Legend C

[TheChappies]

I have never used a gps or been caching. I have on order the etrex legend c. Is there anything else I should get. I don't want to get too complicated just yet. I am just going to do some "basic" looking, driving then walking at first.

 

Thanks

[peter]

The basemap on the LegendC is just that - very basic and only covering highways and a few major roads. I'd recommend you also get MapSource CitySelect which will let you download detailed street-level maps and will support the auto-routing feature of the LegendC. Besides being useful in directing you on roads to near cache locations, it also makes the GPS much more useful in general by giving you directions to specified addresses, business locations, restaurants, attractions, etc.

[+Miragee]

Congratulations on your new purchase, and welcome to the world of Geocaching!

 

I have the Garmin Vista and have appreciated the neoprene cover I got for it. I have fallen down a few times and even dropped it on a tile floor one time.

 

Do you already have a Palm or Pocket PC? You will find one of those to be very helpful for "paperless" caching.

 

After I printed out pages and pages of caches, I discovered I could use my Palm and Cachemate (a shareware program that only costs $8.00) to hold all the cache info.

 

Becoming a Premium Member, for only $3.00/month, allows you to get "Pocket Queries" which simplifies the downloading of cache info into your GPSr and your handheld.

 

One other program to download and preview is GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife).

 

In addition to these things, you might do a Forum Search for Geocaching supply lists. I use a fanny pack in which I carry my digital cameras, water, flashlight, spare NIMH batteries (very important!), and other "necessities" for a long or short walk.

 

I also carry a "Swag" bag that contains stuff I will trade for if I find something in the cache I want. I use one of those "Arctic Zone" lunch bags.

 

And, peter is right, the Mapsource maps are a very helpful addition for navigating to the trailhead or park entrance.

 

Edit to correct typo . . .

Edited May 1, 2005 by idiosyncratic

[TheChappies]

How much is mapsource and where do I get it?

[+Moab Man]

Word of caution, be patient with trying to figure out your GPS. There is alot of stuff in that thing and it will frustrate you for a while as you learn to use it.

[peter]

How much is mapsource and where do I get it?

Amazon.com sells MapSource CitySelect-NA for $108 (with $30 off if you sign up for their Visa card). Note that MapSource MetroGuide-NA is a little less expensive and has the same maps, but it doesn't support the auto-routing feature of the LegendC and that's why CitySelect-NA is recommended instead.

 

Idiosyncratic had some good suggestions for additional extras. I'd also suggest looking at the free/donation-ware USPhotoMaps at http://jdmcox.com . It lets you display USGS topo maps or aerial photos on your PC and see the GPS tracks/waypoints/routes overlaid on top of them.

[+briansnat]

The basemap on the LegendC is just that - very basic and only covering highways and a few major roads.  I'd recommend you also get MapSource CitySelect which will let you download detailed street-level maps and will support the auto-routing feature of the LegendC.  Besides being useful in directing you on roads to near cache locations, it also makes the GPS much more useful in general by giving you directions to specified addresses, business locations, restaurants, attractions, etc.

City Select can be a good choice, depending on your planned primary use. If you are planning on using your unit mostly for hiking, backpacking, geocaching in the woods or other outdoor activities, you may want to consider Mapsource Topo.

 

If you will chiefly be using it for finding your way around town and for urban and suburban geocaching, City Select is your best route. With CS you can find out where the nearest church, police station, restaurant, hotel, gas station, park, museum, beauty salon, mall, etc... is and get turn by turn directions to it. You can also get turn by turn directions to a specific address.

 

One caveat with CS is that in densely populated urban and suburban areas it takes a LOT of memory. If you live in a major metropolitan area, your coverage will be limited with the Legend C's 24 meg of memory.

 

Mapsource Topo will show you streams, swamps, hills, ravines, cliffs and other terrain features. Topo shows most roads, but the data is about 10 years old and may be missing some newer roads. For most regions, Topo takes up less memory than City Select - in somes cases far less. - meaning you can usually have far more detailed map coverage using Topo.

 

You can get either from any place that sells Garmion GPSes. Amazon.com is a good source and usually has the best prices.

 

Here are some examples of coverage using either in a Legend C:

 

City Select coverage away from major metropolitan area

 

City Select coverage for a major population center

 

Topo coverage in the same region

[Raoul]

I have never used a gps or been caching. I have on order the etrex legend c. Is there anything else I should get. I don't want to get too complicated just yet. I am just going to do some "basic" looking, driving then walking at first.

 

Thanks[unquote]

 

How about a couple of weeks vacation from work,because once that little toy reaches you.......,life as you know it may very well be over.

 

Have lots of fun with it and prepare to lose some serious sleep!!!

[+Miragee]

I have never used a gps or been caching.  I have on order the etrex legend c. Is there anything else I should get.  I don't want to get too complicated just yet.  I am just going to do some "basic" looking, driving then walking at first.

 

Thanks

How about a couple of weeks vacation from work,because once that little toy reaches you.......,life as you know it may very well be over.

 

Have lots of fun with it and prepare to lose some serious sleep!!!

That's right . . . in my long post above, I forgot to mention you will need:

 

Lots of time off!!

[+Jerseytrex]

Got the Legend C a couple of months ago for a steal off of some wierd website. We love our added acurracy and the backlight helps alot with night caches. And while it doesnt matter to most, the battery life is longer in the Legend C than just about every Garmin product. We dont have detailed mapping but we do get every major highway and state route as well as all waterways. The software that comes with it allows you to organize and download coords much faster than entering individually. Buy a few rechargeable batteries for it and you can spend the money you'll save on some cool mapping software and some TB's.

Jerseytrex