Rockunlimited2 Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 I just got into caching a few weeks ago by error. I was hung over and my buddy wanted to drive around. I went with him to grab a soda and he was caching. After the first find I was hooked. Here is the question. I have a yellow Garmen "Etrex"(?) can I use this from caching? I have played with it a little, but I do not know how to read the screens (other than the direction and the speed). I have a screen with circles and numbers..... no idea. Can I down load anything to put the caches in the Garmin. Sorry, I am new to this and have only used my GPS while wheeling in my jeep. Quote Link to comment
+Seeking Some Cache Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 If you have a cable to hook the GPSr to your computer you can download directly to the GPSr, if you don't have a cable you can enter the co-rds manually one at a time. I just got into caching a few weeks ago by error. I was hung over and my buddy wanted to drive around. I went with him to grab a soda and he was caching. After the first find I was hooked. Here is the question. I have a yellow Garmen "Etrex"(?) can I use this from caching? I have played with it a little, but I do not know how to read the screens (other than the direction and the speed). I have a screen with circles and numbers..... no idea. Can I down load anything to put the caches in the Garmin. Sorry, I am new to this and have only used my GPS while wheeling in my jeep. Quote Link to comment
Rockunlimited2 Posted November 25, 2009 Author Share Posted November 25, 2009 If you have a cable to hook the GPSr to your computer you can download directly to the GPSr, if you don't have a cable you can enter the co-rds manually one at a time. I just got into caching a few weeks ago by error. I was hung over and my buddy wanted to drive around. I went with him to grab a soda and he was caching. After the first find I was hooked. Here is the question. I have a yellow Garmen "Etrex"(?) can I use this from caching? I have played with it a little, but I do not know how to read the screens (other than the direction and the speed). I have a screen with circles and numbers..... no idea. Can I down load anything to put the caches in the Garmin. Sorry, I am new to this and have only used my GPS while wheeling in my jeep. I would love to enter the co-rds, I have played with this thing for hours and can not find how to enter the cords. I will have to by the cable online. Thank you for the help. Quote Link to comment
+Gitchee-Gummee Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 First things first......... (The model of Garmin helps, yellow is not a model [i think there is more than one yellow Garmin]) Read the manual for your GPSr. You DO still have the manual, don't you? If not, perhaps Garmin would be nice enough to send you another, if the price is right. Next...... Get out of your Jeep and play with the GPSr. Punch each of the buttons, some of them more that just a few times and see where that takes you (on-screen). Finding menu buttons are usually a good thing (be careful of a highlighted delete warning, though). Check to see what items on each page you can highlight, if they highlight, you can change that feature (this is where the manual would really help you). If you have no cord to hook it directly to your computer, you can still hand-enter coordinates as a waypoint (cache). From that point (where you are standing), hit the GoTo button, highlight the cache that you just hand entered, hit Enter and follow the azimuth (compass direction) given. Those directions I just gave are "over simplified", but that is the way it works. In truth, following that azimuth is easy if you are a crow, because it is a straight-line direction. You may have to use roads to get there. Find your manual, read it and keep it real handy for a number of trial runs and nearby, after that. Quote Link to comment
+Indotguy Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 Garmin manuals are available online. Etrex manual Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 Yellow etrex...not the best, but will get you where you want to go. You can buy a cable for about $30 at most outdoor stores such as REI or Cabela's. You can also load the caches by hand simply by pushing the mark button and editing the coords. The screen with the circles and numbers won't mean much to you at first, it's your sat lock screen and shows the satellites you have locked on (how many birds your unit can see and how accurate your unit is). On the side (not sure which side) is a button that cycles through the screens, one will have a compass looking screen which is where you'll spend much of your time while caching. Enter the coords, go to the compass screen and follow the arrow!! This unit is as basic as they get, when you become a bit more experienced, you may want to upgrade...we'll be waiting for your topic lol :) Quote Link to comment
+Wadcutter Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 (edited) Your yellow Etrex will work perfectly find for caching. A lot of caches have been found with yellow Etrexes. As you know it doesn't have all the bells and whistles as the higher priced units but if you're using it only for caching then highway maps, moon phases, and hunting and fishing cycles aren't really a concern. Look on-line for a cable. A lot cheaper than buying a Garmin cable in a retail store. Go to this thread and read Post # 6 where I explained how to manually enter waypoints into a yellow Etrex. Etrex Edited November 25, 2009 by Wadcutter Quote Link to comment
NordicMan Posted November 25, 2009 Share Posted November 25, 2009 (edited) Garmin manuals are available online. Etrex manual Yep by all means read the manual cover-to-cover. GPSr's are sophisticated & complicated (more to some than others lol) devices, and you may not be able to just pick it up & start using it without figuring out what all the buttons and displays mean. I'd hate to see someone get frustrated and give up on Geocaching just because they couldn't wrap their heads around the GPSr they're trying to use Personally I would recommend you just concentrate on keying in coordinates manually, especially if a data cable for such an old devices is that expensive ($30?!?) Save your money for your next GPSr upgrade, which will probably come with a cable already. Trust me if you truly get hooked on Geocaching then you'll WANT to upgrade yoru GPSr! But if you decide this sport/hobby isn't in your future then save your $30 for gas money, Jeeps get CRAPPY fuel economy especially when four wheeling Edited November 25, 2009 by NordicMan Quote Link to comment
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