working between caches

[+wch-1]

I'm new to Geocaching (only 15 finds) and all have been: drive to a location search/find and then drive to another location . Today I downloaded (3) cache's that were in one park. So I though out a route to follow going from one cache to the next and so on.

I marked the trailhead (truck) then went and found cache (1) then I set the Vista hcx to the next cache and hit goto. The map page shows the "line" to travel starting at a older cache (that I had found several days ago). the compass page shows the bearing and dist. to be correct so I followed this and found the (2) cache with no problem, same issue again with the final cache. Then after the final cache I set the unit to "goto" the trailhead (truck). The unit keep calcu. from an old/past cache I had found several days earlier not my current location. Thank God I had a trail map with me. The map page showed the trailhead and where I was currently, so I was able to find myself on the trail map. The compass page was now showing the wrong dist 8.5 miles and the bearing direction appeared off. (my total hike for all 3 caches was not even 1.5 miles). I could see on the map page that I was roughly .75 miles from the trailhead.

And on top of this if you were at the compass page, every few seconds it would recalcu and switch to the map page.

Very dishearting.

So if anyone can walk me thru the setup or changing a setting that would be wonderful!!!

thanks

[+briansnat]

Sounds weird. There is a option to reset the unit to factory settings. Try that.

[+StarBrand]

A few thoughts (don't know if they will help)....

 

Sounds like you were in a "road" mode - works best for Geocaching to be in "off road" mode".

 

The map page on those etrex units - it becomes all to easy to accidently click on a waypoint and accidently "shift" it a bit using the joystick.

 

You may have somehow selected a preloaded "route" instead of a point to navigate.

 

I'd do the "reset" suggested above.

[+wch-1]

Thanks guys

I actually went out today and tried it again.

once I located the 1st cache I hit the "found" button (this is new to me but read about it), then was asked if i wanted to go to another cache. I hit yes and it gave me a direct path to the 2nd cache. this is a improvement over yesterday. I didn't log a waypoint for the trailhead (forgot) so tomorrow will try that again. if this doesn't work then I will reset unit.

again thanks for the input.

[+Prime Suspect]

It sounds like you were routing, instead of doing a goto, and that you accidentally added the old cache in as part of the route.

[Rocketsteve]

When caching, every time you click the "Found" tab, on the compass page, your Vista HCx will automatically search for the closest "linear" geocache. Obstacles between you and the new cache may force you to increase the actual distance traveled to the cache. Once you've found all the caches in a given area, from the map screen, simply move the pointer in the direction of your truck's waypoint. When the pointer is resting over the truck waypoint, the designation will highlight, and you just click on the waypoint. An info screen for you truck's waypoint will appear and you click on the "Go To" tab at the bottom. It will give you a linear path to your truck and you can make whatever adjustments for obstacles is needed, and the GPSr will continue to give you course corrections.

 

Routing sounds like a really nice feature, but in practice, I've found that it's not very well suited for geocaching.

Edited February 9, 2010 by rocketsteve

[+Prime Suspect]

Routing sounds like a really nice feature, but in practice, I've found that it's not very well suited for geocaching.

Huh? Routing is awesome for geocaching. It means I don't have to plan routes at home before I go caching. I used to try that with my old Vista, which had maps, but not routing, and it was a nightmare. Routing is the only way to go.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Love my Vista HCX! I would say, as StarBrand did, that you set the route back to the truck Follow Road. That's the only reason to keep going to the map page, and rerouting. If you push Off Road, you get the line pointing directly to the location. If you use Off Road, and get the map recalculating every time you approach a nearby road, then you do have a problem!

I use follow road to get near the cache. But I read through the directions first. Gupy loves Interstates and toll roads. He'll try to take me miles out of the way to get to the Interstate. No! I do NOT take 80 to 280 to the Turnpike to get to the Lincoln Tunnel! 80 to 46 to 3 works just fine for me. I think Garmin gets a take from the Turnpike Authority! Not to mention the infamous "Got ten miles north on the Parkway. Make a U turn, and come back ten miles." Doh. There is a road under the Parkway!

Gupy will take me to the nearest road. Not the proper parking spot. Other than that, I love the Follow Road.

[Rocketsteve]

Routing sounds like a really nice feature, but in practice, I've found that it's not very well suited for geocaching.

Huh? Routing is awesome for geocaching. It means I don't have to plan routes at home before I go caching. I used to try that with my old Vista, which had maps, but not routing, and it was a nightmare. Routing is the only way to go.

 

I do a lot of caching in the woods, and more often than not, routing will want me to walk right through the middle of a 30 acre, snake-infested cypress swamp to get to the cache. Instead, I'll stay on the trail and make my way to the next cache that is further away, and eventually continue down the trail until it loops me around the cypress swamps and to the cache that was on the other side. In an urban setting, I can see the value in using routing, but I won't use it in the woods.

[+Prime Suspect]

Routing sounds like a really nice feature, but in practice, I've found that it's not very well suited for geocaching.

Huh? Routing is awesome for geocaching. It means I don't have to plan routes at home before I go caching. I used to try that with my old Vista, which had maps, but not routing, and it was a nightmare. Routing is the only way to go.

 

I do a lot of caching in the woods, and more often than not, routing will want me to walk right through the middle of a 30 acre, snake-infested cypress swamp to get to the cache. Instead, I'll stay on the trail and make my way to the next cache that is further away, and eventually continue down the trail until it loops me around the cypress swamps and to the cache that was on the other side. In an urban setting, I can see the value in using routing, but I won't use it in the woods.

What you're referring to isn't routing. That's just a simple go-to.

 

Routing refers to either:

1. Using a linked set of multiple waypoints to get you from A to B, or...

2. Using the road routing information stored in the unit to give you driving directions from A to B.

[Rocketsteve]

Routing sounds like a really nice feature, but in practice, I've found that it's not very well suited for geocaching.

Huh? Routing is awesome for geocaching. It means I don't have to plan routes at home before I go caching. I used to try that with my old Vista, which had maps, but not routing, and it was a nightmare. Routing is the only way to go.

 

I do a lot of caching in the woods, and more often than not, routing will want me to walk right through the middle of a 30 acre, snake-infested cypress swamp to get to the cache. Instead, I'll stay on the trail and make my way to the next cache that is further away, and eventually continue down the trail until it loops me around the cypress swamps and to the cache that was on the other side. In an urban setting, I can see the value in using routing, but I won't use it in the woods.

What you're referring to isn't routing. That's just a simple go-to.

 

Routing refers to either:

1. Using a linked set of multiple waypoints to get you from A to B, or...

2. Using the road routing information stored in the unit to give you driving directions from A to B.

 

"whc-1" posted that he was having difficulty using the routing feature when caching in a wooded area (multiple caches). Early on, I also tried to route multiple (5 or 6) caches, in very large wooded areas, and because of large obstacles (i.e. cypress swamps), I have found the function to not be very practical, as I detailed with the example in my previous post.

 

You may love to use routing, but I prefer the "simple go-to". And with that, let us agree to disagree.

[+Prime Suspect]

Routing sounds like a really nice feature, but in practice, I've found that it's not very well suited for geocaching.

Huh? Routing is awesome for geocaching. It means I don't have to plan routes at home before I go caching. I used to try that with my old Vista, which had maps, but not routing, and it was a nightmare. Routing is the only way to go.

 

I do a lot of caching in the woods, and more often than not, routing will want me to walk right through the middle of a 30 acre, snake-infested cypress swamp to get to the cache. Instead, I'll stay on the trail and make my way to the next cache that is further away, and eventually continue down the trail until it loops me around the cypress swamps and to the cache that was on the other side. In an urban setting, I can see the value in using routing, but I won't use it in the woods.

What you're referring to isn't routing. That's just a simple go-to.

 

Routing refers to either:

1. Using a linked set of multiple waypoints to get you from A to B, or...

2. Using the road routing information stored in the unit to give you driving directions from A to B.

 

"whc-1" posted that he was having difficulty using the routing feature when caching in a wooded area (multiple caches). Early on, I also tried to route multiple (5 or 6) caches, in very large wooded areas, and because of large obstacles (i.e. cypress swamps), I have found the function to not be very practical, as I detailed with the example in my previous post.

 

You may love to use routing, but I prefer the "simple go-to". And with that, let us agree to disagree.

 

Oh, please, not the "agree to disagree". That's for opinions. We're talking facts here. You're just misunderstanding my point.

 

Routing, as in #2 above, is a great way to get from one cache area to another, since your GPS gives you the driving directions. Duh.

 

But setting up cache waypoints as a route, is a lousy idea, because your GPS considers its goal to be getting you to the final waypoint, so once you're relatively near an intermediate waypoint, it considers that accomplished and will start pointing you to the next waypoint. Not exactly what you want when geocaching. Got it?