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Newbie with Etrex10 query


StillRabbit

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Our first caching experience was at a National Trust site and we mainly used the Garmin unit loaned by them - we found it nice and easy.

 

Our second time we used my iPhone - nice and easy but runs the battery down very fast.

 

So... we bought a GPS but as we only had a budget of £90 we got a Garmin Etrex10 for £85 - there seemed to be a good many positive reviews from geocachers.

 

I've downloaded some local caches into it but I'm not sure if I've done something wrong. When I tell it I want to find one of the caches it initially tells me how far I am from it and then goes to a screen which basically shows almost the whole of the lower half of Britain (I am in SE London) so I zoom in... and zoom in and zoom in... to eventually see the cache on the screen but it no longer says how far away it is and the line from my start point to the target is static no matter which way I am facing. Is this normal? This is nothing like the experience I had using the NT provided equipment or my iPhone. I want a unit that my son can hold and follow (I'm not risking my iPhone in his hands) but this doesn't even work for me let alone him.

 

I think what I am really asking is "what on earth have I done wrong?"

 

Thanks for any help you can give.

Edited by StillRabbit
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I haven an older Garmin model (Etrex HCx), but I've looked at the Etrex20 manual and it is similar. You have 2 views (which you can toggle between) - the map view and the compass view. Each view is configurable what information you see on the screen. I think by default the map view doesn't include the distance, but you can change that.

 

Also, the map view has a choice of "North Up" or "Track Up". With "North Up" (which may be the default), the direction of the line won't change when you change direction; with Track Up it will.

 

It will be a one-off task to set it up how you want it. The details are in the online manual.

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I haven an older Garmin model (Etrex HCx), but I've looked at the Etrex20 manual and it is similar. You have 2 views (which you can toggle between) - the map view and the compass view. Each view is configurable what information you see on the screen. I think by default the map view doesn't include the distance, but you can change that.

 

Also, the map view has a choice of "North Up" or "Track Up". With "North Up" (which may be the default), the direction of the line won't change when you change direction; with Track Up it will.

 

It will be a one-off task to set it up how you want it. The details are in the online manual.

 

Many thanks. I will have a look at the online manual (the paper one that came with machine concentrates on installing batteries mainly) and set aside a longer time to play around with the settings.

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The eTrex 10 has a 'GPS' compass, not an electronic/magnetic one. This means it uses the GPS signal to determine direction so you must be moving for it to point correctly to the cache you are navigating too. If you stop the compass needle/direction indication will also 'freeze'. More about GPS's and compasses etc on my resource site (link under my signature). Go to the GPS page.

 

Chris

Graculus

Volunteer UK Reviewer for geocaching.com

UK Geocaching Information & Resources website www.follow-the-arrow.co.uk

Geocaching.com Knowledge Books

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Thanks to everyone who has gone to the trouble of replying.

 

I haven't even had a chance to look at the GPS today... daughter back to school today and last minute preparations before son goes back tomorrow... but we are hoping to get out and hunting again this weekend - there are a lot of caches near us here.

 

I must go and buy some bits and pieces for swaps as my son really wants to do this.... we've been taking nothing and leaving nothing on our previous outings as we weren't that prepared.

 

Thanks again.

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