Help navigating my 400t

[apathos]

I just got my 400t, and took it out for caching last weekend. I'm a new GPS user, so I hope I'm doing something wrong. And that someone can help me.

 

I set up a route (CityNav) in Mapsource, with 7 caches in my PQ as the destinations. Starting from a friend's house, I followed the route to the 1st cache. Question: once I reach my first waypoint on a route, how do I proceed to the next waypoint? The only thing I could find to do was to remove the first waypoint from the route, which got quite tedious.

 

I had the unit in automotive mode to drive to the next cache, but I find that I need to use geocahing mode once I get close. Do I have to keep switching profiles back and forth every time I exit/enter my car? I put 'profile change' on the shortcut list after awhile, but is there a faster way to switch profiles?

 

In short, I spent more time trying to navigate the menus then I did actually looking for caches. I'm sure a large portion of that is just from being unfamiliar with the menu system, and that will improve over time. But am I missing something obvious about using these menus?

 

Last, is there any way to get the hints into the Colorado, or do you only get the text of the description?

[+twolpert]

I had the unit in automotive mode to drive to the next cache, but I find that I need to use geocahing mode once I get close. Do I have to keep switching profiles back and forth every time I exit/enter my car? I put 'profile change' on the shortcut list after awhile, but is there a faster way to switch profiles?

<snip>

Last, is there any way to get the hints into the Colorado, or do you only get the text of the description?

Once you're parked, the easiest way to start looking for a cache is to choose Where To from shortcuts, click Geocaches, then click the cache for which you want to search. Caches in the list are displayed in order of increasing distance from your present location.

 

If you are using a PQ as the source of the cache data, the full description, hints (if any), and recent logs should all be on the unit. You just need to know where to look.

 

Once you select the cache, you will see a screen with a short cache header at the top and map at the bottom. The pointer also shows on this screen. The left soft key will give you a number of options, including viewing the cache description (on a separate screen). From the cache description screen, hints and recent logs are available via the left soft key. In both cases, the right soft key functions as "back."

 

From the screen with the cache header and map, you can easily access modified compass and map pages. Depending on your tastes, you may find these easier to use than the main cache screen. To access these, use the up and down rocker buttons.

 

Hope that helps.

[+g-o-cashers]

I set up a route (CityNav) in Mapsource, with 7 caches in my PQ as the destinations. Starting from a friend's house, I followed the route to the 1st cache. Question: once I reach my first waypoint on a route, how do I proceed to the next waypoint? The only thing I could find to do was to remove the first waypoint from the route, which got quite tedious.

 

I didn't even think you could add a geocache to a route! Exactly how did you create the route?

 

I had the unit in automotive mode to drive to the next cache, but I find that I need to use geocahing mode once I get close. Do I have to keep switching profiles back and forth every time I exit/enter my car? I put 'profile change' on the shortcut list after awhile, but is there a faster way to switch profiles?

 

Switching profiles is one way to do this. One way to make this faster is to add the Change Profiles tool to the shortcuts menu in all profiles so you don't have to keep going down into Others to find it.

 

Question B8 here http://garmincolorado.wikispaces.com/Profiles as the details.

 

Another options is to put the unit in Automotive mode, which will allow you to autoroute to the geocache (there is a bug in v2.50, upgrade to v2.51 if you are trying this). Once you arrive at parking you can enter geocaching mode which does the straight line navigation, auto route to the next geocache, repeat. No need to switch profiles unless you want to do straight line navigation to a non-geocache waypoint.

 

In short, I spent more time trying to navigate the menus then I did actually looking for caches. I'm sure a large portion of that is just from being unfamiliar with the menu system, and that will improve over time. But am I missing something obvious about using these menus?

 

There are some tricks, check out the Geocaching section of the FAQ above, but in general I find there are a lot of key presses involved to get around on the CO.

 

 

Last, is there any way to get the hints into the Colorado, or do you only get the text of the description?

 

Yes. Select the geocache and goto Options->Show Description->Options->Show Hint

 

GO$Rs

[apathos]

If you are using a PQ as the source of the cache data, the full description, hints (if any), and recent logs should all be on the unit. You just need to know where to look.

 

Once you select the cache, you will see a screen with a short cache header at the top and map at the bottom. The pointer also shows on this screen. The left soft key will give you a number of options, including viewing the cache description (on a separate screen). From the cache description screen, hints and recent logs are available via the left soft key. In both cases, the right soft key functions as "back."

 

Hope that helps.

*Smacks head* Yes, that helps immensely. I knew I could get the description from the 'options' menu, but I never saw the further 'options' menu at the description page. This would have prevented one of my DNFs, I believe. Oh well, gives me an excuse to go back out.

 

I didn't even think you could add a geocache to a route! Exactly how did you create the route?

Mapsource is on my comp at home, but if I recall right, I imported the PQ, I chose the routing tool, then clicked on caches in the order I wanted to find them. If that doesn't sound right, I'll try to duplicate it tonight and post more complete steps. Maybe I only tricked myself into thinking it was a route.

 

Switching profiles is one way to do this. One way to make this faster is to add the Change Profiles tool to the shortcuts menu in all profiles so you don't have to keep going down into Others to find it.

I did eventually do this. Much better than going all the way thru the menu. Your FAQ was very helpful in getting my way around the unit.

 

Another options is to put the unit in Automotive mode, which will allow you to autoroute to the geocache (there is a bug in v2.50, upgrade to v2.51 if you are trying this). Once you arrive at parking you can enter geocaching mode which does the straight line navigation, auto route to the next geocache, repeat. No need to switch profiles unless you want to do straight line navigation to a non-geocache waypoint.

I have upgraded to 2.51. Many things nicer than 2.5. About the routing, once I've arrived at a stop, how do I get the unit to navigate to the next destination? Right now I have a route uploaded, if I leave the route (i.e. by using geocaching mode), it wants to start me back at the first point of the route. How do I pick up from, say, the 4th stop or so? Is there a way-that's-so-simple-i-looked-right-over-it?

[+g-o-cashers]

I have upgraded to 2.51. Many things nicer than 2.5. About the routing, once I've arrived at a stop, how do I get the unit to navigate to the next destination? Right now I have a route uploaded, if I leave the route (i.e. by using geocaching mode), it wants to start me back at the first point of the route. How do I pick up from, say, the 4th stop or so? Is there a way-that's-so-simple-i-looked-right-over-it?

 

Based on your description above it sounds like you probably have a route to bunch of waypoints that Mapsource created from your geocaches. (Mapsource converts geocaches to waypoints on the Colorado.)

 

If you are navigating along a route when you reach the first waypoint the unit should detect your arrival and point you to the next waypoint automatically. If you stop navigation and start over I'm guessing you get you get the behavior you described, rerouting back through the entire route. I'm not sure I've ever tried this however.

 

GO$Rs