Newbie wants to get started

[Guest Qman]

Just read an article on geocaching this weekend and would like to give it a go but I have a basic question. I'll be using a Garmin IIIplus. Armed with the lat/long of the cache and whatever hints are available, how do I get started. Is there some way to load the lat/long into the GPS or do I just use the GPS in the field to navigate to the location?

[Guest suntzu]

You can manually input a "waypoint" into your gps, and use a "goto" type function, and the directional arrow will point you to where you need to go. Take a compass, so you can follow the bearings when you get close to the spot.

[Guest KB6RG]

quote:

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Originally posted by Qman:

... Armed with the lat/long of the cache and whatever hints are available, how do I get started. ... do I just use the GPS in the field to navigate to the location?

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I am new at this, too, so I hope it's not a case of "the blind leading the blind."

 

Have you visited the website for GeoCaching? That would be a good place to start. Read all the information that is linked to the Homepage. Enter your state or zip-code and you will be shown more Geocaches than you will have time to search for.

 

Then use your GPS receiver to give you the positioning once you are in the general vicinity of the cache you are seeking. Setting the Lat & Long into the unit, and then tracking into the cache may be a bit 'advanced' until you really get the hang of using a GPS receiver. That's my view of it. But I'm not using a Garmin GPS-III, so there may be more to be gained from this forum.

 

Experimenting is really the thing that I've found to help the most, as the GPS Ops Manual sure doesn't give many clues on GeoCaching, does it?

 

 

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

Bob -- KB6RG

on California's

Central Coast

N35°07.240' W120°37.300'

[Guest leaper64]

ok qman, here we go.

on the gps3+,

1. press "menu" two times, this will take you to the MAIN MENU.

2. make sure that "waypoints" is highlighted and press "enter", a list of all your waypoints will now be visible.

3. press "menu" again.

make sure that "new waypoint" is highlighted and press "enter".

4. now this is the screen which you input the information from geocaching.com, you will start with the waypoint name. use the waypoint name from the website (GC???). continue to change the comment, position, and even the icon which will be used for your new waypoint. when you are satisfied that all the information is correct, highlight "done" and press "enter".

5. you've just created a waypoint, now all you have to do is find it.

6. you can press the "goto" button at any time, but lets assume that you are at the "waypoints" list. highlight the waypoint that you want to find (you don't need to press enter yet), then press the "goto" button. the goto screen will come up with the waypoint that you highlighted listed at the top of the screen. make sure that the highlight is on the "ok" then press "enter".

7. now the receiver will be guiding you to the waypoint you selected. btw, to cancel the goto, press the "goto" button again, next press "menu" and select "cancel goto".

---feel free to email me offline if you have anymore questions.

 

[This message has been edited by leaper64 (edited 11 June 2001).]

[Guest Qman]

Thanks leaper! That did the trick. I've had this thing since last fall and just learned something new

 

 

[This message has been edited by Qman (edited 11 June 2001).]

[Guest Qman]

Thanks leaper! That did the trick. I've had this thing since last fall and just learned something new

 

 

[This message has been edited by Qman (edited 11 June 2001).]

[Guest Markwell]

I forgot who posted this earlier in the "Getting Started" area, so sorry for the plagiarism.

 

As you get closer to the cache site, the GPS will be less accurate for direction, but still pretty good on distance, provided you have a clear view of the sky. Someone suggested a technique that really seems to work well.

 

As you get within 60 feet or so of the cache, memorize, write down, or have your buddy remember the last three decimals of the N/S latitude. Then on your display screen of the GPS, have it show your CURRENT position (not the Cache's lat/lon). Move North and South (following your compass) as much as possible until you are on the exact latitude. Then do the same with the longitude - moving only East or West, while staying on the same latitude. If I could draw it here, I'd draw that you made the two right angle sides of a right triangle.

 

This takes away having to rely on the "go to's" directional capabilities, which diminish as you get closer to the destination. I tried this while bushwacking for a particularly difficult cache, and it REALLY helped!

 

Markwell

[Guest GPS-Digger]

*** Newbie Alert***

 

Great answer, but can anyone give a similar answer for how to enter coordinates on a Garmin StreetPilot? Yeah, I know I'll regret lugging it on a cache hunt, but it's all I've got--and it seems to be optimized for highway rather than off-road use.

 

Thanks.

[Guest zenblaster]

for how to enter coordinates on a Garmin StreetPilot? Yeah, I know I'll regret lugging it on a cache hunt, but it's all I've got--and it seems to be optimized for highway rather than off-road use.

 

Thanks.

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The information given by leaper64 covers most of it. I did find this in the StreetPilot Color manual which may help.

 

Basically create a personal waypoint, then:

 

"If you would like to view the location of the Personal Waypoint in terms of its latitude and longitude (instead of on the map window), press OPTION, select -Location in Lat/Lon- and press ENTER. You may also move a personal waypoint to a specific latitude and longitude by higlighting the displayed lat/lon, pressing ENTER, and entering the desired coordinates."

 

My unit is packed up right now, but I've found just playing with the features with the occasional manual searching for details can uncover 90 percent of what you want to do.

 

Hope this was helpful,

 

Jonathan