TOMTOM ONE 3rd EDITION

[TWIsM]

Can someone that is using a TOMTOM ONE (no garmins or tom tom 6 or any of that. I am sure you can use those and thats great) I want to know if it is possible to use a tomtom one to do geocaching? If you tell me about offroad navigator, tell me how to install it and access it a bit better than the website that has the download does. How do I down load it then how do I put it on my tomtom and then how do i get to it once it is on my tomtom.

 

Answers to this is what will help. Telling me to get a different GPS or that the one you have will be of no value at all. Thanks in advance for all the help!!

[+mousekakat]

Email sent, hope it helps!

 

Naomi

[+Lt.Ranger.Bob]

Others may have the same question. Why provide the answer in an email? I happen to own this exact GPS and although I probably would not use it to geocache it would be nice to know how if I ever need too.

[+mousekakat]

Others may have the same question. Why provide the answer in an email? I happen to own this exact GPS and although I probably would not use it to geocache it would be nice to know how if I ever need too.

 

Because I didn't think others were worthy of the priviledge of caching with a TomTom?

 

Just kidding!

 

I checked my mail and found the same question in my mail, and that was before I came online here this morning, so I just didn't think to do a double post... I'll go ahead and post the reply here, though

 

On 3 Dec 2007 23:32:08 -0800, Geocaching <noreply@geocaching.com > wrote:

You said in a forum that you use a tomtom one to geocache. How do you do that? I know how to enter lat and longs and all that but they just get me to the closest road. Is there a way to use it to get closer to some caches?

 

Yes, there is. It takes a little patience because it's definitely a car navigator and not a handheld, but it's all we have and we use it all the time for caching.

 

When you get to your "parking" location, touch the screen and go to browse map. Bring the zoom in fairly close. You can touch the blue arrow at the top right to get your current location, which will show as a blue quartered dot on the screen. Then you need your coords again. The dot is going to be your locaton, using the touch screen (we use a twig or something to make it easier) move the dot around until it's located at the coords of the cache and then start looking . There is something called "offroad navigator" that you can download and install that a lot of people use, I have it installed, just haven't tried it yet!

 

Like I said, it takes a little patience and getting used to since it doesn't show tracks or anything like that, but it is perfectly doable! We do use a small compass, too, just to help orientate us sometimes, but it's the type that is attached to a watch band and it's on Micke's watch, so it's always with us anyway, lol!

 

Hope that helps some!

 

Naomi

[+Lt.Ranger.Bob]

Thank you for the information.

[+yanr]

I have the TomTom 3rd edition as well. Off-Road navigator will not work that well on NavCore7.xx. TomTom did not release an SDK for this software version, so when you first load it up, the screen will be completely garbled. You can do an quick alteration to the configuration file that will make the screen readable, and somewhat useable. But the interface is kinda slow, and if ever you need to enter data via a keyboard, the screen will garble again.

 

If you do choose to use the "Browse Map" function, the easiest way would be to set the coordinates of the geocache you are hunting as a favourite. This will show up as a star on the map, instead of fussing around moving the cursor. Be warned though, when you are within about 50m from a road, the unit will snap your location to it. I haven't found a way to turn this off.

 

Also, having felt the beefiness of a dedicated hand held GPSr, the TomTom feels really cheap, and fragile. I am 100% with this while the unit is mounted nicely on my dash, but walking around in the woods with the unit in my pocket? Not so much.

 

My plan is to pick up a reasonably priced Garmin unit for out of car use. Good luck!

[TWIsM]

I have the TomTom 3rd edition as well. Off-Road navigator will not work that well on NavCore7.xx. TomTom did not release an SDK for this software version, so when you first load it up, the screen will be completely garbled. You can do an quick alteration to the configuration file that will make the screen readable, and somewhat useable. But the interface is kinda slow, and if ever you need to enter data via a keyboard, the screen will garble again.

 

If you do choose to use the "Browse Map" function, the easiest way would be to set the coordinates of the geocache you are hunting as a favourite. This will show up as a star on the map, instead of fussing around moving the cursor. Be warned though, when you are within about 50m from a road, the unit will snap your location to it. I haven't found a way to turn this off.

 

Also, having felt the beefiness of a dedicated hand held GPSr, the TomTom feels really cheap, and fragile. I am 100% with this while the unit is mounted nicely on my dash, but walking around in the woods with the unit in my pocket? Not so much.

 

My plan is to pick up a reasonably priced Garmin unit for out of car use. Good luck!

Thanks so much

[+Team Dougherty]

Here is a website that will answer a lot of your tomtom questions.

 

www.tomtomforums.com

[anchorless]

I just downloaded Offroad Nav and put it on my TOMTOM One 3rd Edition. Edited the interface so I can pull it up from the menu, and fixed the config file, so that the screen is not garbled.

 

I really want to be able to use this for Geocaching.

 

Originally the Offroad NAV setting was set to mark a waypoint 'visited' if I were within 100 meters of the Coordinates.

 

This wasn't going to help me get close to any cache, luckily the new version of offroad nav allows the user to adjust that setting. However I couldn't access a 'readable' screen due to it being garbled after attempting to change the setting using the interface. Needless to say I was having trouble re-setting the 100 meters to 1 meter (allowing me to get closer to the cache before it ticks off as visited).

 

I accessed the config file again, replaced 100 with 1 and re-saved...presto! Everything looked to be in working order.

 

I took it out to a cache, it was getting dark out and real dreary. Offroad was really slow and froze on me a few times when I got out to the cache site after working and reading really well at home. I was really bummed out. Offroad was only refreshing my position about every 5 to 8 seconds and it made it really hard to locate anything. Do you think the refresh rate on Offroad was just a matter of a cloudy sky, or maybe something else?

 

Any ideas?! Hahaha, please don't tell me to get a new GPS!

 

Would marking the setting on the Offroad Nav application from snap to real help?

 

thanks so much!

[+Team Dougherty]

the tomtom one 3rd edition runs navcore version 7. That version does not play well with the offroad program. I have the one second edition and keep a SD card with the older version of navcore 6 and run the offroad on that. Then I keep another SD card with navcore 7 to use when driving. version 3 does not have an sd card slot so it is tough to do that.

[RobeL]

I just got a TomTomOne 3rd Edition and am totally frustrated with using it to GeoCache. I am considering returning it, and getting another brand. Problem was that it isn't getting us to any of the sites near us. Many of the sites are "off road" and it seems to be totally taking us away from where the sites should be.

 

Any help is appreciated here.

 

Thanks.

 

Bob

[+backhiker]

the tomtom one 3rd edition runs navcore version 7. That version does not play well with the offroad program. I have the one second edition and keep a SD card with the older version of navcore 6 and run the offroad on that. Then I keep another SD card with navcore 7 to use when driving. version 3 does not have an sd card slot so it is tough to do that.

 

I have a V2 and have thought of doing this. I upgraded without knowing it would mess up off-road nav. Do I have to wipe the internal memory clean to run the unit on SD cards? I have the old navcore in a backup in my computer.

 

BTW I called TomTom when off-road nav. no longer worked this is the quote I got from Supervisor in Technical Service "Tom Tom no longer supports third party software. If you load third party software on your upgraded One V2 or One V3 it will VOID the warrenty". Just FYI

 

On a happier note I have cached often with my One using browse map mode and it gets me as close as any of my friends garmin handhelds. (100 finds) It is no good for most micros though as it always snaps to a road if you are less than 75' from a road.

Edited December 30, 2007 by backhiker

[RobeL]

Thanks for your thoughts...I have also had some luck with the "browse map" mode, so I don't know what to do. Do the Hand Held Garmins work any better for off road and Micros... I might just buy a lesser expensive hand held one.

[+Team Dougherty]

 

I have a V2 and have thought of doing this. I upgraded without knowing it would mess up off-road nav. Do I have to wipe the internal memory clean to run the unit on SD cards? I have the old navcore in a backup in my computer.

 

 

No. you do not have to wipe the internal memory clean. Just install navcore 6 and offroad on the SD card. When the SD card is installed it will boot and run off of it and ignore the built in memory.

 

Just leave navcore 7 on the internal memory for driving and put the SD card with navcore 6 and off road on it in the unit when you get to the cache site and start looking.

 

Paul

Edited December 31, 2007 by Team Dougherty

[RonnieTheBear]

so has anyone figured out if there's a way to turn that snap to road feature off? and will that still occur even if you're using offroad navigator? thanks in advance.

[+GoPack]

Folks, can't you just go old school and have the One 3rd just give you coordinates? It shows you your exact location and you walk to the coordinates of the cache? Maps are nice but for all of the caches I've found, just get me close with the map, and then i look straight at my current coordinates and the target coordinates.

Just my 2 cents.

[+Marky]

Folks, can't you just go old school and have the One 3rd just give you coordinates? It shows you your exact location and you walk to the coordinates of the cache? Maps are nice but for all of the caches I've found, just get me close with the map, and then i look straight at my current coordinates and the target coordinates.

Just my 2 cents.

I have a TomTom 910, and if you pull up the screen that displays the coords, it doesn't update them often enough to be useful. I never tried any third party solutions, but the one mentioned doesn't sound all that great.

[+jopasm]

I have the One LE, which as I understand it is bascially a One 2nd edition with updated softare (NavCore 7). I haven't tried it for geocaching yet (I have a Garmin 60cx), but something that might help, especially with the lock on road issue, is to go to:

 

Preferences->Planning Preferences

 

Change to "Always Plan Walking Routes" and see if that helps you get to the cache. I *think* that turns off the lock-to-road function but I haven't tested it yet.

[RonnieTheBear]

I have the One LE, which as I understand it is bascially a One 2nd edition with updated softare (NavCore 7). I haven't tried it for geocaching yet (I have a Garmin 60cx), but something that might help, especially with the lock on road issue, is to go to:

 

Preferences->Planning Preferences

 

Change to "Always Plan Walking Routes" and see if that helps you get to the cache. I *think* that turns off the lock-to-road function but I haven't tested it yet.

 

hey jopasm, I have the LE too, and i'm pretty sure I tried that idea at a cache and it still snapped me to a road. at the moment i've bought a real cheap 1 GB SD card and loaded that with navcore 6, some non us maps, and offroad navigator, and that seemed to work just fine, though if you're far enough away from a road, the map browser in navcore 7 works fine too.

[+elmuyloco5]

have you inquired about this at the TomTom forums? They have several geocachers on there and lots of tips and tricks on how to work around the limitations of each unit.

[+ecanderson]

I picked up a 720, which came with NavCore 7, as did the 1, 3rd edition as I understand it. Consequently, it would seem we have a lot in common at the moment, especially as I don't have a copy of the NavCore6 software to work with. We have the same core system with the same 3rd party options for our units.

 

The 720 was initially a bust for earlier versions of OffRoad Navigator as the screen was pretty well buggered. After the author issued OffRoad Navigator 1.7B, it became usable. Data entry is still a problem, though, so instead of trying to enter a latitude/longitude set in the ORN display, it's FAR easier to set up your destination either using the TT's "itinerary" (load it as a "File" from the ORN main window) or using the TT's "favorite" method (again, load it as a "Favorite" from the ORN main window).

 

Here's the link to the software itself:

 

http://www.webazar.org/tomtom/offroad.php?lang=en

 

With that in mind, I've taken out the 720 and tried a bit of caching, and can advise as follows:

 

You really DO need to make a couple of adjustments to the ORN configuration for caching. Here is my configuration file, including the "tweak" that cleans up the screen a bit for NavCore7. It also accomplishes two other important things... a) it reduces the "at target" distance to 1 meter, and it uses "real" coordinate results, NOT the "snap to road" type results. Without both of those changes, you're toast if trying to use one of these units as a caching device. These are the contents of my config.txt file for ORN, found in the "offroad" folder once you have the software loaded. The "targetdistance 1" sets the 'proximity detector' to 1 meter instead of 100. The "snapping no" avoids on-road snapping by the TT software. Those were changed. Also be aware of the "processperiod 500" which updates every 500 milliseconds (1/2 sec) and the "coordinates degminute" which puts you into degrees and decimal minutes, useful for avoiding conversions when caching. A quick edit of this file with notepad or wordpad can be a lot easier than dealing with the config screen in ORN, but that screen is actually functional on NavCore7 now.

 

[Other parameters]

language english.lng

units english

colorscheme night

targetdistance 1

gmtoffset -7

geoidfix no 48

coordinates degminute

snapping no

mapfile

[Manual parameters]

processperiod 500

[Colors parameters]

topforegroundcolors 0,0,0 255,255,255 204,204,204

bottomforegroundcolors 255,255,255 255,255,255 204,204,204

topbackgroundcolors 255,255,255 0,0,0

bottombackgroundcolors 0,0,128 0,0,128

linescolors 204,204,204 204,204,204

labelcolors 255,0,0 255,255,0

daybackground

nightbackground

screenadaptation rider2

[End]

 

Once I had ORN tweaked per above for caching, I took the 720 out for a couple of test drives. I have a couple of observations about using the TT in this mode. These observations are made in otherwise "clear sky" conditions.

 

First, I've had instances where the TT itself was balky about updating coordinate position. At first I thought perhaps it was the ORN software, but in going directly to the TT's own direct display of satellite signal and immediate coordinate values, I found it was the TT that was sometimes balky about updating, primarily about the latitude figure. Even with "snap" off, it seemed that the TT would sometimes not trust the data, and give me a bit of a hard time in this regard. It seemed that motion at 2mph or more would often get it off the dime and the display would start to update. ORN can only work with what the TT is providing to it.

 

Second, I've come to learn that even the SIRF3 chipset can be fooled pretty seriously by reflections. In attempt to check out a benchmark near a bridge, we were confounded by the ORN software telling us we were 6 yards from the target, and suddenly having the unit blow us to 38 yards distance within the space of a foot or two. The reflections from the bridge were driving the TT unit nuts. I would imagine that this isn't all that uncommon for other units, but as a newbie in this business, it's a bit disconcerting.

 

Apart from those two caveats, the 720 with NavCore7 and the 1.7B ORN software is certainly adequate for most caching purposes. The lack of a true electronic compass seems to be a real shortcoming, though. I am thinking seriously about soon adding a purpose built unit to my stable just for caching. As this is clearly a TT thread, I won't post my suggestion now, but in practice, it would seem that a unit that includes that feature certainly would have an advantage.

Edited January 27, 2008 by ecanderson

[ianb1469]

We have just managed to use the TomTom One 3rd edition for geocaching. It is awkard, it helps if you also have a magnetic compas, but works as follows:

 

1: you enter the co-ordinates of the cache as a FAVOURITE (main menu->add favourite; NOT the "navigate to" menu)

2: You also need to write down the coordinates on a piece of paper and take it with you.

3: go to "browse map" (main menu->browse map)

4: click "find", then favourite, then select the right favourite.

5: you will see a star on the map for the destination, note also the coordinates printed, these co-ordinates are the blue cursor.

6: click the little compas icon at the top-right of the screen, this makes the cursor and co-ordinates display your current location.

7: Navigate your way to the the cache, using your compas, the co-ordinates of your location and the coordinates of the cache that you wrote down.

8: When you are near, you will need to keep pressing the compass icon lots, every time you want it to update your location.

 

Yuk, but it works.

 

Ian

[Ba1tcaster]

Wow..

 

First post on these forums, and I had to use it on this one, only because I use a TomTom 3rd edition to cashe myself.

 

I'll Load local cashes as a favorite, using lat/long cords. then save them with the cashe name.

 

I have compass preferences set to " arrow pointing to your destination" which keeps me on point.

 

For GPS status coordinate screen , I have it set for Minutes display (d m.m' ). This setting gives me what I've found to be VERY fine ground resolution. At best, dead on cashe. at worst, about 15 feet off when I don't have bounce issues.

 

I'll go and select whatever cashe I want to find, and drive there. On the map screen, I use it in 3d mode always, and it will show the finish line well off road, and not snap back to the road. Between the compass arrow , and the map, I do fairly well. Once I get within about 50 yds or so (compass indicates distance roughly), I'll switch to the GPS status screen, and watch the numbers till I land right on it.. Sometimes I have to walk around orienting myself to the numbers, but once I figure it out, I'm ok. I ALWAYS have to have the cashe printouts with cords so I know what I'm after when I'm in status mode.

 

It's far from perfect, and I suffer from bounce, just like the rest of the regular handheld crew, but I'll tell ya what. Even though I'm new to this thing, I've managed to find a few easy ones, and one I spent an HOUR searching for. Todays hour wasn't from bad cords, or bounce (ok, just a LITTLE), BUT FROM A DARN GOOD HIDE!! I knew where it was, just didn't realise how well it would be done, compared to another similar to it..

 

I'm lovin every minute of this so far, and it gets me in the game... got 5 in the bag already, along with a DNF that turned out to be muggled.. One other DNF has me a bit stumped cause it's an urban one..

 

One BIG tip. A neck lanyard and clip keeps the GPS fairly safe, and around the neck. It's gotten a few dings, but I expected it. Considering I got it for a song on BackFriday, I'm not really worried. Best of both worlds. I can use it for travel, AND cashing.. DEAL!!

[+ecanderson]

An update on TT units, NavCore7, and geocaching...

 

I've been communicating with the author of OffRoad Navigator, and it seems that there won't be any 3rd party applications that are really good for geocaching UNLESS/UNTIL TomTom goes open kimono and finally releases an API/SDK to the developers for NavCore7.

 

There are TWO places on your TT that you can get GPS coordinate data. The first is when you press in the lower right corner on the "bars". That takes you to a screen where you can see your unit's firmware version number and some coordinate data in little, tiny print. THAT data is snap to road! If you're near any kind of paved surface that is known to the TT maps, you'll have a bugger of a time getting the coordinates perpendicular to the road to update properly. Unfortunately, it is THAT data that is provided through the old API/SDK to developers (harumph).

 

HOWEVER, if you press on the right side again, you'll get to the page that shows the satellites in their orbital positions, and yet a different set of coordinate data. THAT data is "unsnapped" and pretty raw, and can put you right on top of a cache site.

 

I'm betting that it's beginner's luck, but I'm 5 for 5 on finds that were within 4 feet of the specified coordinates.

Edited February 1, 2008 by ecanderson