Garmin M5

[+Sulley_Monster]

I've been looking at buying a Garmin M5. Does anyone here have one? If so, what are your feelings abou it? Likes? Dislikes?

 

Thanks for the help.

[+Miragee]

I don't know much about it, except what I've read on these Forums and the one comment is how they aren't as ruggedly built as a regular GPSr.

 

If you are going to be using it for Geocaching, you will have to be very careful.

 

I've fallen down a couple of times and been glad for the neoprene case around my Garmin eTrex Vista.

 

You might be better off spending your money on a good GPSr unit and then investing in an inexpensive Palm for "paperless" caching using Cachemate.

[+Sulley_Monster]

I wouldn't even think about taking it into the woods caching. I think it would be most useful when I'm in an unfamiliar area. I'd let it give me directions to the next cache, then use me e-trex once I get there.

[+Kymus]

x-posted from an another thread.

 

I just bought the M5 and have had it for almost a week and I love it. My only real complaints are that:

 

1) Windows is as Windows does. Expect occasional lock ups or oddities (my menus were jumbled all up!), but a hard reset (by poking into the little hole that says "reset") so far has cleared all this up.

 

2) You can't enter in locations by lattitude/longitude - it has to be by an address. This sucks for people like me that are uber n00bs to geocaching and are bad at reading a map for directions to a cache (why do you think I bought a GPS?). I am ever so slowly trying to find a way around this so that I can locate and route to a Cache using Garmin's map software (if anyone can help me here, I'd be very grateful).

 

It is expensive, but honestly, I wouldn't settle for anything less powerful (although keep in mind that I do have a tendency to always buy the latest and greatest..). Further, I've found the unit available for as low as $500-something. I bought mine from a company called Compuplus. I got the unit, leather case, 1gb SD Ultra II memory, 3 year extended warranty, extra stylus's and 2 day shipping for $779. I lucked out since my tax return came the same month I got an extra paycheck.

 

If there is anything you want to know about this specific unit - just let me know, I use it all day, every day biggrin.gif

 

edit: as for durability concerns, I plan on relying upon the Otterbox 3600 casing - it's water proof and crush proof. The only thing I don't know is if there is room for the iQue's antenna and how good the reception is from it. I'll have to e-mail the company and ask them.

[+RumJungle]

Kymus - Thanks!

 

Question - Have you tried third party software on the iQue M5 such as GPSTuner, VisualGPSce or others?

 

TIA

Edited April 21, 2005 by RumJungle

[+Kymus]

Gimmie some time to play with both and I will give you feed back. I have BeeLineGPS and GPXSonar installed - but have yet to play with them.

[+Kymus]

Well, I did some more tinkering, and it turns out that from Garmin's Map Source you can enter in Lat/Long just as it appears on the cache page (ie - no conversion necessary), and then just send that over to the iQue in which it will add it to your locations and will be able to direct you there. So this means that part of my concerns are now covered: You can have garmin direct you from your home/current location to a cache that's saved as a waypoint.

 

However, the map software simply isn't meant to take major close-ups and as such it will tell you that you have "arrived at destination" when you're still a far ways away from the exact location. So now the problem remains of having more accuracy. This I'm sure will require a seperate program.

 

I'll update my progress once I figure this problem out. I'm sure this last part has to be easier than the first part.

[+Kymus]

Question - Have you tried third party software on the iQue M5 such as GPSTuner, VisualGPSce or others?

I just downloaded GPSTuner and it detected my GPS (thank God). So now I just gotta play with it some and learn how to use it. I think it just may be what I need!

[+Red90]

However, the map software simply isn't meant to take major close-ups and as such it will tell you that you have "arrived at destination" when you're still a far ways away from the exact location. So now the problem remains of having more accuracy. This I'm sure will require a seperate program.

The problem is you have it set (it is default) to lock to the road. What it does is assume you are on a road and shows you at the nearest road regardless of where you are.

 

You can turn that feature off.

[+Kymus]

The problem is you have it set (it is default) to lock to the road.  What it does is assume you are on a road and shows you at the nearest road regardless of where you are.

 

You can turn that feature off.

Thanks for the info - I totally forgot about that. But even with all that - the problem is that there is not enough space on the iQues map and this throws off the acuracy of distance between the current position, and the cache. See my diagram on the other thread for a better understanding of what I mean

[+Red90]

You can only zoom in to 30 m on my iQue 3600 which is not enough for cache searching.

 

Install Cachenav and use that for the final.

[+Kymus]

Since the M5 runs on Windows, I'll have to use an emulator most likely to use Cachenav - but irregardless, I'll look into it - thanks!

[+twofity]

CacheCows & Kymus,

 

I've been using my M5 for the last month. I've used it everywhere...including the woods. I did by a $90 Extreme Armour 3600 series case by OtterBox for it...my caching buddies call it the "Hummer." It's waterproof, dustproof, drop protected...you name it, it protects the fragile M5 beautifully, and does not affect the gps function or beaming files, etc.

 

[email=http://www.watertightcase.com/3600series.html]http://www.watertightcase.com/3600series.html[/email]

 

I too ran into the problem re: entering additional waypoints when faced with a multi-cache. However, with the help of my caching bud Svenster, I figured a way to do it, as follows:

 

1. when you've found the first waypoint, you can enter in the newly discovered waypoint by going into my locations and highlighting the first waypoint; then

 

2. tap the "Details" icon; then

 

3. at the screen that next appears tap the "Menu" icon, which pulls up a list; then

 

4. highlight "Change Location"; then

 

5. tap "Use Map"; then

 

6. tap "Edit Coordinates"; then

 

7. add and delete the new coordinates as necessary.

 

That's it...haha...yeah seems like a lot of work, but it goes very quickly. The good thing about it is it moves the first waypoint to the newly created waypoint, so the name doesn't change and there is no unnecessary clutter of waypoints on your QueMap. I found that this works great.

 

As for accuracy to get to the cache site, I have found that the M5 is very effective. I routinely get to the site as fast as Svenster and his 60cs, and generally get their before Westalice and his Magellan Meridian something (I think that is it).

 

The real bright spot is flipping screens and logging finds & notes on GPXSonar or reading cache pages...and yes, in some instances grabbing a hint or two.

 

An obvious knock on the M5 is that it is not WIFI, so in uban "hot zones" you cannot access the internet. This would've came in very handy the other day on a few urban caches...as I needed to access the web for a clue.

 

Hope this helps...feel free to email me to discuss further.

 

Twofity

[+twofity]

I do not use Cachenav, and don't believe it is necessary for the M5. On the QueMap when zoomed in at 120ft, I just follow the my built in target line and the built in Nav Bar, which generally puts me right in the immediate vicinity of the cache. If I triangulate, I'm put right on top of the cache many times.

 

I will be testing the BeeLine software this weekend, and will report if it is worth the $30.

 

Twofity

[+twofity]

Kymus, the M5 has been tested in the OtterBox at the link I provided above, and as the website mentions you will need to additionally purchase the "deep box" kit.

 

Another concern/want...is a car charger that doesn't have the mounting dock bracket thing. Does one exist yet??? This is a problem once the M5 is in the OtterBox.

 

While the M5's "female end" is accessible through the OtterBox, Garmin does not make, as far as I can tell, any type of charger that doesn't have the whole docking apparatus. Thus, the "male end" is effectively nutered, when one seeks to charge the M5 while in the OtterBox. Apparently, this problem wasn't solved for the 3200 or 3600 IQues???

 

Can anyone help with this?

 

Twofity

[+Kymus]

Wow, so the deep box is needed for the M5? That's peculuar, because I read somewhere else that just the 3600 can fit the M5 and its antenna.. Didn't you mention that you had an otterbox for yours?

 

EDIT: Scratch that, I looked at the compatibility sheet. It is possible to outstretch the antenna an an angle without the deep box kit? Or is that needed, period, for the antenna to have any room to come out?

Edited April 24, 2005 by Kymus

[+Devil Duckies]

I'm thinking of buying an M5. Can it actually be used as a pocket pc? Meaning can you get up on the internet and run a query and download all the caches into it and then go find them. Or in other words while away from home will it take the place of my PC,Palm & GPS? See I'm thinking of taking a road trip and it would be nice to cache along the way but I don't know exactly where I will go or via what routes so planning ahead is about impossible.

[+Kymus]

With a WiFi enabled SD Card, you are able to browse online (http, to be specific). But to answer your specific question: yes, it is also a fully functioning Pocket PC with Windows Mobile 2003 SE for an operating system. You can download many PC-like plugins for it such as VB Run-times, Flash, .Net, and Adobe Reader. It comes installed with MS Word, Excel, and Access.

 

For some more feedback about the M5 - you can look at 2 of the other recent threads where it's popped up:

 

1

2

[+Devil Duckies]

With a WiFi enabled SD Card, you are able to browse online (http, to be specific). But to answer your specific question: yes, it is also a fully functioning Pocket PC with Windows Mobile 2003 SE for an operating system. You can download many PC-like plugins for it such as VB Run-times, Flash, .Net, and Adobe Reader. It comes installed with MS Word, Excel, and Access.

 

For some more feedback about the M5 - you can look at 2 of the other recent threads where it's popped up:

 

1

2

Thanks for the reply, sounds like what I'm looking for. Any idea what a WiFi SD card runs? And am I correct in thinking I could then use it at home on my wireless network as well as in airports and cyber cafes and any where there is an accessible wireless network?

[+Kymus]

When I bought my M5 almost 2 weeks ago, I saw a 256MB WiFi SD card for $80/$90 - which is how much I paid for my 1GB Ultra II SD card... So it's not cheap - but for WiFi, I think it's worth it really (me personally, I plan on getting a WiFi card in the future and just changing back and forth between cards when needed since the WiFi car protrudes out a bit more than the regular SD card). To my knowledge, there are 0 limitations when it comes to this - but I have never used it or read any reviews concerning it, so don't take that for 100%. But if it says WiFi, it should be no different than anything else.

[+HoustonControl]

I've been using my M5 for about 6 weeks now and like it just fine. It's the only GPS I've ever had, so I don't have anything to compare it to. It's nice to just slide it in the car bracket, click "my locations", pick a cache, click "route to it", then just follow the voice directions. When I get to the location, I pull it out and go. I haven't hesitated to take it into the woods, etc, so as long and you're not clumsy and drop it or whatever, it should be OK. Plus, since it recharges while in the car bracket, I never have to worry about dead batteries. I guess on a long hike, you might want to have a spare battery along.

 

One question: I haven't downloaded any extra GPS software yet (just Mobipocket to store cache info in). How can I download cache coordinates (GPX) into the M5? Mapsource doesn't recognize it -- or at least I can't figure out how to do it.

[hiker102]

This is a great forum for a variety of topics relating to the M5 and Garmin's iQue models in general. Just thought you guys might be interested