hairdresser28 Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 I have a Garmin Etrex and was wondering if it is a good hand held GPS to use? Any info I could get would be very helpful. Thanks Quote Link to comment
NordicMan Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 Hi & welcome to Geocaching Which Etrex do you have? Garmin made MANY different models! What's written on the front of the unit? Or, what color is it? Quote Link to comment
hairdresser28 Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 It's Yellow and says etrex, tried it out last night but wasn't able to find the cache. The GPS was just all over the place so i wasn't sure if it was working. I was under heavy trees so i think that was the problem. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted June 20, 2009 Share Posted June 20, 2009 You have the old, basic eTrex. It certainly can be used for finding the cache. You do need to be moving at a fairly brisk pace for the navigation needle to stabilize because it doesn't have a magnetic compass. When you slow down or stop it will give fluky readings. Reception isn't the best under trees, but it will work as long as you constantly hold it flat with the face up to the sky. It still is a very popular unit among geocachers and there are people with thousands of finds who use nothing else. One you get used to it, it will lead you to the cache. Just remember that the cache won't necessarily be right where your GPS says it is. Your unit has a built in inaccuracy of about 10-30 feet and so did the unit of the hider, so the cache could be 40, 50 or more feet from where your GPS is telling you it is. Quote Link to comment
hairdresser28 Posted June 20, 2009 Author Share Posted June 20, 2009 It's Yellow and says etrex, tried it out last night but wasn't able to find the cache. The GPS was just all over the place so i wasn't sure if it was working. I was under heavy trees so i think that was the problem. THANKS Quote Link to comment
+icesailor Posted June 21, 2009 Share Posted June 21, 2009 It's Yellow and says etrex, tried it out last night but wasn't able to find the cache. The GPS was just all over the place so i wasn't sure if it was working. I was under heavy trees so i think that was the problem. THANKS That's why a hand held compass is handy with this type of unit. If you are looking for something that is North of you, and the object is to your right, East, , travel to the NE direction until one of the lines coincide (Lat or Long) and then travel in the other direction until they coincide. Practice makes perfect, Icesailor (CMG) Quote Link to comment
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