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New to this sport, need info on using Garmin compass


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Have you calibrated it? From the "pointer" screen, press the menu key, and there should be an option to calibrate it, which is basically either holding the compass flat and spinning your entire body in a circle 2 times or spinning the compass in the palm of your hand.

 

Personally, I find the electronic compass in my 60CSx a nuisance and keep it turned off.

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Also, be aware that the pointer only works while you're moving. Once you are stopped it's basically useless as it doesn't know which way you're facing. You may need to walk away from the cache and back to it a couple of time to get to the search area but once you're very close, the best advice is to put the GPSr away and look around.

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Also, be aware that the pointer only works while you're moving. Once you are stopped it's basically useless as it doesn't know which way you're facing. You may need to walk away from the cache and back to it a couple of time to get to the search area but once you're very close, the best advice is to put the GPSr away and look around.

 

This is NOT correct for the electronic compass on the 76CSx. If you turn the electronic compass off then, yes, you have to be moving. If you are using the electronic compass it works whether you are moving or not. The electronic compass on my 76CSx works pretty dang well. I calibrated it from time to time - NOT only after changing the batteries. It only takes a few seconds and is worth the effort. I find that if my batteries get low the electronic compass can get wonky.

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Also, be aware that the pointer only works while you're moving. Once you are stopped it's basically useless as it doesn't know which way you're facing. You may need to walk away from the cache and back to it a couple of time to get to the search area but once you're very close, the best advice is to put the GPSr away and look around.

 

Are you sure ??............the 60csx knows which way its pointing all the time

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My compass on my 76csx doesn't seem to work right, and makes finding a cache harder, so I leave it turned off.

For the compass to work accurately, 3 things must be done:

  1. You have to calibrate it. You need to do this whenever you replace the batteries. It takes about 20 seconds. Also, if you're having problems getting a consistent reading, a recalibration will often fix the problem.
     
  2. You have to hold the unit flat. This is an absolute must. If you're not holding the unit flat and level to the ground, you will get wildly inaccurate reading. If you see the message "HOLD LEVEL" at the bottom of the Navigation (compass) screen, you're not doing it right. Adjust the unit's position until you see the words go away. When they go away, you should be getting a good reading. Give it a few seconds in this position, until the bearing pointer and compass ring settle down.
     
  3. You have to turn it on. You may think you're using the compass, but the display looks just about the same when the compass is turned off, as it does when it's on. When it's turned off, it attempts to use the GPS and your movements to determine its orientation. But it's not accurate when you're not moving. Also, you'll never get the "HOLD LEVEL" message if your compass isn't turned on. So learn to look for the little Compass icon to show up in the status bar at the top of the display. To turn the compass on or off, just hold down the Page button for 1 second. It's much faster than using the menu to switch it on or off.

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