Questions about "Next Stage" on Garmin GPSr

[Wintertime]

I was introducing a friend to geocaching the other day, and after finding two caches successfully, we had trouble with the next two. One was a puzzle cache for which I had solved the coordinates before I left home; the other was a traditional cache for which some finders had posted more accurate coordinates.

 

I entered the appropriate coordinates of the two caches into the "Next Stage" field of my eTrex 20, but after not finding either cache, I came home and discovered that apparently neither set of coordinates had actually been stored in the GPSr, so we were wandering around the wrong locations.

 

So I have these questions:

 

* Is there a way to save Next Stage coordinates, or can they only be used immediately after they're entered? It looks to me as though if you change to another cache or turn off the unit, they aren't saved. I was just experimenting with the eTrex at home, and when I did either of those things and then went back to the Next Stage field, it once again had the coordinates from the original GPX file, not the ones I had entered. I'll bet that's what happened to us the other day.

 

* Has anyone tried editing a GPX file to reflect the coordinates you want? I know I'd have to convert from the DD MM.SSS format shown on cache pages to the DD.DDDDD format used in the GPX files, but that's easy enough. I think this should work fine; GPX files are simply text files.

 

* Am I overlooking some other way to display and navigate to coordinates other than the ones that come with the GPX file from Groundspeak?

 

* Is there a way to display the coordinates that the GPSr is navigating to? I'll bet there is in one of those dozens of data field options on the eTrex that aren't documented in the user manual. :-) That way next time I'll at least know whether I'm heading towards Next Stage or not!

 

 

Thanks!

Patty

[+mpilchfamily]

Next stage is a temporary field. While searching for a cache you select next stage, enter in the new coords then navigate to them. If you switch over to another cache then the coords are lost.\

 

Any time i go for a puzzle i make sure to edit the GPX file in GSAK/EasyGPS so that the puzzle cache reflects the correct cords. Then i send it to the GPSr.

Edited December 9, 2011 by mpilchfamily

[+dfx]

On the Oregons (assuming the new eTrexes work the same) the "next stage" is stored until it's overwritten by another usage of the feature (even if it's for another cache). The "next stage" waypoint doesn't show up on the map, but it does show up in the cache list. If you pull up the list of caches and search for "next stage", you'll get whatever you entered last.

[+ngrrfan]

You have to save the cache as a way point and then you can edit the coords and save them. I had the same "problem" you did and it threw me for a loop until I figured out what I* was doing wrong.

[Wintertime]

Thanks, everyone, I'll either edit the GPX file or, as ngrrfan suggested, create a waypoint from the cache and edit that.

 

Does anyone know how to display the coordinates that the GPSr is currently navigating to?

[xyzee]

I don't have a new eTrex, so this might not work.

The Thumb Stick might work the same as the Rocker on a 60 series.

When on the Map Pag of my 60Cx, I can use the Rocker to pan the white arrow over to touch the desired waypoint, the Map Pointer box opens up showing the L/L, UTM, or whatever I have selected in the Units choices, for that location. When the white arrow touches the waypoint a small ID box opens for several seconds, which is a big help when I have the User Waypoints set to None, on the Map Setup Page, due to a lot of waypoints in a small area, which are usually the smallest dot (square) in the Markers icons.

I can select one or two, of the Wide Data Fields, on the Map Page, to show my location, as I close in on the WP.

Thankful for the zoom in/out!

And by selecting the Measure Distance, I can pan over to the new WP, and follow the skinny dotted line easier than the wide Go To line, usually. If I have already panned the arrow over to the new loca, and then select Measure Distance, the dotted line appears to that point.

Hope that some of this is available on the other models.

[+HHL]

[…] I know I'd have to convert from the DD MM.SSS format shown on cache pages to the DD.DDDDD format used in the GPX files, […]

 

The cache pages are using DDD° MM.MMM' format.

[Wintertime]

xyzee, unfortunately, when you're navigating to a geocache, you can't put the pointer at the base of the navigation pushpin without the GPSr selecting the cache instead, so the coordinates under the cursor aren't displayed. :-(

 

HHL, yeah, I meant to say DD MM.MMM. I knew what I meant, I just typed it wrong. :-)

 

I ended up editing the GPX files for these two caches, so now I have the coordinates I need to navigate to the actual locations. Thanks to all for the help.

 

Patty

[+gnjeepn]

Since the latest upgrade to the web site you can also change the coordinates on puzzle/mystery caches on the cache page. So when you download the caches the coordinates are correct. There is a pencil symbol next to the fake coordinates on the cache page. Click on the pencil and a box opens that you can enter the correct coordinates. Kind of handy for those of us who pre-solve puzzles before we go after the cache.