Customizing GPS "welcome page" ?...

[SaltyCacheNutZ]

I have heard quite a few stories of people losing or forgetting their trusty units while out caching

* shudders at the thought*

 

Somewhere on the forums I read a thread with several great ideas & "how to's" but now I can't find it...

 

They said you could customize the "welcome page" for lack of better words, whatever it is when you 1st turn on your GPS, and put something useful there, ie; name, e-mail, phone number, Reward for return note...

It seems like a great idea in case a person misplaces their GPS, and may be lucky enough for an honest person ( or reward inspired) to return it.

 

So, does someone know how to do this or knows where that thread is?

[+GeePa]

Don't know where the thread is, but I think you can use this application from Garmin:

 

xImage

[Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide]

I have heard quite a few stories of people losing or forgetting their trusty units while out caching

* shudders at the thought*

 

Somewhere on the forums I read a thread with several great ideas & "how to's" but now I can't find it...

 

No idea where the thread might be but it really depends on your gps: my Oregon has a text file you can edit while in mass storage mode, adding the owner's name, number and a reward message, and the 60/76 series has a text entry screen which is displayed on boot, but the Nuvi line you have to be more creative with.

 

Since you can't display an actual message on the Nuvi boot, but you can display an image, all you need to do is open an image in a paint/editing program and add text to the image, save that, transfer it to the gps and select it as the boot image.

 

If you also use the Nuvi's security features and require the gps to be unlocked before use, the image with contact information on it really increases your chance of getting it back since the finder won't get to use the unit so he might as well get a few bucks by returning it to you...

Edited January 24, 2010 by Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hide

[+GeePa]

I just found out that (and just added owner info for ) my Etrex Vista HCx has an option under the setup menu called Welcome where I can type in a custom start up message. Thanks for calling my attention to this. I never would have known

[SaltyCacheNutZ]

 

...it really depends on your gps: my Oregon has a text file you can edit while in mass storage mode, adding the owner's name, number and a reward message...

Thanks for the replies!

I have finally upgraded from my old GPS45 to an Oregon, and would be mortified if I lost it!

 

Do I have to have it plugged in to my computer to edit the mass storage mode ( I did see that while practising loading a PQ) or do I just turn the GPS on and edit from there? sorry, I'm suffering info overload with my new toy today!

 

I just found out that (and just added owner info for ) my Etrex Vista HCx has an option under the setup menu called Welcome where I can type in a custom start up message. Thanks for calling my attention to this. I never would have known

Hey that is great! yay for the forum

[+vds]

Do I have to have it plugged in to my computer to edit the mass storage mode ( I did see that while practising loading a PQ) or do I just turn the GPS on and edit from there?

 

On my Oregon I just plug it in, and Windows-7 sees it as a disk. Look for a file "startup.txt" under the Garmin folder and edit it in notepad. Save the file, unmount the disks in Windows, disconnect and powerup the Oregon and the message will appear at the top of the screen for as many seconds as you configured in the file. It's pretty obvious.

Edited January 24, 2010 by vds

[+BCNorwich]

Hello There,

 

From this Wiki page

 

Yes. Connect your Oregon to a computer in USB mass storage mode and edit file [OR drive]:\Garmin\startup.txt in a text editor like notepad. You can add several lines of text at the end of this file which will be displayed at startup. This feature is useful for adding contact information in case the unit is lost.

 

Modifying the line <display=0> in the same file will change the the number of seconds that custom startup message is displayed (i.e. <display=5> will display the message for 5 seconds). Note your boot time will increase by the same number of seconds, so a value between 5-10 seconds is a reasonable setting.

 

Regards

Bernard

Edited January 24, 2010 by bcnorwich

[+obsidianspider]

I added my contact info to the startup.txt file on my Oregon and set it to run for 15 seconds. At the bottom of the boot screen, when the system is done loading it says

 

Loading Complete

<Press the screen to continue>

 

Which is nice, so my contact info is being displayed long enough for someone to get my number and call me if my unit is lost, but if I am in a hurry to get past the screen I can just bypass the wait.

[SaltyCacheNutZ]

Thanks!!

[+happileigh]

Thanks!!

Thanks! I never thought to use this facility like that- I've put ICE(in case of emergency) and my home phone number.

[+StarBrand]

I put in an email address and an offer for a reward and my Geocaching name on all my units that can be customized.

[+EScout]

I enter my contact info in those GPSrs that allow it. As was mentioned, for my Nuvis, I create an image file with contact info that shows at start up.

 

I put a "Brother brand" label on the outside of all the cases on the back. For those units that have battery compartments that open, another label goes inside, usually on the inside battery cover.

 

The unofficial Scout Motto is: "Label and mark everything"

Edited February 2, 2010 by EScout

[+TotemLake]

If you put in your phone number, avoid your home phone and instead use your cell phone number. When my GPS was stolen from my Jeep (Jeep was stolen out of the driveway) a couple years back, my biggest worry was someone would call the number to determine I'm not home then break into my home.

[+EScout]

If you put in your phone number, avoid your home phone and instead use your cell phone number. When my GPS was stolen from my Jeep (Jeep was stolen out of the driveway) a couple years back, my biggest worry was someone would call the number to determine I'm not home then break into my home.

This is very good advice. I use my cell phone on everything. My wife's GPS and her key ring, and her cell phone, have labels with my cell phone number on them. I prefer that the finder call me to arrange the meeting.