confusion about Garmin devices

[+BirddogVet]

Maybe I am guilty of purchasing a higher end GPS like a Baby Grand piano and thinking that it was instantly going to play beautiful geocaching music. The percieved pressure was on because tomorrow I am going on my 2x year 3 day vacation to Vegas and was dreaming about all the cool geochaching I was going to do with it... pretty much out of the box. With the clock ticking, I scrambled to make it happen, but forgot that a GPS is like any instrument. Learn to play chop stix before attempting concertos. I will end up going with the basic installed map and have a good time. On my yearly walk from the south end of the Strip to Freemont St. the GPS will enhance my trek not by making it longer but more interesting and fun. If I find some caches, great. If not, so be it. I am there for the walk, not to log in every cache ever developed.

 

Thanks to Geocaching there is Las Vegas High School in the art deco architectural style and a source for a cache. I never would have known existed if it wasn't for a few mouse clicks on the Google map. And Red Rock Canyon which was recommended at another G.C.forum as a great location for finds and scenery. As far as my Oregon 450 goes, I will focus only on those essential keys necessary to make that happen. If I run into any problems that I don't think I can handle by myself, I am bringing along my laptop and letting you all know about it.

[+Chrysalides]

As far as GPS goes, I find the touchscreen models to be much easier to start using. Get the na1400 maps for Las Vegas. If you don't have time to do that, then just load the caches in there, and you should be good to go. Have fun in Vegas!

[+splashy]

The Nuvi is an out of the box A > B navigator, you cannot get wrong there, just go outside and let the Nuvi navigate you to well known places. Actually, maybe it's better to start with the Nuvi

The track of your husband will be on the computer under anyname.gpx, just do a disc search.

The gpx can be more than one type, so open the gpx with a text editor, scroll a bit down, if you see wpt it's a waypoint file if you see trkseg it's a trackjfile.

If your husband had any > paid < Garmin maps, they are probably locked to 1 gps and not usable in any other.

But remember, don't start to much together, you get confused.

Edited February 18, 2011 by splashy

[violetxoxox]

He could just be using the Edge to capture tracks, and then plotting the tracks on something like Google Earth. He wouldn't need maps in that case. I'm not familiar with the Edge, I'm not sure if it can display maps.

 

Yeah, I don't know if it can, either.

 

To get started, how about unpacking the Nuvi, and play around with it? It was a lot easier to figure out how to use, due to the much wider target audience. Your profile says "web publisher" - you can't be too much of a Luddite

 

I KNOW, RIGHT? I don't know why I'm having such a hard time with this. I really do think it's just some funky temporary brain damage related to grieving. It isn't just the GPS thing. After never having lived alone in my entire life, now it's suddenly just me having to keep track of and do everything without a partner or family or any kind of real support system and I'm just overwhelmed by it all. Several other pieces of tech equipment I ordered also came this week (whose bright idea was it to get this stuff all at once?), so I'm feeling more lost than usual.

 

I do know what part of the problem is with the Oregon: Garmin doesn't include a manual with it. (Not sure about the Nuvi yet.) And I'm the sort who grabs the user manual first thing and reads cover to cover. I know it's available for download online, and I would normally print it out, but ... nearly out of printer paper. Getting more is just one more addition on my ever-increasing list of Things I Have To Keep Tabs On Solo Now.

 

I think the Eneloops came yesterday. (Not sure — I haven't opened that package, either.) But I'm going to have a look, and today I AM GOING TO UNPACK THE FRACKIN' NUVI AND DIG IN. I hope that comes with a user manual. Seeing as how it's for the car, one would hope Garmin had the foresight to consider that people would need a manual that could easily be carried in the glovebox.

[violetxoxox]

The percieved pressure was on because tomorrow I am going on my 2x year 3 day vacation to Vegas and was dreaming about all the cool geochaching I was going to do with it... pretty much out of the box.

 

I feel for you. I'm panicking for the same reason — clock ticking down on a planned trip — and mine's still three months away and I'm freaking out about not getting this darned thing figured out in time. LOL

[sviking]

I hope that comes with a user manual. Seeing as how it's for the car, one would hope Garmin had the foresight to consider that people would need a manual that could easily be carried in the glovebox.

 

You would hoping for nothing. You'll have to print a hard copy out yourself, if you want one. It's stored as a file on the unit itself or available as a .pdf file from Garmin.

[+BirddogVet]

Yup, the requested maps have not come in, but that's alright. Having 'em will not make the trip better..... Vegas !

[+BirddogVet]

And if it wasn't just waiting for the maps, it is cold and rainy in Vegas today. Who knew ?

[violetxoxox]

And if it wasn't just waiting for the maps, it is cold and rainy in Vegas today. Who knew ?

 

It's finally sunny here, after days of rain. My dog's tail didn't stop wagging once during his entire morning walk.

 

I've gotten further with the Nuvi than the Oregon so far. It was pretty plug-n-play, thankfully. Although it tried to make me drive the wrong way down TWO one-way streets within 1/4 mile of my house today. That's a little alarming. "TURN LEFT! TURN LEFT! TURN LEFT!!!" Recalculate, British chick, because I am NOT turning left.

[+BirddogVet]

Some things went right; the sun came out. Had a problem with a cache and in order to triangulate tried to 'attack' it from different angles. The problem is that the numberous tracks left behind seemed to obliterate the target. Is there a way to delete them?

V now isn't it fun when things go right after a bit of a fight ?

[+Chrysalides]

Although it tried to make me drive the wrong way down TWO one-way streets within 1/4 mile of my house today. That's a little alarming.

Try updating the maps. You get one free update if you do it within 60 days of first using the unit. With my first 2 Nuvis (don't ask how many I have), I made the mistake of waiting too long before running the update so didn't get new maps.

 

Updating is pretty straightforward. Create a My Garmin account, register your unit, following instructions on the screen.

[violetxoxox]

Try updating the maps. You get one free update if you do it within 60 days of first using the unit.

 

Ah, thanks for that. Cripes, that update took FOREVER!

 

Um, do I only get one free update if I got the unit with lifetime maps & traffic? I thought I would get any/all maps free. (Why do I have an ominous feeling this is where I'm going to find out I was so very wrong?)

[+Chrysalides]

Um, do I only get one free update if I got the unit with lifetime maps & traffic? I thought I would get any/all maps free. (Why do I have an ominous feeling this is where I'm going to find out I was so very wrong?)

You got the lifetime maps and traffic? You're all set then, ignore what I said about 60 days. According to Garmin, you can update up to 4 times a year.

 

Edit : BTW you'll only get updates of the maps your unit comes with. Garmin (or, rather, Navteq) has maps for many regions of the world.

Edited February 21, 2011 by Chrysalides

[+kwcahart]

Amazon did have the Nuvi 295W on sale for $79.00, probably even less now.

Edited February 22, 2011 by kwhart

[+baldeagle641]

OK....so I've got a Garmin 60csx and upgraded to premium membership. I can now do a pocket query, and it seems to work fine.

 

I'm a little disappointed though, because I was hoping I would get more information on a cache than a simple download when I was a free member. Looks pretty much the same.

 

Am I missing something?

[+Chrysalides]

OK....so I've got a Garmin 60csx and upgraded to premium membership. I can now do a pocket query, and it seems to work fine.

 

I'm a little disappointed though, because I was hoping I would get more information on a cache than a simple download when I was a free member. Looks pretty much the same.

 

Am I missing something?

Well, you're not missing much. That's why I advise people against getting a 60csx for geocaching, but there is a very loyal group of users who feel differently.

 

You can run pocket queries, and then use another application to transfer those waypoints to your 60csx. A pocket query returns up to 1000 caches in a single query, and has a much better way of filtering caches.

 

You can use a GSAK macro to create custom POI entries for your 60csx. That enables you to get some extra info, but I find it cumbersome.

 

You can also use GSAK so that you get a minimal amount of information on your waypoint name / description. I added size / difficulty / terrain to the name, and changed description to hint.

 

But to get all the information, you need either a paperless GPSr, or another device (a Nuvi, a PDA, a smartphone, iPod Touch)

Edited February 22, 2011 by Chrysalides

[+BirddogVet]

Violet, did your na 1400 maps ever come in for the Oregon? It has been over a week. Can anyone comment...... lost, spam filtered out, or back-log ?

[violetxoxox]

Violet, did your na 1400 maps ever come in for the Oregon?

 

Yeah, my maps arrived on Monday night. From line was "Routable Garmin maps from OpenStreetMap <garmin@na1400.info>", subject line was "Your routable Garmin map request".

 

I put in my request the same day the resource was first mentioned here. I only requested a few Northern CA and Western NV tiles.

 

I'm frustrated now by traffic. I got the device with lifetime maps & traffic and sort of assumed traffic would simply be accessible on the unit from some menu. But in trying to sort it out, I turned up a bunch of info files that make it sound like I have to have some kind of receiver to get traffic updates. Does that seem right?

 

[EDIT: My Nuvi 1350LMT device is one of the models listed on Garmin.com as coming with a traffic receiver. The only things included in the box were the device, three parts for mounting the device, and the carjack plug. Is the receiver inside the carjack plug?]

Edited February 23, 2011 by violetxoxox

[+Cacheoholic]

Yes, the traffic receiver is built in the power cord. It should have a tag attached that says “Garmin GTM 20”.

[violetxoxox]

Yes, the traffic receiver is built in the power cord. It should have a tag attached that says “Garmin GTM 20”.

 

Aha, thank you. The day the unit arrived, I marched the adapter out to the car so I wouldn't misplace it. So far I've only used the device on battery power for short local trips to get a feel for it, then carry it back into the house to continue hunting/adding various programs.

 

I guess trying the adapter is next on the list.

[+baldeagle641]

OK....so I've got a Garmin 60csx and upgraded to premium membership. I can now do a pocket query, and it seems to work fine.

 

I'm a little disappointed though, because I was hoping I would get more information on a cache than a simple download when I was a free member. Looks pretty much the same.

 

Am I missing something?

Well, you're not missing much. That's why I advise people against getting a 60csx for geocaching, but there is a very loyal group of users who feel differently.

 

You can run pocket queries, and then use another application to transfer those waypoints to your 60csx. A pocket query returns up to 1000 caches in a single query, and has a much better way of filtering caches.

 

You can use a GSAK macro to create custom POI entries for your 60csx. That enables you to get some extra info, but I find it cumbersome.

 

You can also use GSAK so that you get a minimal amount of information on your waypoint name / description. I added size / difficulty / terrain to the name, and changed description to hint.

 

But to get all the information, you need either a paperless GPSr, or another device (a Nuvi, a PDA, a smartphone, iPod Touch)

 

OK....Thanks for the great reply. Thanks to this one forum I've been able to get free topo maps of Florida and they downloaded nicely into my 60CSx! This will be great for all the hiking I'm starting to do with my son's boy scout troop!

 

I've got a few PDAs (I even have a Handspring Visor with a Magellan GPS Companion) so maybe I can add those to my caching bag to further my efforts to reduce my paper consumption! I'll look at the GSAK software next to see what that does.

 

Thanks to this forum, I've also figured out how to get Garmin's Mapsource software loaded and updated for free!

 

Looking at my pile of old PDAs, I've also got a Toshiba Pocket PC! That seems like a good option to go paperless! Your thoughts??

[+Chrysalides]

Looking at my pile of old PDAs, I've also got a Toshiba Pocket PC! That seems like a good option to go paperless! Your thoughts??

Before I got my Oregon 300, I was caching with an eTrex Venture HC and a Palm Vx that's probably older than your Pocket PC

 

CacheMate is a great application for Palm OS, I've never used the PPC version but I believe it should be similar. The one major drawback of the application (well, other than requiring another device) is that unless you have a GPS receiver attached to your device, it does not automatically show you your nearest cache, and that can be an inconvenience if you have hundreds loaded.