Help please with my Etrex Vista

[+ricknsue]

I'm new to geocaching and getting very dissapointed. Have gone out four times, two of the caches were looted and the other times I had trouble with my gps unit. I find that the manual for the Etrex bounces around alot. Would someone please talk me through the steps on getting the coordinates into my unit, and how to make the arrow on the compass point towards the cache I'm trying to find instead of north all the time.

 

Thank you in advance

[Balimbras]

I just had my Vista delivered today, so just went through this myself.

 

To stick in a waypoint, hold down the 'click stick' until the waypoint window pops up. It'll pop up with your current coordinates, but you can cursor down using the stick and highlight the coordinate field. Press the stick, and enter the new coordinates.

 

To go to that waypoint, go to the 'find' screen, click the stick on the menu gadget and then click on 'waypoint', then 'by name'. Clicking on the waypoint you want will start navigation in the 'go to' mode, and if you go to your compass screen you'll see the compass now has a big arrow on it which will be pointing to the waypoint.

 

Bit brief, but I seem to have mine behaving properly. Have fun.

[+Renegade Knight]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ricknsue:

I'm new to geocaching and getting very dissapointed. Have gone out four times, two of the caches were looted and the other times I had trouble with my gps unit. I find that the manual for the Etrex bounces around alot. Would someone please talk me through the steps on getting the coordinates into my unit, and how to make the arrow on the compass point towards the cache I'm trying to find instead of north all the time.

 

Thank you in advance

---

 

Well the looting can't be helped. Caches on occasion get plundered. When you find one you post your find and say the cache was plundered so the owner knows to re-hide it. As for the Vista, that's a good GPS. Wish I had one as it does certain things better than my GPS V. If you have a PC cable here is what you do. Download the Groundspeak version of easygps. A link is on any cache information page. Install it. Hook up your cable to the gps. Set up easygps so you know it works with your Vista. It has a test connection feature. Then when you are on a cache information page click on the download to easygps link. If you are in Internet Explorer it will ask you if you want to save the file or open it. Chose open it. That will automatily put the coordinate into easygps. On easyGPS click on the coordinate so that it's highlighted. then press the download to GPS button. Your GPS should(mine does) beep on the first download. That's it. Once you figure this out you will be able to download 25 points at once using this software.

 

Now as for the compass...um...My GPS doesn't have one. So take what I say with a grain of salt. You have to make a note of your bearing when you slow down enough to have the compass turn on. If you are walking NW wiht 27 feet to go when the compas kicks on. Head northwest and use the compas to keep your bearing.

 

Since mine doesn't have a compass once I get to about 14' I have to do the hula dance (term for moving the GPS in varios spots about body in a radius to figure out the right direction and to get closer). I've become adept at the hula dance.

[cachebaby]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ricknsue:

I'm new to geocaching and getting very dissapointed. Have gone out four times, two of the caches were looted and the other times I had trouble with my gps unit. I find that the manual for the Etrex bounces around alot.

---

 

Depends on the area you're caching in. I'm up against this a lot in my urban home. Just have some patience... keep walking and let the unit reaquire the signal.

quote:

---

Would someone please talk me through the steps on getting the coordinates into my unit, and how to make the arrow on the compass point towards the cache I'm trying to find instead of north all the time.

---

 

The "click stick" is the key to getting into all the features (the little back rod at the top left of the LCD). You press it 'in' to select options or move it like a joystick to scroll thru menus.

 

To enter waypoints:

Press in on the 'click stick' and bring up the pull down menu. Choose "MAIN MENU". On the Main Menu, choose "MARK". Using the click stick like a joystick, move down into the body of the waypoint screen. You can change the name of the waypoint (in the flag), then move down and enter the Long/Lat for a cache.

 

Then, when you want to hunt the cache, press the click stick, select "FIND", press the click stick in to choose "WAYPOINTS" and either choose "Nearest" or "By Name". When you bring up the waypoint/cache you want, use the click stick to move down to "GO TO" and select that. This will bring up the compass and send you on your way (of course, I'm assuming you've calibrated the unit. If not, go to the set-up portion of your manual).

 

Hope this was helpful.

 

CB

 

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

I'm new here, be gentle.

[+Smokehouse]

I jsut got an eTrex legend a fw days ago and mine was working pretty well too. It sounds like if you follow the instructions on the previous post you should be ok.

I noticed on mine that I would switch back and forth between the navagation screen and the satellite screen. I do that to make sure that there are at least 3 satellites that are "locked on"

I also let it sit for a couple of minutes to tlet it settle down a bit and get a good lock. When you go to the navagation screen you will have that big arrow and you need to walk aound a few feet for it to really get your position, it seemed to me that if you just stand in one spot, waiting for the compass to register it won't, it needs to be moved around to get settled in.

1)Start Unit

2)wait for unit to load and get a few satellites

3)Hold down the Click Stick for a few seconds

4)The screen will change to a screen with a man kneeling with a flag in the ground.

5)Use the click stick to move down until the first set of coordinates are highlighted.

6)Click the click stick to select and a little number keypad will pop up

7)Use the keypad to enter the coordinates that you see used on the website

8)After entering both coordinates, click ok or you can move up to the field that has the "001" on the flagpole and you can rename the waypoint.

9)Once you have clicked OK use the button on the top right to get to the main menu screen and click on the icon marked "FIND"

10)Click waypoints

11)Click BY NAME

12)Select the waypoint that you just saved and click GOTO

I know this is basically what was already written but I just stepped through exactly the way I do it and I hope it helps!

 

The KGB

[+Smokehouse]

I jsut got an eTrex legend a fw days ago and mine was working pretty well too. It sounds like if you follow the instructions on the previous post you should be ok.

I noticed on mine that I would switch back and forth between the navagation screen and the satellite screen. I do that to make sure that there are at least 3 satellites that are "locked on"

I also let it sit for a couple of minutes to tlet it settle down a bit and get a good lock. When you go to the navagation screen you will have that big arrow and you need to walk aound a few feet for it to really get your position, it seemed to me that if you just stand in one spot, waiting for the compass to register it won't, it needs to be moved around to get settled in.

1)Start Unit

2)wait for unit to load and get a few satellites

3)Hold down the Click Stick for a few seconds

4)The screen will change to a screen with a man kneeling with a flag in the ground.

5)Use the click stick to move down until the first set of coordinates are highlighted.

6)Click the click stick to select and a little number keypad will pop up

7)Use the keypad to enter the coordinates that you see used on the website

8)After entering both coordinates, click ok or you can move up to the field that has the "001" on the flagpole and you can rename the waypoint.

9)Once you have clicked OK use the button on the top right to get to the main menu screen and click on the icon marked "FIND"

10)Click waypoints

11)Click BY NAME

12)Select the waypoint that you just saved and click GOTO

I know this is basically what was already written but I just stepped through exactly the way I do it and I hope it helps!

 

The KGB

[+inceptor]

Originally posted by cachebaby:

Depends on the area you're caching in. I'm up against this a lot in my urban home. Just have some patience... keep walking and let the unit reaquire the signal.

 

One of the features of the Vista (I don't own one yet but this is one of the main reasons I want one) is the electronic compass. With this unit there is no need to move around to get the pointer in the right direction. It should do it automatically. You could be having the same trouble I do with my e-trex. In tree cover all bets are off. You need to find a close by open area to re-orient the unit. The first time this happened to me I was about 80' away from the cache. I still found it but it took awhile.

 

inceptor

the only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys

[+inceptor]

Originally posted by cachebaby:

Depends on the area you're caching in. I'm up against this a lot in my urban home. Just have some patience... keep walking and let the unit reaquire the signal.

 

One of the features of the Vista (I don't own one yet but this is one of the main reasons I want one) is the electronic compass. With this unit there is no need to move around to get the pointer in the right direction. It should do it automatically. You could be having the same trouble I do with my e-trex. In tree cover all bets are off. You need to find a close by open area to re-orient the unit. The first time this happened to me I was about 80' away from the cache. I still found it but it took awhile.

 

inceptor

the only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys

[Team Grayrun]

Have you calibrated your electronic compass as described in the Quick Start Guide that came with your Vista?

 

Once you've entered the coordinates for a cache and started a GOTO to that cache, you walk in the direction the bearing pointer on the compass is pointing. As the Vista manual says (Page 14), "Walk in the direction of the bearing pointer until it points to the top of the compass ring . . . When it (the bearing pointer) points straight up, you are on course to your destination."

 

Hope this helps.

 

Gary of Team Grayrun

 

The pot of gold is only make-believe

 

The treasure can't be found by men who search

 

Bob Dylan

[Tahosa and Sons]

R & S:

Just Emailed you some links that could help.

Just play with it. do some practice routes in a football field. Use a real compass and compare the two of them. Make sure you have calabrated your electronic one.

Go slow knowledge will follow.

 

The "Bushwhacker"

[Tahosa and Sons]

R & S:

Just Emailed you some links that could help.

Just play with it. do some practice routes in a football field. Use a real compass and compare the two of them. Make sure you have calabrated your electronic one.

Go slow knowledge will follow.

 

The "Bushwhacker"