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Is a Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS good for geocaching?


Devinearia

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Hey everyone, well last night I went to find my second geocache ever and found that my Garmin GPS that I use for my car doesn't work worth crap on foot when trying to find a small cache. SOOO I am looking into buying a hand held GPS specifically for geocaching. I'm looking at buying a GARMIN eTrex Venture HC GPS and I was curious if anyone knows if this is a good model and works well? My problem last night with my gps was that no matter where I walked or how far I walked or which direction I turned my gps didn't get me any closer to the coordinates. So it looks like I need to purchase one!

 

Thanks!

Brandi D.

aka devinearia

Edited by Devinearia
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...GARMIN eTrex Venture HC ...

 

It would be fine for finding caches, but won't have much room for adding mapping - if you're serious about using the etrex for caching/hillwalking/benchmarking and fancy a Garmin then you should consider an etrex with HCx in the title - the x being expandable memory. More expensive, but more value for money & a lot more fun.

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Hi there

I'm also new to this game. I'm on a budget as I'm currently between jobs but have been caching with a friend several times in the last month. I have actually found half a dozen locally without a GPS! However, I need one and am looking on ebay for the cheapest option. It seems to me the Garmin Etrex H (yellow colour) is the bottom of the range. My question is, is that right and is it any good?

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Hi there

I'm also new to this game. I'm on a budget as I'm currently between jobs but have been caching with a friend several times in the last month. I have actually found half a dozen locally without a GPS! However, I need one and am looking on ebay for the cheapest option. It seems to me the Garmin Etrex H (yellow colour) is the bottom of the range. My question is, is that right and is it any good?

 

I have one of these, found a fair few with it with no problems, accuracy is great on it.No maps though, but thats half the fun :lol:)

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Hi there

I'm also new to this game. I'm on a budget as I'm currently between jobs but have been caching with a friend several times in the last month. I have actually found half a dozen locally without a GPS! However, I need one and am looking on ebay for the cheapest option. It seems to me the Garmin Etrex H (yellow colour) is the bottom of the range. My question is, is that right and is it any good?

Worst problem with that model is the computer interface. It is a serial interface only - if your computer only has USB the cables will cost you close to $30. For that kind of extra money you can just buy a Garmin venture HC. Thats as low as I would go for Geocaching.

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I started out (way back about 6 months ago) with the etrex H. It's a fine beginner model, easy to use, and easy on the wallet. I would probably still be using it but for the problem of interfacing with my iMac. Just ain't happening. And I got tired quickly of entering coords manually. I still use it when I'm just popping out for one or two local caches.

 

I now use the Venture HC, which works just fine with my iMac and out in the field. My only complaint is the toggle switch, which catches on my pocket when I pull it out and accidently marks a new waypoint.

 

I would echo the previous posts that the Venture HC is probably the one to go with if you're just starting out. It's still cheap enough that it won't hurt much if you decide geocaching isn't for you.

 

But if you're on a strict budget and you think geocaching will be more of an occasional activity, then the eTrex H should work fine for you.

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I don't know.... I mean I carry mine out and about, giving it all kinds of fresh air, not keeping it cooped up in the house, and the darn thing just won't find a cache!! :lol:

 

I actually have to find the cache myself and show it to the GPSr. :)

 

I mean if it so good at finding caches how come I'm the one that actually has to root through the trees and rocks? :anibad:

 

Next one I buy best find the cache and not just take me to the location! :lol:

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Hi there

I'm also new to this game. I'm on a budget as I'm currently between jobs but have been caching with a friend several times in the last month. I have actually found half a dozen locally without a GPS! However, I need one and am looking on ebay for the cheapest option. It seems to me the Garmin Etrex H (yellow colour) is the bottom of the range. My question is, is that right and is it any good?

 

It's good but if you want computer connectivity you will probably need a cable ($30) and if your PC doesn't have a serial port you'll need a Serial to USB adapter ($30) By the time you've spent money on the cables you could have bought an eTrex Venture HC (which comes USB ready) and had money left over.

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I don't know.... I mean I carry mine out and about, giving it all kinds of fresh air, not keeping it cooped up in the house, and the darn thing just won't find a cache!! :lol:

 

I actually have to find the cache myself and show it to the GPSr. :)

 

I mean if it so good at finding caches how come I'm the one that actually has to root through the trees and rocks? :anibad:

 

Next one I buy best find the cache and not just take me to the location! :lol:

 

You crack me up! :D

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I don't know.... I mean I carry mine out and about, giving it all kinds of fresh air, not keeping it cooped up in the house, and the darn thing just won't find a cache!! :lol:

 

I actually have to find the cache myself and show it to the GPSr. :)

 

I mean if it so good at finding caches how come I'm the one that actually has to root through the trees and rocks? :anibad:

 

Next one I buy best find the cache and not just take me to the location! :lol:

 

You crack me up! :D

TFTC (Thanks for the compliment) :D

 

Seriously, there are 4 of us that cache together almost every Monday. 2 of us have Venture HCs, one has the blue Legend, and the other has a 60sx (or whatever it is). Anyway, our 2 ventures are way easier to use than the blue legend, and just as accurate as the 60.

 

It's a good unit to have at an inexpensive price.

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Hi there

I'm also new to this game. I'm on a budget as I'm currently between jobs but have been caching with a friend several times in the last month. I have actually found half a dozen locally without a GPS! However, I need one and am looking on ebay for the cheapest option. It seems to me the Garmin Etrex H (yellow colour) is the bottom of the range. My question is, is that right and is it any good?

 

I have one of these, found a fair few with it with no problems, accuracy is great on it.No maps though, but thats half the fun :lol:)

 

I'm new to this too and was looking at the Garmin eTrex H also.... you said "no maps"... exactly what does that mean?? Literally there are no map with streets, etc, like on a GPS you'd have in your car? So this is just a screen with a marker for what you're looking for and a marker for where you are, leading you in the right direction to get to what you're looking for... right??? That would actually be fine for me.... we have a GPS for getting us in the right area... I just need one for treking through the woods... Car GPS doesn't work worth a crap for that.... says 500 ft ahead... then when you get there it says 500 feet in the opposite direction... Grrrrrr

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OK so I bought one yesterday and I'm confused, I downloaded the disk that came with it to my PC which is a Mapsource CD-ROM with Trip and Waypoint manager. It keeps asking me for an unlock code to unlock maps? Other than that according to the tutorial it's not allowing me to copy any maps to my GPS. Does this one not have maps? Do I only have large black spaces and major roads and that's it? Or should I be calling REI and asking what I should do about the unlock code....

 

Thanks!

Brandi

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OK so I bought one yesterday and I'm confused, I downloaded the disk that came with it to my PC which is a Mapsource CD-ROM with Trip and Waypoint manager. It keeps asking me for an unlock code to unlock maps? Other than that according to the tutorial it's not allowing me to copy any maps to my GPS. Does this one not have maps? Do I only have large black spaces and major roads and that's it? Or should I be calling REI and asking what I should do about the unlock code....

 

Thanks!

Brandi

IIRC... there are some free maps from Garmin that you can download from their website and then load into the GPS and mapsource.

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I'm new to this too and was looking at the Garmin eTrex H also.... you said "no maps"... exactly what does that mean?? Literally there are no map with streets, etc, like on a GPS you'd have in your car? So this is just a screen with a marker for what you're looking for and a marker for where you are, leading you in the right direction to get to what you're looking for... right??? That would actually be fine for me.... we have a GPS for getting us in the right area... I just need one for treking through the woods... Car GPS doesn't work worth a crap for that.... says 500 ft ahead... then when you get there it says 500 feet in the opposite direction... Grrrrrr

The eTrex H cannot display maps at all. To get to where you want to go, you follow the arrow on the screen. With the cheaper units without electronic compass, the arrow is accurate only when you're moving at about 2 MPH or faster. As you pointed out, all this is not a problem. However, the eTrex H is also has a serial interface, instead of USB. Serial is a pain. The cable is expensive (because it is rare), the USB to serial converter sometimes have major compatibility issues, and serial is slow. USB alone is worth the price difference for the Venture HC in my books.

Link to comment

OK so I bought one yesterday and I'm confused, I downloaded the disk that came with it to my PC which is a Mapsource CD-ROM with Trip and Waypoint manager. It keeps asking me for an unlock code to unlock maps? Other than that according to the tutorial it's not allowing me to copy any maps to my GPS. Does this one not have maps? Do I only have large black spaces and major roads and that's it? Or should I be calling REI and asking what I should do about the unlock code....

 

Thanks!

Brandi

IIRC... there are some free maps from Garmin that you can download from their website and then load into the GPS and mapsource.

 

Thanks for the information it looks as though it would cost me $100 I don't have to purchase maps, oh well. ;)

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OK so I bought one yesterday and I'm confused, I downloaded the disk that came with it to my PC which is a Mapsource CD-ROM with Trip and Waypoint manager. It keeps asking me for an unlock code to unlock maps? Other than that according to the tutorial it's not allowing me to copy any maps to my GPS. Does this one not have maps? Do I only have large black spaces and major roads and that's it? Or should I be calling REI and asking what I should do about the unlock code....

 

Thanks!

Brandi

IIRC... there are some free maps from Garmin that you can download from their website and then load into the GPS and mapsource.

 

Thanks for the information it looks as though it would cost me $100 I don't have to purchase maps, oh well. ;)

There are free maps you can get from other parties. They just don't work with the routing (no turn by turn directions)

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I'm new to this too and was looking at the Garmin eTrex H also.... you said "no maps"... exactly what does that mean?? Literally there are no map with streets, etc, like on a GPS you'd have in your car? So this is just a screen with a marker for what you're looking for and a marker for where you are, leading you in the right direction to get to what you're looking for... right??? That would actually be fine for me.... we have a GPS for getting us in the right area... I just need one for treking through the woods... Car GPS doesn't work worth a crap for that.... says 500 ft ahead... then when you get there it says 500 feet in the opposite direction... Grrrrrr

The eTrex H cannot display maps at all. To get to where you want to go, you follow the arrow on the screen. With the cheaper units without electronic compass, the arrow is accurate only when you're moving at about 2 MPH or faster. As you pointed out, all this is not a problem. However, the eTrex H is also has a serial interface, instead of USB. Serial is a pain. The cable is expensive (because it is rare), the USB to serial converter sometimes have major compatibility issues, and serial is slow. USB alone is worth the price difference for the Venture HC in my books.

 

Ok... I think I understand now... I won't have maps but it'll still tell me where I am and where the cache is on my screen and lead me towards it.... I just won't be able to upload any coordinates from the internet without the serial cord... I'll have to enter them manually, which is fine with me... Am I right??

 

Also, a model question.... Is the eTrex Venture the same as the eTrex H? Is it a Venture H? All the different models are sooo confusing... If we enjoy caching enough to warrant a nicer handheld, we've been directed towards the Garmin 60CSX from a fellow cacher... From the earlier post, I'm gathering C is color and X is expandable... but what does the S stand for??

 

Thanks everyone!!! I hate to ask so many questions but I just dont have the extra $$ to drop on a more expensive model right now... I need to stay under $100... preferably around $50 or 60.... which I why we're looking at the H's on eBay...

Edited by WVTombRaiders
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I'm new to this too and was looking at the Garmin eTrex H also.... you said "no maps"... exactly what does that mean?? Literally there are no map with streets, etc, like on a GPS you'd have in your car? So this is just a screen with a marker for what you're looking for and a marker for where you are, leading you in the right direction to get to what you're looking for... right??? That would actually be fine for me.... we have a GPS for getting us in the right area... I just need one for treking through the woods... Car GPS doesn't work worth a crap for that.... says 500 ft ahead... then when you get there it says 500 feet in the opposite direction... Grrrrrr

The eTrex H cannot display maps at all. To get to where you want to go, you follow the arrow on the screen. With the cheaper units without electronic compass, the arrow is accurate only when you're moving at about 2 MPH or faster. As you pointed out, all this is not a problem. However, the eTrex H is also has a serial interface, instead of USB. Serial is a pain. The cable is expensive (because it is rare), the USB to serial converter sometimes have major compatibility issues, and serial is slow. USB alone is worth the price difference for the Venture HC in my books.

 

Ok... I think I understand now... I won't have maps but it'll still tell me where I am and where the cache is on my screen and lead me towards it.... I just won't be able to upload any coordinates from the internet without the serial cord... I'll have to enter them manually, which is fine with me... Am I right??

 

Also, a model question.... Is the eTrex Venture the same as the eTrex H? Is it a Venture H? All the different models are sooo confusing... If we enjoy caching enough to warrant a nicer handheld, we've been directed towards the Garmin 60CSX from a fellow cacher... From the earlier post, I'm gathering C is color and X is expandable... but what does the S stand for??

 

Thanks everyone!!! I hate to ask so many questions but I just dont have the extra $$ to drop on a more expensive model right now... I need to stay under $100... preferably around $50 or 60.... which I why we're looking at the H's on eBay...

 

A note about the Etrex H. I just bought one from Walmart. com and total price was 83 dollars and change and they even shipped to a store close to me for free.

Edited by Steellord
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I'm new to this too and was looking at the Garmin eTrex H also.... you said "no maps"... exactly what does that mean?? Literally there are no map with streets, etc, like on a GPS you'd have in your car? So this is just a screen with a marker for what you're looking for and a marker for where you are, leading you in the right direction to get to what you're looking for... right??? That would actually be fine for me.... we have a GPS for getting us in the right area... I just need one for treking through the woods... Car GPS doesn't work worth a crap for that.... says 500 ft ahead... then when you get there it says 500 feet in the opposite direction... Grrrrrr

The eTrex H cannot display maps at all. To get to where you want to go, you follow the arrow on the screen. With the cheaper units without electronic compass, the arrow is accurate only when you're moving at about 2 MPH or faster. As you pointed out, all this is not a problem. However, the eTrex H is also has a serial interface, instead of USB. Serial is a pain. The cable is expensive (because it is rare), the USB to serial converter sometimes have major compatibility issues, and serial is slow. USB alone is worth the price difference for the Venture HC in my books.

 

Ok... I think I understand now... I won't have maps but it'll still tell me where I am and where the cache is on my screen and lead me towards it.... I just won't be able to upload any coordinates from the internet without the serial cord... I'll have to enter them manually, which is fine with me... Am I right??

 

Also, a model question.... Is the eTrex Venture the same as the eTrex H? Is it a Venture H? All the different models are sooo confusing... If we enjoy caching enough to warrant a nicer handheld, we've been directed towards the Garmin 60CSX from a fellow cacher... From the earlier post, I'm gathering C is color and X is expandable... but what does the S stand for??

 

Thanks everyone!!! I hate to ask so many questions but I just dont have the extra $$ to drop on a more expensive model right now... I need to stay under $100... preferably around $50 or 60.... which I why we're looking at the H's on eBay...

 

A note about the Etrex H. I just bought one from Walmart. com and total price was 83 dollars and change and they even shipped to a store close to me for free.

 

Have you used it yet?? Like it?? Worth it??

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Ok... I think I understand now... I won't have maps but it'll still tell me where I am and where the cache is on my screen and lead me towards it.... I just won't be able to upload any coordinates from the internet without the serial cord... I'll have to enter them manually, which is fine with me... Am I right??

You're basically right. Don't discount the convenience of being able to upload coordinates automatically though :lol:

 

I'm not sure if the eTrex H can display a few caches nearby relatively to where you're standing right now. I know the Venture HC can. Venture HC has a color display, the ability to display maps, and a USB interface.

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Ok... I think I understand now... I won't have maps but it'll still tell me where I am and where the cache is on my screen and lead me towards it.... I just won't be able to upload any coordinates from the internet without the serial cord... I'll have to enter them manually, which is fine with me... Am I right??

You're basically right. Don't discount the convenience of being able to upload coordinates automatically though :lol:

 

I'm not sure if the eTrex H can display a few caches nearby relatively to where you're standing right now. I know the Venture HC can. Venture HC has a color display, the ability to display maps, and a USB interface.

 

Oh, I won't discount it... it definitely would be nice and convenient... but for me as a beginner who doesn't want to/can't spend $200 on another unit that I'd RATHER have... I'm thinking it might be "good enough for now"... basically, I'm impatient, and I don't want to wait and save my money for the better one hahaha

 

What about the Geomate Jr.??? I know it was getting good reviews in a thread from last May.. but what about now?? I just posted a new thread about it but I'll ask here too... :)

Edited by WVTombRaiders
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To WVTombRaiders: I just got mine today and really have not had a chance to play with it much. I did try to locate a cache that was right in my neighborhood and it took me to the listed coordinates, but it was getting dark and there were quite a few unruly teens hanging out in the park. I'm gonna give it another try tomorrow afternoon. I'm impressed with it so far. My original intent was to get to use for when I go hunting, but I heard about this sport and I figured it would work for it too. :lol:

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To WVTombRaiders: I just got mine today and really have not had a chance to play with it much. I did try to locate a cache that was right in my neighborhood and it took me to the listed coordinates, but it was getting dark and there were quite a few unruly teens hanging out in the park. I'm gonna give it another try tomorrow afternoon. I'm impressed with it so far. My original intent was to get to use for when I go hunting, but I heard about this sport and I figured it would work for it too. :lol:

 

Great!! Let me know what you think about it...

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I'm new to this too and was looking at the Garmin eTrex H also.... you said "no maps"... exactly what does that mean?? Literally there are no map with streets, etc, like on a GPS you'd have in your car? So this is just a screen with a marker for what you're looking for and a marker for where you are, leading you in the right direction to get to what you're looking for... right??? That would actually be fine for me.... we have a GPS for getting us in the right area... I just need one for treking through the woods... Car GPS doesn't work worth a crap for that.... says 500 ft ahead... then when you get there it says 500 feet in the opposite direction... Grrrrrr

The eTrex H cannot display maps at all. To get to where you want to go, you follow the arrow on the screen. With the cheaper units without electronic compass, the arrow is accurate only when you're moving at about 2 MPH or faster. As you pointed out, all this is not a problem. However, the eTrex H is also has a serial interface, instead of USB. Serial is a pain. The cable is expensive (because it is rare), the USB to serial converter sometimes have major compatibility issues, and serial is slow. USB alone is worth the price difference for the Venture HC in my books.

 

Ok... I think I understand now... I won't have maps but it'll still tell me where I am and where the cache is on my screen and lead me towards it.... I just won't be able to upload any coordinates from the internet without the serial cord... I'll have to enter them manually, which is fine with me... Am I right??

 

Also, a model question.... Is the eTrex Venture the same as the eTrex H? Is it a Venture H? All the different models are sooo confusing... If we enjoy caching enough to warrant a nicer handheld, we've been directed towards the Garmin 60CSX from a fellow cacher... From the earlier post, I'm gathering C is color and X is expandable... but what does the S stand for??

 

Thanks everyone!!! I hate to ask so many questions but I just dont have the extra $$ to drop on a more expensive model right now... I need to stay under $100... preferably around $50 or 60.... which I why we're looking at the H's on eBay...

 

If your looking for something inexpensive, there is a model called a Apisphere Geomate jr., it usually retails at about $70. There aren't any maps but it shows you the direction and I believe and the distance from the geocache. Once you find that one you can click next and it will show you the way to the next geocache, there is also an update kit sold separately to upload geocaches from online. The guy at REI told me that would be a good idea for a beginner but instead I bought the expensive one. *doh!*

 

Brandi D.

aka devinearia

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OK so I bought one yesterday and I'm confused, I downloaded the disk that came with it to my PC which is a Mapsource CD-ROM with Trip and Waypoint manager. It keeps asking me for an unlock code to unlock maps? Other than that according to the tutorial it's not allowing me to copy any maps to my GPS. Does this one not have maps? Do I only have large black spaces and major roads and that's it? Or should I be calling REI and asking what I should do about the unlock code....

 

Thanks!

Brandi

IIRC... there are some free maps from Garmin that you can download from their website and then load into the GPS and mapsource.

 

Thanks for the information it looks as though it would cost me $100 I don't have to purchase maps, oh well. :unsure:

There are free maps you can get from other parties. They just don't work with the routing (no turn by turn directions)

 

Any ideas what the sites are?

 

Thanks! Brandi

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I've got the venture hc....still new to the game but this seems good (especially for the price) I've got the topos and road maps for my local area loaded and over 250 caches (I've got some work to do). I love it...and me and 4 kids are hooked

 

Did you pay for the maps? Can I ask where you got them? I just bought the hc as well and am In need of maps. :unsure:

 

Brandi

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There are free maps you can get from other parties. They just don't work with the routing (no turn by turn directions)

Any ideas what the sites are?

Your best bet is to check the GPS and Technologies forum. Here's some I've come across:

 

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/

 

IBYCUS has Canadian topo maps, and limited street maps (non routing) for USA.

 

http://www.ibycus.com/ibycustopo/

http://www.ibycus.com/ibycususa/

 

You can try googling to see what other choices pop up.

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There are free maps you can get from other parties. They just don't work with the routing (no turn by turn directions)

Any ideas what the sites are?

Your best bet is to check the GPS and Technologies forum. Here's some I've come across:

 

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/

 

IBYCUS has Canadian topo maps, and limited street maps (non routing) for USA.

 

http://www.ibycus.com/ibycustopo/

http://www.ibycus.com/ibycususa/

 

You can try googling to see what other choices pop up.

 

Thank you so much! :unsure: Truly appreciated really!

 

Brandi L. Devine

aka devinearia

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Ok... I think I understand now... I won't have maps but it'll still tell me where I am and where the cache is on my screen and lead me towards it.... I just won't be able to upload any coordinates from the internet without the serial cord... I'll have to enter them manually, which is fine with me... Am I right??

You're basically right. Don't discount the convenience of being able to upload coordinates automatically though :D

 

I'm not sure if the eTrex H can display a few caches nearby relatively to where you're standing right now. I know the Venture HC can. Venture HC has a color display, the ability to display maps, and a USB interface.

 

Oh, I won't discount it... it definitely would be nice and convenient... but for me as a beginner who doesn't want to/can't spend $200 on another unit that I'd RATHER have... I'm thinking it might be "good enough for now"... basically, I'm impatient, and I don't want to wait and save my money for the better one hahaha

 

What about the Geomate Jr.??? I know it was getting good reviews in a thread from last May.. but what about now?? I just posted a new thread about it but I'll ask here too... B)

 

You don't need to spend $200. A Venture HC or Legend H can be had for around $120 and they

come PC ready (see my above post regarding the cost of connecting an eTrex H to a PC

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Were new to Geocaching and have a Garmin Colorado 400t gps. We have always used when we go out rhino riding so we are sure to find our way back home. I would like opinins on if that is good for geocaching or should i look for something different, i'f so what gps should i look .

I've read that rhinos have an excellent sense of smell, so with some training, you should be able to get them to sniff out the geocaches.

 

On a more serious note, the Colorado 400t is almost perfect for geocaching. I think some people complain that the screen can be hard to read in daylight, but that's obviously not a problem with you.

 

Load your PQ results onto it and discover the joys of paperless caching.

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Hey everyone, well last night I went to find my second geocache ever and found that my Garmin GPS that I use for my car doesn't work worth crap on foot when trying to find a small cache. SOOO I am looking into buying a hand held GPS specifically for geocaching. I'm looking at buying a GARMIN eTrex Venture HC GPS and I was curious if anyone knows if this is a good model and works well? My problem last night with my gps was that no matter where I walked or how far I walked or which direction I turned my gps didn't get me any closer to the coordinates. So it looks like I need to purchase one!

 

Thanks!

Brandi D.

aka devinearia

 

I still use a magellan sporTrak map I bought in 2001. No expandable memory (gasp), no color screen (gasp gasp) and its the older style less accurate chip (not the new SIRF one).

 

I works fine. Remember your GPS is only going to be as good as the one used to hide the cache.... You could buy a two thousand dollar trimble unit that is accurate to six inches - but if the hiders coords were off by thirty feet - youll be off thirty feet and six inches.

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Hey everyone, well last night I went to find my second geocache ever and found that my Garmin GPS that I use for my car doesn't work worth crap on foot when trying to find a small cache. SOOO I am looking into buying a hand held GPS specifically for geocaching. I'm looking at buying a GARMIN eTrex Venture HC GPS and I was curious if anyone knows if this is a good model and works well? My problem last night with my gps was that no matter where I walked or how far I walked or which direction I turned my gps didn't get me any closer to the coordinates. So it looks like I need to purchase one!

 

Thanks!

Brandi D.

aka devinearia

 

Hi there Brandi. I have the exact same model you are looking to buy. I have been Geocaching now for 2 days and love this model. I have found a total of 5 caches. I bought mine from a sporting goods store for 150 bucks. I did a LOT of research and for my enjoyment, wouldn't sacrifice the 50 bucks or so to step down to a lower model and I sure and heck don't need a 600 dollar unit, as well. The Garmin extrex Ventura HC is perfect. I like the idea of being able to use rechargeable batteries, and having that little USB cable so you can upload waypoints is a HUGE deal, at least to me. Well, that's my two cents. See ya on the trail....

jimdean2544

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...GARMIN eTrex Venture HC ...

 

It would be fine for finding caches, but won't have much room for adding mapping - if you're serious about using the etrex for caching/hillwalking/benchmarking and fancy a Garmin then you should consider an etrex with HCx in the title - the x being expandable memory. More expensive, but more value for money & a lot more fun.

 

I have 2/3 of the state of Florida, 1/2 of the state of Louisiana, all of the Grand Canyon, and all of Las Vegas on my Venture HC, and I still have some memory left for a few more topo maps. In my personal opinion, the Venture HC is a great GPSr for geocaching because the accuracy is extremely good and the high-sensitivity antenna makes finding a cache, even under a heavy tree canopy, a pretty easy task. As long as you're NOT planning to travel the entire U.S. to geocache for the next six months, and NOT bring along a laptop with a DVD drive (so you can unload and upload maps from your Topo Map DVD-Rom to your GPSr), I would recommend the Venture HC at the drop of a hat!

 

If you're mostly caching locally, the Venture HC should be able to hold most the topo maps for your state and the surrounding areas. After you upload the maps to the GPSr, save that map set to your computer. If you plan a vacation out of state, create a brand new map set for the area you will be vacationing in, load it onto your GPSr (old map set will automatically be removed before new map set is loaded onto GPSr), and then save the new map set to your computer. When you get back home, open the old map set that you saved on your computer and reload it onto your GPSr, and you're back in business for your local geocaching needs. :D

Edited by rocketsteve
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I concur with JD. I just tried out mine and it's spot on. Found 4 caches tonight after work. If I would have known better I prolly would have gotten the HCx model. It has a internal sd slot for more memory. Try Amazon, $121 for the HC. $188.63 for the HCx.

 

Happy hunting! :D

 

I just purchased an etrex Venture HC on oct.11. I am really liking it. If you open the battery compartment there is a SD Memory expansion slot. Just load your extra maps on the SD Memory card and slip it in. :D Happy caching.

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I just purchased an etrex Venture HC on oct.11. I am really liking it. If you open the battery compartment there is a SD Memory expansion slot. Just load your extra maps on the SD Memory card and slip it in. :) Happy caching.

I don't know what you bought, but that's no Venture HC ;)

:D:D LOL Thank you for correcting me. That day I purchased 2 GPS units. The first one was a Magellan. It had the SD memory beside the batteries. I returned it and got the etrex Venture HC as a replacement. I am STILL really enjoying it. Thanks again and I apollogize for any inconvience. :D

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