Newbie.....I just don't get it

[Grampa Pockets]

I got my Garmin Etrex today and I "think" I see that I can enter something that tells me where I am and I can go away and it will lead me back to that point. BUT..how do I enter something like GC9256 for a cache and get directions to FIND it..........so frustrated.....maybe just too old for this stuff.

Maybe somebody would help but understand I know NOTHING, so please don't use buzz words that you as an experienced cacher understand but I probably won't.

[umc]

Seriously RTFM

 

[umc]

Ok, ok.. what you are talking about are waypoints and as far as the jive you just posted thats groundspeaks way of keeping track of each cache. You will be more concerned with Lat and Lon. Thats how you will find the caches.

 

Read the manual that came with your etrex and also the about page here and you should be all set if after that you still have questions please post and I along with the rest will be more than happy to help.

 

[+ooga booga]

I don't have an Etrex basic any more, so this is off the top of my head. Unless you have a computer cable and EasyGPS (which is a whole 'nother story), you have to enter waypoints and cache coordinates by hand. The Etrex doesn't come with a computer cable, so I'm guessing you probably don't have one.

 

Here's how to enter stuff in: scroll through till you find the option to 'mark' a waypoint. (The manual should tell you where to find it.) Do that, and it'll come up with a picture of a guy planting a flag and some other information. Use the up/down arrows to highlight the box with the coordinates, and click enter on that.

 

Now you can scroll through the numbers using up/down and enter, and instead of it being the coordinates for where you're sitting, you can change it to the coordinates for whatever geocache you'd like to find. If you'd like you can also go up to the top and change 001 to GC3432 or whatever the cache's waypint name is.

 

When you're done, go back to the 'OK?' and click enter on it. Presto! Geocache coordinates entered.

[+briansnat]

The best way is to get the cable and dowload EasyGPS (the link is on this website). I had been geocaching for nearly a year before I did this and it makes life so much easier. Now I have the waypoint of every Geocache within 30 miles of my home loaded. It would have taken me all day to enter that manually!

 

But read your manual and it shold provide any info you need.

 

"Life is a daring adventure, or it is nothing" - Helen Keller

[Chameleon Circuit]

umc said it didn't work, so never mind.

 

[This message was edited by GeoPrincess on September 25, 2002 at 06:01 AM.]

[umc]

quote:

---

Originally posted by GeoPrincess:

1. Build an altar to the Waypoint Fairy

2. Place your etrex under your pillow and say "ooga booga" five times

3. Go to bed

4. When you get up in the morning you will discover waypoints have been magically entered into your etrex

5. The rest is up to you

---

 

 

I tried that before and I must say that it doesn't work. Do you think I may have done something wrong?

 

[umc]

quote:

---

Originally posted by GeoPrincess:

1. Build an altar to the Waypoint Fairy

2. Place your etrex under your pillow and say "ooga booga" five times

3. Go to bed

4. When you get up in the morning you will discover waypoints have been magically entered into your etrex

5. The rest is up to you

---

 

 

I tried that before and I must say that it doesn't work. Do you think I may have done something wrong?

 

[+apersson850]

Funny, I do that all the time. Has never failed. Maybe it only works in the eastern hemisphere, then, or only if the chief chaplan has the proper geo-suit.

 

Anders

[+apersson850]

Funny, I do that all the time. Has never failed. Maybe it only works in the eastern hemisphere, then, or only if the chief chaplan has the proper geo-suit.

 

Anders

[TheMoore's]

When you find the cache page of the cache you want to search for (details), uder the name is the Latitude and Longitude that umc was talking about. That is what you are going to enter into your etrex as a waypoint. Geochaching.com uses the GC1023 numbers for tracking different caches and you can use it to name your waypoints as well.

 

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

"You're no verra sensible, Sassenach, but I like ye fine. Let's go."

[Grampa Pockets]

Ok..I got it and got close to a cache last night but it got dark and I got lost.....LOL...thanks everybody.....even the ones that I had no idea what you were saying..LOL

[+The Cheeseheads]

A great place to get your questions answered, is Markwell's FAQ which answers a lot of common questions.

 

- - - - -

Wisconsin Geocaching Association

[The Dynamic Duo]

I just wanna see my avatar in action.

[The Dynamic Duo]

Sweet!

[Texzen and Sha]

Originally posted by umc:

Seriously RTFM

 

http://www.mi-geocaching.org/

[/i too got a Magellan Meridian and there is no instruction book with it other than how to install the batteries. Well, duh, anyone can do that. It's "How To Operate This Thing I Need"

I thought when I first signed up to Geocaching, there was somewhere, instructions on how to use GPS. Any help would be appreciated.

[+Jamie Z]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Texzen:

I too got a Magellan Meridian and there is no instruction book with it other than how to install the batteries. ...when I first signed up to Geocaching, there was somewhere, instructions on how to use GPS. Any help would be appreciated.

---

Texzen,

 

Here's your manual. (It's long, give it a minute)

 

Play around with your unit a bit (yeah, we can say that) and if you still have any questions... post 'em here. We'll help.

 

Jamie

[+Pepper]

Unless you bought your Magellan used you should of received a Meridian Series User Manual on CD along with a Meridian Quick Start Guide. If you did not receive this information material you need to go back where you bought your GPS and request this material!

Now for some basics:

Entering a WayPoint, After powering up the GPS you will need to hit enter three times to bypass red tape stuff.

Press and hold down the GOTO button untill the Mark screen pops up. Use the arrow button to highlight the different fields. After the field is highlighted(such a Location) hit enter, this will prompt you to enter the coordinates. Use the arrow key to enter the Longitude and Latitude. Repeat for each field and your will be on your way to finding a cache. I hope this will help you enough to get your waypoint entered into your GPS.

Enjoy caching!

 

Pepper

 

Horizontals where it's at!