Send to GPS function is not working

[DannyCaffeine]

I downloaded the Garmin Communicator like it asked me and I get the following error. I have Garmin express.

 

Quote

Garmin Communicator Plugin NOT detected. Download and install now

 

Is it broken or am I just missing something? All I would like to do is be able to add caches into my GPS quickly as I am returning to Geocaching after a long hiatus and don't remember how to do that.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

[+kunarion]

1 hour ago, DannyCaffeine said:

I downloaded the Garmin Communicator like it asked me and I get the following error. I have Garmin express.

 

 

Is it broken or am I just missing something? All I would like to do is be able to add caches into my GPS quickly as I am returning to Geocaching after a long hiatus and don't remember how to do that.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

 

On a cache page, click "GPX File", save the file into Garmin/GPX on your GPS. No plugin needed for that.

[DannyCaffeine]

8 minutes ago, kunarion said:

 

On a cache page, click "GPX File", save the file into Garmin/GPX on your GPS. No plugin needed for that.

Is there any kind of video tutorial on this? I used to do this stuff by hand back in the day.

 

I have no idea what to do here.

[+kunarion]

7 minutes ago, DannyCaffeine said:

Is there any kind of video tutorial on this? I used to do this stuff by hand back in the day.

 

I have no idea what to do here.

 

Here are more detailed steps. I don't know about a video, that would be a cool idea.

 

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

Download the GPX file from Geocaching.com. Not "Send To GPS", use the "GPX File" button, on a cache page. If a paid member with a Pocket Query, you'd 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)

 

[DannyCaffeine]

Haha it works! THank you so much!

[+kunarion]

Just now, DannyCaffeine said:

Haha it works! THank you so much!

 

Sweet!

[+NYPaddleCacher]

11 hours ago, kunarion said:

 

Here are more detailed steps. I don't know about a video, that would be a cool idea.

 

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

Download the GPX file from Geocaching.com. Not "Send To GPS", use the "GPX File" button, on a cache page. If a paid member with a Pocket Query, you'd 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)

 

 

I came across something in another forum that I am surprised that I have not seen mentioned here.   It's a Chrome extension called CachList.  If you use Chrome, you can download it here: https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=114&pgid=629

 

After installing the extension in puts an icon in your browser toolbar.   Then you can go to the geocaching site and you'll see the same icon on every cache listing.  Click on the icon and it will add that cache to the cache list.  You can also use the map page, select a cache and the same icon will appear in the popup window.  Again, click on the icon and it will add it to the list.  Then you can click on the icon in the tool bar and it will provide several options.  You can click on an icon that will let you save the list as a .gpx, .loc, .csv (and a few other formats) file.  You can also click a different icon and it'll produce a nice printable summary of the cache list (and you can annotate the list with notes for each cache).  If you have the Garmin Communicator Plugin installed it can send the list directly to your GPS.   I've only played with it a little but it seems to be very easy to use and would be a good solution for a basic member that want's to load a bunch of caches to their GPS in bulk.  

[+Team Christiansen]

5 hours ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

I came across something in another forum that I am surprised that I have not seen mentioned here.   It's a Chrome extension called CachList.  If you use Chrome, you can download it here: https://www.geocaching.com/help/index.php?pg=kb.chapter&id=114&pgid=629

 

Are you sure that is the right link? I only see brochures and presentations.

[+NYPaddleCacher]

19 hours ago, Team Christiansen said:

 

Are you sure that is the right link? I only see brochures and presentations.

 

Oops.  That was a link I had copied for a response in another post.  Here is the link for the CacheList chrome plugin (searching for cachelist chrome will find it)

 

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cachelist/amhhdbdhoghppijbjfdkiaconkmfbbpa

 

 

[+Renroc]

I find that the garmin plug in hasn't worked for ages on APPLE machines. I contacted Garmin and they said there is no reason it shouldn't work and that the issue must be with geocaching. Who do I need to contact to see if this can be fixed?

[+kunarion]

9 hours ago, Renroc said:

I find that the garmin plug in hasn't worked for ages on APPLE machines. I contacted Garmin and they said there is no reason it shouldn't work and that the issue must be with geocaching. Who do I need to contact to see if this can be fixed?

 

Are you intending to contact the particular person at Geocaching.com who fixes Send To GPS on Apple computers?  There's a form where you can ask who it is.

 

The Garmin Communicator plugin hasn't been updated by Garmin in over four years.  If you have a web browser and OS that also hasn't been updated in four years, then yes, it is possible that the "Send To GPS" function still works.  The tech support at Garmin is right about that, the plugin "works" as well as it did four years ago, accounting for the above considerations.  Garmin Communicator won't work in modern browsers.  But, yeah, it's not Garmin's plug-in that's the issue. See the hundreds of threads on this Forum about this specific subject.  Really, this and pretty much every possible "fix" is thoroughly discused many times over.

 

If you want to place one cache onto your Garmin GPS, click the "GPX File" button on any cache page, place the file into "Garmin/GPX" on the GPS.

 

Edited July 3, 2018 by kunarion

[+HHL]

6 minutes ago, kunarion said:

Garmin Communicator won't work in modern browsers.

That's wrong. Actually a current Firefox ESR 52.9.0 version does work with this Plug-in.

 

Hans

[+kunarion]

Just now, HHL said:

That's wrong. Actually a current Firefox ESR 52.9.0 version does work with this Plug-in.

 

Hans

 

Excellent.  Now the OP knows who to contact. 

[+eureka1]

I was having the same issue with my etrex. (oldie but goody) after I updated my browser to chrome.

Express wasn't working either, so I use the basic explorer when downloading directly into my gps from the site.

Works great.

[+The Swaggies]

On 04/07/2018 at 12:36 AM, kunarion said:

 

Excellent.  Now the OP knows who to contact. 

 

Internet Explorer also works with the Garmin Plugin. I don’t use IE11, for anything else but that feature. IE11 still exists in Win10, you just have to search for it.

[+The Swaggies]

On 30/06/2018 at 8:59 PM, NYPaddleCacher said:

 

Oops.  That was a link I had copied for a response in another post.  Here is the link for the CacheList chrome plugin (searching for cachelist chrome will find it)

 

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/cachelist/amhhdbdhoghppijbjfdkiaconkmfbbpa

 

 

 

Cache List sounds very similar to Geoprinter which I have been using for a few years now.  Geoprinter is located in the Chrome Extension list in the browser. Great for organising caching trips as well as giving your non-caching partner something to read. 

[+RadishSpirit]

Being able to put caches on your device (from this website) is one of the most basic and important functions of the site.

But it's obviously broke for a lot of (most) users.

Why, then, is this not addressed in a better way?

Why is the "Download to GPS" button prominent on every cache listing, as if it works, with lots of links that aren't helpful or sometimes don't even work at all?

Why do we have to search through the convoluted maze of forum posts to find solutions that may or may not work?

Obviously people have found solutions and work-arounds, so why not pin a post that explains these?

This is very frustrating, and doesn't help Geocaching.com or its users, or anyone really.

 

 

 

[+kunarion]

4 hours ago, RadishSpirit said:

Being able to put caches on your device (from this website) is one of the most basic and important functions of the site.

But it's obviously broke for a lot of (most) users.

Why, then, is this not addressed in a better way?

Why is the "Download to GPS" button prominent on every cache listing, as if it works, with lots of links that aren't helpful or sometimes don't even work at all?

Why do we have to search through the convoluted maze of forum posts to find solutions that may or may not work?

Obviously people have found solutions and work-arounds, so why not pin a post that explains these?

This is very frustrating, and doesn't help Geocaching.com or its users, or anyone really.

 

What I would hope might happen, is later this year when the "Send To GPS" button pretty much ceases to work for anyone (there really are many posts about this, and it's a complicated issue), that The Button would be replaced by "GPX File" instead, or something similar. 

 

For a Garmin, place GPX files into the "Garmin/GPX" folder.  For example, if it's a Pocket Query, unzip it and place the GPX files into the "Garmin/GPX" folder.  For Magellan, it's a "Geocache" folder.  But not for older devices that don't directly use GPX files or don't have accessible file structures.  Those must be loaded in other ways when "Send To GPS" and its Communicator plugin goes away.   It's complicated.

 

Edited July 27, 2018 by kunarion

[+cerberus1]

Thanks for the "fix".  I'm okay now. 

[+noncentric]

2 hours ago, kunarion said:

What I would hope might happen, is later this year when the "Send To GPS" button pretty much ceases to work for anyone (there really are many posts about this, and it's a complicated issue), that The Button would be replaced by "GPX File" instead, or something similar.

No need to replace it, just remove "Send to GPS" button.  There's already a "GPX File" button on cache pages, just to the left of the "Send to GPS" button.  That "GPX File" button works for all users, basic or premium.

[+kunarion]

3 hours ago, noncentric said:

No need to replace it, just remove "Send to GPS" button.  There's already a "GPX File" button on cache pages, just to the left of the "Send to GPS" button.  That "GPX File" button works for all users, basic or premium.

 

Sure, you don't want two "GPX File" buttons on the cache page.  But what about the map popup? Other places I don't even remember at the moment. Some of those Send To GPS buttons seemed mighty convenient.

 

 

Edited July 28, 2018 by kunarion