New GPS (Garmin eTrex 10), a couple of questions

[+noni6]

I just got a Garmin eTrex 10 used, and there were some caches stored on it (full cache info, premium user I assume). How do I delete these caches? When I plug in my GPS and view its contents, the only GPX files that I can find on it is the caches that I put on it (I'm not a premium user). I'm also confused as to what exactly gets put on my GPS when I send a cache to it if I don't have premium. The reason I don't know is because I also don't know how to access the caches that I put on my GPS. When I click on "Geocaches" from the main menu, all that appears is the list of caches that was on the GPS when I got it (the ones I want to delete). There is nothing in "Waypoints" either. Sorry if this has been asked a million times, I can't seem to find an answer.

[+TheBarnSwallows]

I also use an eTrex 10.

 

When you load the unit up on your computer, empty the GPX folder, as well as the Current and Nav sub-folders. Easier to just start from scratch

 

I'm a premium user so I can't really tell what would come when you load a .gpx file from the site (can you load .gpx files right from the site with basic membership?), but it's only basic information anyway (coordinates, description, hint, and a few logs).

 

Another idea is to download the Garmin BaseCamp application on your computer. It allows you to view on a map the information saved on the unit (including trails, waypoints, caches, etc). You can delete information from there, and also create your own waypoints directly onto the unit (good for solved puzzle cache final coordinates, etc)

 

Make sure you have a signal when you look in the "Geocaches" menu as it will list them by distance form your current location. If you are seeing caches you didn't put on there it is possible the GPSr hasn't gotten a signal yet and still thinks it is where the previous owner last used it.

 

Hope that helps!

 

TheBarnSwallows

[+noni6]

Thank you so much! I downloaded BaseCamp and deleted the old caches and updated my GPS. Now I can see the caches I put on. I have one more question: Under Settings > System > Satellite System I see that I can select GPS or GPS + GLONASS. Which should I select? I'm on the East Coast if that matters.

[+MountainWoods]

TheBarnSwallows is right. Download and use BaseCamp. It's a pretty good program.

 

I have an eTrex 20. I found it odd that, from the unit, you could delete tracks and waypoints, but not geocaches. But you can delete them from the BaseCamp program on your PC.

 

BaseCamp also gives you the ability to quickly do things that would take lots more time on the unit. Like making waypoints, or renaming them from 003, 004 to useful names. It allows you to see the big picture that your little handheld unit just can't do for you (at a zoom level where you'd be able to see anything!). I often find myself using BaseCamp without even having the unit plugged in or on. It's neat.

 

I'm not sure about the 10, but I know that the 20 has some bugs in it. I've put 38 waypoints and 19 geocaches in the unit, and BaseCamp shows them all in the unit. I unplug the unit and go to the Waypoint Manager and look through the waypoints. It only shows 32. Period. I look at the Geocache page. It only shows 16. Period. I even moved to a location a bunch of miles away to see if it only showed the nearest waypoints and geocaches; but nope, it was only showing the same 32 WPs and 16 GCs! (Us computer geeks will recognize those both as powers of 2 right away...)

 

I plugged it back into the PC and BaseCamp showed that there were 38 waypoints and 19 GCs on the unit. I already had the waypoints and geocaches in the local BaseCamp database (you'll see what I mean when you start using it), so I deleted all of the waypoints & GCs from my eTrex 20, then copied them right back in using drag & drop. I unplugged the unit, and lo and behold, there are 38 waypoints and 19 GCs!

 

Somehow the e20 had gotten confused earlier. It could only display some of the waypoints and geocaches even though it actually did have all of them in it (and BaseCamp has no way of knowing how to lie about that .

 

It was frustrating because I was out looking for waymarks (another GPS game) and I knew that I had put the waypoints into the e20 for the waymarks. But here I am on the road and the waypoints are gone! I was burnt.

 

Now I always check both what I've copied into the unit using BaseCamp, and then I unplug it and make sure the waypoints and geocaches are actually there before I hit the road.

 

I keep hoping that Garmin will fix this very soon with a new device download.

[+MountainWoods]

Whoops! I see that you were typing when I was.

 

That's a good question. I'd like to see the answer to that one!

[+blackhorse221]

GLONASS is the Russian version of GPS. Some receivers can use both GPS and GLONASS, improving accuracy in urban areas and deep canyons. Basically working off almost 50 satellites, instead of the 24 currently in the GPS base.

 

From Wikipedia:

Some modern receivers are able to use both GLONASS and GPS satellites together, providing greatly improved coverage in urban canyons and giving a very fast time to fix due to over 50 satellites being available. In indoor, urban canyon or mountainous areas, accuracy can be greatly improved over using GPS alone. For using both navigation systems simultaneously, precisions of GLONASS/GPS navigation definitions were 2.37—4.65 m with mean number of NSV equals 14—19 (depends on station).

 

In short, use GPS + GLONASS for better accuracy or when having a hard time getting a signal. But it drains the battery faster, as I recall.

[revquads]

I have one more question: Under Settings > System > Satellite System I see that I can select GPS or GPS + GLONASS. Which should I select? I'm on the East Coast if that matters.

My eTrex 10 suffers from the 'sticky' issue, even with version 2.90 of the software. I have found that with only GPS on, GLONASS and WAAS off, it recovers from being sticky much more quickly than with the others turned on. From those experiences with my eTrex 10, my recommendation would be to turn it all on, GLONASS and WAAS, and give it a try. If you don't have a problem with it sticking when you get close to a cache, leave them on. It should be more accurate that way. But if you notice a consistent problem with it sticking near caches, turn everything off except GPS, which is the way mine came from the factory as the default setting.

[+MountainWoods]

That's good to know revquads. I didn't realize that they could still get stuck.

 

I read about the sticky problem when I was doing research as to whether to buy one, and I saw that 2.90 ostensibly solved the issue. (My unit came with the prior version, but then updated right away to 2.90.) I haven't seen the sticky issue, but then I haven't had GLONASS on.

 

What I have had problems with is that the accuracy seems to be really good as I go toward my destination. Then as I get there (even out in the open), the accuracy goes from, say, 8 up to 11 or 13 or 17 and the direction line pops all over the place. I only have a topo map (I inherited from my old eTrex Legend), and I have the eTrex 20 set to not lock onto roads. It just seems to get a bit confused about where it's going (and how) just about the time I get there.

 

However, I have not had GLONASS on yet - just WAAS. I've just turned GLONASS on, and I'll see what that does to the accuracy (and/or confusion and/or sticky issue) on my next geocache hunt. If it causes the sticky issue, then it's no help when you need to get precise.

[revquads]

That's good to know revquads. I didn't realize that they could still get stuck.

 

I read about the sticky problem when I was doing research as to whether to buy one, and I saw that 2.90 ostensibly solved the issue. (My unit came with the prior version, but then updated right away to 2.90.) I haven't seen the sticky issue, but then I haven't had GLONASS on.

 

What I have had problems with is that the accuracy seems to be really good as I go toward my destination. Then as I get there (even out in the open), the accuracy goes from, say, 8 up to 11 or 13 or 17 and the direction line pops all over the place. I only have a topo map (I inherited from my old eTrex Legend), and I have the eTrex 20 set to not lock onto roads. It just seems to get a bit confused about where it's going (and how) just about the time I get there.

 

However, I have not had GLONASS on yet - just WAAS. I've just turned GLONASS on, and I'll see what that does to the accuracy (and/or confusion and/or sticky issue) on my next geocache hunt. If it causes the sticky issue, then it's no help when you need to get precise.

My eTrex 20 never gets stuck with version 2.80, which is the version it came with, but the eTrex 10 does with its version 2.90. I leave GLONASS and WAAS always turned on with the 20.

[+MountainWoods]

Ah. I didn't know it was a device thing. (And I may be off on my e20 version numbers. I'm going by [old man] memory.)

[revquads]

Ah. I didn't know it was a device thing. (And I may be off on my e20 version numbers. I'm going by [old man] memory.)

Yes, the latest update on my eTrex 20 was version 2.80. The latest update on the eTrex 10 installed by Garmin's web updater is version 2.90. The 10s and 20s are apparently different. My 20 has never had the sticky problem. My 10 has always had it to some degree both before and after updating it to the latest version.

[+MountainWoods]

BTW, I went geocaching today for the first time with GLONASS on. I didn't particularly notice any difference. But it's only been one day. I'll see what happens over time. Thanks again for the info.

 

Did we answer the original poster's questions?

[+noni6]

BTW, I went geocaching today for the first time with GLONASS on. I didn't particularly notice any difference. But it's only been one day. I'll see what happens over time. Thanks again for the info.

 

Did we answer the original poster's questions?

Yes, you did. Thanks so much for the help, everyone!