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Best GPser for Caching


Gomez & PJ

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I am looking for a new GPser to use when I'm on the road and caching in areas with weak or no cell service.  I want one that I can glance at and see if there are caches in the immediate area as I am primarily a cacher of opportunity.  I had an old Montana and the model was from 2012.  I had several refurbished units after my first one and outside of the maps being unreliable the location of the caches were spot on. I bought a newer model in 2018, the maps were awesome, but it did not show all of the caches that were loaded.  Because of this I actually took it back to where I bought and got a new one.  Never got use to using the new one was I continued using the old refurbished ones.  Now Garmin no longer refurbishes the older model, so I am looking for one that is good for geocaching.  I have looked on Garmin's web page and it says nothing about geocaching.  So what do others say?

 

Gomez

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I had a 60CSx for a dozen years or so.  It worked fine for geocaching but eventually I came to realize what I was missing with newer technology. I have used a 66st and for the past two years have been using a 66sr.  Both work great for geocaching and the 66sr accuracy is superb for tracing hiking trails.  Before the 66sr, if I made a track of a hiking trail and it did not line up well with what already existed, I did not have great confidence that the problem was not on my end.  Now with the 66sr, I have become maybe a bit overconfident in the accuracy of my tracks as the unit is so good. Plus with the newer technology, I have proximity alerts which really helps prevent me from hiking right by a cache I otherwise might have missed while admiring the views, birds, other hikers, etc.

 

So if you are OK with buttons, (which I like), want the best accuracy possible and can afford it, I would recommend the 66sr.  However, if the only thing you use it for is finding geocaches, you will be limited in accuracy by whatever the cache owner used when hiding it.  And there are many cheaper GPSrs that will work well enough.  I am sure someone with a broader knowledge of all the different ones will reply.  And I think you will also get recommendations to just use a phone if only using it to find caches, although for some like me, a phone does not work for a myriad of reasons.

 

There is also the sticky on this topic at the top of this forum that addresses this and has several links to other threads on the subject.

Edited by Cheminer Will
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On 2/16/2023 at 5:06 PM, Cheminer Will said:

I had a 60CSx for a dozen years or so.  It worked fine for geocaching but eventually I came to realize what I was missing with newer technology. I have used a 66st and for the past two years have been using a 66sr.  Both work great for geocaching and the 66sr accuracy is superb for tracing hiking trails.  Before the 66sr, if I made a track of a hiking trail and it did not line up well with what already existed, I did not have great confidence that the problem was not on my end.  Now with the 66sr, I have become maybe a bit overconfident in the accuracy of my tracks as the unit is so good. Plus with the newer technology, I have proximity alerts which really helps prevent me from hiking right by a cache I otherwise might have missed while admiring the views, birds, other hikers, etc.

 

So if you are OK with buttons, (which I like), want the best accuracy possible and can afford it, I would recommend the 66sr.  However, if the only thing you use it for is finding geocaches, you will be limited in accuracy by whatever the cache owner used when hiding it.  And there are many cheaper GPSrs that will work well enough.  I am sure someone with a broader knowledge of all the different ones will reply.  And I think you will also get recommendations to just use a phone if only using it to find caches, although for some like me, a phone does not work for a myriad of reasons.

 

There is also the sticky on this topic at the top of this forum that addresses this and has several links to other threads on the subject.

Hi Will.

 

I use to use the 62s series long time ago.  Went to the Montana for the bigger screen, rechargeable battery, dashboard mount, etc...  I would like to stick with the Montana that can provide me an overview at a glance of what caches are ahead and what caches I have already found.  I must say your knowledge of the 66sr.  Thanks for responding to my inquiry.

 

Tom

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On 2/16/2023 at 5:06 PM, Cheminer Will said:

I had a 60CSx for a dozen years or so.  It worked fine for geocaching but eventually I came to realize what I was missing with newer technology.

 

Now with the 66sr, I have become maybe a bit overconfident in the accuracy of my tracks as the unit is so good. Plus with the newer technology, I have proximity alerts which really helps prevent me from hiking right by a cache I otherwise might have missed while admiring the views, birds, other hikers, etc.

So if you are OK with buttons, (which I like), want the best accuracy possible and can afford it, I would recommend the 66sr.  However, if the only thing you use it for is finding geocaches, you will be limited in accuracy by whatever the cache owner used when hiding it. 

:D

I still use a 60csx.  I even load it manually for caches I'll do.   :)   BTW - that "outdated" 60csx has proximity alerts too.

"Accuracy" hasn't changed since GPS was first open to civilians at around 10-30 feet or so.  Most of us aren't surveyors...

If a CO used any GPS today, and they're averaging the spot before placement, it'll probably be found by any GPSr or modern phone 10-30'.

Most cachers we know no longer use the proximity alert, thinking it a newb thing, and put that GPSr away once the reading is 22' or so.

I've heard good things about the 66 models.  I'd probably go with a 65 just so I could replace AA batteries from the pack.

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On 2/21/2023 at 11:27 AM, cerberus1 said:

"Accuracy" hasn't changed since GPS was first open to civilians at around 10-30 feet or so. 

Most cachers we know no longer use the proximity alert, thinking it a newb thing, and put that GPSr away once the reading is 22' or so.

 

I really do feel my 66sr is indeed more accurate.  Not only than my old 60CSx but also better than our 66st.

 

I don't remember proximity alerts on previous GPSrs unless you mean an alert when you are approaching a point you are actively navigating to?  In any case, I don't use proximity alerts as you describe.  For me, the alerts have nothing to do with searching for the cache.  I use my 66sr mainly for tracing trails and am rarely navigating to a specific cache.  I have the proximity distance set to 250' for all caches loaded on the GPSr and filtered to show on the map.  I am alerted just to the fact that I am approaching any cache at all, even if I am not actively navigating.  That way, I do not walk on by a cache without even being aware of its existence. 

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