I have the GPS i have the way points

[+PinkTrackr]

....but i cant seem to find the cache.

I have a vista cx and i've figured out how to get the way points on it, however, the process is very scrambled. I use zip codes for various areas i will be frequenting, yet it shows way points for a whole different city. there are like 100s of pages of waypoints for each zip. I am now finding out that they are over lapping, but i cant figure this out until after i've downloaded them and put them into the map software. Is there a better system to categorize these on my computer? Is there a better way to access the clues while i am on the road? I am clueless.

 

My GPS is also freaking out. It keeps wanting me to go on some fixed route. I bought it used from a bicyclist who had a few routes on it. I cant seem to shut the thing up, it about freaked on me on the hwy one day wanting me to turn around! Also often the satilite drops out and it recalculates itself, then i have to find my way through the menu and go back to the map. It also marks a cache as found when i click on it to gather more info.

 

Even if i get this far...i still cant find the caches' I realize the coordinates are not exact. but while i'm searching it will say 30ft, 20ft, 8ft and jump to 58ft. when i've only walked a few steps. where am i? I think i'm lost.

[+traildad]

I would suggest that you get away from the zip code search. That kept me from caching for more than a year because of the 5000 results it would give me. Turn your GPSr on and get the coordinates for your home. Use them to search for caches closest to your home. Ignore micros because they are harder to find. Read about the caches that are closest to home and decide on a few that look good. Then print out the cache pages and take them with you when you go hunting. As far as getting your GPSr to work more smoothly I can't help. There are many groups dedicated to different GPSr models. Do a google search if you don't get more info here. Also check out the GPS units and software section of the forums.

[marnen]

My GPS is also freaking out. It keeps wanting me to go on some fixed route. I bought it used from a bicyclist who had a few routes on it. I cant seem to shut the thing up, it about freaked on me on the hwy one day wanting me to turn around!

May I suggest spending some quality time with your GPSr's manual? If you didn't get a paper copy with the unit, you can find a PDF file at http://www.garmin.com/manuals/eTrexVistaCx_OwnersManual.pdf .

Even if i get this far...i still cant find the caches' I realize the coordinates are not exact. but while i'm searching it will say 30ft, 20ft, 8ft and jump to 58ft. when i've only walked a few steps. where am i? I think i'm lost.

Yeah, that happens -- typical GPS accuracy is only about 20-30 ft. It may be helpful to display the accuracy as one of the data fields on the screen (the manual should explain how to do this).

[Nav a Gator]

Take a compass.

The GPS will display BEARING, “the direction to go”, and distance.

Aim for a point in the direction of the compass bearing and walk to the estimated distance.

STOP, WAIT, let the GPS re-calculate where it is and also where the cache is and display new bearing and distance. GPS update is not immediate. Otherwise you end up walking around doing the “drunken bee dance”.

Find an open field and place a small item. Bottle cap, short stake then wait and then mark the location as a waypoint. Walk away about 100 feet. Select the waypoint as your goto point and without looking follow the direction of your GPS. The faster you go the more calculation lag and the further off you will be. This method will open your eyes and give you a better idea of how fast to travel and your unit update time. Move Closer-Move Slower.

Atmospheric conditions, terrain and overhead obstructions will effect update time. Bee Aware of this. Patience pays with more finds.

Don’t depend on the GPS, batteries die, do do happens. If you have a compass you still have a method of navigation. In the old orienteering days that was all you had.

Good luck and practice.

N A Gator.

[+admo1972]

I agree with avoiding searching by zip. Get the coordinates of your house, and then search within a 5 or 10 mile radius of those coordinates.

 

But to contradict myself, I often search by zip. On the main page I enter my zip (or the zip of my office if I will cache during lunch or after work). Then I click the map icon in the list that comes up. I drag the map around and make manual notes of the caches I am interested in based on where they are. This way I can see a group of caches in a single park, for example.

[+Miragee]

Make sure that the datum on your GPSr is set to WGS84. If it is set to NAD27 or some other datum, the location may be tens of feet, to a couple of hundred feet off, depending upon where you are in the US.

 

That GPSr is fairly easy to use, but you have to familiarize yourself with the different pages, what they offer, and the different possible ways to set it up. The previous owner might have left it set up for the way he used it. You probably need to change that. I also removed some of the "Default Pages" and rearranged their owner to make the GPSr easier to navigate.

Edited June 5, 2007 by Miragee