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My kids want to geocache so I need a recommendation for a GPS


PapaGPS

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Hey all,

 

We have a geomate jr that was given to us. I don't think it works ( it was used ). We are scheduled to attend a geocahing seminar at our local library in June. Their birthday is June 7th. So I would like to get them a GPS ASAP. Budget is $150 or less because nobody has even done this in our family, and we don't even know if we will like it.

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Assuming you can't get the Geomate working the best new GPS you can get for that price (in my opinion) is the Magellan GC. If you look around you might be able to find the Dakota 10 for around $150. Every once in awhile you can find it on sale for that price. Both are paperless and will be easy to use for the kids.

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Assuming you can't get the Geomate working the best new GPS you can get for that price (in my opinion) is the Magellan GC. If you look around you might be able to find the Dakota 10 for around $150. Every once in awhile you can find it on sale for that price. Both are paperless and will be easy to use for the kids.

 

I was very happy with my Garmin eTrex HC -- right now on Amazon for $130. I've since upgraded, but it's a terrific starter unit.

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Thanks for the replies....

 

The geomate doesn't even show a cache that I know is 4/10 a mile away. I have not updated it, as I didn't even know you could.... no instruction manual was given.

 

I live near Valley Forge National Park..... along the Schuykill River Trail, which I read here is LOADED with caches.

 

My girls will be 10 in early June....

 

None of us has ever geocached before.... well, I went with someone who did once. But I didn't do it. Just looking for a new way to bring the family close together for some fun!

 

I did see this one.... and was wondering about it: Garmin eTrex HC -- right now on Amazon for $130.

 

We have 2 Motorola Droids.... the original ones.

Edited by PapaGPS
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Hey all,

 

We have a geomate jr that was given to us. I don't think it works ( it was used ). We are scheduled to attend a geocahing seminar at our local library in June. Their birthday is June 7th. So I would like to get them a GPS ASAP. Budget is $150 or less because nobody has even done this in our family, and we don't even know if we will like it.

Don't forget to check out gpsinformation.net as suggested by this website.

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The geomate doesn't even show a cache that I know is 4/10 a mile away. I have not updated it, as I didn't even know you could.... no instruction manual was given.

 

 

 

OK, I have to ask the obvious question here...did you actually load some caches into the device? It doesn't just "find" nearby caches for you to look for, you have to input the cache coordinates into the device somehow. Either by inputting them manually or downloading them from a computer via data cable.

 

Your Droid phones may actually be able to find nearby caches with the proper app and data service (many people cache this way with smartphones, including myself). But the Geomate does not have data service, nor dies any GPS device, really. You'll have to load the cache coordinates in there yourself.

 

Manually entering coordinates is a useful skill anyway if you have a GPS device, so take some time to learn how to use the unit first. You may also be able to find a manual online if your device didn't come with one

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The geomate doesn't even show a cache that I know is 4/10 a mile away. I have not updated it, as I didn't even know you could.... no instruction manual was given.

Only certain caches are loaded in the Geomate.

eg. Easy to find caches, and ones that are older and have been around- and will be around- for a while.

Harder caches and new caches have to be loaded with the update kit.

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The geomate doesn't even show a cache that I know is 4/10 a mile away. I have not updated it, as I didn't even know you could.... no instruction manual was given.

Only certain caches are loaded in the Geomate.

eg. Easy to find caches, and ones that are older and have been around- and will be around- for a while.

Harder caches and new caches have to be loaded with the update kit.

 

Yeah, I guess the person told me it has 250,000 caches pre-loaded, so I assumed it would have the one I know about.

 

Thanks all... as you can see, I really know nothing about this, but want to go with my kids.

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Only certain caches are loaded in the Geomate.

eg. Easy to find caches, and ones that are older and have been around- and will be around- for a while.

Harder caches and new caches have to be loaded with the update kit.

 

Yeah, I guess the person told me it has 250,000 caches pre-loaded, so I assumed it would have the one I know about.

 

Thanks all... as you can see, I really know nothing about this, but want to go with my kids.

 

The one thing you can do to make the adventure better for your kids is go out and pre-find the caches. That way you can help avoid a stressful situation when the cache is missing or hard to find.

 

Keep asking questions in the forums, but also keep an eye out for an event and some local cachers- many would be willing to take you out and help you figure out the ropes.

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The geomate doesn't even show a cache that I know is 4/10 a mile away. I have not updated it, as I didn't even know you could.... no instruction manual was given.

Only certain caches are loaded in the Geomate.

eg. Easy to find caches, and ones that are older and have been around- and will be around- for a while.

Harder caches and new caches have to be loaded with the update kit.

 

Yeah, I guess the person told me it has 250,000 caches pre-loaded, so I assumed it would have the one I know about.

 

Thanks all... as you can see, I really know nothing about this, but want to go with my kids.

 

 

The Geomate only comes loaded with 250,000 caches by default. At this point we are over a million so the unit will only have at most a quarter of the available caches. My guess is the one you know about isn't in the list. To update the unit so it holds ALL caches you need to pick up the Geomate update kit for around $25.

 

Since this looks to be the case I see no immediate need to buy an additional GPS unless you want one for yourself and give the Geomate to the kids to use. Either way I would buy the update kit so you can guarantee you have all the caches near you in the Geomate.

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I would like to second the Garmin eTrex Venture HC. We only use it for geocaching and it works fine. It's cheap, light, has good battery, and can geocache. For $130 I would say that's a pretty good deal and the most bang for your buck in terms of how much it costs.

 

We decided we wanted a "real" gps. so we went and ordered a Garmin eTrex Legend HCx Personal Navigator. Thanks to all for the help so far. I am sure I will be asking more questions, though we also bought a geocahing book from amazon with the GPS. ( real as opposed to a Geomate, that is )

Edited by PapaGPS
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I would like to second the Garmin eTrex Venture HC. We only use it for geocaching and it works fine. It's cheap, light, has good battery, and can geocache. For $130 I would say that's a pretty good deal and the most bang for your buck in terms of how much it costs.

 

We decided we wanted a "real" gps. so we went and ordered a Garmin eTrex Legend HCx Personal Navigator. Thanks to all for the help so far. I am sure I will be asking more questions, though we also bought a geocahing book from amazon with the GPS. ( real as opposed to a Geomate, that is )

That is an excellent unit to start with - my first was an eTrex Vista which is very similar. The only reason I changed to a different unit is mine was stolen - otherwise I would still be using it.

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I have read so many forums now and have gotten so confused. I am going out this weekend with my 9 year old and will attempt to locate a few caches. We tried once before with a Garmin nuvi 1450, but did not locate any. It said we were near but did not find. It looks as if I get a headheld we will have better luck. The question is which one. I am sightly electronically challenged, I know that I want PAPERLESS and the following say they are. These are also in my price range. Magellan Exporist GC or 310. and the Garmin etrex Legend H, Venture HC, Viste H or Summit HC. I know this is alot to ask, but can some of the more experienced cachers help.

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Papa, I've got the Droid X and use the c:geo app and love it. Even though I have a Garmin Rhino available to me as part of my search & rescue gear, I usually just use my Droid. Most of the time, it's almost as accurate as the Rhino and does the job nicely. I love being able to go paperless and not have to worry about having a gpsr with me at all times if the urge hits to get some easy caches when I'm out running errands.

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i am selling my garmin etrex legend H for 70 dollars. its only been used twice and is a month old. i also have 100 percent of the things in the box it came with. It hooks up to the computer by a usb cable for paperless caching and its pretty easy.

Edited by freakhazerd
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Just hit 448 today, did the first 200 with only a geomate in and out of the US, still use it on most trips in conjunction with my pn60. I initially got it without the download cable and it had the "whole US" loaded-but you have to remember it will only hold just so many. I a couple of times a month update it using the Eastern side of the US, obviously it will find more, but occasionally there are some it misses, I had some missed in some loads, and then seen in other loads. It does not see premium and 4/4's or better, no multi's, virtuals or puzzles, but in coord's mode you can narrow to exact coords by walking around with it, you must keep moving for arrow to be in correct direction, and I have used it many times to find some thing the $300 unit doesn't zero in on. My favorite part is you can turn it on and find the 20 closest caches. I have had great success with it in the US, Disney Island, Mexico, Grand Cayman. You can switch ti middle 1/3rd or western US, or several area's outside the US, I did that for the Caribbian cruise and standing here in NJ, it saw caches in SC and south, so I was able to use it in our stop in Key West and still had all the Islands.There are online manuals you can download. If I forget to download stuff to the PN60, and I am driving anywhere, I just flip it on and look for something close. It does show cache size, but no hints of previous logs, but is fairly east to use. After you log a cache, it maintains the smiley so you know you found that one, so if you do 20 in its range, they all show as found, but if you move 1/2 mile down the road, and you flip it off/on, it re-syncs to closest 20. It does take a few minutes to aquire satelites the first time you turn it on daily, but you can flip it off/on and aquires quickly. I really like it, and won't NOT use it in conjunction with my paperless gps even thought others have said I should outgrow it. The PN60 is a little hard to learn to use, and has other issues, I like my combo pair.

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I have read so many forums now and have gotten so confused. I am going out this weekend with my 9 year old and will attempt to locate a few caches. We tried once before with a Garmin nuvi 1450, but did not locate any. It said we were near but did not find. It looks as if I get a headheld we will have better luck. The question is which one. I am sightly electronically challenged, I know that I want PAPERLESS and the following say they are. These are also in my price range. Magellan Exporist GC or 310. and the Garmin etrex Legend H, Venture HC, Viste H or Summit HC. I know this is alot to ask, but can some of the more experienced cachers help.

This is the interesting part (bolded and underlined). Sooooo many new cachers (rather, "wannabe" cachers) get close, but report not finding the cache. For some reason, many believe a different GPSr is the answer. Well........... guess what, if you are close, the unit has already done it's job! It's most likely a matter of not KNOWING where to look, what to look for, or even HOW to look -- something that you cannot learn from a book or other people (very well), but rather learning through experience. If you prefer, think of it this way -- you never learn if you never make a mistake. If you never make a mistake, you are already perfect, right?

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I've tried several gpsr and my favorite is the Lowrance Endura- easier to use and I can download gpx files easily- Has a goto map that pinpoints cache and sorts into found and not found- Everyone in my family finds it easier than the Magellan and the etrex we had- I bought it at Academy and it was about $120- When it breaks down I will get another- I haven't used all its features yet but it just seems to get better and better as I'm learning- My daughter inherited one of the other---she's saving for this one--also color is great for families with kids, hard to lose the bright yellow- One thing I don't like is the long wait at turn-on, but it does have a power-saver feature--

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