Garmin eTrex Venture HC

[+tennessee_broncos]

I say I am new at geocaching, but the truth is I started about a year ago. After a while I got out of it and sold my old Magellan 400 I want to say. It was white and connected via usb but a wierd hook up to the gps on the back. Anyways I just purchased a new Garmin eTrex Venture HC. It says it's geocache ready and it looks like you can send caches right to a garmin gps if I am not mistaken. Any comments would be great about the gps itself and if I can send right to a garmin.

 

Thank you.

[+Kohavis]

The Venture HC is an excellent geocaching unit. You can send caches directly to it from the website, or you can upload bulk waypoints and POIs via other apps like GSAK, Easy GPS, etc.

 

Although the unit specs on the Garmin site says you can't upload Custom POIs (useful for paperless caching), you can. They did a unit software update a while back that enables that function using Garmin's POI Loader.

 

"Geocache ready" is another way of saying that it has special icons for found and unfound caches, automatically adds your found caches to the calendar, and has a feature where you can go on to the next nearest cache directly from the waypoint navigation screen.

 

I'm happy with mine and have no plans to upgrade to a fancier unit. It has everything I need. I was sold on the sensitivity and accuracy of the high sensitivity receiver not long ago when I threw it in my pocket and walked around a mall store for awhile. Even being inside a steel structure it recorded every step. Impressive!

 

The only thing that might be an issue for some is the lack of a card reader. In my case I don't care because the internal memory is plenty for two-state car trip maps, and all of my caching so far has been done in my state.

 

I think you'll be happy with it.

[+Chrysalides]

I have the same unit, and it works great. However, it depends on what you're looking for. Is there any specific feature you are interested in?

 

I've read that the "Send to GPS" now only works for Premium Members. You can, of course, download the LOC without a premium membership. GPSBabel and EasyGPS can transfer the waypoints to your Garmin. GSAK is not very useful without a premium membership.

[+tennessee_broncos]

So this update your talking about to make it paperless... Is it already loaded onto the gps or do I have to go download it from Garmin? I know the premium memebership is $30 a year. I can handle that... To me, that is cheap fun I can't wait to get started again. I should recieve the GPS by Monday or so! Can't wait to start and leave some pics.

 

 

The Venture HC is an excellent geocaching unit. You can send caches directly to it from the website, or you can upload bulk waypoints and POIs via other apps like GSAK, Easy GPS, etc.

 

Although the unit specs on the Garmin site says you can't upload Custom POIs (useful for paperless caching), you can. They did a unit software update a while back that enables that function using Garmin's POI Loader.

 

"Geocache ready" is another way of saying that it has special icons for found and unfound caches, automatically adds your found caches to the calendar, and has a feature where you can go on to the next nearest cache directly from the waypoint navigation screen.

 

I'm happy with mine and have no plans to upgrade to a fancier unit. It has everything I need. I was sold on the sensitivity and accuracy of the high sensitivity receiver not long ago when I threw it in my pocket and walked around a mall store for awhile. Even being inside a steel structure it recorded every step. Impressive!

 

The only thing that might be an issue for some is the lack of a card reader. In my case I don't care because the internal memory is plenty for two-state car trip maps, and all of my caching so far has been done in my state.

 

I think you'll be happy with it.

[+kallt_kaffe]

So this update your talking about to make it paperless... Is it already loaded onto the gps or do I have to go download it from Garmin? I know the premium memebership is $30 a year. I can handle that... To me, that is cheap fun I can't wait to get started again. I should recieve the GPS by Monday or so! Can't wait to start and leave some pics.

 

First off all, you won't get paperless like, Oregon-paperless with a Venture HC. What you can get is that you can export geocaches as custom POI. Each POI can hold 4 lines of text so the "paperless" macro will have to split the info into several POIs.

 

- First of all, update your GPS with the latest firmware (download the webupdater on garmins support pages)

- Get a premium GC account. You'll get 30-days free with your new garmin: http://www.geocaching.com/garmin/freetrial.aspx

- Download and install GSAK (you'll want to pay for it later when it starts popping upp nagscreens)

- Create a PQ and import it into GSAK (start with the 500 caches closest to your home coordinates)

- Get and install this GSAK macro: http://gsak.net/board/index.php?showtopic=8932

- Download and install POI Loader (garmin support pages)

 

To make it usable I recommend trying to minimize what you really need to export. I've checked ONLY these things in the macro:

- Status of last for logs (will be included as four letters FFFN means Found, found, found, not found)

- Hint

On the Advanced settings:

- Use Smartname...

- Use abbreviations...

 

That's it. I run it and then use POI Loader to put it onto the GPS. I'm using a Legend HCx but it should work the same with a Venture HC.

 

Keep in mind that you will not see any caches on the map unless zoomed in a lot. This can be changed by changing one of the zoom settings on your venture to the desired level. I have mine on 1.2km, not sure what that is in feet. Don't remember which one at the moment but I believe there are only four different zoom settings so you can just try until you find the one.

Edited April 2, 2009 by kallt_kaffe

[+tennessee_broncos]

Whati s GSAK?

 

So this update your talking about to make it paperless... Is it already loaded onto the gps or do I have to go download it from Garmin? I know the premium memebership is $30 a year. I can handle that... To me, that is cheap fun I can't wait to get started again. I should recieve the GPS by Monday or so! Can't wait to start and leave some pics.

 

First off all, you won't get paperless like, Oregon-paperless with a Venture HC. What you can get is that you can export geocaches as custom POI. Each POI can hold 4 lines of text so the "paperless" macro will have to split the info into several POIs.

 

- First of all, update your GPS with the latest firmware (download the webupdater on garmins support pages)

- Get a premium GC account. You'll get 30-days free with your new garmin: http://www.geocaching.com/garmin/freetrial.aspx

- Download and install GSAK (you'll want to pay for it later when it starts popping upp nagscreens)

- Create a PQ and import it into GSAK (start with the 500 caches closest to your home coordinates)

- Get and install this GSAK macro: http://gsak.net/board/index.php?showtopic=8932

- Download and install POI Loader (garmin support pages)

 

To make it usable I recommend trying to minimize what you really need to export. I've checked ONLY these things in the macro:

- Status of last for logs (will be included as four letters FFFN means Found, found, found, not found)

- Hint

On the Advanced settings:

- Use Smartname...

- Use abbreviations...

 

That's it. I run it and then use POI Loader to put it onto the GPS. I'm using a Legend HCx but it should work the same with a Venture HC.

 

Keep in mind that you will not see any caches on the map unless zoomed in a lot. This can be changed by changing one of the zoom settings on your venture to the desired level. I have mine on 1.2km, not sure what that is in feet. Don't remember which one at the moment but I believe there are only four different zoom settings so you can just try until you find the one.

[crawil]

Geocaching Swiss Army Knife: "... all in one application that allows you to manage GPX/LOC files, upload to your GPS, and convert to various other formats."

[+tennessee_broncos]

And what is the benifit of this? Also how much after the free trial? B/c mine is just uploading right to my garmin.. Doesn't come w/ the "notes" but...

 

Geocaching Swiss Army Knife: "... all in one application that allows you to manage GPX/LOC files, upload to your GPS, and convert to various other formats."

[Ken in Regina]

I have the same unit, and it works great. However, it depends on what you're looking for. Is there any specific feature you are interested in?

 

I've read that the "Send to GPS" now only works for Premium Members. You can, of course, download the LOC without a premium membership. GPSBabel and EasyGPS can transfer the waypoints to your Garmin. GSAK is not very useful without a premium membership.

Can't you still download caches from Geocaching.com from your MyGarmin account? I don't go outdoors much in the winter (and this one has been long and cold) so I haven't downloaded a cache from MyGarmin since last fall, but it worked then.

 

It costs nothing for a MyGarmin account at Garmin. You just go there, create the account and register your Garmin product(s). It's a good way to keep a record of your Garmin stuff and also to backup your map unlock codes if you buy maps. I've had to restore my unlock codes from there a couple of times.

 

...ken...