Dakota 20 Wish List

[+GrateBear]

I recently upgraded to the Dakota 20 from a Legend Cx. What I found surprising was some of the features on the Legend that the Dakota doesn't have. Such as:

1. Welcome screen where you can enter your name and contact info.

2. The ability to delete caches from the unit after you've logged them.

3. While not on the Legend, I can't find a screen to show DNFs similar to the caches found screen, which would be helpful.

4. The backlight goes dark when only half battery power is gone. The Legend lasted until there was one bar left.

5. An better way to select caches on the screen--my fingers, while not fat, have to stab at the icon a few times to hit it.

 

I may have missed how to do some of these things, and there may be others, but that's my start.

 

Anyone have anything else they would like to see?

[+pppingme]

1-you can edit (or create) the file \garmin\startup.txt

2-Since found caches don't come up in searches, its not really an issue, just delete the .gpx files at the end of the day. Waypoints DO act exactly the same as they do on the Legend, but you're not using waypoints, you're using caches, which the Legend didn't even support (yeah, semantics)

3-?

4-I'm not seeing this? Maybe I'm not understanding what your asking.

5-Sounds like you need to align/sync your screen, I forget the exact procedure, but its pretty easy to do, just google screen alignment dakota and you should find it pretty easy.

[+kaseym]

5-Also, once the backlight times out, the first time you touch the screen, the only thing that happens is the backlight comes on, and the next touch selects. You can make changes (such as leaving the backlight always on, and the first touch selects) in setup display. For a long time I thought it was my fingers.

[+GrateBear]

1-you can edit (or create) the file \garmin\startup.txt

2-Since found caches don't come up in searches, its not really an issue, just delete the .gpx files at the end of the day. Waypoints DO act exactly the same as they do on the Legend, but you're not using waypoints, you're using caches, which the Legend didn't even support (yeah, semantics)

3-?

4-I'm not seeing this? Maybe I'm not understanding what your asking.

5-Sounds like you need to align/sync your screen, I forget the exact procedure, but its pretty easy to do, just google screen alignment dakota and you should find it pretty easy.

Thanks for the input.

For #1, can you explain how to do that? I'm terrible at trying to do things like that, and usually just end up creating a new problem.

On #2, I liked on the Legend that you could put the cursor on the found cache, and just "click" delete it. No need to plug into the comp.

#3--one of the screens shows caches found. When I fail to find a cache and note is as a DNF, I was expecting there would be a similar list of caches not found. Perhaps I need to add a note, also? Another brain short circuit for me!

#4--It's just that the back light goes out and the screen dims. Can still see/read it. I do keep it on all the time--guess I'll have to adjust it, as the following post from kaseym indicates if set to go out after a time, the first touch will bring it back on. Have to experiment with that.

[+pppingme]

1-The gps is treaded as a mass storage device (no different than a usb key or something), there's a folder called Garmin, under that is a file called startup.txt, there is a limit to the number of characters, but I don't recall what it is, should be easy to google.

 

2-Thats one of the differences between "waypoints" and "caches", you can still manually create and delete waypoints on the dakota. Since you can't manually create caches, you have to hook it to the computer anyway to load new caches, thats the perfect time to delete the old caches. I personally just reuse the same file name every time I load it, so old caches on the unit are never a problem.

 

3-If I'm understanding you, there is no current way to do this, but it has been suggested to Garmin multiple times. I'm not sure how you're doing this on a legend?

 

4-You can adjust the screen timeout, I don't have my unit in front of me so I'm not recalling where to adjust it, but it is possible.

[+Highland Horde]

For #5 I started carrying a stylus from my kids DSi. I dont use it all the time but it helps if im out and wearing gloves. you can get them at the dollar store. You can also use the back of a pen or pencil (I used to have a mechanical pencil the I removed the eraser and replaced with the tip from a stylus - it worked great until my daughter hid it in my chair and I sat on it..lol)

[+GrateBear]

3-If I'm understanding you, there is no current way to do this, but it has been suggested to Garmin multiple times. I'm not sure how you're doing this on a legend?

Too bad Garmin won't do something about this--it would be a nice feature. And, you are right that it can't be done on the Legend. It would seem to be an software change on the 20.

[+pppingme]

3-If I'm understanding you, there is no current way to do this, but it has been suggested to Garmin multiple times. I'm not sure how you're doing this on a legend?

Too bad Garmin won't do something about this--it would be a nice feature. And, you are right that it can't be done on the Legend. It would seem to be an software change on the 20.

I keep thinking about this, and don't see how it would even be possible. There is no marker in a .gpx file to indicate DNF status, how would the unit know when a cache is DNF? If you're thinking because you've done a dnf log on the unit, you should be clearing those out every night (or how ever often you upload your logs to gc.com), leaving old field notes on your unit is just asking for trouble. I'm not sure I see an easy technical fix, so no software change possible, without going to some overly complex way of tracking them outside of whats in the .gpx and field notes, something that I doubt most users would wan, when users clear .gpx files and field notes, they expect a clear unit, adding more complex ways of tracking DNF status to the unit will just cause confusion.

 

If you really want to see DNF status, the easiest way may be to use GSAK and add DNF to the title of the cache, or something along those lines.

[+GrateBear]

3-If I'm understanding you, there is no current way to do this, but it has been suggested to Garmin multiple times. I'm not sure how you're doing this on a legend?

Too bad Garmin won't do something about this--it would be a nice feature. And, you are right that it can't be done on the Legend. It would seem to be an software change on the 20.

I keep thinking about this, and don't see how it would even be possible. There is no marker in a .gpx file to indicate DNF status, how would the unit know when a cache is DNF? If you're thinking because you've done a dnf log on the unit, you should be clearing those out every night (or how ever often you upload your logs to gc.com), leaving old field notes on your unit is just asking for trouble. I'm not sure I see an easy technical fix, so no software change possible, without going to some overly complex way of tracking them outside of whats in the .gpx and field notes, something that I doubt most users would wan, when users clear .gpx files and field notes, they expect a clear unit, adding more complex ways of tracking DNF status to the unit will just cause confusion.

 

If you really want to see DNF status, the easiest way may be to use GSAK and add DNF to the title of the cache, or something along those lines.

I don't see why it wouldn't be possible. With the current set up, when a cache is found, you hit the "log attempt" icon, and that gives a choice of "found", "did not find", "needs repair" and "unattempted". So, hit the "found", and then "done". So, when it's time to log finds, hit the geocache icon and that gives options of "find a geocache", "show found" and "quick filter". "Show found" does just that. So, add a "DNF" option, and there you go. Good way to keep track of them and log the DNF. Same thing for "needs repair", although I haven't done that yet, so it may show.

[+jeepdelfuego]

I would never consider going back to a Legend Cx after using a Dakota or an Oregon. You just need some time getting used to it. Start here to find out everything you need to know about geocaching with it:

 

http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/Geocaching (The Oregon x00's and the Dakotas work the same way)

 

I recently upgraded to the Dakota 20 from a Legend Cx. What I found surprising was some of the features on the Legend that the Dakota doesn't have. Such as:

1. Welcome screen where you can enter your name and contact info.

2. The ability to delete caches from the unit after you've logged them.

3. While not on the Legend, I can't find a screen to show DNFs similar to the caches found screen, which would be helpful.

4. The backlight goes dark when only half battery power is gone. The Legend lasted until there was one bar left.

5. An better way to select caches on the screen--my fingers, while not fat, have to stab at the icon a few times to hit it.

 

I may have missed how to do some of these things, and there may be others, but that's my start.

 

Anyone have anything else they would like to see?

[+GrateBear]

I would never consider going back to a Legend Cx after using a Dakota or an Oregon. You just need some time getting used to it. Start here to find out everything you need to know about geocaching with it:

 

http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/Geocaching (The Oregon x00's and the Dakotas work the same way)

 

I recently upgraded to the Dakota 20 from a Legend Cx. What I found surprising was some of the features on the Legend that the Dakota doesn't have. Such as:

1. Welcome screen where you can enter your name and contact info.

2. The ability to delete caches from the unit after you've logged them.

3. While not on the Legend, I can't find a screen to show DNFs similar to the caches found screen, which would be helpful.

4. The backlight goes dark when only half battery power is gone. The Legend lasted until there was one bar left.

5. An better way to select caches on the screen--my fingers, while not fat, have to stab at the icon a few times to hit it.

 

I may have missed how to do some of these things, and there may be others, but that's my start.

 

Anyone have anything else they would like to see?

I wouldn't either (but I'm keeping the Legend for virtuals and earthcaches) as I do like the Dakota. Point is that the Legend has features that Garmin could have easily built into the Dakota. While the Dakota is the entry level for paperless units, I feel they really made it less than they could have by not adding some of the Legend capabilities. Why not make it possible to delete caches directly from the unit itself, instead of having to plug into a pc? Why not be able to delete found caches after they've been logged by just clicking on "delete this cache"? Why not a welcome screen like the Legend? Little things can be a big plus.

[+ecanderson]

Why not a welcome screen like the Legend?

THAT it DOES have. Just toss a "startup.txt" file into the Garmin folder.