We have JUST discovered geocaching. I was curious what it was from your posts and decided to look it up. After spending a ton of time on the geocaching site we learned just enoug to be dangerous. ;¬D
We found our first one the next day and decided it would be a LOT of fun to play with the Jeep and treasure hunt at the same time. Ok, *I* decided. hubby is willing to go, but lacks my enthusiasm :-/ He's a real good sport though.
I was reading your post about GPS units but noted that you had not mentioned model numbers. We have this sheet of specs printed out and of course it is easy to see that the more you pay means the more you will get but for geocaching, which do YOU use and why? If you could get a different model, which would it be?
We have a Garmin StreetPilot III now, but that obviously isn't going to work for geocaching.
Um, model number... Uh? Garmin Etrex Legend, the blue one.
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Considering what I use it for, and what its capable of, I should have gotten the Geko or the Rhino or something. I dont use 75% of its capabilities. However, by geocaching I did finally start to learn to use the darn thing. lol.
The mapping feature is important, I really need to learn to use it. I figure next time I hit Moab I certainly will. It tracks where you have been and can save it.
I have a copy of the software both the cities and the topos, and have not even got it up and running on my laptop. I so far have been fine with the map that is internal to the GPS. HOWEVER, I have not used it in areas strange to me yet either, other than for finding geocaches and I usually have a pretty good idea how to get to them before I start out (the ones I have done are all out in the woods either on trails or near roads here).
I did not get the C version, which is the color screen, I didnt see the need for it. After all, most of its time its going to be bouncing around in the Jeep. I also didnt want to spend the extra cash, not knowing at the time how much I would use it.
Here is a comparison page. Checkmark the ones you want to compare:
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I looked at the Legend, Vista, Geko, Rhino, and a couple of others. I didnt look at other brands much, since Garmin is what I was familiar with and most of the guys have them so I can always go to them to get help with it (or RTFM).
Size was important to me, it had to fit in a shirt pocket - to be used outside of the Jeep (this was before I even discovered geocaching). One shirt pocket for the camera, one for the GPS. Number of way points, additional memory, screen size (its a bit small but works for me). I thought at the time that extra memory and maps were going to be important, and maybe they will be in the future.
Depending on your use, one with an optional external antenna may be good. That is one downpoint to the Legend. However, living in BFE it has not been a problem, other than tree cover can be really heavy at times and hard to get a sattalite at all. There isnt any building interference out here unless you are really near a dam.
I am sure the other brands are good too, I am just not familiar with them. Like Warn is the top winch on the west coast, Garmin is the most used GPS.
Also, I found that off all the places on the net that I was willing to buy from, Amazon had the best prices ($125 today - I just checked). Not that you need to get it on the net, but I didnt want to have to go searching in town for it. I hate shopping.
Overall I am pretty happy with mine. It does what I need, and then some. Hopefully I will eventually figure it out and use more of its capabilities. The price was reasonable, for something I mostly keep in the Jeep and might get stolen - I didnt want a really fancy one.
Oh, and I didnt get the power cord for the cig lighter and I really should have!!
Now you've done it! Mr.H. brought me a magazine clipping about geocaching before Xmas but I hadn't had time to check it out. I just did, it looks like fun, and there are a bunch of them near us!
Well, I took the giant leap. Bought the Magellan eXplorest 500 DANG! This thing DOES stuff. Though I am certain that north still is not in "that" direction. Unless of course North has moved from California to tennessee. I know the stars are in all the wrong places.
I just have to figure out what all it does and see if I can remember what to push when.
I've downloaded some caches and hope to go out this morning to look for at least one to try the new toy. Thanks for your input!
Here where we live the Garmin brand is not readily available. Heck, nothing is! I wanted to buy it at a store rather than online incase I wanted to return it. Sounds silly but now that I have played with it a little I like it pretty well. Hope to get the hang of it soon.
"jbjeep" wrote
*snipped*
: Size was important to me, it had to fit in a shirt pocket - to be used outside of the : Jeep
Do you have ANY idea how hard a line like this is to pass up????????????
Kate
(this was before I even discovered geocaching). One shirt pocket for the : camera, one for the GPS. Number of way points, additional memory, screen size (its a : bit small but works for me). I thought at the time that extra memory and maps were : going to be important, and maybe they will be in the future. : : Depending on your use, one with an optional external antenna may be good. That is : one downpoint to the Legend. However, living in BFE it has not been a problem, other : than tree cover can be really heavy at times and hard to get a sattalite at all. : There isnt any building interference out here unless you are really near a dam. : : I am sure the other brands are good too, I am just not familiar with them. Like Warn : is the top winch on the west coast, Garmin is the most used GPS. : : Also, I found that off all the places on the net that I was willing to buy from, : Amazon had the best prices ($125 today - I just checked). Not that you need to get : it on the net, but I didnt want to have to go searching in town for it. I hate : shopping. : : Overall I am pretty happy with mine. It does what I need, and then some. Hopefully : I will eventually figure it out and use more of its capabilities. The price was : reasonable, for something I mostly keep in the Jeep and might get stolen - I didnt : want a really fancy one. : : Oh, and I didnt get the power cord for the cig lighter and I really should have!! : : Hope this helps! : -jenn : : : : : On Fri, 30 Dec 2005 09:22:19 -0600, "KJ.Kate" wrote: : : >>We have JUST discovered geocaching. I was curious what it was from your : >>posts and decided to look it up. : >>After spending a ton of time on the geocaching site we learned just enoug to : >>be dangerous. ;¬D : >>
: >>We found our first one the next day and decided it would be a LOT of fun to : >>play with the Jeep and treasure hunt at the same time. : >>Ok, *I* decided. hubby is willing to go, but lacks my enthusiasm :-/ : >>He's a real good sport though. : >>
: >>I was reading your post about GPS units but noted that you had not mentioned : >>model numbers. We have this sheet of specs printed out and of course it is : >>easy to see that the more you pay means the more you will get but for : >>geocaching, which do YOU use and why? If you could get a different model, : >>which would it be? : >>
: >>We have a Garmin StreetPilot III now, but that obviously isn't going to work : >>for geocaching. : >>
: >>Thanks in advance for any info you have to offer! : >>
HA HA!!!! The maddness never stops. First a Jeep and now geocaching?? I've been caching for about 4 years now. I've been using a Magellan 315 all this time (after almost dropping my Palm in a river). It's got very few features, but works for my family's needs. My father in law bought an eTrex and it's not very good.
If I can suggest anything, get one with an antena. In my experience, anything with an "internal" antenna, won't work when you get in the back woods. my 315 actually has an antenna connector, that I could use an antenna mounted to my vehicle if I needed to.
We have just started and have a lot to learn. I got pretty frustrated today because It was off by about 15-20 feet on three different caches. All out in the open. I am likely to look at something with an antenna and take this one back.
I don't know about the Garmin, have none available locally BUT we have a Garmin and it works great, except for the occasional shortcut through someone's prperty instead of a road.
We are headed out to places where they may HAVE something other than a stick with a compass strapped to it. Maybe we will find one out there somewhere.
KJK
: > We found our first one the next day and decided it would be a LOT of fun : > to : > play with the Jeep and treasure hunt at the same time. : > Ok, *I* decided. hubby is willing to go, but lacks my enthusiasm :-/ : > He's a real good sport though. : >
: > I was reading your post about GPS units but noted that you had not : > mentioned : > model numbers. We have this sheet of specs printed out and of course it is : > easy to see that the more you pay means the more you will get but for : > geocaching, which do YOU use and why? If you could get a different model, : > which would it be? : >
: > We have a Garmin StreetPilot III now, but that obviously isn't going to : > work : > for geocaching. : >
: > Thanks in advance for any info you have to offer! : >
That is totall normal. When it says you are right on, that means anywhere in a
5-50 foot radius. That is due to the differences in GPS's, where they stood when they took their coords, and stuff like that. My GPS will often give me an accuracy factor
- good within 10 feet, good within 75 feet, etc. I think this is determined in some part by not only how strong the signal is, but the tree cover, etc based on the GPS talking to the sattalites.
That's about right. if it says you're dead on, expect up to about 50 ft. When i'm out on my own, I get to where my GPS says as close to 0 as possible and set my bag down. I then visually set a border about 10 - 15 yards from the center and proceed to search.
Thanks Chad, I know it says "witni 3 meters but doggonit, I KNOW I was right on a cache, in what chould have been an easy spot to find it and NUTHIN
: > We have just started and have a lot to learn. I got pretty frustrated : > today : > because It was off by about 15-20 feet : > on three different caches. All out in the open. I am likely to look at : > something with an antenna and take this one back. : >
: > I don't know about the Garmin, have none available locally BUT we have a : > Garmin and it works great, except for the occasional shortcut through : > someone's prperty instead of a road. : >
: > We are headed out to places where they may HAVE something other than a : > stick : > with a compass strapped to it. Maybe we will find one out there somewhere. : >
: > KJK : >
: >
: > : > We found our first one the next day and decided it would be a LOT of : > fun : > : > to : > : > play with the Jeep and treasure hunt at the same time. : > : > Ok, *I* decided. hubby is willing to go, but lacks my enthusiasm :-/ : > : > He's a real good sport though. : > : >
: > : > I was reading your post about GPS units but noted that you had not : > : > mentioned : > : > model numbers. We have this sheet of specs printed out and of course : > it : > is : > : > easy to see that the more you pay means the more you will get but for : > : > geocaching, which do YOU use and why? If you could get a different : > model, : > : > which would it be? : > : >
: > : > We have a Garmin StreetPilot III now, but that obviously isn't going : > to : > : > work : > : > for geocaching. : > : >
: > : > Thanks in advance for any info you have to offer! : > : >
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