down loading geocache

[+R2U2]

It's been a few years since I have been able to do any geocaching. Now that I can play again I find everything has changed. I'm old and don't understand the information given me to get me going again.  Is there someone in the east  Ogden, Utah area that could help me get my computer set up correctly?

[garyo1954]

Best thing to do is post questions about what you don't understand.

I started a couple of weeks ago with absolutely no idea of what geocaching was. Got a lot of help right here by asking questions and reading everything I could find on it. The site is still somewhat a mystery, but I have leaned through some helpful people and plenty of trial an error how to make a pocket query, download it and put the files I need in my GPS.

What's got you stumped?

[+noncentric]

Are you already familiar with creating Pocket Queries (PQs)?  If not, then take a look  HERE  and  HERE .  If you need help with creating PQ's, then just reply that you do.

If you already know how to create PQ's and just need help getting the PQ results onto your GPS device, then reply with what type of GPS device you're using and whether you're using a PC or Mac computer.  Then we can give you the appropriate tips.

[+R2U2]

I never was very educated about the site but I could get the caches sent to my GPS without any problem (one at a time). Now things have changed and I can't get anything to down load. My son and I tried following the instructions given but get a pop up saying it does not recognize the device. What I am looking for is some one that has some time to look at my computer to see if it can be set to down load to my GPS,  and hopefully get me up and running. I promise I'm not some weird guy, just getting old.

[+icezebra11]

If you are using the Send to My GPS button which utilizes the Garmin Communicator plug-in, it won't work.  As a premium member you have three options.

1.  Download caches one at a time utilizing the GPX file button on each cache page.  Connect the GPS to the computer and move the file to the Garmin/GPX folder on the unit.

2.  Create a list of caches and use the Send to Garmin feature to copy the list to the unit.

3.  Utilize Pocket Queries as noncentric wrote above.

[+niraD]

10 hours ago, R2U2 said:

Now things have changed and I can't get anything to down load.

For the record, what has changed is that browsers are no longer supporting the old insecure plugin technology used by the Garmin Communicator plugin. The replacement for that old technology is option 2 described by icezebra11.

[+hrhvt]

I have a follow up question. First off, I had no idea i could download everything by making a list then just "send to garmin" thats awesome, i always made a list, then a pocket query, etc. Much easier. BUT, when i send the list to my handheld garmin, i get all the names of the caches, when i send it to my garmin nuvi (to navigate the car to the cache) I get just gc codes, but not eh names, Is there a way to change that?

 

Thanks for all your help.

 

[+kunarion]

12 hours ago, hrhvt said:

when i send the list to my handheld garmin, i get all the names of the caches, when i send it to my garmin nuvi (to navigate the car to the cache) I get just gc codes, but not eh names, Is there a way to change that?

 

One free way is to use Garmin's "POI Loader":  https://www.garmin.com/us/maps/poiloader

I don't know if that gets updated anymore, but last I heard, it still works.  You can't just send entire "lists" to a Nuvi, unless you know how much data it can hold (never mind that you have to delete them later).  The Nuvi can't display all the cache text anyway, although the "list" may have entire cache pages of text.  AND the capabilities depend on which model of Nuvi it is.

POI Loader can save the files in a way that cache names are shown.  Again, whether you would then be able to search by GC number (or even find it in the display), depends on the Nuvi.

Since I discovered that I must delete each "Favorite" by hand (every single loaded cache when I don't need it shown anymore), I'm much more choosy about which caches I load. Maybe one or two, just to route me to an unfamiliar place. No more entire lists for me.  I have street routable maps on my Garmin Oregon, not the perfect "Nuvi" kind of thing for driving, but it's not bad with a window mount.

I've started using the official App on my smartphone to get driving directions, and so far it's been OK while a cellular connection is available.

Edited March 30, 2018 by kunarion

[+noncentric]

4 hours ago, hrhvt said:

I have a follow up question. First off, I had no idea i could download everything by making a list then just "send to garmin" thats awesome, i always made a list, then a pocket query, etc.

Send to Garmin was released last year, and is only available with the 'new' Lists page, so plenty of cachers that used the List->PQ feature for years may have missed it.  If you're curious, you can read more about it in last year's Release Notes thread.

[javelin98]

Is there some way to download caches without being a premium member?  I used to be able to do that with my old Delorme, but now that I have a Garmin Oregon 550t, I can't figure out any way to do that.

[+barefootjeff]

2 hours ago, javelin98 said:

Is there some way to download caches without being a premium member?  I used to be able to do that with my old Delorme, but now that I have a Garmin Oregon 550t, I can't figure out any way to do that.

Yes, just click on the "GPX file" button at the top of the cache page and copy the file into the Garmin\GPX folder on the Oregon.