Garmin Etrex Yellow

[cujo0123]

I just got mine today!! Woohoo!! But how do I enter coordinates to go to? When I enter on goto it just enters the coordinates of where I am and not where I want to go to.

[+PDOP's]

Here's a good basic manual for Garmin's.

[+Torry]

This seemed to help another newbie:

The little yellow eTrex is the Volkswagen of GPSr's but it'll get the job done

 

Turn it on, hit the "Page" button to the "Menu" page then the "Down" button to highlight the "Mark" category.

 

Hit "Enter" on the "Mark" category to bring up the picture of the little dweeb holding up the flag. Use the "Down" button to highlight the co-ordinates (which show your current location) and then hit "Enter" this brings you to the "Edit Location" screen"

 

You won't need to change the "N" at the front of the first row that's highlighted, so use the "Down" button to move to the next number until you get to one you need to change. Since you are probably going to do a site near-by you may not need to change the first few numbers on the "N" row. Just use the down or up button to get to the number you need to change, hit "Enter" and scroll to the number you want and hit "Enter" again. Do this across the "N" row then scroll on down to the "W" row and do the same.

 

When you've changed to your new co-ordinates then scroll to highlight the "OK" at the bottom of your screen. Hit "Enter" on the "OK" and you go back to the dweeb with the flag. Scroll to highlight the numbers on the dweeb's flag and enter the waypoint numbers in. I usually enter the four digits(e.g., J31Y) and sometimes add an extra "M" or "*" to the end to let me know if it's a micro cache or an extra-tough cache.

 

You can also highlight the little symbol above the numbers on the flag to put up a different icon. I used to mark the caches I had found with a different marker than the unfound, now I delete them. (I filled up my memory, the eTrex holds about 500 waypoints.)

 

Once you're satissfied with your co-ordinates, waypoint name and symbol highlight the "OK" in the dweeb's speech balloon and you are done.

 

Try it with a few easy ones and soon you'll be zipping them in like nobody's business.

 

Be patient, with yourself and your eTrex. The thing HATES trees. When you're getting close stop and stand still for a minute or two to let the GPSr catch up and get a strong fix. When I'm having a tough time getting a lock I'll set the thing down near the best guess and take a break. You can be all day trying to find stuff if you keep wandering back and forth.

[cujo0123]

I figured it out right after I posted. I have a manual but I missed that part after looking a couple of times. Now I wonder...if I can't find something in a book...how in the world am I gonna find a cache? I'm gonna go find my first tomorrow if I am able.

[+gdaybloke]

My wife just bought me one as well, so I can try the hobby (yay! newbie!)

Here's hoping all works well!

[+PeachyPA]

Cujo, glad you figured it out. I had to read the manual a couple of times then realized that the info I needed was on the margin of one of the pages. Torry was correct with the explanation, and the tips about changing icons were good, too. My eTrex has helped me find about 25 of my 42 caches to date. Good luck and enjoy the hunt!

 

PeachyPA

Punxsutawney, PA

[Feederstork]

I use the ETREX base model, it is great unit once you know how to use it. All it takes is a little time to get to know how it functions. The manual that comes with the base ETREX is a great resource on getting to know the model. I think I will be upgrading to a ETREX with more functions, like mapping ect.

 

Good luck Geocaching

 

Feederstork

[+Doggiewoggie]

Personally, I am sooooooo annoyed with my e-trex yellow. I bought the e-trex because I dropped my other Garmin down a cliff and it was on sale at the nearest Wal-Mart. Well, the thing can't STAND being around trees... it just goes nuts anywhere around them! So... if you're around trees and get near the cache and the e-trex is jumping around like mad--find yourself a clearing, let it sit until it locks, and then measure your own way to wherever it's pointing. I take a looooong measuring tape with me...

[scoutsout]

I went for the "little yellow VW" as my first GPSr, and so far I think I've done fine. I made the choice based on a tight budget, and the notion that I don't want or need a map display, I just want to verify that I'm where I think I am (or where I should be.) If I need a map, I'll do it the old-fashioned way, or do a quick recon online before heading out. I only have a need for entering a half-dozen locations or so at the most, just what I think I can find in a single outing, and I can spend a couple minutes entering them by hand. All this might change as I get more involved with this, but I think I made a good choice based on my current needs.

 

I also went through the frustration of realizing that there's no logical way of entering a new location from scratch. Editing your current location just isn't the intuitive way to do things for a total newbie, though it might be common knowledge if you've done this before.

 

I was sure that I found 2 downloadable .pdf manuals out there... but I can only find the basic one right now, so I must have found the advanced manual while at work. Have a look around the 'net, there are some good sites out there that cover the Etrex yellow.

[+Torry]

Personally, I am sooooooo annoyed with my e-trex yellow. I bought the e-trex because I dropped my other Garmin down a cliff and it was on sale at the nearest Wal-Mart. Well, the thing can't STAND being around trees... it just goes nuts anywhere around them! So... if you're around trees and get near the cache and the e-trex is jumping around like mad--find yourself a clearing, let it sit until it locks, and then measure your own way to wherever it's pointing. I take a looooong measuring tape with me...

That is the toughest part of dealing with the little guy. I've had TOO many DNF's on cloudy days.

 

On the other side of the coin: My very first find with the eTrex was made in a heavy downpour at the side of a creek under VERY heavy canopy coverage. The thing to me right to the spot. Go figger.

[+robert]

On the other side of the coin: My very first find with the eTrex was made in a heavy downpour at the side of a creek under VERY heavy canopy coverage. The thing to me right to the spot. Go figger.

A while back when I was still using my SporTrak color, went out on a day caching with a buddy who was using the yellow Etrex. It poured the whole day and the canopy at one particular cache was so thick it almost blocked the rain. I got the "lost satellite reception" screen on my SporTrak, his yellow kept on ticking right to the cache.

[+Ficky]

you'll get used to it it took me a couple of days, but I can now whizz around with that thing and get to almost anywhere. Yeah it gets touchy around trees sometimes but not always. I get the best reception on hills or valleys for some reason.

 

Dan

[+boulist44]

Maybe it's just me, a thick Englishman living in France, but mine has found all my caches without any problems. Perhaps it's an operator problem not the machine.

A great little GPS stick with it.

[ossineke]

you bet....i love my little yellow gps...the cachs i found..it told me i was a foot and a half away....or three feet away....you cant ask for more...

[Pipanella]

I have an eTrex yellow and I'm quite happy with it. Have to agree with scoutsout.

[peterthebruce]

I had the same problem today when I unpacked it! Not intuitive from the manual but I figured it out eventually.

[+Skully & Mulder et al.]

It took us three trips and about 2 hours of searching to find our first cache. I think using the same GPS'r, that same cache would have taken us about 30 seconds to find today. It's just a matter of learning how your GPS'r reacts as you are approaching the posted coordinates. Remember, Stayfloopy found over 1000 caches with his yellow etrax.

[+Torry]

I can't emphasize enough the importance of giving the little yeller feller time to catch up. Once you get within 50 feet or so, take not of your cardinal directions and just set the guy down on a convenient stump, rock or something similar. Take a good look around, you may spot the cache. Have a smoke, or drink or just chat with the birdies... and THEN take a gander at the read-out and see where you stand.