Please Help.. Tomtom One 125

[Bip35]

Got this for Christmas. I can put in longitude and latitude to locate for geocaching. We did this and ended up standing in one spot on a trail and watched the coordinates keep change for at least 30 seconds. Is this normal? Is this unit good enough to locate for geocaching? Any advice would GREATLY be appreciated. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Thanks, Ron

Edited December 19, 2008 by Bip35

[+deb3day]

I started caching with a Tomtom. It takes some getting used to but it is possible. Yes, the coords jump around, but if you continue to move in one direction, you'll see the numbers increase and/or decrease and can adjust your movements accordingly. The only kinds of caches I found difficult to do were ones where you are totally bushwacking out in the woods and need to go a long distance. The biggest downfall in that instance is that the batteries don't last more than 45 minutes or an hour. Getting way out in the woods and having the batteries go dead is very discouraging. Another help might be an inexpensive compass. That way you can easily know which direction to move based on the present coords on your Tomtom. Higher numbers are north or west. I've since purchased a used Garmin, but there are still times that I'll carry my Tomtom in my pocket. I found about 160 caches before I got my Garmin. I found 100 in the first 3 months. It can be done.

 

deb3day

[Bip35]

Thanks, I won't give up on it yet. I'll definitely try your advice. I was hoping there would a program I could install that would make the long/lat cooridinates steadily keep it's position and download the coordinates from geocaching.com. I'm probably asking too much.

[+Walkworthy & Wife]

Got this for Christmas. I can put in longitude and latitude to locate for geocaching. We did this and ended up standing in one spot on a trail and watched the coordinates keep change for at least 30 seconds. Is this normal? Is this unit good enough to locate for geocaching? Any advice would GREATLY be appreciated. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Thanks, Ron

Hi Ron. A TomTom One 125 is primarily a GPS device for automobiles. I have a TomTom One XL. The problem with using this type of GPS unit for GeoCaching is that when you get within 50 to 100 yards of your destination or coordinates it will show you arriving at your destination and will stop tracking. You will be able to see the destination marked on the screen with a checked flag, but its not the best for homing in on a cache. I was able to find a cache once with my TomTom, but that was a micro on a light post in a parking lot. The TomTom is great for getting you in the general area of a cache, but it is best to have a hand held GPS to zero in on the cache. You can try it for caching, but personally, I think it could be a frustrating experience when looking for a cache in a wooded area.

[Keystone]

I am moving this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum to the GPS and Technology forum.

[+deb3day]

As I said in my first post, it is entirely possible to find caches with the Tomtom. While it is true you will not get the nice arrow that points you to the spot, you can still use the coords to see where you are. Basically what I do is memorize the last 3 digits of the cache long and lat and say them over and over in my head while watching the coords on the screen of the Tomtom. Then you keep walking in the direction that makes the coords go closer to the numbers you want. This takes practice, you'll walk in the wrong direction many times since you have no arrow telling you which way to go and I was frustrated at first, but after a while you'll get better at it. Those who have always used a normal handheld unit will tell you it is not possible, and to be honest, those who have had that nice arrow pointing at the spot would probably go nuts doing it this way, but it can be done. And if you start that way, I think you hone your geosense to help spot caches.

 

deb3day

[+BeastieAndTheBoys]

I just got a TomTom ONE 125 as well as a cheap way to start using a GPS - but I can't figure out how to enter the Lat/Long info. So far the TomTom site hasn't been much help. Pointers please? THX!

[+Walkworthy & Wife]

I just got a TomTom ONE 125 as well as a cheap way to start using a GPS - but I can't figure out how to enter the Lat/Long info. So far the TomTom site hasn't been much help. Pointers please? THX!

I believe you should have started a new topic or thread for your question instead of attaching it to Bip35's

After turning on your TomTom, touch the screen to go to the menu, touch the, "Navigate to..." icon then find the "Latitude/Longitude" icon and touch it. Add your coords at the top of the screen

[+Brooklyn51]

My husband and I use a TomTom 125 and so far we've found all but one cache. We haven't been geocaching very long, have only been out four days with our new hobby, but have found 6 out of 7 caches that we've tried for. The TomTom has taken us to within 5 - 10 feet everytime. As I say, we are very new to this, but haven't had too many problems.

[dmedraft]

My husband and I use a TomTom 125 and so far we've found all but one cache. We haven't been geocaching very long, have only been out four days with our new hobby, but have found 6 out of 7 caches that we've tried for. The TomTom has taken us to within 5 - 10 feet everytime. As I say, we are very new to this, but haven't had too many problems.

 

Would you mind giving step by step instructions as to how you do it?

[IttiBittiDuke]

My husband and I use a TomTom 125 and so far we've found all but one cache. We haven't been geocaching very long, have only been out four days with our new hobby, but have found 6 out of 7 caches that we've tried for. The TomTom has taken us to within 5 - 10 feet everytime. As I say, we are very new to this, but haven't had too many problems.

 

I'm also wondering how you've achieved this! I own a TomTom One XL and have found that it only works if the cache is right off of the road or in a parking lot. I've come to find so many problems that I am now looking into purchasing a small GPS for only geocaching. I think TomTom is a good GPS to get to the general area/parking lot but it cannot get you any closer to the cache with accuracy.

[+NOV8TR]

It really isn't all that hard! "deb3day" hit the nail on the head when she described memorizing the last 3 digits of the lon/lat, and walking around until the numbers match. You should switch from the "Nav" or "browse map" (depending on how you are using your unit) to the satellite setup screen. The satellite setup screen always displays real time (and not "road locked") coordinates. Even though I have moved on to one of those nav units that have all the fancy geocaching whistles and bells, I still use this method if the cache placement isn't obvious when I am approaching ground zero. Practice, practice, practice. Have fun!

[+ecanderson]

I'm also wondering how you've achieved this! I own a TomTom One XL and have found that it only works if the cache is right off of the road or in a parking lot. I've come to find so many problems that I am now looking into purchasing a small GPS for only geocaching. I think TomTom is a good GPS to get to the general area/parking lot but it cannot get you any closer to the cache with accuracy.

What you (and others) are encountering is the "road snap" feature of the TomTom series. Many automotive nav systems have no means for shutting off this feature. It is designed to allow the unit to project your position ON a road even when the geolocation of the road itself is off a bit. If they miss the actual location of a road by 100', it would show you having an "off road experience" - so they assume a road location closest to your GPS coordinates.

 

For geocaching, this can be a train wreck if you are too near a road because the unit will be displaying the road snapped coordinates rather than your actual coordinates -- a stupid feature, to my way of thinking. While fully appreciating road snap, if you display the coordinates, they should be the "real" ones. Instead, you get coordinates closest to your position, on the road, at a 90 degree angle to your current location.

 

The road snap will "give up" after a certain distance off road where the unit understands that your position isn't on a road anywhere, and is indicated by a dashed line between your current position and the nearest road. At that point, the coordinate data you are seeing on the "satellite" screen will be as accurate as the unit is capable of providing.

 

I tried finding my first caches with my GO 720 and quickly concluded that a purpose built handheld was the right way to go. I use my TomTom for getting to the general cache location only. I use GSAK to take my pocket queries from gc.com and create the "custom POI" *.ov2 type POI file that my TomTom likes, and I can load in as many cache locations as I can generate in pocket queries. All you have to do is "Export" the TomTom type file using GSAK, and slide the *.ov2 file over into the map folder of your TomTom and you're done. FWIW, you can then build caching itineraries from the cache POI on the TomTom and create a full day run if you like. I prefer to use my PC using TomTom Home for this since it's easier to enter the GC codes on the PC keyboard vs. using the front panel of the TomTom.

[+mchaos]

I think it is but if MioPocket is compatible with tomtom, you could turn your unit into an all out geocaching machine.

 

That's how i started out. I have a Mio Moov 200 and I wanted to cache with it and found a neat program on gpspassion.com called MioPocket.

 

You put it on the memory card, and pop it in, and it takes over the unit accessing the bare bones windows ce OS and has all of the other files to make into a PDA. It comes with a few GPS programs installed like BeeLine gps, which was perfect for geocaching. Plus you can play music, video, use word pad, play games and do just about anything you can do on a PDA on your gps.

 

It is compatible with GPX and LOC files, and worked very well. Now I use it while caching in the car, I load the same GPX file as I do my Triton and I can drive around and see when I am close to one, hop out and go right to the hand held.

 

I just took a quick peak over to gpspassion.com and it appears that it will work with tomtom with some minor setting up. Just search for MioPocket on google. It will bring you right to it.

 

this will make most automotive gps units a geocaching machine.

 

EDIT: here is the direct link to the software page http://netfresco.com/MioPocket/default.aspx

Edited June 3, 2010 by mchaos