My Garmin Venture HC Arrived today!

[+Kotterlee]

Thanks everyone for your input, I'm quite happy with the GPS I chose. I honestly thought I'd be getting something much more basic than this. I remember that my dad had a GPS at least 15 years ago and it is NOTHING like that! It was twice the size of mine new one, had way fewer buttons and didn't do much else besides track your distance as long as you marked it every so many feet. Not really sure why he decided he needed one at that point. I do think he sold it to a rock climber friend.

 

Anyhow, I'm SUPER excited to find my first official cache! I'm going to be doing a bunch of reading tonight and then I'll give it a shot! I won't get a chance to do any hunting this weekend since my fiance is graduating from police Academy and we'll be busy with that. Hopefully next weekend we'll get a chance though.

[+briansnat]

One word of advice. Don't leave the unit in your hot car during the summer. High heat seems to loosen the glue that holds the rubber gasket in place.

 

Once you get some mapping software (if you haven't already), your unit will really shine. Metroguide or Topo 2008 are your best choices for that unit.

[+TrailGators]

One word of advice. Don't leave the unit in your hot car during the summer. High heat seems to loosen the glue that holds the rubber gasket in place.

 

Once you get some mapping software (if you haven't already), your unit will really shine. Metroguide or Topo 2008 are your best choices for that unit.

Good advice about not leaving it in the car. The Topo 2008 is very nice too!

[+Kotterlee]

Well... I downloaded a couple of caches onto my GPSr and turns out one was .5 miles from me... I just HAD to check it out... and got my first find. I was soo excited, I told my fiance and I think he was a little disappointed not to be with. So I logged it in the cache and on the site... do I need to upload anything from my GPSr to prove I was actually there?

 

My GPSr also chimed when I was a block away from the cache and said I had arrived so I stopped my car and started to look. Took me a good 10 minutes to figure out that my GPSr says how many feet away the cache is located and was 350ft... I was going crazy and feeling a little funny all at the same time! All these cats started coming up to me and sniffing me... probably smelled my cats! Interesting, but fun experience for sure!

 

Also, I read the directions and it said how to change the backlit option...I THOUGHT I had it set for permanent on... but it doesn't seem to be working. Anyone know anything about this? Thanks

Edited May 7, 2008 by Kotterlee

[+briansnat]

do I need to upload anything from my GPSr to prove I was actually there?

 

Your signature in the logbook is all the proof you need.

 

 

Also, I read the directions and it said how to change the backlit option...I THOUGHT I had it set for permanent on..

If your unit has an option for permanent on, you don't want to use it, unless you

want your unit to eat batteries like potato chips.

[+jagged2600]

Congrats on your Venture HC.

 

I have the same model. If all you want is topo maps, download a program called "Mapupload", then google "mapcenter". You can get very good quality topo maps on your Venture HC for free.

 

Now, for road maps... you're probably going to have to shell some money out for them.

[gitarmac]

I'll have to try that.

 

I love my venture. I'm fine without the mapping. I might try the free thing though just for fun.

[+jagged2600]

I'll have to try that.

 

I love my venture. I'm fine without the mapping. I might try the free thing though just for fun.

 

I can't repeat myself how much I love the topos on mapcenter. It's all freely available information (USGS data), compiled into freely available quads. I can go anywhere within reason in the local area and have a topo for it on my Venture HC. If I had an HCx, I'd have the entire state!

 

I checked for free maps prior to my purchase.. I wasn't keen on paying >$120 for a GPS unit just to spend the same amount of money on topos for it. I originally bought my HC for use while hiking/hunting/fishing, so everything worked out splendid for myself.