Can you use a Tom Tom GPS to Geocache?

[suzettemruth]

Does anyone know a way to use a Tom Tom GPS to Geocache? I tried it once, but it didn't work. I entered the coordinates of a cache in my area, and followed the Tom Tom's directions. However, the Tom Tom told me I had reached my destination well before I was near the cache so we were unable to find it.

[+eusty]

The problem is that most satnavs try to lock your position onto the road (for obvious reasons). If there is an option to turn it off then it you will be a lot closer to the cache

[+hobgoblinkiteflier]

It is possible, but quite difficult. I have a friend who has found hundreds of caches with his TOM TOM.

 

You need to get to the screen where the TOM TOM shows the satellite signals. It also displays your location as coordinates. Then all you have to do is move yourself to get the numbers to match.

[Mr.Yuck]

It is possible, but quite difficult. I have a friend who has found hundreds of caches with his TOM TOM.

 

You need to get to the screen where the TOM TOM shows the satellite signals. It also displays your location as coordinates. Then all you have to do is move yourself to get the numbers to match.

 

I have a friend who has found over 500 caches, and hidden 5 or 6 with a NUVI. Of course the NUVI has a GSAK macro written for it, and specific instructions on the web for how to use it to find caches. To answer the question, I did once indeed find a cache with the TomTom. I was on my way to pick up my Garmin handheld, that I was certain I left in a "front yard" cache during the winter, when I generally find a cache a week, if I'm lucky. Yes I did find my Garmin buried under snow at some guys house, and yes I did find a micro in the park with the TomTom by looking at my location on the screen, and "getting the numbers to line up". It was kind of fun actually. Would I like to find all my caches that way? Certainly not.

[+Lieblweb]

I've seen people use 'car GPS's' to find caches..... but - its challenging. I've never done it myself and we have a Garmin Nuvi. You have to go into the navigation settings and put it in *Pedestrian* mode.

 

We use our Nuvi all the time to get us within Parking of a geocache. The Nuvi has all 5000 geocaches in it and we look them up and when zoomed in completely, you see them pop up as you drive.

[+QuiltinNana]

For our first year all we had to use was a Garmin Nuvi 1450. We found about 250 using the Nuvi, we used it in automobile mode til we got to where we needed to park and then switched the settings to Pedestrian. The only thing we found that it did not do is tell us how far GZ was in the Pedestrian mode. I had a "blue ball" that I followed, when it was right on top of the "treasure chest", I knew we were pretty close. Now we use the Nuvi to get to the parking area, and then use a Gtrex Venture HC to get the rest of the way. Sometimes, I still take the Nuvi along since my better half won't let me have the Gtrex. And sometimes I find it before he does!!!

[+Ginirover]

We did use our car-GPS for the first few finds we had.. It's a challenge indeed but we did find every cache we went for - something that can't be said about the Etrex and Oregon 450T that followed afterwards But the difficulty we took upon us raised obviously so that makes sence..

 

So yes, you can use the TomTom; the biggest problem we had that the battery died upon us after roughly half an hour of geocaching... After about 20 founds or so we knew we liked the game and bought us our Etrex. The rest is history...

[+and1969]

We did use our car-GPS for the first few finds we had.. It's a challenge indeed but we did find every cache we went for - something that can't be said about the Etrex and Oregon 450T that followed afterwards But the difficulty we took upon us raised obviously so that makes sence..

 

So yes, you can use the TomTom; the biggest problem we had that the battery died upon us after roughly half an hour of geocaching... After about 20 founds or so we knew we liked the game and bought us our Etrex. The rest is history...

 

It doesn't help that some TomToms have a habit of switching themselves on. First of all I wondered why the battery was often flat. The first time I found out the reason, I was just about to fall asleep, and the room was bathed in a pale light...