better' than I had, I return it.

 

I started out three+ years ago with an Garmin eTrex Yellow, found ~500 caches with it, moved up to a Magellan Meridian Platinum, loved it (still have it as my backup), 'moved up' to a Garmin/Palm iQue 3600, hated it, tried a Magellan SportTrack (name may be off), didn't care for it, borrowed a Magellan Meridian Gold, like the Platinum better, then moved to a GPSMap 60CSx.

 

I found hundreds of caches with each unit, and from my user's point of view can tell you there's not much difference in accuracy - every one of them got me to the cache.

 

Some do get better reception under cover, some have better screens, the processor speed does seem to make mapping and reaction to change better... but they all take you to the cache with about the same accuracy.

 

As far as I am concerned the difinitive word on technology equality comes from accuracy games I have played at several events, where a known but invisible waypoint was marked (a nail in the ground) and all attendees given the coords. Geocachers with every kind of GPS and all levels of experience will place a flag where they think is ground zero. Very few will be closer than 20' and I have seen them over 100' off - the last time I did this was in Arkansas, where the pin was placed with a professional Trimble surveyor's GPS, and my GPSMap 60CSx was almost forty feet off.

 

My advice is figure out what you want it to do, the feature set you want, and buy that. Anything you buy will get you there!

[+ghost640]

In my opinion, there is very little or no difference in signal quality as you move up a product line. Certainly, you will get better performance with a model that has WAAS v one that doesn't, but that;s about it.

 

That was once the case, but now (at least with Garmin) moving up does improve your reception. The older eTrex units (yellow, Vista and Legend) get fine reception when used properly. The problem is that many people do not do that.

 

Anyway, when you move up a notch to the newer CX eTrex units, reception is significantly improved over the older Garmins. Step up another notch to the 60CSX and 76CSX and there is a MAJOR improvement in signal quality. I'm sitting at my kitchen table right now with an older Vista and a Map 60CSX. The Vista has no signal lock. Not one bar. The 60CSX right next to it has 8 solid sats locked in.

 

NOW, I'm sure that many other high end units do this same thing and maybe more yet..

 

Yes indeed. You can do similar things with the Garmin 60CSX and 76CSX.

 

As for the original post, I would recommend you to get a mapping unit so you have maps right in front of you. Using a unit like the previously mentioned eXplorist or a Garmin 60CSX and the POI loader, you can load the hints and other cache data, making the PDA nearly obsolete.

 

Hey wait, how to you load hints and other cache data into the 60csx You got my interest now - I have the 76csx (which probably allows this as well), but have been using a Palm & Cachemate for the descriptions. Thanks!

 

And what are the coords for the one in Brian's kitchen - I'd like to get that on my list!

Edited January 17, 2007 by ghost640

[+briansnat]

Hey wait, how to you load hints and other cache data into the 60csx ohmy.gif You got my interest now - I have the 76csx (which probably allows this as well), but have been using a Palm & Cachemate for the descriptions. Thanks!

 

I don't do it, but I know geocachers who load the cache data as a waypoint, then append a letter to the waypoint name and load it again as a POI. The POI note field is pretty large (considerably larger than the waypoint note field, but I forget the exact size) so it will fit most clues easily, along with some other cache info.

They use GSAK to select what goes in the POI.

 

So each cache will be in the unit twice. As a waypoint (GC12345) and as a POI (GC12345A) with the wapoint containing the usual (Cache name, owner) and the POI holding the hint, terrain and difficulty.

[+ghost640]

Hey wait, how to you load hints and other cache data into the 60csx ohmy.gif You got my interest now - I have the 76csx (which probably allows this as well), but have been using a Palm & Cachemate for the descriptions. Thanks!

 

I don't do it, but I know geocachers who load the cache data as a waypoint, then append a letter to the waypoint name and load it again as a POI. The POI note field is pretty large (considerably larger than the waypoint note field, but I forget the exact size) so it will fit most clues easily, along with some other cache info.

They use GSAK to select what goes in the POI.

 

So each cache will be in the unit twice. As a waypoint (GC12345) and as a POI (GC12345A) with the wapoint containing the usual (Cache name, owner) and the POI holding the hint, terrain and difficulty.

 

Great, thanks for the tip! Half the time I forget the PDA, and get stuck relying on skill (hence, DNFs).