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Garmin Chirp- Geocaching Beacon


G & C

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I know that the CO is now a discontinued model, but here is hoping that they show some love for all the units out there, and add this in a CO firmware update as well.

 

Looks like us CO owners may be in luck.

 

Dear Jeremy,

Thank you for contacting Garmin International.

 

I am happy to help you with this. Yes. The chirp is compatible with all devices with unit-to-unit wireless transfer capabilities. The Colorado 300 and 400 series has this feature.

 

If you have any additional comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via email.

 

If replying to this message, Please include all correspondence.

 

With Best Regards,

Tyler K

Software Support Specialist

Software Team

Garmin International

 

This is interesting. I just contacted Garmin yesterday and was told there were no plans to add the chirp to the CO. I will have to check mine after I get it back from repair.

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I have one chirp cache and it is a puzzle cache. It was very easy to program and it has gone through a pretty heavy storm without any issues. It is attached with velcro so I am pretty sure it really is water tight given the rains we have had lately. So far the feedback has been positive. I have gone out twice with cachers that do not have a GPS that supports chirps in order to help them find it. I hope that the iPhone app is coming soon.

Edited by IrishJen
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Hmmm...this hasn't been answered yet? I'm not sure how many lists there might be, but I've been putting one together for awhile now:

Chirp Chirp Big Big List List

 

you missed http://coord.info/GC225XN

 

another bookmark list is http://www.geocaching.com/bookmarks/view.aspx?guid=994cf519-4b18-4885-950e-d6c93cd7ca44

 

Thanks, added that one! It looks like I may already have all of the other list on mine, but there's a system problem right now keeping me from checking them all. Will do that soon though. Thanks!

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I know that the CO is now a discontinued model, but here is hoping that they show some love for all the units out there, and add this in a CO firmware update as well.

 

Looks like us CO owners may be in luck.

 

Dear Jeremy,

Thank you for contacting Garmin International.

 

I am happy to help you with this. Yes. The chirp is compatible with all devices with unit-to-unit wireless transfer capabilities. The Colorado 300 and 400 series has this feature.

 

If you have any additional comments or questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via email.

 

If replying to this message, Please include all correspondence.

 

With Best Regards,

Tyler K

Software Support Specialist

Software Team

Garmin International

 

This is interesting. I just contacted Garmin yesterday and was told there were no plans to add the chirp to the CO. I will have to check mine after I get it back from repair.

 

I just purchased a used but in great condition colorado 300 with Topo map included. (I was told that makes it a 400T but not sure) I updated the software to 3.52 and it added the "Start chirp searching" in the Geochaching mode.

 

Went out and purchased a "chirp" from REI and cannot program the chirp. The option to program the chirp is not included with the update.

 

Also, when i searched for my new chirp it would only find it when I was a foot and a half away. I'm hoping that the battery for the chirp is bad and I will try it again when I get a fresh battery for it.

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Original text by Jenishmeni removed by request. Response is unchanged

While I can see (in your 'secret guidelines' - which shouldn't ever have existed in that form to begin with) that you've been pinned down by Groundspeak, that rule could never have anticipated that a specific brand of GPS would be required. Until now, that had never been the case.

 

Unless/until the CO has more than a Garmin to point to in his "required equipment list" for finders, what's the point? When Groundspeak allowed a device to be used that requires a sole sourced device to find and interpret the Chirp, what did they expect? I can see the cache descriptions now:

 

"You will need a G***** brand GPS to find the Chirp (see www.g*****.com for details) of these specific models because nobody else makes something that will find and read its data."

 

There's enough of the caching community who are as yet unfamiliar with the Chirp that if it's not explained sufficiently, they're going to hit a brick wall out there.

Edited by robertlipe
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I'm excited about them. I personally think altho they will have limited appeal as not everyone can find them I think it is great to see companies working towards making new products that are a little out of the box type thinking. I hope they succeed..

 

Regards

James

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I'd like to see these put in a category with the Wherigo's, maybe "Advanced Technology". To put out a cache with one of these and call it a mystery/puzzle is misleading in that you can solve a mystery or a puzzle.

 

Actually if you look at the cache types there are no "mystery" or "puzzle" caches and instead it is "unknown" as the cache type. And on the other hand, it is a "mystery" as to what info the Chirp will have, and some cachers see it as a "puzzle" to figure out how to find/read one. :lol:

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Actually if you look at the cache types there are no "mystery" or "puzzle" caches and instead it is "unknown" as the cache type.

 

Actually actually there's quite a bit of inconsistency in this regard. Notification emails say "unknown cache", while this page calls them both "mystery" and "puzzle" caches.

Edited by dfx
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Actually if you look at the cache types there are no "mystery" or "puzzle" caches and instead it is "unknown" as the cache type.

 

Actually actually there's quite a bit of inconsistency in this regard. Notification emails say "unknown cache", while this page calls them both "mystery" and "puzzle" caches.

 

Right, I was just referring to the actual "Report a new Cache" page which lists the cache types to select from and it is "Unknown Cache" there. That confused me a bit when I first started as I couldn't figure out how to select either the Mystery or Puzzle cache that everyone was talking about. Never understood why the "Cache Type" page doesn't match the "Report a new Cache" page.

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Chirp's ... :huh:

 

its new its fun ;) ..(only found one sow far .. ) whilst out with Brujoy , with his Oragon 450, it worked a treat .. pulled up a GZ and with in seconds had all the information needed .. of to the cache .. that was fine until brujoy attempted a second Chirp .. this one had been planted nye-on one hundred feet from GZ. :huh: thus you had to move around a bit to pick up any form of signal. then the information that he did receive didn't help ..as mentioned in other log for the same cache (every one sees thing differently)

:D

anyway looking forward to my next cache-perdition as I have just finished up-dateing the soft ware on my OLD colarado 300 ( it now has , search for chirp ) thank you Garmin thats just saved me £400 ( if it works )I say if you have it try it

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I'd like to place a Chirp cache and I have the Chirp but I'm not sure if there is actually anybody in my area that uses a unit that can locate the thing! It seems that most all of the folks who use newer technology for geocaching in this area use their phones rather than a dedicated GPS unit.

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You are correct, I don't know many people that have an Oregon or 62, but a couple. Even if they did, they'd have to update the software on their unit, and I think that is beyond some of them.

 

I have a 78S which does Chirp just fine. However, I sadly agree with you regarding some folks being able to upgrade their firmware. I know a number of folks in the area who still enter every cache by hand because pocket queries and GSAK are a bit too advanced for their technological skills. Great folks but a bit set in their ways.

 

(Says the guy who doesn't own a smartphone, doesn't do Twitter, Facebook, etc. :unsure:)

Edited by Thrak
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I just purchased a used but in great condition colorado 300 with Topo map included. (I was told that makes it a 400T but not sure) I updated the software to 3.52 and it added the "Start chirp searching" in the Geochaching mode.

 

Went out and purchased a "chirp" from REI and cannot program the chirp. The option to program the chirp is not included with the update.

 

Also, when i searched for my new chirp it would only find it when I was a foot and a half away. I'm hoping that the battery for the chirp is bad and I will try it again when I get a fresh battery for it.

 

If you check that software update, Garmin clearly states that the Colorado can only locate/read a CHIRP...it cannot program a CHIRP. Perhaps in the future they may add that ability...but they have not announced it. In fact, I think they've made comment leading me to believe there is a limitation with the Colorado which may prevent it from ever programming a CHIRP. Bad news for us Colorado owners...but at least we can find them without buying a new GPS!

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Just got one of these Chirp thinges and it took two hours to get the info I wanted to put in it, In it. so May be someone can right a program to access them quicker, and them may be we all get them.

 

I wanted to put a Travel bug number in it to be logged by all who may find, it but alas only the chosen few...!

 

it may take off, 7/10

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About a 2 months ago Garmin added a new firmwhere update for the Colorado 400t and now it supports Chirp

 

As I said a few posts above...only to locate/read a CHIRP, you still can't "program" a CHIP with a Colorado.

 

From Garmin's notes for the 3.52 beta firmware for the Colorado:

"Added support for chirp™ detection. This software update will allow Colorado units to detect previously-programmed chirp™ units. See http://www.garmin.com/chirp for details on which units are chirp™ compatible. NOTE: Due to the hardware present in Colorado devices, chirp™ detection range may be less than that of other compatible devices."

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I apologize if this is answered earlier in the thread - I looked but didn't come across what I was looking for.

 

From reading Garmin's product info, it seems that you can only program chirp beacons with GPSr's that can detect the chirps. Am I reading that correctly? I ask because I have a cache that could benefit from including a chirp, but I don't have a chirp-ready GPSr myself (I use a 60csx). I thought I might be able to program the chirp by using my PC, but the more I flip through the specs, the more I think I was wrong about that.

 

So am I currently understanding that right? I won't be able to program the chirp from my computer and would need, say, an Oregon (or equivalent)?

 

Thanks for any illumination.

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From reading Garmin's product info, it seems that you can only program chirp beacons with GPSr's that can detect the chirps. Am I reading that correctly? I ask because I have a cache that could benefit from including a chirp, but I don't have a chirp-ready GPSr myself (I use a 60csx). I thought I might be able to program the chirp by using my PC, but the more I flip through the specs, the more I think I was wrong about that.

 

So am I currently understanding that right? I won't be able to program the chirp from my computer and would need, say, an Oregon (or equivalent)?

 

Correct. The only exception is Coloados: those can only receive Chirps (and only with a recent firmware), but can't program them.

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These things are really flying off the shelves, aren't they? There are over 600 or so active beacon caches worldwide! In a few years they might catch up with Wherigo...

Yes, and at least one of those 600+ "beacon" caches, while it qualifies under the description for that attribute, doesn't even use any Chirps (see GC2G604).
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For those of you coming to GeoWoodstock XI, there is a chirp in the park. Don't forget to try it.

 

I can't get my Montana 600 to connect with it, but several with Colorado's have. I've tried twice for at least 30 minutes each time and still no luck. I did connect with the one up north of Lakeland in Colt Creek State Park. There is another in a park a few miles from Circle B Bar where GW XI will be held. You might want to try it also. I haven't made it to this one yet, but it is on my list.

 

I guess there is still some work to be done by Garmin with the Chirp technology and GPS compatibility.

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The Garmin Chirp is an old topic but on 12/3 I tried to use my Garmin 450t to find a cache that was a chirp. When I got to posted cords I selected the Share Wirelessly option which brought up Wirelessly, send or receive data. I selected Receive and then got the Screen Listening for another unit to begin sending data with the word searching in the white strip below that. I tried it for sometime and I even held the chirp next to the gps but I never got beyond this screen. I have never done a chirp cache and I am not sure if I was suppose to do something else or not. Can someone explain the procedure to me using the same gps as I have

the chirp was working fine as the CO check it the next day with a completely different gps than the one he placed it with.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

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The Garmin Chirp is an old topic but on 12/3 I tried to use my Garmin 450t to find a cache that was a chirp. When I got to posted cords I selected the Share Wirelessly option which brought up Wirelessly, send or receive data. I selected Receive and then got the Screen Listening for another unit to begin sending data with the word searching in the white strip below that. I tried it for sometime and I even held the chirp next to the gps but I never got beyond this screen. I have never done a chirp cache and I am not sure if I was suppose to do something else or not. Can someone explain the procedure to me using the same gps as I have

the chirp was working fine as the CO check it the next day with a completely different gps than the one he placed it with.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

That only works for sending/receiving from another gps not chirps. You must activate chirp searching on your unit to receive chirp information.

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The Garmin Chirp is an old topic but on 12/3 I tried to use my Garmin 450t to find a cache that was a chirp. When I got to posted cords I selected the Share Wirelessly option which brought up Wirelessly, send or receive data. I selected Receive and then got the Screen Listening for another unit to begin sending data with the word searching in the white strip below that. I tried it for sometime and I even held the chirp next to the gps but I never got beyond this screen. I have never done a chirp cache and I am not sure if I was suppose to do something else or not. Can someone explain the procedure to me using the same gps as I have

the chirp was working fine as the CO check it the next day with a completely different gps than the one he placed it with.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

That only works for sending/receiving from another gps not chirps. You must activate chirp searching on your unit to receive chirp information.

 

Try:

http://www.gpscity.ca/questions?qid=29108

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Garmin Chirps are out of production by Garmin themselves and there are just a few bouncing around ebay and such. Does anyone know of any equivalent using the ANT+ technology that would be a modern alternative to Chirps? NFC tags are decent but the range is a real limitation compared to the almighty chirp.

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