New Family

[genevive32]

Hi all, My family and I are new to the Geocaching, I was researching the web site and was wondering if I really need to buy a yellow garmin or the gecko? Would it be possible to find the geocache's with out this? Any other tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Genevive

[+CYBret]

Hi all, My family and I are new to the Geocaching, I was researching the web site and was wondering if I really need to buy a yellow garmin or the gecko? Would it be possible to find the geocache's with out this? Any other tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Genevive

If you're talking about the Geko 101 I'd say don't bother. It doesn't have a port to connect to your computer so you can't upload and download waypoints with it (everything has to be entered by hand).

 

The Garmin etrex yellow has a time-tested track record as a good geocaching GPS. It doesn't come with a cable to connect to your computer, but you can buy one (pretty cheap on ebay) or even make your own.

 

Oh, and welcome to the fun!

 

Bret

[+jbar]

Welcome to the game. Any GPS will work. The choice is up to you. Pick the one that fits your budget.

[+Renegade Knight]

A Gecko 201 should have a way to connect your GPS to a computer. You don't need a GPS to find geocaching. They are just a tool (and a good one) to help you out. If you can pinpoint a coordinate on a map and use the map to get close you can do just fine without a GPS.

[+SixDogTeam]

You don't need a GPS to find geocaching. They are just a tool

Yeah, and you don't need a fishing pole to catch fish, either--but it sure helps!

[+tirediron]

If money is a consideration, try eBay, or the garage sale forum here. You can often find a good deal on an only slightly used GPS compared to what it would cost new. As others have said, any one will work, but I would reccomend one that has PC connectivity... Punching in 14 digit waypoints will get realllly annoying really quickly!

[nobby.nobbs]

decide on your budget and buy the most expensive unit you can afford. as has been said you can cache without a basic unit helps and the various functions of the more costly units also help.

i started with geko 201 which was good but i've changed to gps map60c very very good but costly.

 

have fun

[+graveyard mom]

If you're talking about the Geko 101 I'd say don't bother.  It doesn't have a port to connect to your computer so you can't upload and download waypoints with it (everything has to be entered by hand).

Hey!! I use the Geko 101! It was all I could afford at the time and it does just fine!! Placing the coords in by hand is not that big a deal-I'm not going after more than about 20 on any given day. It has less "bells and whistles" and after seeing some of the massive amounts of features on some of the more expensive ones, I'm glad I am learning on something easy. Maybe someday I'll be able to upgrade, but for a starter-the Geko 101 is NOT a bad choice, in my opinion.

[+RichardMoore]

You don't need to be able to hook your GPSr to your computer. There is nothing wrong with keying in the coordinates by hand.

I've never connected my GPSr to my computer. As a matter of fact, for my first nine months of geocaching I didn't have a computer. I went to the local library to access GC.com.

[+Markwell]

You don't need to be able to hook your GPSr to your computer. There is nothing wrong with keying in the coordinates by hand.

I've never connected my GPSr to my computer. As a matter of fact, for my first nine months of geocaching I didn't have a computer. I went to the local library to access GC.com.

While it's true you don't HAVE to connect your GPS to the computer, it sure does make life easier. As others mentioned in another thread. If you're never going to "cache on the fly" - you'll end up just inputting the coordinates of only the caches you're hunting. You'll never have the opportunity of a 15-30 minute lull in the day and be driving around and see a cache you might not have expected pop up on your nearby map.

 

Currently I have about 300 caches in my GPS that fit the criteria I like. Heck, that's more than I've ever found in total (I'm a slow but steady cacher), but if I ever had a half-day off of work, it would take me much to just pick up the GPS and head out.

 

Also, there is the problem of transposition of numbers or just plain mis-keying the numbers. You could end up miles away from where you're supposed to be looking.

[+koneko]

You don't need to be able to hook your GPSr to your computer. There is nothing wrong with keying in the coordinates by hand.

I've never connected my GPSr to my computer. As a matter of fact, for my first nine months of geocaching I didn't have a computer. I went to the local library to access GC.com.

i, like many others, want to stress that you don't HAVE to download everything. i just completed my first 1000 caches all entered manually.

 

also, i had no internet for the last few hundred. gotta love the local library!

 

'neko

the white diamond pirates

[+AuntieWeasel]

Well, yes, and I grew up in a place called Dry Creek. In the Summer, when the creek (surprise!) went dry, we had to carry five gallons of water up from the pond to flush the toilet. I mean, you wouldn't use storebought water for that, would you? Generally, we flushed on special occasions and Thursdays.

 

So, no, you don't have to have a GPSr or a computer to cache, but it can be hard enough with them. If you really are absolutely strapped and this is the only way you can go out...well, do what you have to. But if you're drawn to the low end just because you're not sure you'll like caching, remember that a model with slightly more features will not only make the experience more enjoyable, but might be useful in other ways, as well. Like driving directions in general.

 

Every once in a while, I'll give the toilet a flush entirely gratuitously...just because I can.

[+graveyard mom]

You'll never have the opportunity of a 15-30 minute lull in the day and be driving around and see a cache you might not have expected pop up on your nearby map

 

actually I am a stay-at-home mom, with nowhere to go during the day usually(except the grocery store or post office, and there aren't any left between those places that I haven't found). If we have any plans to go somewhere, I check beforehand if there are any we might want to hunt. There are no lulls in my days! And I pretty much only cache on weekends with my little girl, or on the day my husband has off work. But that's me and my way, to each his own!

[1infive]

What GraveyardMom said. I forget if my Garmin Geko is a 101 or 201, but anyway I handload my coordinates. It gets me there and back again. Don't be pickin' on my poor li'l Geko.

[+CYBret]

This is all well and good, but I've been in at least 2 situations where Geko 101 owners regretted their purchase because there was no dataport. I've also been in numerous situations where hand entering coordinates led people on a wild goose chase because they transposed the numbers.

 

My opinion is that I would never buy a GPS that doesn't have a dataport.

 

Oh, and that opinion is coming from a guy who owns a GPS that has no dataport (Magellan eXplorist).

 

Bret

[+RichardMoore]

You don't need to be able to hook your GPSr to your computer.  There is nothing wrong with keying in the coordinates by hand. 

I've never connected my GPSr to my computer.  As a matter of fact, for my first nine months of geocaching I didn't have a computer.  I went to the local library to access GC.com.

While it's true you don't HAVE to connect your GPS to the computer, it sure does make life easier. As others mentioned in another thread. If you're never going to "cache on the fly" - you'll end up just inputting the coordinates of only the caches you're hunting. You'll never have the opportunity of a 15-30 minute lull in the day and be driving around and see a cache you might not have expected pop up on your nearby map.

 

Currently I have about 300 caches in my GPS that fit the criteria I like. Heck, that's more than I've ever found in total (I'm a slow but steady cacher), but if I ever had a half-day off of work, it would take me much to just pick up the GPS and head out.

 

Also, there is the problem of transposition of numbers or just plain mis-keying the numbers. You could end up miles away from where you're supposed to be looking. :grin:

At this time I have the 60+ closest caches to me in my GPSr. My trade goods and outdoor gear is in my van. If I decide to go caching I just have to grab the binder with the printouts (cache page with a map on the back) and my GPSr and head out the door. In warmer weather I keep the binder and GPSr in the van, too. (Cold is not good for the batteries.)

I've keyed in the wrong coordinates twice (out of 574 finds).

 

At some point in the future I may connect my GPSr to my computer, but right now my "computer confidence level" is such that I know if I do it my GPSr will blow up, and I can't afford a new one right now.

[+Markwell]

Don't get me wrong - I found my first year's worth of caches with just the little yellow, until my wallet finally coughed up the $30 for the data cable. Now I don't know how I lived without it. My second GPS came with the data cable, and I would have bought one right away if it didn't.

 

Of course, you have to keep in mind that I use my GPS for other hobbies as well, and these lend themselves to uploading large numbers of waypoints at a time.

[beebot]

As a newbie, I had narrowed my choice to the Yellow Etrex or Geko 201 also. I wasn't sure if I was going to like geocaching and didn't want to spend too much money (but I love it). And mainly because everyone says eventually you'll want to buy a cable to connect it to your computer to download the waypoints, which ruled out the Geko 101. So far I've only gone caching a few times and I've been inputing the coordinates by hand. But I will definitely buy a cable in the future, because it's a lot of button pushing to input by hand.

 

I went with the yellow Etrex because it was cheaper. I haven't regretted it. However I was very tempted to get the Geko 201 because it had the GPS games that I thought the kids and I would enjoy. And also it has WAAS that I thought would help me out. So far we've looked for 5 and found 5 (level 1 and 2 difficulty) with no problems. The kids and I are having fun. Someday I hope to pass my yellow Etrex to one of the kids and buy a newer, more powerful Garmin model like the 60C.

[genevive32]

Thanks everyone for all your help and thoughts. I'm going to check into these models. Happy Holidays to all!!! Thanks, Genevive

[+Markwell]

According to Garmin's website, the basic yellow etrex sells for $106.

 

The Venture sells for $149, and comes with a data cable and WAAS, and (in looking at the map that's displayed on the picture) it looks like the screen resolution is much finer than that of the etrex.

 

Given that the data cable for the etrex sells for roughly $38, you're already spending $142 for a basic etrex with a data cable.

 

Why not get more bang for your buck and get the next step up?

 

Of course, you can get those prices much lesser at places like TVNAV.com, but I was just illustrating the point...

[The Dune Doggies]

As a new cacher go to www.geocachestore.com this site has a bunch of great stuff to start caching. Having the pak and all of your caching items makes it really easy to go out caching any 'ol time.