Delorme pn 40

[Dontworryaboutme]

I am looking to buy a gps. The Delorme pn 40 seems interesting. Just wondering if it is as easy to use with geochacing.com as the Garmins seem to be and if it works well in Canada. (Map issues)

 

thanks

[+dakboy]

Yes and yes.

[+jeffbouldin]

I just got a PN-30 which is the PN-40 without the electronic compass. It comes with a disc of Topo maps for Canada.

 

As for loading I can hook it up to my computer, pull up the cache page, click Send to GPS, unplug and go hunt the cache. However the best way I have found is to load my PQs into GSAK, hook my GPSr to the computer, pick a cache in the center of the area and make it the center point (since I have 14000 caches in GSAK), under the GPS drop down menu choose Send Waypoints (provided you have chosen PN-30\40 under Setup), tell it 990 caches and click send. This will put 990 caches with all info into my unit. With the version 2.7 firmware I can save those caches to a file on my SD card, pick another center point and repeat the send process. I can repeat this many times and end up with all 14000 caches on my GPSr and change files as needed out in the field. This is great if you are planning a trip and will be in different areas. If you do not have GSAK get it and learn to use it, you'll love it.

[Dontworryaboutme]

Sorry for my newbie questions but what do those acronyms stand for, and do I get that with the gps.

[+jeffbouldin]

GSAK = Geocaching Swiss Army Knife. It is a database program for geocaching.

 

PQ = Pocket Query. That is a feature that you get with the premium membership. You can set it up to send you up to 500 (soon to be 1000) caches in a file. You will get all of the information for each cache that is on the page. Logs, description, Difficulty/Terrian, size, etc.

 

So I have two Premium Memberships. I have set it up so I get 4 PQs (you can get 5 a day) from each one for Mon-Thurs. This gets me every cache in Tennessee. I load all of these into GSAK. I can now use GSAK to manipulate the data. If I want to list all caches in the database hidden by you I could search for that. If I wanted to find a cache in the database with a D/T combo of 4.5/3 I can search for that. I can have multiple databases. We have a Challenge Cache to find all of the remaining Virtuals in TN, I have a database of just those virtuals so I can track what I need. I can pick a cache near my work and tell it to send 1000 caches surrounding it to my GPSr. I can then pick one close to home and do the same. When I go to Memphis I can use Google Earth to create a .KML file of my route, load that into GSAK and tell it to send 1000 caches along that route to my GPSr. I have a Delorme PN-30 and the kids have Magellan Explorist, I can use GSAK to load both, don't have to use multiple programs. I can load Cacheberry on my Blackberry from GSAK, or a Palm, Windows Mobile, etc.

 

These examples only scratch the surface of what GSAK can do. Check out www.GSAK.net and check out their forums for more details.

[+snow_rules]

Geocaching Swiss Army Knife. http://gsak.net/

 

Think of it as a offline database that hold cache information.

[+42at42]

I am looking to buy a gps. The Delorme pn 40 seems interesting. Just wondering if it is as easy to use with geochacing.com as the Garmins seem to be and if it works well in Canada. (Map issues)

 

thanks

 

I am in Canada. I use the PN-30. The maps for Canada are good. They even work for turn-by-turn directions to get you to the cache.

 

As stated above GSAK works great with downloading geocaches. 'Send to GPS' on GC.com works great for 1 OR 2 new caches.

 

I am hoping the aerial imagery maps will be out soon for Canada.

 

I really like my PN.