Topic: Steve's Latest Toy!

[Skhilled (OP)]

The best part is the quality time that I spend with the kids. They are pushing me to do it more that I actually want to...not that I don't want to do it. LOL

It opens their eyes to many things that they have not seen before and they really like it. Maybe next time we'll take a picnic lunch along, some of their favs to make it more enjoyable. We've already bought a knapsack just for caching and added a flashlight, folder with blank page and also for pages we've printed out to help (clues, etc.), tweezers for extra small caches, pencils, bandaids, and bug spray. I do plan to get a first aid kit for it and maybe a few other things.

Christina would bring her bike and a bed along in case she gets tired, if she could. You should have seen the list of things she created. We originally had 2 full backpacks. Can you say "overkill" boys and girls? LOL There are many bike trails so maybe we might bring the bikes one day.

[Ken]

:innocent: I'm still waiting for you guys to catch up. 187 and holding, but the itch to go out and get some more is getting pretty bad, hehehe.

Me gonna get back into the routine of finding the caches locally, it's doubtful that your totals are in jeopardy BR but I'll be trying.  :bigteeth:

[Ken]

Went into to town today for my DR's appointment and looked at a Garmin Venture HC... looks to be a good unit but I'll still giving it some thought. Just received a nice little card, but the funds on it are limited so I'm wanting to be sure to get the right unit.  :disted:

[Burgundyrose]

Not sure if this will help, but the geocaching website has a forum with user reviews of the GPS units.  http://www.geocaching.com/reviews/gps  They also have a guide to buying a GPS  http://www.geocaching.com/about/buying.aspx   I still have not bought one and have only used my Iphone. Although people have reported it quit buggy, I have not had a problem with mine, once I learned how to use it. I think a lot of the bugs they report are due to a lack of knowing how to use the program. My husband wants to buy a GPS but if we do it won't be til around spring time, next year, so he is stuck with my Iphone til then. I am going to place a practice cache with my Iphone this weekend, just to see how accurate it can be for placing one. I have not tried that yet. I have read that some people have placed caches using the Iphone and have not had a problem. Other people say the coordinates are way off. Good luck in choosing a unit. There are way too many choices for me to make up my mind. Waiting to see how well Skhilled does with his GPS.

[Skhilled (OP)]

I'm still learning the darn thing. LOL

We have a wedding to go to this weekend, cousin is getting married. So, I'm not sure if I'll be caching or not.

[Ken]

Have you tried it anymore for streets navigating to see how useful it would be for that?

[Skhilled (OP)]

A little yes. It does not have all of the streets as it is mainly for hiking. However, you can purchase street maps for it that include atms, restaurants, etc. for $99 or so depending on what you want.

As I said before it will allow you to plot courses to find cities, parks, lakes, etc. But it does not show all of the streets even though you can be seen driving along them. It only shows major highways unless you get an extra map.

You can set up to 1000 waypoints and still plot courses using map coordinates such as longitude and latitude, etc.

[Ken]

Found an interesting article on how to use a Garmin Nuvi for Geocaching... that would save lots on money because the price on a Nuvi starts at under $90 and they already have the maps loaded, so all you would need do is hack the system with this free how-to and software.
Plus you can do regular trip navigation in your car. 
http://geocaching.totaltechworld.com/

[Ken]

This may be the one:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=13431

[Skhilled (OP)]

I was looking at the Nuvi ones while I was shopping around. I would have gotten one of those if I did not get this one.

Found an interesting article on how to use a Garmin Nuvi for Geocaching... that would save lots on money because the price on a Nuvi starts at under $90 and they already have the maps loaded, so all you would need do is hack the system with this free how-to and software.
Plus you can do regular trip navigation in your car. 
http://geocaching.totaltechworld.com/

The gps should come with a usb cable and software that you download from the garmin site. It will allow your PC and other programs to recognize the gps. You can:

1.  Go to the garmin site and download caches (only 5 per day are allowed) directly into your gps.

2.  Download one of the many free geocaching software available for the PC which will gather the info for you and then import it into your gps. You'll need to make a Pocket Query to help expedite the process as shown in the link you gave. I currently use GPSBabel but want to try the others to see which is best.

3.  Go to geocaching.com and click on the "send to my gps" link to get a cache. The garmin software will allow the site to recognize your gps proving that it is connected via usb to your PC.

[Burgundyrose]

Well, I tried to place a practice cache over the weekend. I am not sure I went about the process correctly since I cannot find any steps on how to do this with an Iphone in the geocache forums. I will go back to the spot I marked on my map to see if the reading is the same. Although I managed to get 2 completely different readings within 10 minutes of placing the practice cache. I set my phone in exactly the same spot and wrote down the coordinates both times. I also placed a pin on a map. Now this weekend I will walk around with my phone and try to get the same coordinates I wrote down to see how close it comes to the spot I actually set it at. I definitely am not sure if this is the correct way to go about it, but it is how I am trying it, til I can find some info to guide me. The one thing I like about my phone is that I can use it for traveling in a car like a regular GPS, which I have done quite a few times, or use it for geocaching. I get both types of GPS in one unit. I just type in an address and get step by step directions for vehicle use when I don't know where I am going or how to get there. I would still like to get a regular GPS for geocaching but that will have to wait. It seems like the geocaching app on my phone just uses up way too much battery power. My hubby has fixed me up a charger for it on my bike. but it still seems to use way to much even while it is plugged in.

[Ken]

Rose... You may have read the iPhone section on the Groundspeak forums  already, but just in case here is the link:
http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?s=10819cf1d375bf21300804ee5ae6bd06&showforum=70

And, found this one topic about placing a cache with an iPhone:
http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=255516
The first part of the topic is not sounding very promising, one poster said this:

you don't want to do that. seriously, trust me, you don't. use a proper GPSr for placing caches, always always always.
---------------------------
because you have to jump through several hoops, do a backflip and then stand on your head for a while in order to only get somewhat accurate coordinates. it can be done, but unless you really know what you're doing, don't do it.
that's also the reason why the Groundspeak app doesn't offer that function in the first place.

... do ya think he's not to keen on the iPhone idea?  :belly:

The advice/comments get a little more positive and helpful later on in the topic, hope this helps.

Ps: Me gonna have an update to post about my adventurers later... HINT; me exercised the gift plastic.  :bigteeth:

EDIT: Found this 'Helpful Tip' that may be useful for you:
http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=8749&st=0&p=921840&#entry921840

[Burgundyrose]

Wow Ken!  :danban: You are amazing! I spent a couple of hours trying to search those darn forums and could not find a thing. I even tried to use the search numerous times with no help. I will read through the info right now, and thank you for the wonderful help.

 P.S. :yahoo: I can't wait to hear how the adventure goes!

[Ken]

Wow Ken!  :danban: You are amazing!

Of course.  :bigteeth:







j/k... j/k...  :08:
Hope the links help out for you BR.

[Burgundyrose]

The links are exactly what I was looking for, thank you very much.  :bigteeth: