day Article Cause Influx of Newbies (like me)

[Guest Zam84]

OK. So I read the USA Today article and was intrigued. I then spent some time on www.geocaching.com and was hooked. Next I set about to set the hook for my wife. This actually turned out to be pretty easy.

 

We went out this AM (7/28) and bought the basic Garmin etrex based upon the USA Today article and a message on the www.geocaching.com page. Reading through the board here, it seems as if there could be some problems with this unit.

 

We went looking for our first cache and FOUND it. The etrex seemed to track well in the woods...it was not an overly dense woods, but it wasn't a pasture either. We started tracking from our home in the car and it was neat to see that it was tracking our speed pretty accurately.

 

But, when we prepared to leave around 7:00 PM EST, we had trouble getting a signal. It had also become pretty overcast.

 

So, does the time of day and/or the overcast sky play into the tracking ability? I would hate to have this thing lose the ability to get me back home just because it got late or a little overcast. We returned via the same route so, I would have expeted to get similar readings.

[Guest dmdeitz]

congrats on joining the group! I just started a couple weeks ago too! Check my note about good / bad reviews on just about every model at:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000268.html

 

And the instruction manuals say weather doesn't affect the signal. I can't see how clouds / weather can't affect it (double negative.. I think clouds DO affect it). I've also heard that the number / position of satellites overhead can affect it. And add to the fact that I am negative about the etrex and there's an explaination?

 

I'm trying out the Magellan 315 now.

[Guest arffer]

Welcome to geocaching!

 

Moisture is what effects the satellite signals. For example, in heavy tree cover, its the moisture in the leaves that causes the problems.

 

I have a Magellan 315, and the ONLY time I've had marginal locks is on a 90% humidity day with complete cloud cover. Later when I was under a fair sized patch of blue sky, the locks soared again.

[Guest ClayJar]

I have a Magellan MAP 330, and it's always given me good locks (not perfect, but very good)... until one point yesterday. I was hiking Mount LeConte in the Smokies, and all the way up I had great locks and even WAAS. On the way down, it started raining. It stopped after a while, but I got terrible reception the rest of the way.

 

It did fine in the mountains and trees, but when the rain came in and made the trees that much more GPS-opaque, reception tanked. Moral: if you're geocaching in the mountains with intense tree cover and the rain starts pouring, it might take a little longer to find the cache.

[Guest ClayJar]

I have a Magellan MAP 330, and it's always given me good locks (not perfect, but very good)... until one point yesterday. I was hiking Mount LeConte in the Smokies, and all the way up I had great locks and even WAAS. On the way down, it started raining. It stopped after a while, but I got terrible reception the rest of the way.

 

It did fine in the mountains and trees, but when the rain came in and made the trees that much more GPS-opaque, reception tanked. Moral: if you're geocaching in the mountains with intense tree cover and the rain starts pouring, it might take a little longer to find the cache.

[Guest PharoaH]

We have two basic yellow eTrex's and they seem to work great. Basicaly, we use it to get within 50' then take a bearing and distance reading from the GPS. From there, use a compass and your natura skills of observation. If you like the extra map features and don't mind spending the money, the more feature-rich models may make you happy. As far as a signal lock, the eTrex has aways put me in the general vicinity. That is where the hunt realy begins - and it relies upon your skills at observation.

[Guest kc8ahn]

I have had my yellow etrex for right at a year now and love it. I to just found out about geocaching in the usa today, and even kept that artical. I have spent an hour or so looking at this site, and even joined some clubs in yahoo on the subject. I love my little etrex. I have not had any problem with it tracking, and it seems to work great and all. Sure, id love to have a more expensive one, but this one is good enought for me for now, especially since it was free (birthday). As a ham radio operator, I think I am going to try to get something started using the 2.

[Guest BREW]

73! this does sound great! I saw a spot on the local network and decided to pick up a gps rcvr as soon as I can

KC7NYS

[Guest Lou C]

Welcome to all newcomers to the sport/hobby/art of geocaching!

 

I am relatively new myself and have found GPS receiver reception to be variable. Trees and dense cloud cover (basically water as arffer states "Moisture is what effects the satellite signals"). But you will find that is what makes this so interesting. If you had pinpoint accuracy, how fun would it be to just walk right up to the box?

 

So just remember as you seek your next cache and the tree cover gets real dense, and it starts to rain, the fun is about to begin! If things are bad enough, you may have to get into an open area and get a general sense of bearing and distance into the woods then go for it that way.

 

73's (which means best regards) to all amateur radio operators who are getting into this.

 

Lou

WA8YRH

 

[This message has been edited by Lou C (edited 30 July 2001).]

[Guest DrewG]

Zam, which USA Today article was it? I know there was one about a month or two back. Was there one more recently?

[Guest Markwell]

Here's the link to the 7/27 story...

 

USA TODAY'S STORY FROM 7/27/01

 

[This message has been edited by Markwell (edited 31 July 2001).]