GPS 76/MAP76 firmware update

[Guest napgravy]

quote:

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Originally posted by GLSailor:

Secondly, "Master Reset." When I first got my MAP76 the date was wrong on it and I had to go thru the Menu-Quit-Power routine several timess before I could get it to reset, but it finally worked

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I've tried it many times but I've been unable to get that key sequence to do anything. When you did the master reset in the past, do you remember if the unit prompts you with some sort of "yes or no" choice before the reset occurs?

 

Have you updated your MAP 76 with the new 2.07 firmware and tried to do the master reset again?

 

If you manage to get it working, please post all the gory details!

[Guest Growley]

Napgravy; I used MeMap again and it has created a file with .BAK extention. When I run the Garmin updater how do I get it to "read" the .BAK file? Do I delete the original? Thanks.

[Guest napgravy]

quote:

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Originally posted by Growley:

Napgravy; I used MeMap again and it has created a file with .BAK extention. When I run the Garmin updater how do I get it to "read" the .BAK file? Do I delete the original? Thanks.

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The BAK file is the original unmodified firmware - you don't really need it because you can aways re-run the original Garmin supplied self-extracting ZIP file to get back the original firmware. You can tell that MeMap has completed successfully if the .BAK file exists though.

 

So MeMap writes an updated .RGN file with the changes. You should be able to run UPDATER.EXE to apply the modified firmware.

 

Now if you can figure out how to do a "master reset" after you've uploaded your firmware, that would be fantastic!

[Guest napgravy]

quote:

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Originally posted by Growley:

Napgravy; I used MeMap again and it has created a file with .BAK extention. When I run the Garmin updater how do I get it to "read" the .BAK file? Do I delete the original? Thanks.

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The BAK file is the original unmodified firmware - you don't really need it because you can aways re-run the original Garmin supplied self-extracting ZIP file to get back the original firmware. You can tell that MeMap has completed successfully if the .BAK file exists though.

 

So MeMap writes an updated .RGN file with the changes. You should be able to run UPDATER.EXE to apply the modified firmware.

 

Now if you can figure out how to do a "master reset" after you've uploaded your firmware, that would be fantastic!

[Guest mcb]

So has anyone actually solved the comment bug with a master reset. I have not been able to get [menu] [quit] [power] option to do anything let alone fix the bug. After backing up I did do a [menu] [power] (this erase all user data) and this did not fix the comment bug. Any ideas short of waiting for 2.08.

 

mcb

[Guest Growley]

Napgravy, just wanted to let you know that this time it worked. I find it very cool that I can personalize the startup. Thanks for the help. Now...on to the reset issue.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays to all.

[Guest Growley]

Napgravy, just wanted to let you know that this time it worked. I find it very cool that I can personalize the startup. Thanks for the help. Now...on to the reset issue.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays to all.

[Guest napgravy]

quote:

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Originally posted by mcb:

So has anyone actually solved the comment bug with a master reset. I have not been able to get [menu] [quit] [power] option to do anything let alone fix the bug. After backing up I did do a [menu] [power] (this erase all user data) and this did not fix the comment bug. Any ideas short of waiting for 2.08.

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A few of us have tried and tried without success. I suspect that we'll have to wait on 2.08 unfortunately.

[Guest napgravy]

quote:

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Originally posted by Growley:

Napgravy, just wanted to let you know that this time it worked. I find it very cool that I can personalize the startup. Thanks for the help. Now...on to the reset issue.

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Good to hear! Having the personalized startup screen is a really good idea. Garmin should take note.

 

I think we're SOL on the reset issue though. Looks like 2.08 might be the only solution.

 

quote:

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Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays to all.

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Same to you and yours!

[Guest napgravy]

quote:

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Originally posted by Growley:

Napgravy, just wanted to let you know that this time it worked. I find it very cool that I can personalize the startup. Thanks for the help. Now...on to the reset issue.

---

 

Good to hear! Having the personalized startup screen is a really good idea. Garmin should take note.

 

I think we're SOL on the reset issue though. Looks like 2.08 might be the only solution.

 

quote:

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Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays to all.

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Same to you and yours!

[Guest GLSailor]

napgravy: I had to look thru a whole host of old e-mails, but here's what I got from Garmin that eventually worked. Note that there is ano additional button to push (and this sequence is a real finger twister - I think you also have to have your tongue is just the right position as well [ ]) As far as v2.07, yes, I've downloaded it, but haven't done or had to do the master reset since the first time. Hope this helps...

 

GLSailor

 

Thank you for contacting Garmin International,

>

>The reset is sort of tricky. It can be done because I just had to do it

>myself for my unit. Just hold the Quit and Menu buttons down while pushing

>downwards on the rocker. Press in the power button then continue to hold

>the Quit and Menu button and the unit will come on. Take it outside and let

>it have a clear view of the sky to reacquire the satellites. Make sure you

>download the new software in your unit first before doing the reset. Make

>sure your unit has this software in it by pressing the menu button twice and

>selecting system info. It should say 2.05.

>

>Best Regards,

>

>Clint Steiner

>Product Support Specialist

>Garmin International

>1-800-800-1020

>fax: 913-397-0836

[Guest GLSailor]

napgravy: I had to look thru a whole host of old e-mails, but here's what I got from Garmin that eventually worked. Note that there is ano additional button to push (and this sequence is a real finger twister - I think you also have to have your tongue is just the right position as well [ ]) As far as v2.07, yes, I've downloaded it, but haven't done or had to do the master reset since the first time. Hope this helps...

 

GLSailor

 

Thank you for contacting Garmin International,

>

>The reset is sort of tricky. It can be done because I just had to do it

>myself for my unit. Just hold the Quit and Menu buttons down while pushing

>downwards on the rocker. Press in the power button then continue to hold

>the Quit and Menu button and the unit will come on. Take it outside and let

>it have a clear view of the sky to reacquire the satellites. Make sure you

>download the new software in your unit first before doing the reset. Make

>sure your unit has this software in it by pressing the menu button twice and

>selecting system info. It should say 2.05.

>

>Best Regards,

>

>Clint Steiner

>Product Support Specialist

>Garmin International

>1-800-800-1020

>fax: 913-397-0836

[Guest napgravy]

quote:

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Originally posted by GLSailor:

napgravy: I had to look thru a whole host of old e-mails, but here's what I got from Garmin that eventually worked.

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That worked!! I had to fiddle with it a few times but it worked! Here is what I did and I am able to repeat it now:

 

Hold MENU+QUIT.

Hold rocker in the DOWN direction.

Hold POWER - for maybe a second.

Release POWER and rocker but keep holding MENU+QUIT.

 

Eventually the startup screen appears. You can release MENU+QUIT now. Instead of "acquiring satellites" or "autolocate", the unit will say "SEARCHING THE SKY".

 

Now the big question... Does this solve the problem with the comment field? A big fat stinkin' ***NO***

 

Thanks GLSailor!

[Guest napgravy]

quote:

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Originally posted by GLSailor:

napgravy: I had to look thru a whole host of old e-mails, but here's what I got from Garmin that eventually worked.

---

 

That worked!! I had to fiddle with it a few times but it worked! Here is what I did and I am able to repeat it now:

 

Hold MENU+QUIT.

Hold rocker in the DOWN direction.

Hold POWER - for maybe a second.

Release POWER and rocker but keep holding MENU+QUIT.

 

Eventually the startup screen appears. You can release MENU+QUIT now. Instead of "acquiring satellites" or "autolocate", the unit will say "SEARCHING THE SKY".

 

Now the big question... Does this solve the problem with the comment field? A big fat stinkin' ***NO***

 

Thanks GLSailor!

[Guest Moun10Bike]

quote:

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Originally posted by napgravy:

Now the big question... Does this solve the problem with the comment field? A big fat stinkin' ***NO*** I saved a waypoint with a comment of "AAA", power-off and then power-on - the comment was gone.

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I just wanted to post to say that people of the Garmin GPS mail list are saying the same thing -- the message from Garmin stating that the master reset will correct the problem is flat-out wrong.

 

Apologies for reposting what turned out to be inaccurate information. Next time, I'll confirm a fix on my own GPS before posting the information (I would have done so this time around, but I've loaned out my GPSMap 76)!

 

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

34H/142F

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest Pote]

Garmin Mail List? Please post info or details. I'm interested in signing up.

[Guest Moun10Bike]

light (good signal-to-noise ratio). To sign up, send a blank email to GarminGPSpublic-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

 

 

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

Jon (Moun10Bike)

34H/144F

N 47° 36.649', W 122° 3.616'

www.switchbacks.com/geocaching.html

[Guest Mopar]

quote:

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Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

As mentioned above by Mopar, the list is not actually affiliated with Garmin, but is run by tvnav.com. Nonetheless, there is a ton of useful information that comes across, and the traffic is relatively light (good signal-to-noise ratio). To sign up, send a blank email to GarminGPSpublic-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

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If you JUST want the annoucements (like firmware releases etc) sent a blank email to: GarminGPS-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

instead. VERY low traffic. No need to join this one if you join the GarminGPSpublic, as annoucements are cross-posted there.

[Guest jdbyrnes]

So does the comment field work for anyone? I just tested mine, and sure enough, after a power cycle, all the comments are gone...

[Guest Mopar]

quote:

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Originally posted by jdbyrnes:

So does the comment field work for anyone? I just tested mine, and sure enough, after a power cycle, all the comments are gone...

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NOPE. Gonna have to wait for 2.08. If you haven't already, email sales@garmin.com and request they add the geocaching icons to the next firmware release. Maybe we'll get the comment fields and the icons.

 

 

[This message has been edited by Mopar (edited 25 December 2001).]

[Guest Mopar]

quote:

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Originally posted by jdbyrnes:

So does the comment field work for anyone? I just tested mine, and sure enough, after a power cycle, all the comments are gone...

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NOPE. Gonna have to wait for 2.08. If you haven't already, email sales@garmin.com and request they add the geocaching icons to the next firmware release. Maybe we'll get the comment fields and the icons.

 

 

[This message has been edited by Mopar (edited 25 December 2001).]

[Guest Rich in NEPA]

Just received a Garmin GPSmap76 for Xmas, uploaded the v2.07 firmware, and have the same problem with the WP comments. But here's another issue: the damned zero character is the same shape as the uppercase "O" and you can't distinguish between them.

 

==begin rant==

Anybody know what's happening to Garmin??? I've had Garmin GPS receivers for about 5+ years now, starting out with a GPS45, an earlier non-upgradable 12XL, then a newer 12XL, and now a map76. I've noticed that lately this company has gone downhill both in quality of products and simple usability. They have so many different consumer-grade receivers in their lineup that even Garmin can't keep up with them all! The user interfaces suck and is far from intuitive. The software is always full of bugs (are they hiring programmers from Microsoft?). With the map76 there isn't even an simple way to create a new waypoint. (At least with the 12XL you can menu to WAYPOINT and then select NEW, which clears all the fields.) What else? The Garmin website is a joke. Maybe I'm just too picky, but I sure wish Garmin would get their heads out of their butts!!!

==end rant==

 

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

~Rich in NEPA~

 

====================================================================

? A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ?

====================================================================

[Guest jdbyrnes]

I'm sorry you're not happy with your MAP 76, I got mine for xmas as well, and upgraded from the GPS 12, what a difference.. Obviously I've seen the bugs in the 76, I mean, how did this comment field bug make it past testing?? Don't they turn them off and back on?? Weird.. I really like the usability of the 76, at first the battery inicator on the main menu page bugged me, but now I like it.. I can check power and return to the same screen I was on faster then I could with the 12.. and I haven't entered a waypoint without using EZ GPS yet, so I don't know about that one.. I guess what I'm trying to say is from the 12 to the 76, I'm SUPER impressed.... The non-functioning comment field kinda bugs me though.. but that's ok, when I picked it out, I knew it didn't have a comment field, so knowing they're working on it is comforting. I'll be sending my email to cust. support tomorrow..

[Guest Mopar]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rich in NEPA:

With the map76 there isn't even an simple way to create a new waypoint. (At least with the 12XL you can menu to WAYPOINT and then select NEW, which clears all the

 

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It's NOT very intuitive when it comes to placing a new waypoint, you are correct. What you need to do is MARK your present location (press and hold down the ENTER/MARK key) then you have the option of editing the fields before saving it.

If you dont read it in the manual, you'll have a hard time figuring it out. Even when I started dong it that way, I felt SURE there HAD to be a better way, but there is not.

[Guest Rich in NEPA]

rst position it brings up the entire matching name and all you need to change is the last character. Very convenient and fast.

 

No doubt that there are more and different and improved features with the GPSmap76 than with the older 12XL, but it's almost like Garmin takes three steps forward and then takes two steps backwards! They took away a lot of the ease-of-use that the 12XL had.

 

Even the Project Waypoint feature is a PIA to use in the GPSmap76. Why can't I simply create a NEW waypoint based on a projection of an existing waypoint? Am I missing something??? When I make a projection using an existing waypoint, it saves the change to THAT waypoint. That's fine if I had the OPTION of either saving it to the original waypoint or saving it to a new waypoint. This to me seems like an obvious flaw.

 

There's just so many little cumbersome and awkward quirks I have encountered in the two days that I've had the GPSmap76 that I'm a bit frustrated. I'll probably end up keeping it and loving it for it's good points, but hating it for it's inexcusable flaws. And the reason these flaws are such an issue is that I firmly believe that Garmin has had all this time to refine and perfect its user interface, but it really hasn't.

 

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

~Rich in NEPA~

 

====================================================================

? A man with a GPS receiver knows where he is; a man with two GPS receivers is never sure. ?

====================================================================

[Guest mcb]

I think you are using your project waypoint feature all wrong. You are so use to your older units that you couldn't see a better way if walk across your GPS screen.

 

To project a waypoint from an existing waypoint without it move the existing waypoint follow these simple steps.

 

First know your waypoint of origin the one you want to project from.

 

Second press and hold the [mark] button (also know as enter) until a new waypoint comes up.

 

Next you give this new waypoint the name and symbol you want the new projected waypoint to have.

 

Next press [menu] and pick "Project Location"

 

Now move to the "from" field and press [enter] select "Use Points Menu" and select the waypoint your determind in step one above.

 

Now enter your distance and bearing.

 

Finally press save and OK and you are done.

 

I can see were this may or may not be the optiomal way to do this particular function but I like that the project waypoint screen is far more flexible then the old project waypoint. You can project a point from current location, a waypoint, or POI and even from the map.

 

I have owned several Garmin unit going as far back as a Garmin 38 and have usually found that Garmin's newer unit although different then the older one are almost alway better. They just take some getting use too. I think I would have adapted to my GPSMAP 76 a lot faster if it had been my first unit not the latest of many. You have to look at the interface from a new point of view with each new unit. Weather you think this wise on Garmin's part or not is another matter. I personally don't mind the changes from unit to unit it lets them arrange things in an order most useful for the application of that unit. I am rambling at this point. Think what you like I like the GPSMAP 76 and I think it is better then all older units in almost all respects.

 

Thanks

mcb

[Guest GLSailor]

My $.02 (or$.03) worth...

 

To Rich in NEPA:

Like you, I have been working with and liking Garmin products for a long time. I sold them with West Marine when the only thing they had was the 45. I recommended the G45 100% of the time over the Magellan and the Lowrance because of the user interface. I also taught GPS principles and practice to newbies at free seminars given by West at their stores. Before that I used Loran and have had plenty of experience comparing GPS to loran (which is quite good here in the Great Lakes versus other parts of the country)

 

I bought my very first GPSr 4 months ago and picked a G48 primarily because of the price(being discontinued) and secondly because of the antenna - I don't think the enclosed helix antennas have anywhere near the receptivity of the external, rotatable quadrifilar antennas of the earlier models, and from the comments I've seen on the Mighty Mouse thread, no one else does either.

 

Maybe we are missing the proverbial forest for the trees?? (Absolutely NO pun intended!) We have in our hands one of the finest pieces of technology available to mankind and we can locate ourselves on the earth to within 15' on a good day +/- WAAS. This MAP 76 can also get us to that 15' place on the earth via roads that we can download from excellent maps and although they aren't perfect, they are (apparently) better that what is available from the Maggies - who are having HUGE problems getting maps downloaded.

 

We are indeed pushing the limits of technology and there are always going to be issues with what the engineers think (however they think) and what the end users think... The "Comments" field may be a thorn in your side, but is it really worth ranting about when you have such a wonderful piece of equipment in your hand that works as well or better than anything else commercially available? Yeah, you can't tell the difference between the alpha "O" and the numeric "0" (and looking at this as I type, there is no difference here, either because those are "O"s (Ohs) and "0"s(zeros)), but where are you going to run into a problem? If you see a "O" in a waypoint, it's gonna be a "zero" and if you see an "Oh" in the (vanishing) comment field, it's most likely gonna be an "Oh" and not a zero.

 

I have 27 counties of southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois loaded into my MAP76 and it takes up 11% on memory - and those maps include about anything larger than a dirt road. I'd LOVE to have both R & R and Topos on the same database - that way I could not only find my way to the cache, but also know what I am facing when I look for a cache - marsh? swamp? hills? mountains? (in Wisconsin? - NOT!) but my crystal ball says that isn't going to happen in the near future. That's a lotta stuff in a pretty small space.

 

Geocaching icons would be nice on the GPSr and they are available on the R & R CD-both found and not found - but you can't download them and have the GPSr differentiate between the two.

 

You can "project a waypoint" to within "0.01 mile" which is 52.8 feet... 'nuff said. Feet would be nice, maybe next upgrade.

 

Obviously, I am a very happy Garmin user and will probably remain so. It would take a lot to get me away from a Garmin GPS. The units are reliable as hell, take a lot of abuse and still continue to work. They work fairly well with third party software and hardware, are practically the standard in marine recreational navigation - and from the forum polls, pretty much the same here.

 

I guess I liken this technology to that of computers in the early '80s (yeah, I was there then, too) -DOS/BASIC programming, terrible screens, etc., etc. It's only gonna get better and before long we will have comment field that don't go away and will probably have more more than 12,16 or whatever characters are available now, roads and topos on the same database, waypoint projections to feet and probably increments of feet - but if that happens, what happens to the sport? IMHO, the uncertainty is part of the hunt.

 

Anyway, my $.02

 

GLSailor

[Guest EraSeek]

quote:

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Actually, from what I've been reading, and from playing with the GPS, the intended use is more the opposite. Take a known location (say, where you are standing now). You want to enter a waypoint for someplace else, and you know for a fact the distance and heading from your present location. Entering this info would offset the new waypoint by the info entered.

How this could be useful to us:

You hide a cache in an area with poor GPS reception. In a near by field, reception is great. You could enter the distance and heading from the field to the cache and get a projected waypoint for the cache that would be more accurate then trying to get a fix at the actual cache location.

The only problem with that in this case, it seems I can only enter distance in miles, to 2 decimal places. Not very accurate, and definately not accurate enough for cache placement. We need to be able to enter distance in feet (or meters, for the rest of the world!). Looks like it's time for another email to Garmin. Maybe 2.08 won't be so far off!

 

[This message has been edited by Mopar (edited 21 December 2001).][/b]

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Projecting a waypoint can be used to place a cache. I've done it. Standing at the cache I project two sets of waypoints, or 4 waypoints. Each set is along a compass line, say #1 would be at 360 degrees and #2 would be 180 degrees from the cache. #3 and #4 would be along another line. It would not really matter how far each waypoint was from the cache. Then I state that the cache is the point where #1and#2 and set #3and#4 cross.

 

Projecting a waypoint can also have a practical use. You stand on a ridge and see where you want to be. You take a compass reading and plug that in and guess at the distance, and set it as a waypoint. when you can no longer see your destination the waypoint is a good guide.

 

 

[This message has been edited by EraSeek (edited 27 December 2001).]

[Guest EraSeek]

quote:

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Actually, from what I've been reading, and from playing with the GPS, the intended use is more the opposite. Take a known location (say, where you are standing now). You want to enter a waypoint for someplace else, and you know for a fact the distance and heading from your present location. Entering this info would offset the new waypoint by the info entered.

How this could be useful to us:

You hide a cache in an area with poor GPS reception. In a near by field, reception is great. You could enter the distance and heading from the field to the cache and get a projected waypoint for the cache that would be more accurate then trying to get a fix at the actual cache location.

The only problem with that in this case, it seems I can only enter distance in miles, to 2 decimal places. Not very accurate, and definately not accurate enough for cache placement. We need to be able to enter distance in feet (or meters, for the rest of the world!). Looks like it's time for another email to Garmin. Maybe 2.08 won't be so far off!

 

[This message has been edited by Mopar (edited 21 December 2001).][/b]

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Projecting a waypoint can be used to place a cache. I've done it. Standing at the cache I project two sets of waypoints, or 4 waypoints. Each set is along a compass line, say #1 would be at 360 degrees and #2 would be 180 degrees from the cache. #3 and #4 would be along another line. It would not really matter how far each waypoint was from the cache. Then I state that the cache is the point where #1and#2 and set #3and#4 cross.

 

Projecting a waypoint can also have a practical use. You stand on a ridge and see where you want to be. You take a compass reading and plug that in and guess at the distance, and set it as a waypoint. when you can no longer see your destination the waypoint is a good guide.

 

 

[This message has been edited by EraSeek (edited 27 December 2001).]

[Guest Mopar]

quote:

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Originally posted by EraSeek:

Projecting a waypoint can be used to place a cache. I've done it. Standing at the cache I project two sets of waypoints, or 4 waypoints. Each set is along a compass line, say #1 would be at 360 degrees and #2 would be 180 degrees from the cache. #3 and #4 would be along another line. It would not really matter how far each waypoint was from the cache. Then I state that the cache is the point where #1and#2 and set #3and#4 cross.

]

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Yes, I see how your doing it. If your going to do it that way, why not just use 2 waypoints with compass bearings and triangulate?

I still think the waypoint projection feature would be much more useful if it didnt have to be done in 53ft increments. Then I could just stand in a clearing and project a waypoint for the cache. Or mark an underwater obstuction accurately when I'm out on the water.

 

[This message has been edited by Mopar (edited 27 December 2001).]

[Guest CharlieP]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rich in NEPA:

With the map76 there isn't even an simple way to create a new waypoint.

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I know what you mean, the GPS76 does not have a dedicated new waypoint feature, but there are a coupl of way that are prbably better, once you get used to them. One is to just hold the mark button and create a waypoint for your present position, and then edit. If the desired position is some distance away, you can go to the map page, move the pointer to the approximate waypoint position, press enter, and then edit that position. I usually use the map page method.

 

FWIW,

CharlieP

[Guest jdbyrnes]

What are people getting for battery life in the map 76? Mine seems to be REALLY short.. ~5hrs. with alkalines?? It seems they die when I leave the unit off over night, how can that be?? No I don't use the back light either.. This can't be normal.. can it?

 

P.S. Just sent my email to request project in feet, comments that stay put, geocaching icons and an ampersand (&) for waypoint titles..

 

[This message has been edited by jdbyrnes (edited 28 December 2001).]

[Guest Mopar]

quote:

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Originally posted by jdbyrnes:

What are people getting for battery life in the map 76? Mine seems to be REALLY short.. ~5hrs. with alkalines?? It seems they die when I leave the unit off over night, how can that be?? No I don't use the back light either.. This can't be normal.. can it?

---

Hmmm, not sure exactly how long I'm getting, but I'm sure it's longer then 5hrs. I get 2 or 3 days of cache hunting in on a set of alkalines. That with using it battery saver mode in the car, then normal mode with WAAS on during the hiking stages. Since I also seem to end up doing the last cache or 2 of the day in the dark, there is some backlight time there too. When hooked to the pc, for uploading data, stupid firmware tricks,etc, I set the GPS to the simulator mode.