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Garmin Wishful Thinking...


Criminal

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Another thread (The one smart...) brought this to mind and I originally was going to respond in that one. I thought it was strong enough to stand alone.

 

I would like to see Garmin do something for the geocachers who buy their products. They move a lot of units due in large part to this hobby.

 

There are a number of useless features in my V, like the fishing calculator, calander and games. Garmin could easily release a "geocaching patch" that would pull these features out and replace them with a clue decrypter, and other hobby specific programs.

 

What would all of you like to see Garmin have "onboard"?

 

If we can get enough realistic geocaching features, we can email Garmin and direct them to this thread.

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I agree wholeheartedly. Even though "professional hikers" may scoff at the idea, there's a lot of folks who desire nothing more than to geocache (raises hand, hoping not in solitude icon_wink.gif ). Oh, some of us will try to justify their use by wandering off down an unroad road or trail, and using trackback. And when you're going after a cache with numerous trails strewn about, learning to navigate back certainly becomes valuable.

 

I've heard from quite a few folks who want a unit that's "best for geocaching." And we know they've gotta be listening, because they now have the cute little geocaching treasure chest and geocaching found (open) treasure chest on their icon list. icon_wink.gif I think a thread to Garmin would at least be well-received. This sport can pump a lot of vitality through their business! icon_smile.gif

 

What would I suggest? Probably a single screen devoted to geocaching. This would allow sufficient character allotment for brief messages. What's really cool on the Magellans is that they actually download the name, waypoints and a -31 character "description" (it takes it straight from easy GPS). No more editting, and there's no need to rename the waypoint with the automatic description loaded. It might be something for Garmin to take a look at? icon_wink.gif

 

A great idea would be for "one of their people to call one of our people." icon_wink.gif Maybe an engineer could exchange a few emails with the most tech-savy representative we could cough up. Garmin has shown that they are receptive to geocaching (via their icons) so I think you've a great idea, and one that will not fall on deaf ears. Good luck!! icon_smile.gif

 

Grandmaster Cache

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quote:
Originally posted by Criminal:

 

What would all of you like to see Garmin have "onboard"?

 

If we can get enough _realistic_ geocaching features, we can email Garmin and direct them to this thread.


 

Things I'd like to see:

 

1. I'd really like a way to tell the unit I've put it in a fixed location, and I want it to enter averaging mode, and WHILE IT IS AVERAGING I want it to display the distance and bearing to a given waypoint. That is, I am at a cache location. GPS reception is spotty, so I want to take the GPSR to a spot where reception is sometimes good, sometimes bad (as the trees move in the wind, whatever) and I want to let the GPSR average out a position. And I want it to continously show me the distance and bearing while it averages.

 

2. some facility to improve a set of coordinates by telling it "Yes, this is another day, a different time. Please average the coordinates you got for this spot yesterday, and last week, and earlier today, and use the current coordinates to improve the accuracy".

 

3. I'd like some info on exactly how the waypoint averaging is done (e.g. is it weighted

so that the times with low EPE count more heavily

than high EPE times?)

 

4. The ability to project a waypoint with angular resolution of, say, .0001 degree and distance resolution of .1 meter.

 

-Paul

 

icon_geocachingwa.gif

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One thing I'd like to see is a simpler way to see descriptions.

 

I KNOW my GPS V has descriptions for waypoints because when I download waypoints from the GPS into my topo software it has them. However I've never been able to see them in the GPS V itself. There are times when knowing that GC9287 is really "Mission Impossible" would come in handy.

 

Wherever you go there you are.

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I have already sent these to Garmin, but here goes...

 

1. If waypoint averaging is not available, stamp the current accuracy on the waypoint when it is created (much like the elevation is currently)

 

2. Allow a user to define a default waypoint type so that all new points would have the same type (this would help with wear and tear on the buttons/click stick). You are currently able to do this in Mapsource.

 

3. Waypoint comments for all models would be nice. I have it in the V but it is missing in the Legend. This would allow for the cache ID to be the waypoint ID with the cache name in the description.

 

That's all I can think of at the moment..

 

[This message was edited by BusBoy on December 20, 2002 at 02:53 PM.]

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quote:
Originally posted by Criminal:

seems like there's a paradigm that says a download patch must be applicable to every user. I don't accept that.


 

Yea, like I need a fix to "JumpMaster" on my Vista :-)

 

Sometimes a majority only means that all the fools are on the same side

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quote:
Originally posted by Criminal:

seems like there's a paradigm that says a download patch must be applicable to every user. I don't accept that. They could easily post a patch and specify that it's for geocaching only.


 

a patch must applicable for every user?? Well I don't know about you but I don't ever plan on jumping out of a perfectly good airplane, let a lone be a jumpmaster directing someone to do that. So that patch is usable for me. Also I don't fish so that isn't either. Sounds like they set a precedent to add what is asked for by a large number of users.

 

So lets ask!!!!!!

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...being able to make the little triangular 'You-Are-Here-Thingy' blink on and off at roughly 0.5 sec intervals? There's been many times when using my Vista while driving in the car (when all you can safely afford is a quick glance) that I would have appreciated being able to better distinguish the Y-A-H-T from the rest of the map on the display. I do understand that the display position of the Y-A-H-T is static (ie: it's always in the same place on the display), while the rest of the map is what 'moves' ...but still, I think that being able to make it blink would be a nice (and easily done) firmware enhancement.

 

(...and please feel free to add 'Y-A-H-T' to the GPSr lexicon of acronyms.)

 

ontario1.gif

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OK as a V user I have a few things.

 

More dadgum memory icon_smile.gif

 

An easier way to switch to off road without having to recalc and going through those menues.

 

Way Point Projection with better resolution .10 miles and .1 km are just not good enough.

 

The ability to make sub folders of waypoints and a way to mark a waypoint as not deleteable with global function. So you can set home work ect and do a delete all and these wouldnt be deleted.

 

Touch screen would be nice, if the iQue had the Helix antenna vs the patch I would consider that.

 

Color would be nice icon_smile.gif

 

I think thats it for the moment

 

-Robert

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quote:
Originally posted by Renegade Knight:

...I KNOW my GPS V has descriptions for waypoints...However I've never been able to see them in the GPS V itself....


I'm not sure about earlier/later firmware versions, but with v 2.08:

use any screen to bring up your list of waypointsselect the waypoint you want and press the enter buttonpress the menu buttonscroll to "Waypoint Note" and press the enter button

 

Worldtraveler

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I would like to be able to be able to turn on a battery charging circuit in the GPS with a software selection. I would think that there would be room in the unit to put a charging circuit. It would first ask you if you are sure that you have NiMH rechargables in it for instance. Alkalines can be topped off, but they can ruin a GPS if they leaked(they dont recharge well). If you tried to charge Lithiums, they would simply lose power and heat up. The Battery timer in conjunction with the NiMH battery setting, can warn you to change the batts, if the wrong ones are installed. NiMH batts charge up to about 1.2 volts under load(The GPS being on). The Lithiums stay at about 1.5 volts till the very end, then drop dead quickly.

 

I would like to see Smart charging circuits, to be added in future GPS units. Of course the cheap units would not have a charging circuit.

 

It is still important to carry freshly charged spares with you too.

------------------------

5_Rubik.gifMy home page about GPS units and information

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quote:
Originally posted by Renegade Knight:

One thing I'd like to see is a simpler way to see descriptions.

 

I KNOW my GPS V has descriptions for waypoints because when I download waypoints from the GPS into my topo software it has them. However I've never been able to see them in the GPS V itself. There are times when knowing that GC9287 is really "Mission Impossible" would come in handy.

 

Wherever you go there you are.


 

If you go to the Waypoint page, you can hit Menu and select "Waypoint Note" you can then see that description.

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Well, since somebody brought this to the top, my biggest wish is for user profiles. Have three or four profiles that are user named. I would have one for flying (unit would be configured to show knots etc) another for driving (statute miles) biking, and hiking. Selecting a profile would automatically change the data fields, screen orientation, units of measure etc. in one fell swoop.

 

In the airplane I like to see different data fields than I do while biking. It’s way too much button pushing to change it all. Should be an easy fix for Garmin.

 

http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/

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In the same vein as the user profiles, I'd like a way to keep the screen layout/field/units that I have selected to display in a file somewhere. It was a pain to set all that stuff back just the way that I wanted it after upgrading to the latest beta firmware (I knew I'd have to do this going into the upgrade, but it still was a pain!).

 

It would be nice if the firmware updater extracted your user setup, compared it to the information that was available in the updated firmware and applied the settings after updating the firmware. A method that allows you to export your setup would be helpful too so that you have it as a backup.

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I'll add my voice to the call for finer-grained waypoint projection on my Venture. While I can get the distance down to .01 mile (~53 ft) which should be good enough for geocaching, it still doesn't feel right when the spot is actually only 30 feet away!

 

While I'd like to see more data associated with waypoints (time, comments/descriptions), I think memory is going to be an issue for many (like me).

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