So frustrated! Garmin Oregon 650t

[+Team Grumblecakes]

I am about to pitch my Oregon 650t out the window. I cannot, *cannot* get it to accept geocache information, either individually from the cache page "send to gps" button, or through the "Send to Garmin" button on the lists page. Have tried both methods on both Windows and Mac computers. Have installed (and re-installed) Garmin Basecamp, Garmin Express, and Garmin Communicator. Have updated Mac OS. Have tried Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari. Seriously, it's maddening enough to make me want to quit the whole friggin' game...

[+lee737]

Seriously, don't bother with all the extra software and messing around.

Just connect the GPS to your computer, and drag GPX files, either single cache files or pocket queries into the GPX folder in the (I think) 'Garmin' folder on the unit. When you connect the GPS to your PC it is like connecting a USB drive, you can add GPX files and also drag out GPX files of the waypoints you have made with the unit.

[+Team Grumblecakes]

There is a "Garmin" folder, and inside that a "GPX" folder. Tried dragging the files to each location, no dice. These were individual GPX files, because my pocket queries don't work - I've double checked my email preferences, and double checked my spam folder, and it doesn't seem like I'm getting my pocket queries at all...

[+lee737]

How far away from you is the cache you are dragging? Less than 100mi?

You can go to the website and download your PQs also.... I do get an email with a download link though as well.

[+Team Grumblecakes]

How far away from you is the cache you are dragging? Less than 100mi?

You can go to the website and download your PQs also.... I do get an email with a download link though as well.

 

No actually, we are leaving in the morning for a trip across the state - closest caches will be about 135 miles from home.

[+lee737]

The GPS will only show you caches in your 100mi radius (or 100km?)......

Load some local caches and see what happens....

[+kunarion]

*cannot* get it to accept geocache information, either individually from the cache page "send to gps" button, or through the "Send to Garmin" button on the lists page.

The plug-ins and software utilities are a lot of extra work to set up. The "Send To My GPS" button is a legacy link which definitely will not function in all cases. When you have the time, you might try to at least get Garmin Express running. It's want you need for updates from Garmin.

 

You may place GPX files directly into the GPX folder of a Garmin GPSr, no plug-ins needed.

 

Download the GPX file from Geocaching.com. Not "Send To", use the "GPX File" button, on a cache page. For a Pocket Query, unzip the GPX files.

Plug the Garmin into the USB port of the computer.

Find the Garmin as a [DRIVE] or [storage device] and open it.

Therein, locate a file folder named something like Garmin/GPX/.

Click, drag and drop (or copy) the downloaded GPX file(s) to that [DRIVE]:Garmin/GPX/ folder.

Right-click and select Eject, unplug the Garmin.

Go Geocaching.

(From Gitchee-Gumee's excellent instructions)

Edited May 5, 2017 by kunarion

[+Zop]

I'm very surprised that no one here has mentioned GSAK. The geocaching Swiss Army Knife is by far the best tool to send geocaches to just about any modern GPS.

 

You can even use it to pull up to 6,000 geocaches from the website (per day) and store offline in a database for editing, filtering, sorting, running macros against, etc...

 

You can download a copy at gsak.net.

 

Aside from that, I personally found all of the Garmin Oregon's (and Montana) to be extremely frustrating to actually geocache with as well. I found the GPSMap 60 series (currently the 64s) to be far easier to use for geocaching in general.

[+Zop]

I am about to pitch my Oregon 650t out the window. I cannot, *cannot* get it to accept geocache information, either individually from the cache page "send to gps" button, or through the "Send to Garmin" button on the lists page. Have tried both methods on both Windows and Mac computers. Have installed (and re-installed) Garmin Basecamp, Garmin Express, and Garmin Communicator. Have updated Mac OS. Have tried Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari. Seriously, it's maddening enough to make me want to quit the whole friggin' game...

 

Those options have been broken for a very long time due to modern day security patches in most browsers and Groundspeak hasn't invested any effort to get them functional again. The Firefox plugin for example hasn't worked in years.

(IMHO) I suspect that Groundspeak doesn't care about the site functionality and appear to be trying to force us all to use their pathetic apps for caching.

[+kunarion]

I'm very surprised that no one here has mentioned GSAK.

When the OP can't figure out how to load a GPSr manually (takes a couple of clicks, see the post above which shows the exact steps), I will not suggest all the research and setup required for special software. That's a whole new level of technical. I mention the easy steps to load it, I specifically don't mention GSAK, I get along fine without it.

 

But go ahead and mention it if you like.

Edited May 7, 2017 by kunarion

[+pwcinpc]

The GPS will only show you caches in your 100mi radius (or 100km?)......

Load some local caches and see what happens....

 

I just discovered this parameter as I have loaded a pocket query that is over 400 miles from my current location. Why is this a limitation? Is there a way to adjust this to say 500 miles?

[+geodarts]

The GPS will only show you caches in your 100mi radius (or 100km?)......

Load some local caches and see what happens....

 

I just discovered this parameter as I have loaded a pocket query that is over 400 miles from my current location. Why is this a limitation? Is there a way to adjust this to say 500 miles?

 

The limitation is imposed by Garmin rather than this site - I don't know that they have explained it, but there is no way to adjust it. You can still see the caches from the map view (if they do not appear make sure that the zoom levels are adjusted in the advanced map setup).

[+lee737]

I think the limitation is based on the memory/processor of the unit, and is to keep it running quickly, by not having to sort as many caches.

[+Team Grumblecakes]

I am about to pitch my Oregon 650t out the window. I cannot, *cannot* get it to accept geocache information, either individually from the cache page "send to gps" button, or through the "Send to Garmin" button on the lists page. Have tried both methods on both Windows and Mac computers. Have installed (and re-installed) Garmin Basecamp, Garmin Express, and Garmin Communicator. Have updated Mac OS. Have tried Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari. Seriously, it's maddening enough to make me want to quit the whole friggin' game...

 

Those options have been broken for a very long time due to modern day security patches in most browsers and Groundspeak hasn't invested any effort to get them functional again. The Firefox plugin for example hasn't worked in years.

(IMHO) I suspect that Groundspeak doesn't care about the site functionality and appear to be trying to force us all to use their pathetic apps for caching.

 

I was under the impression that "Send to Garmin" from the lists page was a *brand new* feature? Groundspeak sent me an email announcing it?

[+edexter]

As noted above, distant caches will not "show up" when you search for them on your GPSr even if they are entered correctly: You will get a "No Results Found" message. However, distance Waypoints will, so one way to confirm caches have actually loaded is to pick one of the caches from your list, enter a new waypoint with the same north coords and add .100 to the West coords, save the Waypoint with a name similar to the cache, then search for the waypoint and then choose "View Map". If your cache has loaded it will show up on the Map just to the East of the cache.

 

As also mentioned, GSAK is the easiest way to accomplish what you want (once you master the learning curve) but if you were using GSAK you would know this already.

 

Back on the cache page with your GPSr pluged into the computer, if you click the GPX file button, the downloaded file will appear on the screen lower left and right clicking will give you the "Show in Folder" Option which will open your download files and show the .GPX file with the cache code as name at the top of the list. Open the Garmin GPX folder and drag the GPX file it to it and it will load into the GPX folder and be visible there. You can double check it as above once you disconnect your GPSr from the computer.

 

Let us know if this works for you.

 

As for the "Send to Garmin" (formerly "Send to GPS")this is a sort of "old wine in new bottles" feature. Everytime the various browsers add new security features it stops working until they create a workaround...

Edited May 14, 2017 by edexter

[+The A-Team]

As for the "Send to Garmin" (formerly "Send to GPS")this is a sort of "old wine in new bottles" feature. Everytime the various browsers add new security features it stops working until they create a workaround...

That was the problem with the Garmin Communicator, but I haven't heard of any complaints of browser updates breaking "Send to Garmin". Is this something you're seeing? It was only recently rolled out and AFAIK is built on modern technologies, so I'd be pretty surprised if it was already broken.

[+Team Grumblecakes]

Still no luck with this - I have tried everything. I can *see* the .gpx files on my GPS when looking via the computer, but cannot find them ON the GPS or NAVIGATE to them. I have tried dragging them around to different directories on the GPS, makes no difference.

[+kunarion]

I have tried dragging them around to different directories on the GPS, makes no difference.

It seems like you're loading things in a random way. The only folder where the GPSr will find a Geocache GPX file is in [OR Drive]:Garmin/GPX

Edited May 23, 2017 by kunarion

[+Team Grumblecakes]

I have tried dragging them around to different directories on the GPS, makes no difference.

It seems like you're loading things in a random way. The only folder where the GPSr will find a Geocache GPX file is in [OR Drive]:Garmin/GPX

 

Yes, but when that did not work, I tried experimenting with other locations. This process is poorly documented, so I thought maybe I just had things in the wrong directory. (I did not, it just wasn't working like it is supposed to). As a stopgap, I found that I could pull them up as waypoints, albeit as coords only, without the cache page info, hints, logs, etc.

 

UPDATE: While manually moving the files onto the GPSr did NOT work, yesterday I was able to successfully load a .gpx file from a pocket query via the 3rd-party "iCaching" software.

Edited May 24, 2017 by Team Grumblecakes

[+monsterbox]

I am about to pitch my Oregon 650t out the window. I cannot, *cannot* get it to accept geocache information, either individually from the cache page "send to gps" button, or through the "Send to Garmin" button on the lists page. Have tried both methods on both Windows and Mac computers. Have installed (and re-installed) Garmin Basecamp, Garmin Express, and Garmin Communicator. Have updated Mac OS. Have tried Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Safari. Seriously, it's maddening enough to make me want to quit the whole friggin' game...

 

Those options have been broken for a very long time due to modern day security patches in most browsers and Groundspeak hasn't invested any effort to get them functional again. The Firefox plugin for example hasn't worked in years.

(IMHO) I suspect that Groundspeak doesn't care about the site functionality and appear to be trying to force us all to use their pathetic apps for caching.

 

You're blaming the wrong people ;-) The plugin is from Garmin! So how could Groundspeak fix it? Nonetheless they got some new feature working to put caches onto a Garmin, just check the latest releasenotes for the website. Until then simply save the files!

[+monsterbox]

I have tried dragging them around to different directories on the GPS, makes no difference.

It seems like you're loading things in a random way. The only folder where the GPSr will find a Geocache GPX file is in [OR Drive]:Garmin/GPX

 

Yes, but when that did not work, I tried experimenting with other locations. This process is poorly documented, so I thought maybe I just had things in the wrong directory. (I did not, it just wasn't working like it is supposed to). As a stopgap, I found that I could pull them up as waypoints, albeit as coords only, without the cache page info, hints, logs, etc.

 

UPDATE: While manually moving the files onto the GPSr did NOT work, yesterday I was able to successfully load a .gpx file from a pocket query via the 3rd-party "iCaching" software.

 

Don't know where you did wrong, but manually copying a GPX file to the correct folder on the Garmin works like a charm for about everyone else. So I'm sorry to say it must be your "fault" if it's not working for you.

 

Simply open a cache page and click the button "GPX file". Save the file right onto your device into the \Garmin\GPX folder and that's all you'd need to do. It can either stay on the device's memory or on the MicroSD card. All you need to do is putting it into the correct folder!

 

Same works with PQs. The big file contains the description and logs and such while the smaller one contains the extra waypoints.

 

As you mentioned "iCaching" I guess you're using a Mac. Even there it should work exactly the same way! You just need to make sure folder and file extension are correct as the Garmin only checks for *.gpx files!