eTrex Venture HC Q

[+Ecz]

This question might be a bit trivial, I'm just curious as to how many geocaches can actually be stored on this unit. Is a geocache considered to be the same basic type of file as a waypoint? I've read that it can store 1000 waypoints.

 

I've just read that the unit's main downfall is lack of storage expandability, but if I can store 1000 caches on it then that's plenty of room for my purposes. Not planning on putting any different maps and such on at this point.

 

If I need to delete all of the archived caches I've found after a run that's fine too... I'm just curious I suppose.

 

Thanks!

 

--Ecz

[+Chrysalides]

This question might be a bit trivial, I'm just curious as to how many geocaches can actually be stored on this unit. Is a geocache considered to be the same basic type of file as a waypoint? I've read that it can store 1000 waypoints.

 

I've just read that the unit's main downfall is lack of storage expandability, but if I can store 1000 caches on it then that's plenty of room for my purposes. Not planning on putting any different maps and such on at this point.

 

If I need to delete all of the archived caches I've found after a run that's fine too... I'm just curious I suppose.

Maximum of 500 geocaches (found + unfound) + waypoints. A geocache on the eTrex (and possibly GPSMap) is just a waypoint of type "treasure chest". Open treasure chest = found, closed treasure chest = unfound.

[+briansnat]

The Venture HC holds 500 waypoints, but I think you can use the POI loader to load many mre caches to internal memory as POIs. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on this point

[+Ecz]

500 is plenty. Really appreciate it, thanks a lot.

[+Chrysalides]

Noticed that you're a premium member. If you use GSAK, you can have limited cache information on the GPSr to make it a little more informative.

 

I add size, difficulty and terrain to the name, and upload as much of the cache hint as possible to the description / notes. I don't recall but I think the size limits for both are 14 characters and 30 characters.

 

Under GSAK, Send to GPS, Waypoint Name I enter %smart=9%dif1a/%ter1a/%con1. Under Waypoint Description Format I enter %hint %name

 

There's a GSAK macro that exports geocaches as custom POI, but what happens is that one cache is listed as many POI entries. I felt that it was a little too cumbersome.

[+Ecz]

Awesome, that could actually end up being really handy thanks.

 

I'm on a Mac mainly... I have a windows rig too but don't use it as often. I'm trying an app called MacCaching, idk if you're familiar with it. I'll have to play around with it but I don't think it has any macro-type commands you can set into it's default formatting to make it more informative on the GPSr, I'm not sure though I just started using it today and haven't spent much time with it.

 

I did notice that it has the ability to put that kind of info into a format that an iPod can read in its notes reader which might be worth checking out. I would probably just get annoyed with fumbling between 2 devices though ha

 

I found the 'send to gps' function on the website to be pretty convenient, then just pulling the info off my gps with macCaching. I think I'll try going that route first, if I feel like I missing a bunch of them due to lack of descriptions/hints then I'll check out GSAK for sure.

 

I really appreciate all the great info, thanks for the advice

[+Cowboy Camper]

I'm new to my Venture HC as well, and I'm not familiar enough to work with GSAK.

 

I don't want to seem like I'm stepping into the op's thread to much, but is there a way to load caches to the Venture with the Name of the cache as opposed to the GC # only?

 

If this warrants a new thread, just let me know and Delete this post. Or steer my in the right direction.

 

Thanks.

[+gorillagal]

I'm new to my Venture HC as well, and I'm not familiar enough to work with GSAK.

 

I don't want to seem like I'm stepping into the op's thread to much, but is there a way to load caches to the Venture with the Name of the cache as opposed to the GC # only?

 

If this warrants a new thread, just let me know and Delete this post. Or steer my in the right direction.

 

Thanks.

If you want the name to show up on the search, you'll have to use something like GSAK to change the name. But if you just use "Send to GPS", the GC code is the what you see on the map, etc., but the name of the cache is loaded as well and you can see that when you click on the Waypoint name or on the "Note" section on the compass screen.

 

Not sure if I worded that very well, so I hope that made some sense. Personally, I like having the GC code in, as it makes it easy to log the caches when I get home and look at my calendar page.

[+briansnat]

I'm new to my Venture HC as well, and I'm not familiar enough to work with GSAK.

 

I don't want to seem like I'm stepping into the op's thread to much, but is there a way to load caches to the Venture with the Name of the cache as opposed to the GC # only?

 

If this warrants a new thread, just let me know and Delete this post. Or steer my in the right direction.

 

Thanks.

 

You can with GSAK but it it might not be the best idea. This site keys off GC#s and in some areas there may be a lot of caches with similar names. The Venture truncates waypoint names at a certain point. So say you run into a series of 20 caches called "Cowboy Camper's Radical Regular Series #1","Cowboy Camper's Radical Regular Series #2", "Cowboy Camper's Radical Regular Series #3", etc. , your GPS will show them all as "Cowboy Camper's Radical Regular Se" . There can also be multiple caches in the same area with the same, or very similar names. The GC numbers are unique so using them can eliminate confusion.