Now I've Done It

[CrazyCDN]

I suppose I'll start with the obligatory introduction. I read an article about geocaching a few years ago and was mildly interested but didn't have the finances to get started in any serious manner. Long story longer, fast forward to earlier this week and something snapped. I started reading (ie lurking) the forums here and other geocaching sites to figure out what I needed to get started.

 

Yesterday I picked up a Garmin eTrex Legend HCx and have been playing with it trying to figure out the various menus.

 

The hardest thing I've successfully done so far was put the darn lanyard on the thing!! Took me about ten minutes and I had to use a safety pin to fish it through but its safely attached now.

 

Next problem is I don't know how to program waypoints for the caches I'm sure to find (after getting frustrated for hours only to realize I'm standing right in front of it and couldn't "see" it for some reason).

 

BTW, I haven't installed the computer software yet. Is that the problem? Little help?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

CrazyCDN

[+StarBrand]

It is always easiest and best to download waypoints right off of the site into your unit. Use a program like EasyGPS or Geocaching Swiss Army knife to do that.

 

Second, you can ignore many of the features of your GPS unit if you just learn 2.

1 - How to enter coordinates - simply put "mark" your current location and then edit the corrdinates to match where you want to go using the click stick.

 

2 - How to select coordinates - click on find, geocache - then select either "nearest" or an alpha list - pick the one you want and click goto - then use the compass screen and follow the arrow.

[+emb021]

It is always easiest and best to download waypoints right off of the site into your unit. Use a program like EasyGPS or Geocaching Swiss Army knife to do that.

 

Second, you can ignore many of the features of your GPS unit if you just learn 2.

1 - How to enter coordinates - simply put "mark" your current location and then edit the corrdinates to match where you want to go using the click stick.

 

2 - How to select coordinates - click on find, geocache - then select either "nearest" or an alpha list - pick the one you want and click goto - then use the compass screen and follow the arrow.

 

What StarBrand says here is basically how I started to geocaching using an eTrex Venture.

 

Before I started to use EasyGPS (which I quickly replaced with GSAK), to upload the coordinates to my unit, I would spend time in an evening inputing coordinates by hand of the caches I planned to hit the next day.

 

Let me tell you, spending time looking for a cache and not finding it and then checking and see that I had miskeyed the coordinates (thankfully I always took a hardcopy of the caches page with me), made me quickly switch to a method of downloading the coords.

 

I first used EasyGPS, which was fine. But didn't like that it use the GC* 'name' for the caches, rather then the discriptive name. One of several reasons I switched to GSAK and never looked back.

[+Chuy!]

Easiest way to enter coordinates is to press the click stick, from any screen, until the "Mark Waypoint" screen pops up; then toggle down to the coords and change the coords. When you're done updating the fields, don't forget to press "OK" at the bottom right; otherwise, you will not save anything.

 

I too recommend you get EasyGPS to manage your waypoints. It's free and very user-friendly. MapSource is also very good, it's included with Trips Manager software that came with your GPS.

[knowschad]

For a Garmin user, the easiest way to enter coordinates these days is to use the Send to GPS button from the cache page (or from the map dialog).

[+zoltig]

<snip>

The hardest thing I've successfully done so far was put the darn lanyard on the thing!! Took me about ten minutes and I had to use a safety pin to fish it through but its safely attached now. <snip>

 

Ask the knowschad dog to borrow his glasses.

 

As the others have said, it is easy to download coordinates from the PC. But be sure you know how and are comfortable with entering coords by hand as well as all the other possible grid systems that you may encounter. (ie UTM's et al) Lat/Long. Coords look thus N 40° 25.mmm W 104° 51.mmm and UTM's are thus 13T E 511811 N 4475590

Typically for Geocaching the WGS84 Datum (Lat/Long) is used.

[+Chuy!]

For a Garmin user, the easiest way to enter coordinates these days is to use the Send to GPS button from the cache page (or from the map dialog).

Doesn't work on my laptop nor my desktop. It does work at work. Go figure. Still prefer EasyGPS/Mapsource as I strip the GC and add suffix' for difficulty and terrain rating. The big plus is I can see the relative position of caches on a map. Makes it easier to map a course - especially for the FTF hunt. Plus, with MapSource, I can go directly into Google Earth to view aerial shots of the cache locations. The list goes on ...

[+aronnie]

I have the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx , it set's up just like Yours .

I sent You a E-Mail, if there is any way I can help You let Me know

aronnie

[+hidnseek]

I suppose I'll start with the obligatory introduction. I read an article about geocaching a few years ago and was mildly interested but didn't have the finances to get started in any serious manner. Long story longer, fast forward to earlier this week and something snapped. I started reading (ie lurking) the forums here and other geocaching sites to figure out what I needed to get started.

 

Yesterday I picked up a Garmin eTrex Legend HCx and have been playing with it trying to figure out the various menus.

 

The hardest thing I've successfully done so far was put the darn lanyard on the thing!! Took me about ten minutes and I had to use a safety pin to fish it through but its safely attached now.

 

Next problem is I don't know how to program waypoints for the caches I'm sure to find (after getting frustrated for hours only to realize I'm standing right in front of it and couldn't "see" it for some reason).

 

BTW, I haven't installed the computer software yet. Is that the problem? Little help?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

CrazyCDN

 

best thing to do is show up for the geodinner on Tuesday and get hands on help!

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...8d7fc&log=y

[+joranda]

When I started caching, I hand punched everything in. Yeah I know, crazy. Then this year I moved into the 21st century and downloaded GSAK. Night and day, and my finger don't hate me anymore. I still hand punch if I'm going after a couple of new caches close to home for the FTF.

[+simpjkee]

If you are going for your first few caches, I wouldn't even bother with downloading waypoints and such. Just get the coords and take your GPS out and find a couple. After some finds if you want to get more in to it then fiddle with downloading stuff. At that point you'll be more familiar with cache pages and such anyway. Don't do too much too soon ya know?

[+admo1972]

Just make sure you input the coordinates by hand AT HOME! For my first cache, I drove over to the park where the cache was, pulled out my eTrex Vista, and was dumbfounded on how to enter a waypoint. I kept coming to marking my waypoint, but, in my thinking, I didn't want to mark where I am, I wanted to mark a different place! I did have the manual with me, which I read earlier, but I was determined to figure it out. I did eventually figure out that you indeed mark your current position, THEN edit that waypoint to where you want to go. It wasn't until a dozen or so caches later that I learned the shortcut to marking a waypoint (by holding the click-stick in) rather than going through the menus.

[+january14]

I have the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx , it set's up just like Yours .

I sent You a E-Mail, if there is any way I can help You let Me know

aronnie

 

Hi... For the Vista HCX, Have you found anyway to get Geocaches loaded to the Memory Card? I would like to get more than 500 onto the Vista but so far, I seem to be having problems doing that.

 

I use GSAK and just export directly to the Vista, bypassing MapSource entirely.

 

Joe

[+rstefano52]

I have the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx , it set's up just like Yours .

I sent You a E-Mail, if there is any way I can help You let Me know

aronnie

 

Hi... For the Vista HCX, Have you found anyway to get Geocaches loaded to the Memory Card? I would like to get more than 500 onto the Vista but so far, I seem to be having problems doing that.

 

I use GSAK and just export directly to the Vista, bypassing MapSource entirely.

 

Joe

 

I'm not sure if this will answer your question but I think I was able to do it using Garmin's POI loader. I was able to get it from their sight (it took some digging) but I was able to load the Geocaches as Points of Interest on the memory card and I know that loaded about 1500 caches.

[+StarBrand]

POI is great for getting a large batch of caches onto your unit - the bad part is that it no longer works with the built in geocaching features.

 

POI loader from Garmin. http://www8.garmin.com/products/poiloader/

[CrazyCDN]

Thanks for all the great responses!!

 

I can't believe it was really as simple as adding in a waypoint then editting the coordinates. Pretty basic but does the trick.

 

I've also figured out the "send to gps" function on geocaching.com works well, if you discount the fact that you have to use IE and not Firefox but I'll let that slide.

 

Thanks again to everyone that read this and posted some help. I haven't found a cache yet but that has to do with the weather more than anything else. -20`C with the wind chill and then when it warmed up everything was covered in 30cm of snow!! I'm getting very, very impatient now!!

[+Printess Caroline]

If you are going for your first few caches, I wouldn't even bother with downloading waypoints and such. Just get the coords and take your GPS out and find a couple. After some finds if you want to get more in to it then fiddle with downloading stuff. At that point you'll be more familiar with cache pages and such anyway. Don't do too much too soon ya know?

 

As a low-tech person (I don't even like using the tv remote), the above is how I went for my first search...and my first 100 or so...and it is still my prefered approach at 300+. All that techie stuff just interfers with my fun. Just get the coordinates and get out there and find yourself a cache!

 

 

 

 

Go on! Watcha waiting for!?