Granpappa Posted March 30, 2016 Share Posted March 30, 2016 I'm new to both caching and GPS. Any tips or tricks for using the etrex 10? Let's face it. The user guide ain't that great! Quote Link to comment
+anarcha77 Posted April 3, 2016 Share Posted April 3, 2016 Welcome to geocaching, granpappa! No, the user guide isn't great, but it's a fine GPS to start with -- I used it for my first year or so of caching, before I upgraded to the etrex20 and sold my 10 to a new cacher. One tip would be that you have a look at the geocaching map on the website when you're uploading caches to the GPS -- because the 10 can't show a map. It's good to take note of the rough layout of the area the cache you're seeking is in, such as rivers, paths, etc. This will hopefully let you avoid some of the pitfalls I experienced early on -- such as approaching a cache thinking it was on one side of a river when really it was on the other side, and having to backtrack to find a bridge. My other tip is that, before you go out caching, take a bit of time to mess with the GPS settings and get them organized the way you like them -- you can change things like whether the geocaches are listed by name or GC code, which order the various pages of the GPS are displayed (Compass, cache details, menu, and so forth), the units of measurement used, and so on. I would even say to just go through each menu option one by one and see what's there... then you'll get a good feel for the GPS (which, I agree, the user guide doesn't give). I'm new to both caching and GPS. Any tips or tricks for using the etrex 10? Let's face it. The user guide ain't that great! Quote Link to comment
Granpappa Posted April 3, 2016 Author Share Posted April 3, 2016 (edited) Hey thanks for the welcome, and the tips, anarcha77! I'll spend some time getting familiar with the menu items and the various settings, and I will definitely take a look at the map before I go out. 73 (Ham radio shorthand for "Best regards"), Granpappa Edited April 4, 2016 by Granpappa Quote Link to comment
Granpappa Posted April 4, 2016 Author Share Posted April 4, 2016 (edited) Hey, I found my first two caches today! This is fun! anarcha77, You were right about the online maps: they help a lot. On the etrex 10, I found the compass screen to be more helpful than the map screen (using the Geocache setting that shows distance to the objective). Is it cheating to get in the car and drive until I'm within walking distance? The two that I found so far (level 1 caches) were within a few hundred feet of a road. Edited April 4, 2016 by Granpappa Quote Link to comment
+noncentric Posted April 8, 2016 Share Posted April 8, 2016 Hey, I found my first two caches today! This is fun! anarcha77, You were right about the online maps: they help a lot. On the etrex 10, I found the compass screen to be more helpful than the map screen (using the Geocache setting that shows distance to the objective). Is it cheating to get in the car and drive until I'm within walking distance? The two that I found so far (level 1 caches) were within a few hundred feet of a road. Driving vs walking vs bicycling - whichever you choose is not considered "cheating". Just follow the rules of the road and stay safe. Welcome to the hobby! Quote Link to comment
+anarcha77 Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Congratulations on your finds! Definitely no cheating if you drive -- if you're interested in shorter walks, caches with the ''Park and Grab'' attribute are specifically designated to be caches that you can park nearby -- often for instance along the side of a country road or in a small neighbourhood park. Quote Link to comment
Pup Patrol Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 Is it cheating to get in the car and drive until I'm within walking distance? If it is, then we've cheated for 99.9% of our finds. There is only one find that was close enough for us to walk to. In fact, our stats show that the majority of our finds are 50 km away from home...and more. B. Quote Link to comment
Georgia Terrapin Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 I've got two tips: 1. Cut and paste the coordinates into Google maps. You can use "satellite view" to get some landmarks and an approximation of your cache site. 2. Check the GPS accuracy reading. For example, it might say "10 feet." In that case, back away a distance, look at the direction, and if the GPS says your cache or waymark is 95' away, pace off 95' in that direction. Then realize that your cache could be within a 10' radius of where you're standing, plus or minus a little. (Or more, if its coordinates aren't precise for some reason.) Have fun! GT Quote Link to comment
+MtnMutt-ProDuckShins Posted April 19, 2016 Share Posted April 19, 2016 Have you gone to the US subforums .. http://www.geocaching.com/local/default.aspx?state_id=45 You could meet & Greet folks around Utah which can help & guide you to great Caches in your area. Quote Link to comment
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