Carms Cache Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Hi guys - been geocaching for only 11 days and found 11 (out of 11) caches so far - a kind of streak?! Very pleased and ENJOYING We have a Garmin Etrex h which is fantastic - it has taken me within 10 - 15 ft of the cache each time. However, at present I am manually inputting the co-ordinates of each cache I fancy. I am aware that you can get a lead to connect to the computer to do automatically (send to my gps). My questions are please: 1. What (exact) lead do I need? 2. Do I need to be a premium member to do this? 3. Is this what is known as "paperless caching" or a slimmed down version thereof? TIA Carms Cache! Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Hi guys - been geocaching for only 11 days and found 11 (out of 11) caches so far - a kind of streak?! Very pleased and ENJOYING We have a Garmin Etrex h which is fantastic - it has taken me within 10 - 15 ft of the cache each time. However, at present I am manually inputting the co-ordinates of each cache I fancy. I am aware that you can get a lead to connect to the computer to do automatically (send to my gps). My questions are please: 1. What (exact) lead do I need? 2. Do I need to be a premium member to do this? 3. Is this what is known as "paperless caching" or a slimmed down version thereof? TIA Carms Cache! Yes there is a cable for that unit but it requires a serial port on your computer and the cable runs anywhere from $15 to $40 depending on where you find it. You may also need a USB to serial adapter for most modern PCs. Those are finicky things to configure. However, once you get it going - use a free program called EasyGPS to load waypoints onto the unit. That model is not compatible with paperless Geocaching as all it will store is the waypoint and Cache name. Any member can do this. Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Might read this thread: http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=272576 Quote Link to comment
jholly Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Hi guys - been geocaching for only 11 days and found 11 (out of 11) caches so far - a kind of streak?! Very pleased and ENJOYING We have a Garmin Etrex h which is fantastic - it has taken me within 10 - 15 ft of the cache each time. However, at present I am manually inputting the co-ordinates of each cache I fancy. I am aware that you can get a lead to connect to the computer to do automatically (send to my gps). My questions are please: 1. What (exact) lead do I need? 2. Do I need to be a premium member to do this? 3. Is this what is known as "paperless caching" or a slimmed down version thereof? TIA Carms Cache! If your computer has a serial interface then you need the serial cable. If it does not have a serial interface then you need the usb to serial converter to plug the serial cable into. Garmin lists a couple variants, some almost as expensive as the unit itself. You might try ebay or froogle for a better deal. You don't need to be a premium member, the download to gps works for all members and from the search page you can download 20 at a time to a program like EasyGPS to load your etrex. This is not known as paperless caching. With paperless caching you down load everything on the cache page and, yes, to do this it does take a premium membership. Quote Link to comment
Carms Cache Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 Thanks for replies. I only paid £61 / $101 for my Garmin - so to buy a lead and a serial adaptor is probably not worth it. Will probably carry on as I am. Thanks for advice, Carms Cache Quote Link to comment
+CacheFreakTim Posted April 20, 2011 Share Posted April 20, 2011 Dont waste your time on the serial, get the USB version for $20. I got this one on Ebay for mine. Works well. Quote Link to comment
Carms Cache Posted April 20, 2011 Author Share Posted April 20, 2011 Thanks Tim - am checking out similar items (I hope) on Ebay UK Quote Link to comment
+kingnonna Posted April 21, 2011 Share Posted April 21, 2011 Anyone know how to do this with a MacIntosh computer? thanks. Hi guys - been geocaching for only 11 days and found 11 (out of 11) caches so far - a kind of streak?! Very pleased and ENJOYING We have a Garmin Etrex h which is fantastic - it has taken me within 10 - 15 ft of the cache each time. However, at present I am manually inputting the co-ordinates of each cache I fancy. I am aware that you can get a lead to connect to the computer to do automatically (send to my gps). My questions are please: 1. What (exact) lead do I need? 2. Do I need to be a premium member to do this? 3. Is this what is known as "paperless caching" or a slimmed down version thereof? TIA Carms Cache! If your computer has a serial interface then you need the serial cable. If it does not have a serial interface then you need the usb to serial converter to plug the serial cable into. Garmin lists a couple variants, some almost as expensive as the unit itself. You might try ebay or froogle for a better deal. You don't need to be a premium member, the download to gps works for all members and from the search page you can download 20 at a time to a program like EasyGPS to load your etrex. This is not known as paperless caching. With paperless caching you down load everything on the cache page and, yes, to do this it does take a premium membership. Quote Link to comment
+CacheFreakTim Posted April 22, 2011 Share Posted April 22, 2011 Anyone know how to do this with a MacIntosh computer? thanks. Easiest way would be to use MacCaching. It is the "GSAK" or "Easy GPS" of the Mac word. Should do what you need. Quote Link to comment
+davekelley Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 Anyone know how to do this with a MacIntosh computer? thanks. Easiest way would be to use MacCaching. It is the "GSAK" or "Easy GPS" of the Mac word. Should do what you need. I have an etrex and a cable, i can download coords from here easily, but usually the download only gives the location of the start of the walk!! i need to know how to manually enter co-ords into an etrexh.. i cant figure this out..help please? Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Anyone know how to do this with a MacIntosh computer? thanks. Easiest way would be to use MacCaching. It is the "GSAK" or "Easy GPS" of the Mac word. Should do what you need. I have an etrex and a cable, i can download coords from here easily, but usually the download only gives the location of the start of the walk!! i need to know how to manually enter co-ords into an etrexh.. i cant figure this out..help please? The download should be giving you the cache coordinates unless you're downloading the waypoints file. Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 Anyone know how to do this with a MacIntosh computer? thanks. Easiest way would be to use MacCaching. It is the "GSAK" or "Easy GPS" of the Mac word. Should do what you need. I have an etrex and a cable, i can download coords from here easily, but usually the download only gives the location of the start of the walk!! i need to know how to manually enter co-ords into an etrexh.. i cant figure this out..help please? "Mark" your current Position. Then "edit" those coords to where you want to go and "save". Select the saved point and "goto". However - I think you have loaded only the additional waypoints file "*-wpts.gpx" as Briansnat said and not the main coordinates. Quote Link to comment
+EMarkM Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) Hope I'm doing the right thing by hijacking this thread rather than starting a new one! (Please forgive me if not.) My new Garmin eTrex H arrived this morning, and it will be a few days before my data cable arrives, so I've been merrily typing in a few caches by hand. My question is this: I wish to use the official GC number for each of the waypoints I create, as in "GC1GN62", but I don't think enough characters are available in the name space on the Garmin, so for now I have been grouping them together by using the "+" sign, so all my cache marks look like "+1GN62", for instance. When I get my data cable, and load the points in automatically (presumably by using MacCaching, GSAK or Easy GPS), what will the names look like on the GPSr when they arrive? I'm now a premium member, and am hoping to load quite a few caches at once, and I'd like to know what to expect with those names. Is it something you set in the software before transferring them over? I'd appreciate any replies! Edited June 25, 2011 by EMarkM Quote Link to comment
joetalk Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 ok it would appear that i too need to hi-jack this thread, but it seems like only the right place to keep on topic, kinda since getting this unit 5 hours ago, ive been able to pull up 20 or so local cach's and load them direct to my unit, i have my home marked and then i have the closest bunch of cach's marked... this is great cause they are all with in 30 mins walk of my home , and by doing that many at once, it kinda outlined an area along my local river.... what i dont understand is..... to use a map background.... is there no way to get "a" map for free, and how do i load it? garmin wants 100$ CAD for my area's topo, however i only paid 150$ CAD for the unit... is it worth it to purchase this from them, or is there not another way to get some form of download for free... ive seen many sites that seem to all lead back to one.. the only one that HAD a free download, but it was a huge file and the person handing it out is now selling it via disk... hope to hear a positive answer, cant fathom another 100$ on this, as i havnt even gotten out the door yet lololol !!! thanks joe Quote Link to comment
+Bear and Ragged Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 My question is this: I wish to use the official GC number for each of the waypoints I create, as in "GC1GN62", but I don't think enough characters are available in the name space on the Garmin, so for now I have been grouping them together by using the "+" sign, so all my cache marks look like "+1GN62", for instance. When I get my data cable, and load the points in automatically (presumably by using MacCaching, GSAK or Easy GPS), what will the names look like on the GPSr when they arrive? I'm now a premium member, and am hoping to load quite a few caches at once, and I'd like to know what to expect with those names. Is it something you set in the software before transferring them over? I'd appreciate any replies! If you use GSAK there are 'Tags' which will allow you to 'Drop' the G, C, or GC from the start of the cache number. GSAK's 'Smart Names' is a useful feature, and GSAK can be set to limit names to 6 letters. I find a name is easier to remember, than a group of numbers! As an example GC18VYT Salty ExMoo would be SaltyExM in GSAK's Smart Name. UK cachers can be found over in the UK and Ireland side of the forum. All topics open, especially if you want a UK perspective on things! Quote Link to comment
+Bear and Ragged Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 what i dont understand is..... to use a map background.... is there no way to get "a" map for free, and how do i load it? garmin wants 100$ CAD for my area's topo, however i only paid 150$ CAD for the unit... is it worth it to purchase this from them, or is there not another way to get some form of download for free... ive seen many sites that seem to all lead back to one.. the only one that HAD a free download, but it was a huge file and the person handing it out is now selling it via disk... thanks joe Not sure if that unit will show maps... However, try http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/ Quote Link to comment
+EMarkM Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Bear and Ragged, thank you very much for your prompt reply. I'll see if MacCaching has a similar feature, and, if not, will d/load GSAK onto my XP partition and Nicola's laptop. Cheers, and good hunting all! Quote Link to comment
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