Getting ready to start.

[+YAKE46]

I'm a retired 67yr old man who's interested in geocaching and been lurking here for quite some time. I just ordered a Garmin Oregon 450t from Cabela's for a good price($179.99), should be here Monday 11/18. I have few questions. Do I need a Premium membership to download caches? Is the 100k map on my GPS good enough for mild terrain geocaching? Are alkaline batteries good enough for my GPS?

Thank You

Jerry

[+wmpastor]

Others will soon answer those tecnical questions. Wishing you good luck - dive in & try a few asap!

[+T.D.M.22]

I use only alkaline. I also happen to get a good deal on them. They work fine, but if you are going caching a lot rechargables would be a good idea. Of course you should carry some extra alkaline in the original package, invade your rechargables die, leak, whatever. I say extra alkaline, because that way you know they're charged and ready to go.

 

The plus side of rechargables is if they die, just charge them. And there are now small pocket sized chargers available as well invade your batteries are low.

[+Semper Questio]

I'm a retired 67yr old man who's interested in geocaching and been lurking here for quite some time.

 

Welcome to the madness....errrr....FUN! Yeah, that's it.

 

Do I need a Premium membership to download caches?

 

No. You can download .loc files either 1 cache from each cache page or in multiples as you look at a list. But they only have the barest cache info. No hints or descriptions, etc. To get all that you need the .gpx files that you can also download individually or by something called pocket queries in big batches. And you need premium membership to get .gpx files and to run pocket queries.

 

Is the 100k map on my GPS good enough for mild terrain geocaching?

 

I only used the preloaded basmap on an old Magellan SporTrak for the longest time so yes, it can be fine. But having the full street maps is REALLY nice!

 

Are alkaline batteries good enough for my GPS?

 

Alkalines are perfectly fine. That's all I've ever used. You can use rechargeables but I have personally never had very good luck with them - either recharging fully or holding a charge for long. But if you use alkies or recharges, ALWAYS be sure to have some spare alkies with you.

 

Again, welcome to the game and come on back if you have any more questions....and you will.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I'm a retired 67yr old man who's interested in geocaching and been lurking here for quite some time. I just ordered a Garmin Oregon 450t from Cabela's for a good price($179.99), should be here Monday 11/18. I have few questions. Do I need a Premium membership to download caches? Is the 100k map on my GPS good enough for mild terrain geocaching? Are alkaline batteries good enough for my GPS?

Thank You

Jerry

 

I'm 67 also and I can tell you the hobby is a lot of fun

I also have a 450...its a very good unit used by tons of cachers.

The base map that comes with the 450 and all other units is not very good.I recommend you get the Garmin City Navigator map...I get it on the micro SD card and it snaps right in the unit and when you turn it on the detail street maps are there.

For batteries you want the Sanyo Eneloop 2500's ( NIMH slow discharge ) and a MAHA charger.

Chargers:

http://www.thomasdistributing.com/Maha-Chargers_c_1022.html?frontpage=1

 

My favorite is the MH-C801D but for a good value the MH-C204FA

 

Batteries :

http://www.thomasdistributing.com/New-Version-Sanyo-XX-Eneloop-2500-mAh-Low-Discharge-AA-Batteries_p_2927.html

 

There are many nice features of the Premium membership, especially pocket queries,and I highly recommend it.

 

Another wonderful piece of software that many of us use is GSAK....its around $30 one time payment.

 

All the above, except annual premium membership,is a one time payment for what will last for years.

 

You are going to want a hiking stick and a telescoping inspection mirror to save your back and knees.

[+andyakashrek]

Whether you use alkaline or rechargeable batteries make sure that you select the correct settings on the gps. Maps are easily found on the Web for free, pop it onto an sd card and off you go. Mine shows footpaths, gates, stiles etc. Enjoy your new obsession.

[+Chief301]

I'll second Bamboozle's recommendation about the Sanyo Eneloop rechargeables. I've used the cheap Wally World rechargeables and chargers with limited success, and alkalines, while reliable and easily replaceable, have a tendency to do fine for a couple of hours, then they nose dive rapidly instead of a nice, steady, predictable depletion. I'll be showing a full charge for awhile with new cells, then all of a sudden once they come off the "full" indication they go rapidly to 3/4, 1/2, then the GPS starts throwing me low voltage warning messages (while still showing 1/2 capacity remaining). The Sanyo Eneloops, paired with a decent smart charger (purchased on advice from Bam) are proving to be much more reliable and long-lasting.

 

Of course, it depends how much caching you plan on doing. If you're only going out once a month or so for just an hour or two, the alkalines might be just fine. If you're going to be using the Oregon a lot, some decent rechargeables would be a good investment.

 

I can't speak for the quality of the topo maps that come with the 450T. I have the Oregon 550 (basically the same unit but with a camera), but I didn't buy the T-model, opting instead to install free maps from GPSFileDepot, which are very good. I also have routable maps from OpenStreetMap (also free), for turn-by-turn driving directions, which is very handy for navigating to the cache location before you make your final approach on foot.

 

I do think that before investing in batteries I would drop $30 for a Premium membership, though. Pocket Queries are the easiest, fastest way to download cache info to your device en masse...this feature alone is well worth the membership price, IMO, the other Premium features are gravy. Once you learn how to work PQ's you'll never want to do it any other way.

[+msrubble]

Do I need a Premium membership to download caches? Is the 100k map on my GPS good enough for mild terrain geocaching? Are alkaline batteries good enough for my GPS?

 

Jerry,

 

Other have weighed in. Here are my 2 cents.

 

1. You do not need a Premium Membership to download caches, but without it, you will get only .loc files, which have coordinates and GC ID and not much else. You cannot manually put coordinates into the Oregon 450T and have them be recognized as geocaches. They would be waypoints. The Oregon only recognizes geocaches that are loaded as .gpx files. And for that, you need Premium Membership. You get a 30-day free trial membership as part of your purchase of the Oregon.

 

If you got the Oregon for paperless caching, you need a Premium Membership. Pocket Queries and Caches Along a Route save a lot of time in planning outings; they are both Premium features.

 

So you can get along as a basic member if money is tight. To get the most out of your GPS, you'd need a Premium Membership.

 

2. The 100K topo map is usually adequate for general purposes. Try it and see. Free and paid maps can be added.

 

3. Alkaline batteries work fine. I prefer rechargeables most of the time. When the temperature is consistently below freezing, lithiums are the best and alkalines perform very poorly.

 

You got quite a bargain on your GPS.

 

The unofficial Garmin Oregon Wiki is helpful. It answers questions you may have and explains functions more thoroughly than the manual.

 

Welcome to geocaching. I hope you will find it fun.

[+andyakashrek]

You cannot manually put coordinates into the Oregon 450T and have them be recognized as geocaches. They would be waypoints. The Oregon only recognizes geocaches that are loaded as .gpx files.

 

Off topic for this thread but is msrubble's statement true? If so then I am staying with my vista hcx as I can enter a waypoint manually or by using the unit to get a mark and by changing the icon in the waypoint screen it saves the waypoint as a geocache and shows as such on the map. Very useful for entering final locations for a multi or puzzle cache.

[+Chief301]

You cannot manually put coordinates into the Oregon 450T and have them be recognized as geocaches. They would be waypoints. The Oregon only recognizes geocaches that are loaded as .gpx files.

 

Off topic for this thread but is msrubble's statement true? If so then I am staying with my vista hcx as I can enter a waypoint manually or by using the unit to get a mark and by changing the icon in the waypoint screen it saves the waypoint as a geocache and shows as such on the map. Very useful for entering final locations for a multi or puzzle cache.

 

You can save a waypoint and give it a geocache icon on the map but it still will only be a waypoint. The Vista is not designed for paperless Geocaching, so with the Vista a waypoint is a waypoint is a waypoint, regardless of what icon you assign it on the map. Units designed for paperless caching (like the Oregon series) handle waypoints and Geocaches as two completely separate things...when you tell the unit to find Geocaches it will bring up a list of geocaches only, not other waypoints, and when you ask for waypoints it won't bring up the Geocaches.

 

The reason it handles them differently is that the geoaches are recognized as GPX files, and they will include all the cache info like description, hints, recent logs, etc. The waypoints you manually enter (or download as .loc files) will only have the waypoint name and coordinates, and will appear as a waypoint, even though it happens to be a Geocache location.

 

I don't know if I'm explaining it clearly enough with my limited understanding, but I do know that waypoints are not the same as geocaches on a paperless unit.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

You cannot manually put coordinates into the Oregon 450T and have them be recognized as geocaches. They would be waypoints. The Oregon only recognizes geocaches that are loaded as .gpx files.

 

Off topic for this thread but is msrubble's statement true? If so then I am staying with my vista hcx as I can enter a waypoint manually or by using the unit to get a mark and by changing the icon in the waypoint screen it saves the waypoint as a geocache and shows as such on the map. Very useful for entering final locations for a multi or puzzle cache.

 

You can save a waypoint and give it a geocache icon on the map but it still will only be a waypoint. The Vista is not designed for paperless Geocaching, so with the Vista a waypoint is a waypoint is a waypoint, regardless of what icon you assign it on the map. Units designed for paperless caching (like the Oregon series) handle waypoints and Geocaches as two completely separate things...when you tell the unit to find Geocaches it will bring up a list of geocaches only, not other waypoints, and when you ask for waypoints it won't bring up the Geocaches.

 

The reason it handles them differently is that the geoaches are recognized as GPX files, and they will include all the cache info like description, hints, recent logs, etc. The waypoints you manually enter (or download as .loc files) will only have the waypoint name and coordinates, and will appear as a waypoint, even though it happens to be a Geocache location.

 

I don't know if I'm explaining it clearly enough with my limited understanding, but I do know that waypoints are not the same as geocaches on a paperless unit.

 

Good explanation Chief.

I put out 8 caches the other day with the 62S which were saved as waypoints ( blue flag ). When I got home I uploaded them in to GSAK and edited them, basically creating geocaches with hints, terr and diff, etc., now when you download this group to your 62, 450, etc, they appear as caches with all the info.....all of this was trial and error and new to me.

As I've said often...much thanks to the posters here because I've learned a lot on these forums.

 

By the way, Chief, I signed behind you on a few caches yesterday around Gonzales-French Settlement.

[+andyakashrek]

Thanks for clearing that up Chief, I tend to load up my gps infrequently by PQ and then just add caches singly or a few at a time by hooking up to the pc. I also use a Blackberry Z10 to receive notifications and paperless caching and use the above method to enter cache locations to my gps if I am away from home. The Z10 and cachesense is brilliant but I prefer using a proper gps to find with.

Sorry for going off the op's questions.

[+wmpastor]

It's been three days since I recommended getting out there and trying it. Any luck this past weekend?

 

(I couldn't wait - I used satellite photos before I got a gps. That's not helpful for a cache in the woods, but most definitely is good for a parking lot grab.)

Edited November 18, 2013 by wmpastor

[+niraD]

(I couldn't wait - I used satellite photos before I got a gps. That's not helpful for a cache in the woods, but most definitely is good for a parking lot grab.)

I wouldn't say that the satellite photos are not helpful in the woods. I found hundreds of caches without a GPSr the first year I was geocaching, and some of those were in the woods or in other undeveloped areas. It's definitely easier to find urban/suburban caches sans GPS though, because the landmarks are easier to identify and work with.