Quicker Data Entry?

[+dogfam]

My wife and I are new cachers (7 finds in 2 days!). We found our first cache by accident with no GPS and then got hooked immediately. We purchased a Garmin eTrex. Before today's "hunting" I entered the coordinates manually. Is there a way to hook my eTrex up to my PC and do it that way? Is it just as easy just to do it manually?

[+Night Stalker]

If you have mapping software on your PC (I use National Geographic Topo) you can either type the information by adding the waypoints onto your maps or use EasyGPS to download them. Whichever way you do it you then can upload them to you GPS reciever assuming you have the proper cables. I type mine in manually because I get overwhelmed by the volume to waypoints that easyGPS wants to upload to my GPS.

 

Lost? Keep going. You're making good time anyway!!

[+Markwell]

Wow.

 

You realize that you can pick and choose individual caches to download to EasyGPS and then just send that ONE cache to the GPS receiver. No typing. EasyGPS won't send anything you don't request to your receiver.

 

Get the cable. It's worth every penny - even at triple the price..

 

Consider what I do:

As a charter member, I can get a Pocket Query that is sent to me daily. This PQ contains a *.loc file of the 380 or so caches within a 100 mile radius of my house that I haven't found yet. I load delete the contents of my GPS and reload the waypoints before I go out hunting. No archived caches in the system since the info is updated daily. I load 380+ points with precision accuracy in less than 15 seconds.

 

Why would anyone NOT do that?

 

Markwell

Chicago Geocaching

[+Geo-Johnson's]

We havnt used EasyGPS yet. We pick out all of our caches........enter all the coords at LostOutdoors.com then we get a satelite photo of where they're all located etc. It helps us figure out what order we want to do them all......and gives a cool photo too. Once you've got the coords entered, you click on the button to download them to your GPS. You will need the cable for your PC though.....

 

You didn't say which Etrex you have...I don't believe the yellow etrex is capable of downloading is it?

 

Children are natural mimics who act like their parents despite every effort to teach them good manners.

[+georgeandmary]

I started out entering by hand because I was too lazy to pull the PC out and plug in the cable. It wasn't much of a hastle becaue there were a lot fewer caches out there.

 

But after one or two wild goose chases due to crossed number, you'll learn that downloading the waypoints is quicker and mistake free. Assuming the hider entered the coordinates corectly.

 

george

 

Pedal until your legs cramp up and then pedal some more.

[+fishin'fool]

I use easy GPS and really like it.There is a box on the cache page you can check that says "download to easy GPS"it will only download the ones you check.I've found it too easy to make a mistake in entering the numbers by hand,one key number can make a big difference.Also you can manage all your waypoints and routes on your pc and transfer them to your gps.One more thing is you can highlight a waypoint and select view online and get road maps,topo maps,or satalite photos.

 

 

fishin'fool was here!

[+wingryder]

And to take it one step further. Dust off that old Palm pda and take the cache descriptions of everyone of those 450 caches mentioned with you. Now you are a "geocacher".

 

(well as soon as you get stuck a few times)

wingryder

[+Search1128]

I use EasyGPS. After checking the boxes for the caches of which I want the waypoints, I transfer the waypoints to my GPS. Next step is I load the waypoints from the GPS to USAPhoto. I print out a page from USAPhoto at the desired zoomlevel. I print it out and take the "map" along with me.

I have dl'ed almost the entire state of Utah in USAPhoto now. Very interesting to just brows around at a birds eye view of where I live. Search1128

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

Easy GPS

 

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS *GEOTRYAGAIN* http://www.msnusers.com/MissouriTrails

[+Corp of Discovery]

quote:

---

Originally posted by wingryder:

And to take it one step further. Dust off that old Palm pda and take the cache descriptions of everyone of those 450 caches mentioned with you.

---

 

I've never quite figured out how to download the descriptions to my pda. Any advice?

 

How come I was never lost BEFORE I got a GPS?

[+Shoebox]

Hey Geo-Johnson's, did you notice that www.lostoutdoors.com has a topo option? At the photo line there is a dropdown to a topo map selection. You can also add extra way points to the map which is very handy for parking and nearby caches. The photos are interesting but I think you will find the topo a lot more helpful.

[pbarr86]

Add me to the EasyGPS list, I don't it could get much quicker than that.

 

Paul

[Dinoprophet]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Geo-Johnson's:

You didn't say which Etrex you have...I don't believe the yellow etrex is capable of downloading is it?

---

It sure is. I just got a cable after almost a year of manually entering coords, and I'm LOVING it!

 

I got mine off eBay. It's not a Garmin cable. It's shaped in such a way that the GPS lays flat when it's plugged in.

 

Another EasyGPS vote, BTW.

 

If you're so inclined, there are DIY projects at this site.

 

"Winter's just the curtain. Spring will take the bow"

-- Richard Shindell, Spring

[+rldill]

quote:

---

I was too lazy to pull the PC out and plug in the cable.

---

 

I was having to swap cables all the time, I also had to pull the cpu out to swap the cables so I got a serial extension cord and leave it hooked to the cpu that way the end is always handy.

 

Former EarthNOlink user!!!!!!!!!

 

Take a chance or you'll never know. Let your spirits soar!

[+Siberian Cacher]

quote:

---

Is there a way to hook my eTrex up to my PC and do it that way? Is it just as easy just to do it manually?

---

 

I, also, have a trusty Yellow E-trex. I probably do it both ways equally. I do enjoy the data cable, though. I made mine for free using an old serial cable I found. It took about 10 minutes to make and it works great. I downloaded EasyGPS and I like it. I can mail you a picture if you want.

 

I also enter data manually to keep up on my unit. I always print off the cache information and keep it with me so if my unit dies, I won't be fumbling trying to enter the coordinates.

 

I want to overlay some tracback routes on some maps so I'll see if I can do it.

 

Bottom line: Get or make a cable. That way you can utilize your unit to its maximum potential.

 

With man, it is impossible, but with God, all things are possible!

[+BigBirdNL]

When I started half a year ago, I had the same problems mentioned above:

- get the waypoints into my gps

- find a good map

- do needed coord conversions

 

I created a solution called CacheMaps.

Download your waypoints, read into CacheMaps, open a choise of online maps/photos, send selected waypoints to your GPS.

Also, open the waypoints in a selection of applications (e.g. EasyGPS but lots supported).

 

And now I do not need to type in any coord anymore, anywhere.

 

You can find more information and downloads on my homepage.

 

BigBird

 

-- there is no spoon --

[+brad.32]

I don't like lostoutdoors.com's because the JPGs that can be downloaded don't have JPG world files (JGW) to georeference the images (for ArcPad). That file IS available at terraserver.

 

... and the imagery available from both is aerial PHOTOGRAPHY not satellite IMAGES. Satellites do NOT acquire photographs.