Magellan better for geocaching?

[Rhialto]

The Vista HCx is my 1st GPSr and I mostly went with Garmin because it is the most discussed brand here and I knew about the Geocaching mode on it was popular.

 

While I was seeking the 2nd cache I found today I met another geocacher with a Magellan Explorist 500. To my surprise he had much more information on his GPSr than me. Almost all the notes , difficulty and terrain and even the decrypted hint!

 

On my Garmin I only have the Title (that does not support french caracters very well it seems) when I click Notes in the compass mode. That's the good screen to monitor when geocaching, right?

 

So, I thought maybe I was doing something wrong? I downloaded them from myGarmin and also the Send to GPS button here.

 

Then, before writing this message, I subscribed to be a Premium member to look at the GPX file because I know it contains more information. Then downloaded GSAK to be able to upload it to the GPSr but again I get the same data, not more information.

 

Either it's something stupid I am missing or the eXplorist have a better geocaching mode.

[+T F T C]

I personally dislike the geocaching mode on my eXplorist 500. Sure, it holds the difficulty/terrain, but it only holds like 30 characters of the hint and you cannot edit the coordinates on your unit. I use the POI system instead, and take my Palm Treo 650 along for notes.

[+JohnnyVegas]

I like the Geocaching on my Explorist 500. While it will not show the full hint if it is a long hint, in most cases it is enough. I also carry a pocket PC running GPXsonar.

I have been using my explorist for over two years and I have made about 2000 finds with it.

I also like the SD Card for storing maps and multipull geocache files. In mine I have several thousand caches store that are broken down geographicly into the areas that I cache in, I keep each file to about 150 caches.

I also have Micro soft pock streets in my pocket PC with maps that match each file in the Explorist 500

[+Knight2000]

I also dislike the geocaching mode and do not use it.

 

You should have more information than it shows anyway so what is the point in having it? I use my Palm for the cache description and POI to find a cache.

[+hukilaulau]

I like the geocache mode on my 500 and geocache manager on my computer. I hardly ever use a pda in the field or GSAK to download caches anymore. It is frustrating when someone starts a clue with, "Once you get to the parking lot turn on your gps and the cache will be located..." but then a lot of clues turn out to be totally unrelated to the cache anyway! Probably 90% of the time the cache info on my 500 is enough...

[Rhialto]

After I clicked the post message button I realized that the title of the message was probably not the best. I don't like the fact we cannot edit our own thread title, neither delete it to start a new one.

 

What I need to know is if what I described with my Gamin giving no information is normal. The person with the eXplorist had much more info on the cache than I had and I hope it is possible on a Garmin and that I was doing it wrong.

[+DocDiTTo]

While I was seeking the 2nd cache I found today I met another geocacher with a Magellan Explorist 500. To my surprise he had much more information on his GPSr than me. Almost all the notes , difficulty and terrain and even the decrypted hint!

 

On my Garmin I only have the Title (that does not support french caracters very well it seems) when I click Notes in the compass mode. That's the good screen to monitor when geocaching, right?

 

Did you choose to load the extra information into your GPSr when you loaded in the coordinates? My Garmin tells me the cache size, type, difficulty, terrain, what the last 4 logs were (Found, DNF, etc), and who hid the cache, because that's the information I tell GSAK to store for each waypoint. I don't use Garmin's geocaching mode though, because it doesn't work with the custom icons I choose to use.

 

You're only going to get out of it what you put into it.

[+geognerd]

I use the Geocache POIs as my primary info when searching for a cache. It's nice to be able to get the hint from the device that's already in my hand instead of pulling the Palm out of my bag. I also use GSAK to add the container size to the cache name, so I am getting an extra bit of information normally not included with the Geocache POIs. Now if I don't find the cache in the first couple of minutes of searching, I pull out the Palm to get the more detailed description.

 

As for Garmin's geocaching mode, I have only tried it once on a co-worker's GPSr. However, I understand that you can get a lot more cache info if you use create Custom POIs.

[Rhialto]

However, I understand that you can get a lot more cache info if you use create Custom POIs.

Ok then I will try to find a tutorial on this. I hope it still work with the closed/open chest icon.

[+briansnat]

However, I understand that you can get a lot more cache info if you use create Custom POIs.

Ok then I will try to find a tutorial on this. I hope it still work with the closed/open chest icon.

 

What I saw one person do with his Garmin was load cache waypoints as usual, then like many, he used GSAK to manipulate the waypoint ID to show cache type, size, difficulty and terrain and the note field to show the cache name and owner.

 

Then he loaded the same caches again as custom POIs and loaded the hint there (The custom POI holds a lot more characters than the waypoint). So if he needed to look up the hint all he had to do was call up the POI.

 

So he still had the cache waypoints in there as usual, with the treasure chest icon and an accompanying custom POI for that cache with the hint.

 

Even if you don't do this, you can use GSAK to change your waypoint to give you the cache size, type, terrain and difficulty. It's a simple process.

 

For example I have GSAK set up so that it changes GC12345 to TM12345 1 3. That means it's a traditional cache, micro size with a terrain of 1 and difficulty of 3. Similarly GC45678 would be come MR45678 A 2 whic would indicate a multi cache, regular size with a terrain of 1.5 and a difficulty of 2.

Edited July 30, 2007 by briansnat

[+Miragee]

As others have said, using the Garmin POI Loader to load the caches as POIs, you will get a lot more information in the Comments field. I use GSAK to send the waypoints to my GPSr. I have never found a need for the GC number, so I set up the "smart name" codes to give me what I find most useful.

 

%smart=6 %con1%typ1%dif1%ter1

 

This includes part of the Name, the Size of the container, the Type of cache (Traditional, Multi, Virtual, Puzzle), the Difficulty and Terrain (based on a 10-point scale).

 

To get part of the hint, I use this code in the Waypoint Description blank:

 

%Name=10 %hint

[Rhialto]

As others have said, using the Garmin POI Loader to load the caches as POIs, you will get a lot more information in the Comments field.

 

Ok I installed POI Loader and uploaded a cache. I go to Find then Custom POI and click the cache then Go To and Off Road. Now what? I don't see the comment screen and if I go into Compass I don't see it. When in Compass in Geocaching mode there used to be 3 buttons at the bottom, not with CPO. :-/

[+Miragee]

I don't have an 'x' GPSr, so someone else will have to come along to help you . . . Where's Chuy! when we need him?

 

Did you use GSAK to Export the .gpx file information to the POI Loader?

 

To get the Geocache functions, you might have to "Save" the POI as a Geocache waypoint.

[+DocDiTTo]

As others have said, using the Garmin POI Loader to load the caches as POIs, you will get a lot more information in the Comments field.

 

Ok I installed POI Loader and uploaded a cache. I go to Find then Custom POI and click the cache then Go To and Off Road. Now what? I don't see the comment screen and if I go into Compass I don't see it. When in Compass in Geocaching mode there used to be 3 buttons at the bottom, not with CPO. :-/

 

Custom Points of Interest aren't Geocaches. Geocaches can only be waypoints. Choose Find then instead of Custom POI go to Geocache. Any waypoint in the GPS with a little unopened box icon should then show up as a geocache. Geocaching mode doesn't work with CPOI's.

[Rhialto]

Did you use GSAK to Export the .gpx file information to the POI Loader?

 

Now that I'm premium, I downloaded the GPX file from the cache page here and tried to upload the file using POI loader. Like I said I see it under Custom POI and looks like GCxxxxx (no icon). I can Go To but nothing more I can see, no comment.