AEmedic Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 (edited) Well I just picked up my first GPS today. It is a Garmin 60CSx I have only just turned it on in the last few min so I guess I need to register with Garmin and look for update. Tomorrow I plan on getting software for it, if I can't download what I need. What should I get, City Nav and Topo? Any advice? Thanks! BTW, I am in Great Falls, MT in the Air Force, my wife and I are going to try our hand at Geocaching. Edited March 30, 2008 by AEmedic Quote Link to comment
O-Mega Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Well I just picked up my forst GPS today. It is a Garmin 60CSx I have only just turned it on in the last fe min so I guess I need to register with Garmin and look for update. Tomorrow I plan on getting software for it, if I can't download what I need. What should I get, City Nav and Topo? any advice? Thanks! BTW, I am in Great Falls, MT in the Air Force, my wife and I are going to try our had at Geocaching. Good choice, I have the same unit. Topo and City Nav are not bad but not needed right away. I found my first 100 before adding topo, and a few more before adding city nav. Now I use a TomTom to get me close and the 60 csx to get me to the cache. Since you mention you are AF, you should go to Military Association of GeoCachers and introduce yourself, there quite a few like minded individuals there. v/r O-Mega Quote Link to comment
AEmedic Posted March 30, 2008 Author Share Posted March 30, 2008 Thank you, I am going to check them out. Quote Link to comment
gusmasterson Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Perhaps you should spend a little less time wandering around with a GPS and learn how to type. Quote Link to comment
+Outspoken1 Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Perhaps you should spend a little less time wandering around with a GPS and learn how to type. That is kinda of a mean comment. Not everyone is a great typist (like myself). Let's play nice, OK? Take care, Outspoken1 Quote Link to comment
AEmedic Posted March 30, 2008 Author Share Posted March 30, 2008 Perhaps you should spend a little less time wandering around with a GPS and learn how to type. So is this what I am to expect from the Groundspeak community?? I am not the greatest typist, but at least I don't let that define who I am... Quote Link to comment
+Miragee Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Perhaps you should spend a little less time wandering around with a GPS and learn how to type. So is this what I am to expect from the Groundspeak community?? I am not the greatest typist, but at least I don't let that define who I am... No, that is not what you can expect from the Groudspeak community. Notice that person has only one post. Why they chose to make their first post so rude, I'll never know. I hope you will find the Geocaching community to be friendly and helpful, for the most part. Just don't get caught up in the discussions about LPCs (Lamp Post Caches). You got a great GPS unit. Now, you might consider becoming a Premium Member of the Site so you can get Pocket Queries. Those give you as many as 500 caches in a single file that is emailed to you. You can also get "Caches Along a Route" if you are going to be doing any traveling. I have both the City Navigator auto-routing maps and Topo maps on my Vista HCx. On my PC, I have GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife), a database program for handling the data from Pocket Queries. I send the waypoints to my GPSr with that program, and Export the data in the correct format for my Palm m515 and Cachemate for "paperless" caching. Another handy program you can download from the Garmin site is their POI Loader. You can use it to send "Custom POIs" to your 'x' GPS unit. Welcome to the Forums, and to the addiction . . . er . . . activity. Quote Link to comment
+Ariel_PSU Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Perhaps you should spend a little less time wandering around with a GPS and learn how to type. So is this what I am to expect from the Groundspeak community?? I am not the greatest typist, but at least I don't let that define who I am... NOOOOOOOOOO This is NOT what my (fairly recent) experience has been. Everyone has been friendly and welcoming and helpful! Please don't let one idiot ruin this place and this addiction for you. ~Ariel Quote Link to comment
+jpwrangler Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 I'll second that, welcome new guy! I was in the Air Force also, and I grew up in an Air Force family. I also just bought a 60csx. I went with Topo, and will add City Navigator later. I hear that a newer version is on the horizen and will wait for that. There's alot to learn and this is the place to learn it. I've gone paperless with a used Palm M515. Might look into that also, it's great! I've got the closeist 500 caches in my gps and Palm, and files of caches near my favorite locals on my desktop ready to load when I need them. I did all that from scratch from what I learned here. Quote Link to comment
AEmedic Posted March 30, 2008 Author Share Posted March 30, 2008 I hear that a newer version is on the horizen and will wait for that. This is what I have been reading as well. I have also read that the TOPO is quite a bit off in regards to trails and roads... That is disconcerting but I guess I have little choice if I want the software. I am going to go get it in a few min and hope that there will be a fix. City Nav was going to be a purchase today as well, but my guess is there won't be a fix that makes it as good as the new version could/should be. Am I right? Quote Link to comment
+Miragee Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 In the past, if you Unlocked the software after a certain date, Garmin would offer a free Upgrade to the new version. I have the older Topo software I bought on eBay for a reasonable price and a friend said my Topo maps, on my Vista HCx, looked better than the new Topo 2008 he bought. Just something to consider . . . Quote Link to comment
+mtn-man Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Welcome AEmedic. Don't let that person get you down. I am sure they will have far fewer friends here than you will. I have Garmin Topo, but I found on the smaller screen that at times it was harder to tell roads from streams from topo lines, etc. I had a black and white Vista though back then. I have since moved to City Navigator with the 60CSx and love turn-by-turn navigation better. I would rather print out a topo map if needed and use the regular screens on the GPS. I am an old compass and map guy though, and I can really *see* terrain well in my head by looking at treetops and underbrush and by knowing how things grow near creeks and away from them. You are in Montana though, so that would make more of a difference than Atlanta. Our definition of terrain varies from yours. Topo might be good for you depending on what you are doing and how well you can *see* topography in your head. Quote Link to comment
O-Mega Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 (edited) I hear that a newer version is on the horizen and will wait for that. This is what I have been reading as well. I have also read that the TOPO is quite a bit off in regards to trails and roads... That is disconcerting but I guess I have little choice if I want the software. I am going to go get it in a few min and hope that there will be a fix. City Nav was going to be a purchase today as well, but my guess is there won't be a fix that makes it as good as the new version could/should be. Am I right? Check out this thread, it looks like they may be working on maps for your neck of the woods. Free Garmin Maps Edited March 30, 2008 by O-Mega Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted March 30, 2008 Share Posted March 30, 2008 Ideally you'll have both Topo and City Nav on your unit. If you need to choose one, think of how you are going to use your GPS most frequently. If it will be for hiking and geocaching off the beaten path, Topo is the better choice. If you will be using it for driving directions and for urban and suburban caching, City Nav is the way to go. Quote Link to comment
AEmedic Posted March 30, 2008 Author Share Posted March 30, 2008 I bought the 2008 TOPO today and when ever the new CN comes out I will get that as well, then I will have the best of both worlds. Thanks for all the help! Quote Link to comment
+oldsoldier Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I know an old Army buddy who lives in Great Falls!!! Welcome to the fold! Quote Link to comment
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