GPS?

[+besen86]

what is a good but not to expensive Garmin GPS to use 

[RuideAlmeida]

12 minutes ago, besen86 said:

what is a good but not to expensive Garmin GPS to use 

 

The Garmin Dakota and eTrex series are OK.

 

PS: But... if you already have a smartphone, simply go with the official app.

Edited February 22, 2020 by RuideAlmeida

[+Jayeffel]

I have an Etrex 20  which I have used but not that much. I use theiPhoner app predominantly. I like its distance presentation better and the directions are good-point at any follow the arrow. But the arrow is small, The Etrex 20 shows the direction as you move, see where the track leads and coffee cgt you pat=h as you move. If  used the Etreex more  may like it better.

 

The hard past for me is downloading caches to the Etrex; download each cache to a file, then go to iCachly, upload that cache info to iCachly. load to the Etrex, which needs to be connected to the computer. I think that I was able to download a few caches directly b ut have no clue how now,.

 

I am not that computer savvy so doubt I use dither there Etrex or the iPhone very well.

[+msrubble]

Jayeffel, to load an individual cache to the eTrex, it should be as simple as connecting the eTrex to the computer, clicking "Download GPX," and saving to the GPX folder on your Garmin. In Windows, the Garmin should show up as if it were a drive, and the folder to save it to will look like D:\Garmin\GPX.

 

As a Premium Member, you can also use Pocket Queries to get the details on multiple caches in one file (or two, if there are other associated waypoints). That is a zip file. You can download it somewhere, then extract the file(s) to the same GPX directory on your Garmin as you would put an individual GPX file.

Edited February 23, 2020 by msrubble

[+frostengel]

15 hours ago, besen86 said:

what is a good but not to expensive Garmin GPS to use 

 

As usual in life there is not "the one answer". It would be quite good to know about the way you want to go caching, how often, what kind of caches.... For example:

 

- If you want to find one cache while visiting a city once in a while just use your smartphone and nothing else. It is perfect.

- Other way round: if you want to crawl through old bunkers do not use your smartphone. ;-)

- Do you want to use "paperless" caching or not?

[...]

 

Please use punctuation character when you answer. That makes it more easy understandable for us.

 

Jochen

 

[+bflentje]

4 hours ago, frostengel said:

 

As usual in life there is not "the one answer". It would be quite good to know about the way you want to go caching, how often, what kind of caches.... For example:

 

- If you want to find one cache while visiting a city once in a while just use your smartphone and nothing else. It is perfect.

- Other way round: if you want to crawl through old bunkers do not use your smartphone. ;-)

- Do you want to use "paperless" caching or not?

[...]

 

Please use punctuation character when you answer. That makes it more easy understandable for us.

 

Jochen

 

 

Proper grammar helps too ;-)

[+frostengel]

53 minutes ago, bflentje said:

Proper grammar helps too ;-)

 

Sure! Everything helps that makes a text readable for others - especially if you want something of them.

Probably "grammar" is what I wanted to say in the first place. English is not my mother language (sorry) and I just knew that the first post's language was bad, very bad.

(And I am sure my language is bad, too. :-))

[+NYPaddleCacher]

21 hours ago, bflentje said:

 

Proper grammar helps too ;-)

 

When did the smiley face become punctuation?

[+on4bam]

I think people should only comment on other people's language skills if they are equally fluent in the other's language.

 

 

[+niraD]

1 hour ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

When did the smiley face become punctuation?

Ask and ye shall receive...

 

[+NYPaddleCacher]

1 hour ago, niraD said:

Ask and ye shall receive...

 

 

Very interesting video.

[+niraD]

12 minutes ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

Very interesting video.

I've enjoyed the whole series, especially since the "reboot" where they decided to start over with stone-age technology, and then work their way forward, developing new technologies in roughly the same order that they appeared chronologically.

[+bflentje]

5 hours ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

 

When did the smiley face become punctuation?

 

The moment cellular phones and SMS texting were invented.

Edited February 24, 2020 by bflentje

[+Jayeffel]

On 2/22/2020 at 11:46 PM, msrubble said:

Jayeffel, to load an individual cache to the eTrex, it should be as simple as connecting the eTrex to the computer, clicking "Download GPX," and saving to the GPX folder on your Garmin. In Windows, the Garmin should show up as if it were a drive, and the folder to save it to will look like D:\Garmin\GPX.

 

As a Premium Member, you can also use Pocket Queries to get the details on multiple caches in one file (or two, if there are other associated waypoints). That is a zip file. You can download it somewhere, then extract the file(s) to the same GPX directory on your Garmin as you would put an individual GPX file.

Dummy me, I found yesterday if I go to search and select a location name, ie Hancock, Md., I get a map of caches there, I can zoom in or out and on the left side of the screen there is an option to download to GOX and download to GPS. 

 

Fairly simple,. I thought I saw that somewhere but it never grabbed my attention before. Downloaded many yesterday. 

 

A lot easier than what I did  before. All that is needed is the Etrex, Garmin Express on the computer, and the connecting cable. With Garmin Exporterss I can also download caches to my GOS unit used for driving! How to delete them when not needed I did not know right now. Probably simple also!

 

And I did not know the Etrex has a  GPX folder, will look , thanks.

[+thebruce0]

On 2/24/2020 at 1:42 PM, bflentje said:

On 2/24/2020 at 8:08 AM, NYPaddleCacher said:

 

When did the smiley face become punctuation?

 

The moment cellular phones and SMS texting were invented.

 

Don't smiley punctuate on an essay unless you're submitting it by SMS...

[+besen86]

Ok to answer your questions I plan on going out just about every weekend geocaching during the summer with my Granddaughter and my niece.

Some of the caches will be ones that require long walks and climbing and crawling, but for the most part, just walking and climbing.

I am looking for something that is easy to load caches on and simple to use.

Thank you all for your assistance.

[+CAVinoGal]

On 2/22/2020 at 11:34 AM, besen86 said:

what is a good but not to expensive Garmin GPS to use 

 You are in Minnesota - if there is a Costco nearby, look for a Garmin Etrex 30x - we got ours at Costco (here in California) for $130.  It does the job.  BUT. - if you use a smartphone, and there is adequate signal where you plan to go, you can use the official app and be just fine, without the expense and learning curve of the GPSr.  Even without cell signal, you can pre-plan, create a list for the area you will be in, and download it for off line use and use your phone's GPS to navigate.

[+besen86]

I wish to convey my sincerest, and appreciative thank you to all of you that have responded to my original post. I also wish to thank you all for making me feel like a complete dummy for ripping on me about my grammar. Sorry if I did poorly in school had one person made the comment about it no problem but to have four commenters about it considering my original text was a grand total of 12 words sorry I forgot to put the question mark at the end of my question. Seriously reconsidering Geocaching as a hobby as I am not sure if I am qualified language-wise to participate.

[+kunarion]

34 minutes ago, besen86 said:

I wish to convey my sincerest, and appreciative thank you to all of you that have responded to my original post. I also wish to thank you all for making me feel like a complete dummy for ripping on me about my grammar. Sorry if I did poorly in school had one person made the comment about it no problem but to have four commenters about it considering my original text was a grand total of 12 words sorry I forgot to put the question mark at the end of my question. Seriously reconsidering Geocaching as a hobby as I am not sure if I am qualified language-wise to participate.

 

Nobody teases my grammar, because she knows how to put a stop to that.  She takes care of business.  

 

For specifically a modern handheld Garmin, I'll second Garmin Etrex 30x.  Fits in a pocket.  You can load it up with maps, then load a whole townsful of caches and go, with room to grow.  There's a learning curve to loading stuff for offline use, so it depends on what you're comfortable with.  You can also type coordinates for just a cache or two, and go.  Knock it around, drop in the the creek, drop it off a cliff, and it will keep on ticking.  Cost and features go up from there, as you review more expensive models of Garmins.

 

As mentioned, with a newish mid-range Smartphone that has a magnetic compass sensors, you can load the Official Geocaching App and see caches live on screen, whether it's an iPhone or Android.  If you go where there's no phone signal or if you use it totally offline in the field, now there's that learning curve again.

 

Edited February 29, 2020 by kunarion
Bats got in my hair.

[+Dar.Kwiatkowski]

On 2/29/2020 at 2:43 PM, besen86 said:

I wish to convey my sincerest, and appreciative thank you to all of you that have responded to my original post. I also wish to thank you all for making me feel like a complete dummy for ripping on me about my grammar. Sorry if I did poorly in school had one person made the comment about it no problem but to have four commenters about it considering my original text was a grand total of 12 words sorry I forgot to put the question mark at the end of my question. Seriously reconsidering Geocaching as a hobby as I am not sure if I am qualified language-wise to participate.

I'm sorry...people can be jerks. Ignore them and enjoy geocaching!

[+frostengel]

On 2/29/2020 at 9:43 PM, besen86 said:

was a grand total of 12 words

 

That's the problem. You want informations from us considering a GPS device. That is fine!

We all have our own device (or different devices) and surely many of us have tried others before. I am using my third one now (killed the first one and lost the second one in the woods) and can give you informations about any of those. But how do I know if this may help you?

 

If you gave us more detailed informations in the beginning we could have helped you better. So perhaps you shouldn't just write "a grand total of 12 words" but everything we need to know to help you.

 

I don't know why we are jerks when we want to understand the question as we might not be able to help otherwise. And ignoring those who you want answers from isn't the best solution...

 

Jochen

 

PS: Considering my first post I first asked some questions which were answered later by the thread opener. That's helpful in my eyes. It's not that we only talked about the hard to read post, is it?

[+thebruce0]

4 hours ago, frostengel said:

... You want informations from us <...> If you gave us more detailed informations in the beginning ...

 

"Information"

 

 

...in case the irony is lost, the point is anyone can make typos, or not have English as a main language, and if the intent or meaning of the question or text can be easily understood, it is kind of petty to take jabs at minor spelling or grammar errors instead of addressing it.

BUT, at the same time, posting in the forum usually means we'll need to have a thicker skin than usual, because sometimes there might be something humorous typed, and it may lead to jokes, which aren't intended to offend, but offence could be collateral damage. It happens on the internet, ain't going to escape that.  I make spelling and grammar mistakes often that I notice after posting, but hopefully my points are still communicated properly. And if it leads to a humorous rabbit trail for a few comments, best to either own it and laugh with others, or just shrug it off and move on.  Blatant insults and offensive behaviour isn't tolerated. Rabbit trails and off-topic discussion has a small bit of leeway but can cause a thread to locked as well

In short - try not to be personally offended by people joking about a missing question mark. DO be offended if you're called an idiot because of it, and report it.

...and that is the end of my rabbit trail here =P

Back to the topic...?

[Keystone]

Above all else, everyone in the forum community needs to be extra-nice when posting in the "Getting Started" and "How do I..." forum sections.  These two forums are where newcomers are supposed to ask questions.  The moderation standards are higher here than, for example, the more free-wheeling "Geocaching Topics" forum.

 

We should focus on substance, not form, and I see a number of helpful posts that have done just that.  Thank you to those who have helped.

[+frostengel]

1 hour ago, thebruce0 said:

"Information"

 

Sorry, one last offtopic post and then I am done here:

 

I had written "information" three times and than decided that it looked to bad and changed it to the wrong "informations". It is "Information" (singular) but "Informationen" (plural) in German. For those who wanted to know.

 

Thank you bruce for helping me here. (And that is completely serious as I find a good language important and am always pleased if I can improve my English.)

 

Best wishes from Germany - and sorry for the offtopic

Jochen

[+K13]

On 2/22/2020 at 1:34 PM, besen86 said:

what is a good but not to expensive Garmin GPS to use 

 

Look at a used Oregon.

[+GeoElmo6000]

On 2/22/2020 at 2:34 PM, besen86 said:

what is a good but not to expensive Garmin GPS to use 

 

Welcome to the game; I see you already bought the premium membership without finding a cache yet.  You are ready for the full geocaching experience!  Geocaching is a great game and I hope you love it.

 

My suggestion for you, before buying a handheld GPS receiver, is to try out the free geocaching app on a smartphone, if you have a smartphone.  With Premium Membership you'll have access to all the caches that are available.  I love the app because anywhere I am, I can just open the app and see what caches are nearby without having to plan ahead.

 

I can't really help you with your actual question.  When I started geocaching years ago, I walked into a Best Buy and found a Garmin eTrex H in the clearance section for $40.  Now, looking back, I realize how fortunate I was to find a GPS receiver that cheap; anything more than that, I probably wouldn't have bought a receiver, and I wouldn't have started geocaching then.  I've considered getting a GPS receiver now that my eTrex H has finally stopped working but they're more than I'm willing to pay right now since I can just use the app. 

 

If you are geocaching with your granddaughter and niece, note that the larger the cache size, the more chance you will have of finding "swag", which are tradeable trinkets of small value.  When my kids were younger and wanted to go geocaching with me, I would bring a bag of my own swag to trade with the items I found in caches, as that kept my kids interested in going with me.  These days they are older and don't go anymore, unless I convince them to do some super awesome cache that I know they'll like.

 

Have fun!

[+ras_oscar]

And if you want a better manual for your GPS than is supplied by Garmin try https://www.gpsrchive.com/eTrex/eTrex x0/index.htm

 

I just upgraded from a etrex vista HCX to an oregon 700 touchscreen. I'm cresting the learning curve now.

Edited March 15, 2020 by ras_oscar

[Team_Patton3]

Is it possible to buy an older used smartphone, not connecting it via a cellular network, download what is essential for geocaching vie wireless internet, and let kids use it "offline" out in the field?

[+niraD]

27 minutes ago, Team_Patton3 said:

Is it possible to buy an older used smartphone, not connecting it via a cellular network, download what is essential for geocaching vie wireless internet, and let kids use it "offline" out in the field?

I know people who do this. The kids use smartphones without service plans, download cache data over wifi, and then go caching. Just make sure the smartphone is recent enough to have real GPS capability (not just cell tower triangulation).

[Team_Patton3]

Just now, niraD said:

I know people who do this. The kids use smartphones without service plans, download cache data over wifi, and then go caching. Just make sure the smartphone is recent enough to have real GPS capability (not just cell tower triangulation).

 

I'm not the smartest apple in the barrel when it comes to particulars such as that so would you happen to have any suggestions? Like what kind of specific feature would I be looking for in a smartphone?

[+niraD]

1 hour ago, Team_Patton3 said:

I'm not the smartest apple in the barrel when it comes to particulars such as that so would you happen to have any suggestions? Like what kind of specific feature would I be looking for in a smartphone?

Thinking more about it, I think most smartphones you could get would have real GPS capability. But it would be good to look up the specs of the smartphone(s) you're planning to use first, just to make sure.

 

What will be more of an issue is the geocaching app that you use. In my experience, Groundspeak's Geocaching app is not very good for offline use. All the others I have used have worked much better, but none of them are really current. (I need to find a new app myself, so I can't really recommend any specific one.)

[+kunarion]

8 hours ago, Team_Patton3 said:

 

I'm not the smartest apple in the barrel when it comes to particulars such as that so would you happen to have any suggestions? Like what kind of specific feature would I be looking for in a smartphone?

 

It should be a somewhat recent model, because the Apps rely on updated phone software.  It should also have a magnetic compass.  Before you run out and buy a phone for Geocaching, ask about it.  Most work fine, some aren't ideal, and some have never worked so well with certain Apps.

 

I have a couple of phones set up just for offline use, with handy Apps installed.  Not everyone needs a SIM card.  If you have a data signal, the kids could connect by wi-fi to your phone.

[Team_Patton3]

Excellent. Thank you for the advice. I do not plan on buying anything more than probably $50 if I can squeeze it. So it may be something within the 2-3 year old range at that price (I think?). 

[+kunarion]

16 minutes ago, Team_Patton3 said:

Excellent. Thank you for the advice. I do not plan on buying anything more than probably $50 if I can squeeze it. So it may be something within the 2-3 year old range at that price (I think?). 

 

You my see particular models of working phones that were trade-ins.  They may be slow, have an out-dated interface, and as a trade-in, somewhat beat-up.  But still suitable for Geocaching, and maybe not too tragic if the kids destroy it.  For a Droid phone, look for one that supports at least Android 4.4 for now.  I have a small, durable "Casio G'Z One Commando" that allows easy changing of batteries.  I don't recommend that particular one, because it ceased being updated at Android 4.12.  But it was $50 on ebay, and cheaper depending on condition.  So that's one example.