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Why no great geocaching GPSr?


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Why is it that Garmin has a GPS product for every conceviable micro market but nothing for Geocachers? They have what, about 5000 models? But not one of them is targeted directly to geocaching. Sure they have great units that we all use. But not one is good enough to cache without added stuff. You either have to print out paper or use some other device(ipod, cellphone, PDA, laptop) to keep valuable info on. I would think we are a large enough market that we could have our own model. How hard it it to make the GPSr handle some extra text fields?

 

Why are we ignored?

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I would think we are a large enough market that we could have our own model.

 

Well, geocaching is not really that large of a market. When compaired to the automotive market, aviation and marine market geocaching is just a drop in the ocean.

 

Add in what the cost of a do everything GPS would be and the market gets even smaller.

 

Why is it that Garmin has a GPS product for every conceviable micro market

Just what would those micro markets be?

Edited by JohnnyVegas
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I found my 1st 5 caches with a geko 101 and memory of what was said by the cache owner .

3 of them took 2 tries .

Now I have a gpsmap 60, pocket pc with IQue with the waypoints downloaded to it , 2 bloodhounds

 

and a highly trained search and rescue team at my ready and it still takes me a couple of tries on easy caches.

 

. And most importantly a wife to tell me all of my wrong steps .

 

Did I mention I bought topo for my map 60 . Absolutley useless for caching in my opion .

 

I have a garmin ZUMo mounted on my Harley just incase I am out for a ride and go by a cache .

 

I just bought a used etrex for friends to use who are visiting . And I just tried to buy a geko 201 for my grandson. I need all the help I can get .

 

I have to tell myself this every hobby I start . I never learn . K.I.S.S.

Keep it simple stupid .

 

Just thought of something I could use a metal detector while I'm cache hunting . Hmmm

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No, I am sorry, I have to agree.....

 

I want a GPS that allows you to transfer all the notes etc.

 

They need a little more memory (should be easy!) and an easy transfer option from geochaching.com so that i dont have to print out all those dadgum papers!!

 

paperless should be way easier at this point

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No, I am sorry, I have to agree.....

 

I want a GPS that allows you to transfer all the notes etc.

 

They need a little more memory (should be easy!) and an easy transfer option from geochaching.com so that i dont have to print out all those dadgum papers!!

 

paperless should be way easier at this point

 

Garmin Colorado....

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No, I am sorry, I have to agree.....

 

I want a GPS that allows you to transfer all the notes etc.

 

They need a little more memory (should be easy!) and an easy transfer option from geochaching.com so that i dont have to print out all those dadgum papers!!

 

paperless should be way easier at this point

 

Garmin Colorado....

 

Unless I'm missing something, the Colorado literature/Specs aren't very specific as to how paperless their unit is. As a Cacher myself, my family and I go out quite a bit. We invariably take a printout from Geocaching.Com so that we can look at the little side maps, read the clues, look at the decrypted clues, etc..... Between that and our Vista HCx, we do very, very well.

 

I guess I'd be amenable to paperless so long as I know how paperless???

 

Thanks,

The G Man

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Unless I'm missing something, the Colorado literature/Specs aren't very specific as to how paperless their unit is. As a Cacher myself, my family and I go out quite a bit. We invariably take a printout from Geocaching.Com so that we can look at the little side maps, read the clues, look at the decrypted clues, etc..... Between that and our Vista HCx, we do very, very well.

 

Everything that is in the pocket query is available on the unit. Name, code, owner, difficulty, type, container size, description, hint, logs.

 

You can also store photos if you want the pictures.

 

Not quite as flexible as what a PDA can do, but pretty good at the moment. In addition, Garmin is promising to improve the software based on feedback. It is all discussed to death pn these forums.

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Unless I'm missing something, the Colorado literature/Specs aren't very specific as to how paperless their unit is. As a Cacher myself, my family and I go out quite a bit. We invariably take a printout from Geocaching.Com so that we can look at the little side maps, read the clues, look at the decrypted clues, etc..... Between that and our Vista HCx, we do very, very well.

 

Everything that is in the pocket query is available on the unit. Name, code, owner, difficulty, type, container size, description, hint, logs.

 

You can also store photos if you want the pictures.

 

Not quite as flexible as what a PDA can do, but pretty good at the moment. In addition, Garmin is promising to improve the software based on feedback. It is all discussed to death pn these forums.

but for some reason the icons don't show up on the map. what's up with that? and no way to mark them as found.

 

what part of paperless caching didn't they inderstand.

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I think it's that Garmin (and the others) think (and they are mostly correct) that most of their handheld/outdoor/hiking GPSr's are "made for the geocaching market".

 

Believe me, they don't think we don't exist, Garmin's site has a thorough section on geocaching, they know that it is both a significant part of their sales and that it is sales tool in that it tells people "here's something I can do with a handheld GPS". I believe Magellan and Lowrance do too.

Edited by HaLiJuSaPa
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The colorado seems to come close, but I just bought an etrex vista hcx instead. When I pair the vista, and my old legend, with my blackberry I have everything I need for paperless caching. Yeah, two devices but a great combo.

 

My GPSr leads me there, and my blackberry lets me look up the caching on geocaching.com if I need hints from the logs. I can log my finds as I go if I want to. Plus, I can take pictures if I want to upload with my finds.

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The colorado seems to come close, but I just bought an etrex vista hcx instead. When I pair the vista, and my old legend, with my blackberry I have everything I need for paperless caching. Yeah, two devices but a great combo.

 

My GPSr leads me there, and my blackberry lets me look up the caching on geocaching.com if I need hints from the logs. I can log my finds as I go if I want to. Plus, I can take pictures if I want to upload with my finds.

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