+Cartouchke Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Hi, I'm a real newbie to geocaching and am looking to buy a 'cheap' GPS device (budget is really limited). I've been looking at types, but can't decide between 4 Garmins Etrex 10, Etrex Legend, Etrex Vista or Dakota 10. Can anyone help me and explain me the differences? Do they have maps? Can you seek like... 20 caches a day with it? How do you upload coordinates? Do you have to do it with the computer at home, or can you still 'type' them in when you're on the way? Can you use them in the car as well? Etc. Any advice, anyone? Greetings, Cartouchke (please reply in either Dutch (not German!), French, English or Spanish) Quote Link to comment
+mpilchfamily Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Drop the Legend and Vista all together especially if they are not the Legend H and vista H. The eTrex 10 is a great unit but only has a black and white screen. Of the 4 the Dakota is your best choice. Offering a touch screen interface, color scree, holds 2000 caches, plenty of room for additional maps, and if you ever become a premium member (PM) you'll be able to use its paperless caching feature which gives you the cache description, hints, and recent logs. the eTrex 10 is also a paperless unit. The dakota 10 can give you turn by turn navigation with the right maps installed but there will be no voice commands prompting you to turn. There are plenty of free maps available for any of those units at GPSFileDepot. When you buy one of them install the Garmin Communicator software onto your PC and you can use the Send to GPS button that is on the cache pages. if you want to load more then 1 cache at a time then use the search feature to pull up the list of caches near you. You get 20 caches listed per page and you can use the check boxes next to each cache to select the ones you want. Then go to the bottom of the screen and click on the Download Waypoints button. This will download all the checked caches in a single .loc file to your PC. Then plug your GPSr into the PC (if you get the eTrex 10 or Dakota 10) and open it like its an external drive. Navigate to the Garmin/GPX folder and drop the .loc file in there and you will have your caches. Once you have a PM you will be able to use Pocket queries to do a detailed search and download up to 1000 caches in a single .gpx file that you will be able to drop into the GPX folder on the unit. With the Vista and Legend you would need an outside program like EasyGPS or GSAK to load more then 1 cache at a time into the units. If they are the none H versions then you have to contend with a serial interface. meaning you will need to buy a Serial to USB converter or a new cable with the converter built in. Not to mention the none H versions don't have a very sensitive receiver in them so you could have trouble keeping a good sat lock under heavy tree coverage. Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 To me the only real choice on that list is the Dakota 10 unit. It is fully paperless Geocaching, color, touchscreen, updateable maps, small. Great for caching. Quote Link to comment
+Cartouchke Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 Ok so, the Dakota 10... I saw that you can 'only' upload 1000 waypoints. Can you 'delete' waypoints afterwards and replace them with other ones? or does this mean that with this unit you are limited to 1000 caches? Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 Ok so, the Dakota 10... I saw that you can 'only' upload 1000 waypoints. Can you 'delete' waypoints afterwards and replace them with other ones? or does this mean that with this unit you are limited to 1000 caches? The dakota 10 can hold 2000 caches. It handles "caches" and "waypoints" as separate things. You can delete and reupload data as often as you like. Quote Link to comment
+Sharks-N-Beans Posted March 21, 2012 Share Posted March 21, 2012 No intent to hi-jack this thread, but the OP may appreciate the following from a Dakota 10 user. Are there units out there that function better (accuracy)? I have heard comments from other cachers like "we swe needed so-and-so's GPSr because it works better in the woods, or on cloudy days, or up against a wall". But when I talk to the guy at the store, he says the only differentiating things are features, like all modern GPSrs have the same accuracy. Also, I got a good deal on my Dakota 10, but what advantage might the Dakota 20, with it's ability for external storage chip, offer the OP. Finally, and this might pertain to my original question, what are the advantages to an external antenna? Our D10 is great, but there are a few local caches that have us questioning if there is a bettter unit for tough finds...without sacrificing paperless. Quote Link to comment
+Cartouchke Posted March 21, 2012 Author Share Posted March 21, 2012 oh and which would be better? Dakota 10 or Etrex 20? (I've found that one as well ) I feel a bit hesitating about the touch screen... Quote Link to comment
+mpilchfamily Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 The thing i like about a touch screen is it is easier to input way points manually and easier to navigate through the menus. If you get into doing allot of multi or puzzle caches you'll quickly find how much easier a touch screen is over inputting info with that little joystick on the eTrex. My first hand held GPSr was an eTrex Legend H. I really hated using that stick to navigate around a keypad to enter in information. Its much quicker and easier on a touch screen. Quote Link to comment
+Cartouchke Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Yaaaay! I'm going to get the Etrex 20 for my birthday (I turn 21 in less than 2 weeks, and my family is going to give it to me as a birthdaypresent.) Hurraaaaaaaay! Quote Link to comment
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