Can't navigate

[+luigi752]

Of course everyone will say it's me. I don't find the main website easy to navigate. Please, before you attack me, keep in mind that I'm not working with a smartphone, or any other handy-dandy device that will help me find geocaches that are "nearby". As an aside, is it really that easy if you go that route? I just might break down . . .

 

I have a handheld GPS unit that I painstakingly enter coordinates into whenever we might hope to do this. We recently went on a 10-day camping trip, and I diligently did the work. It took the better part of a day to find them on the website, and enter the coordinates.

 

Anyway, we only looked for four of them, but we did find ONE! I'd like to show my son we can say "Hooray! We found one!" I go to website and try to log a find, only to be asked for the zipcode or geocache code or whatever. Really?

 

It can't remember the ones I've clicked on, at least? Or let me search by state park name?

 

Starting to regret I became a premium member. What am I paying for, exactly?

 

Perhaps my regret started the day the map feature (which is the only way I know to narrow down things) didn't work so well.

 

I know, everyone will blast me but, really . . . there are other things out there, that charge a membership fee, and do a lot more for that fee.

 

Let me end by saying Geocaching Rules!

 

Seriously, I'd never have gotten my son to hike with me again, if not for GC.

 

Cheers,

Jeannie

[+kunarion]

Hi, Jeannie!

 

You can use Pocket Queries and get 1000 caches at a time loaded into your GPSr. Depending on what kind it is, no more hand-typing the coordinates (unless you like to). The Pocket Query page and help info is here. I recommend Pocket Queries, they're easy to do.

 

In your profile, you can see recently viewed caches (some may be the ones you hunted), and there's a link there called "Recently Viewed", for a long list.

 

You might print some cache pages, or one of those lists (such as the first page of a Pocket Query after you've sorted it as desired). Then bring that page when you go.

 

What kind of handheld GPS do you have? Some have "field notes", where you can type a little log right on the GPSr (just a reminder note is fine, to edit later), and upload a file with a bunch of caches to the web site at once, in the sequence in which you logged them. That way, there's no need to remember which caches you hunted that day.

 

Or do what I do and keep a notebook . I use all of the above and a little Indiana-Jones-style journal book, to keep track of caching activities.

Edited September 6, 2014 by kunarion

[+wmpastor]

It'll get easier. Stick with it. There's a learning curve to the activity AND to the website. Others will offer more specific tips, I'm sure.

[+Panther&Pine]

What gps are you using? What computer operating system?

Have you set home coords?

[+kunarion]

What am I paying for, exactly?

You're paying for the sweet privilege of posting messages in Off Topic. But this one wasn't really an "Off Topic" topic, so it won't stay in it.

[Cascade Reviewer]

Moving this to the How Do I...? forum.

[+wmpastor]

What am I paying for, exactly?

You're paying for the sweet privilege of posting messages in Off Topic. But this one wasn't really an "Off Topic" topic, so it won't stay in it.

I always wondered why it is that Off Topic is in a class by itself.

 

But let's get back to helping Jeannie.

[+Bear and Ragged]

What GPS?

Did you mark the cache as Found on the GPS?

 

Premium Membership allows you to download caches in bulk to the GPS, and if you mark the cache as Found on the GPS, most allow easier logging on the site by using Field Notes.

[Blue Square Thing]

Anyway, we only looked for four of them, but we did find ONE! I'd like to show my son we can say "Hooray! We found one!" I go to website and try to log a find, only to be asked for the zipcode or geocache code or whatever. Really?

 

It can't remember the ones I've clicked on, at least? Or let me search by state park name?

 

Starting to regret I became a premium member. What am I paying for, exactly?

 

Perhaps my regret started the day the map feature (which is the only way I know to narrow down things) didn't work so well.

OK, I was going to suggest using the map to find the cache you need to log.

 

I use the map almost exclusively on the website to open cache listings. It works pretty fine for me most of the time and I find it a lot easier to remember where I've been that way (but then I also tend to think visually and like using maps anyway). I'm not sure why it's not working so well for you - it's *possible* that the browser you're using might be having some issues with it perhaps?

 

That would be my only really suggestion I'm afraid. I can't imagine how difficult it must be to get to cache listings in any other way really.

[Pup Patrol]

Of course everyone will say it's me. I don't find the main website easy to navigate. Please, before you attack me, keep in mind that I'm not working with a smartphone, or any other handy-dandy device that will help me find geocaches that are "nearby". As an aside, is it really that easy if you go that route? I just might break down . . .

 

I have a handheld GPS unit that I painstakingly enter coordinates into whenever we might hope to do this. We recently went on a 10-day camping trip, and I diligently did the work. It took the better part of a day to find them on the website, and enter the coordinates.

 

Why are you manually entering coordinates? Even without using the Pocket Query, you certainly don't need to manually enter coordinates.

 

I'm using a Garmin 60CSx, and I pick and choose which caches we hunt. This is how I do it:

 

1.) On the cache page, I click on "gpx file". I save that to a folder I've created on my computer. I create lots of folders, so I don't have to wade through hundreds of gc codes.

 

2.) I use GPSBabel to transfer desired caches to the gps.

 

http://www.gpsbabel.org/

 

3.) When we're ready to go on a cache search, I plug my gps into the computer, and download the gps files to it using GPSBabel.

 

Heck, I still do printouts of pertinent information for each cache: GC code, D/T rating, size, coordinates, any useful info, and the decrypted hint.

 

But you've paid for Premium Membership, which most people say they did so they can use the Pocket Query benefit.

 

If you haven't yet, check out this Help Center section that is about Premium Membership and discover all the benefits of it:

 

http://support.Groundspeak.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=5

 

Anyway, we only looked for four of them, but we did find ONE! I'd like to show my son we can say "Hooray! We found one!" I go to website and try to log a find, only to be asked for the zipcode or geocache code or whatever. Really? It can't remember the ones I've clicked on, at least? Or let me search by state park name?

 

Again, I don't think you're looking in the correct place. If you've clicked on a cache page to get the coordinates, then it should be in your profile under "Recently viewed":

 

Your profile page is here: http://www.geocaching.com/my/default.aspx

 

After the text "Quick View" is a list of links in blue. The second one is "Geocaches (Yours) (Recently Viewed)".

 

If you marked the cache as "found" on your gps, it should be there as well.

 

What make and model of gps are you using?

 

Perhaps my regret started the day the map feature (which is the only way I know to narrow down things) didn't work so well.

 

I know, everyone will blast me but, really . . . there are other things out there, that charge a membership fee, and do a lot more for that fee.

 

Let me end by saying Geocaching Rules!

 

Seriously, I'd never have gotten my son to hike with me again, if not for GC.

 

Cheers,

Jeannie

 

No one is going to "blast" you. People are trying to help, but we need more information.

 

I think once you read the Premium Membership benefits in the Help Center, and try out Pocket Queries and Bookmark lists, you might have an easier time of seeing the benefits of paying for PM. You might be interested in "Instant Notifications" as well.

 

If the map function "didn't work so well", then it might very well be the operating system/browser that you are using.

 

In addition to the make and model of gps, we need to know how you are accessing the website.

 

I think you need to learn other ways of searching for caches. Using the map is one way, but you can also use the Hide & Seek page: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/

 

You might want to take some time to fully investigate your Profile page. If you have entered your address and zip code in your Account Details, then you should be able to use the Search function in your profile page.

 

Account Details:

http://www.geocaching.com/account/default.aspx

 

Profile:

http://www.geocaching.com/my/default.aspx

 

B.

Edited September 7, 2014 by Pup Patrol

[+fallan2]

Or if you feel more comfortable writing things out by hand and entering in the gpsr as you go, you could make a note of the gc number of the cache next to the cache name, which is what I did before I finally got a gpsr that worked with the download feature.