first day with Garmin Etrex Vista HCX

[+ras_oscar]

Got the unit, installed ibacus street maps. Downloaded GPX file with caches. Oops, only stores first 1000. Deleted all by symbol. Reinstalled entire cache database as custom POIs using Garmin poi loader. FAQ says the custom POIs will show up if i "zoom in far enough" tried zooming, and also increasing the "view" distance. The only way I can see the POIs on the map is to search the list and then "save" them, which i think moves them into internal memory. Unless Im missing something, I'll probably end up storing only maps on the card and POIs on the internal memory. Is that how everybody else is doing it or am I missihg something simple?

 

Oh, BTW, I also have the " low tone on shut down" problem I've heard discussed here before. What is the fix?

[Orion84]

The " low tone on shut down" is caused by using the card with an Apple computer, which puts some hidden files on the card. Somehow the GPS has trouble coping with these files. Removing those files will fix the problem.

More info on this issue can be found in http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=221591

 

You should take a look at the Map Setup menu to solve your main problem. On the Map Setup - Points page you need to set an appropriate setting for the "Map Points" setting

[+ras_oscar]

I don't have an apple, although the first transfer process went to something called "IQUE" as a device. Second time around it found the GPSr. I'll try reformatting the SD card and reloading the maps.

 

I'll also try setting keytone to none.

Edited November 5, 2009 by ras_oscar

[NordicMan]

I think if you use the POI loader for .GPX geocaches, by default the unit identifies the individual caches with a simple "." dot on the screen.. they might be hard to spot unless you know what to look for.

 

You can easily change the "." to an actual geocaching icon by adding whatever picture you want into the same folder the .GPX file is in, calling the picture the same name.

 

So,. if you have a 12345.GPX file on your computer, grab a bitmap geocaching icon you want put it into the same directory and rename it to 12345.BMP. The POI loader software will do all the work linking the picture to the gpx file.

 

You can find icons here:

 

http://www.deego.co.uk/web/gc/iconlist.htm

 

That's just the first site I found doing a Google search

 

The GOOD news is, once you do this a single time you won't have to do it again for future pocket queries if the query name stays the same!

Edited November 5, 2009 by NordicMan

[+Maingray]

Or, if you really want to explore the use of POI, check out GSAK and some of it's macros for doing what you want to do.

 

e.g. http://gsak.net/board/index.php?showtopic=...amp;#entry56750

[+ras_oscar]

I have GSAK. Am I using its macro to prepare for garmin POI loader or instead of POI loader?

[+Maingray]

That macro can automatically send the results to POILOader which will then do the loading of the GPS.