I just have to say that i'm so glad this thread is on here! I've been wanting to go paperless for SO long, but never knew how to start! Hopefully I can pick up a Nuvi or a Z22 and get started soon!
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I just have to say that i'm so glad this thread is on here! I've been wanting to go paperless for SO long, but never knew how to start! Hopefully I can pick up a Nuvi or a Z22 and get started soon!
Has anyone here tried caching on a Palm Treo? I'm looking at getting one but I want to make sure it will work for paperless caching before buying it.
A Palm will certainly get you into paperless caching,but the Palms are very sensitive to cold and if you're not going to use it for other things I personally feel a Nuvi is a better investment, probably for about the same amount of money. The Nuvi has all the info from the cache sheet plus it will give you turn by turn directions to the cache, or the closest road access to the cache. (They occassionally do odd things, but most of the time they're very helpful) Plus, when you travel, the Nuvi is loaded with a ton of useful info. We know the Nuvi will hold at least 18,000 caches so that's what I would consider as opposed to the Palm.
Most people with Palm OS handhelds use the Cachemate software, which will work on ANY Palm handheld. With it, you can import almost the same data as is shown on a printed cache listing. Remember: The Palm is what you carry with you instead of paper. I assume you already have a GPS unit, and have been printing out cache listings, which is why you want top go paperless. I'm not familiar with the Nuvi - haven't decided what model I want to get yet - but would suggest that you get the Treo. You can use it for a lot of otehr things besides geocaching. And you can store the information for as many caches you have memory for.
Since it looked like you've got a Garmin eTrex Legend, which does not support route mapping, I'd suggest getting a Nuvi for the car for navigation.
Dubord -
Can you go into some detail about using a Nuvi for caching? A lot of people like me don't have them (yet) and would like to know the capabilities.
For example, you say that "The Nuvi has all the info from the cache sheet". Huh? Do you load Cachemate into the Nuvi? And I like our Palm because we carry it with us to he cache. Can you take the Nuvi with you, like a handheld?
It's quite simple assuming you have GSAK. GSAk has a Garmin Nuvi macro. After you do a filter of where your going to cache and the type of caches you want to find, you run the Nuvi Macro, plug in the Nuvi, follow the steps and it loads the whole cache sheet onto the nuvi. What's on the Nuvi is exactly what you see on geo.com including encypted hints and logs. One of the biggest advantages is that if you have just done a cache and then look at the next closest on the Nuvi, it will tell you how long it's going to take to get to it. If you're doing the Phippsburg penisula and the next cache is only a half mile away as the crow flies on the Bailey's Island penisula, 44 minutes by car, then you won't head in that direction. You can set the Nuvi to chime when you drive by a certain distance from any cache. If your just headed to Kittery for the day and have all 5000 plus caches in Maine in the Nuvi, you can look at the distance and continuous arrows pointing towards the caches to see if there's any you want to grab as you go along. Quite frankly, I could get by without the Oregon with the info the Nuvi has and go back to my 60csx which works just as well.
dubord207 has described this quite well. I love my Nuvi and now hardly ever use the Palm. As I didn't use the Palm to log the caches. Everything is on the Nuvi...hints, logs and then it gets you there too!
The question can you take the Nuvi with you to the cache may not have been answered. Yes, just unplug it and when it says it is shutting off and gives you an option to run off the battery - hit the button for battery.
I wished I had the 550 now so I had the option to use it for the WhereIGo caches. Not real brave with downloading and trying stuff and can't get a firm answer if the 350 I have will work with WhereIGo. It works fine for all else.
Use my Palm mostly for an address book now.
One thing to remember about the Nuvi is that it is sensitive to water. If it is raining out(in Maine this year that is all the time) and I want my Nuvi with me for a hike than I put it inside a ziploc to protect it from the rain.
Now that's a good thought! But I seldom take mine out of the vehicle. Make note of the logs and whatever else and just the other Garmin for the rest. My hubby waits on my return to the vehicle....confident in the fact that should I not return...........he can confidently say to the person who finds him sitting on the side of the road or in the road - "look on that - that is where she should be!"Quote:
Originally Posted by shuman road searchers
Don't forget the Macro for the NUVI is here" http://pilotsnipes.googlepages.com/index.html
There is a great Nuvi macro if you use GSAK here:
http://pilotsnipes.googlepages.com/index.html
Also an advanced Nuvi macro by jjreds which you can find in the GC.com forums as well
Thank you so much for all the great advice! My boyfriend actually has a Nuvi but I never knew it could be used for caching! We're going to start using it soon and I hope it's much better than the old Vista I had! I'll keep you all posted on how it goes.
The NUVI is great for routing to the cache site but I would suggest to use the Vista for getting to the cache itself. The NUVI isn't really made for caching,I would hate to drop mine.
Drop a Nuvi - heck - mine took a header off the windshield in the sun the other day. The bracket - totally disenergrated (plastic broke around metal bar holding it on) - broken into pieces and I found the unit on the floor. The unit still works fine but a way to mount it - another problem.
Wrote Garmin and then are sending me a new mounting unit. Whew! I am thankful, too.
Same thing happened to mine a few days ago when caching around Greenville.....nothing broken though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hollora
Just wanted to say thank you for all the help and suggestions! We took the Nuvi out caching last night and it was perfect! And having the Vista along with it made it seem so easy! Thanks to everyone who's helped me out - I'm loving this paperless caching!
I'd recommend protecting the Nuvi w/a Ram mount!! Their suction cups are unmatched for holding strength. I use Ram mounts for on and off road, and have total faith in them. My Nuvi would also be mounted on one if they made one w/built in power ;)
The bracket for my Nuvi just broke. I came back to the car (it was parked in a sunny spot on a very hot day) and the little plastic pieces on the back side of the metal bar (which hold the plastic suction section to the bar of the bracket) were laying on my seat. I emailed Garmin and inquired on how to buy a new one.......they are supposed to be sending me one.
Perhaps the metal heated up and with the weight of the unit hanging on it - it stressed the plastic - I don't know but it did break.
The tabs on my RAM bracket for my 76C also broke. Now to write them.......
I've had the same happen with my Nuvi but fortunately it hasn't broken yet. I'm always coming back and finding it on the floor of the car after falling from the windshield. Course it's quite a bit hotter down here most of the time too.
I can't believe you guys leave them on the dash or windshield. That is a good way to get them stolen. I always take mine off the dash and tuck it in the pocket near the seat out of sight.
I usually take mine off the windshield, but not always. I usually leave the mount on the windshield, which I have heard invites people in to see if you have stashed the GPS in the console or elsewhere. I have heard it recommended to take the mount and all and clean the window of any markings from the mount.
We switched to using a bean bag mount and love it
That makes sense and it won't break........great idea.Quote:
Originally Posted by pjpreb
I think we need a bean bag... Our mount has started randomly falling off the windshield. We keep the unit in the glove compartment when we're not using it but I'm scared it'll fall with the unit mounted one day and break something.
Sheesh! That's the way I lost my first PDA! The GPSr was in the stuck-to-the-window mount. It popped off the window, hit the PDA, and broke the screen.Quote:
Originally Posted by benandtina
:(:(
Garmin replaced the mounting unit - interestingly enough - it was sent with a metal pad to mount onto the dash.
Wow! That's pretty impressive aim for a GPSr :PQuote:
Originally Posted by WhereRWe?
Is this what you are referring to? https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=1377Quote:
Originally Posted by hollora
It looks neat but I can't tell if it has to be permanently attached to the dash or not.
Woah....my plastic base comes 'unglued' in the heat w/small appliances attached. I can only imagine what the black sheet metal might do. Keep us posted!Quote:
Originally Posted by hollora
No - It wasn't that black mount - it was a flat metal disc (but I think it was black) - just a bit larger than the suction cup. It had double sided tape attached to it so you could peel off the backing and attach it to your dash and then I suspect put the suction cup on that instead of the windshield.
Mainiac1957 had his TomTom attached with one of those to his dash on the jeep. In the dust and stuff if came off on the road into TL. No problem - easy enough to reattach.
Not sure I am even going to put this on my dash. I am just happy to have the suction cup piece and bracket in one piece. The bracket with the suction cup is a much tougher looking quality than the original which came with my unit. Thicker plastic and stuff.
I had that set up for my Nuvi and within 2 weeks threw it over my left shoulder.:mad: The suction cup constantly came off and the Nuvi would just hang there by the power cord:mad:! I mount the nuvi on the windshield very close to the dash so that if it does fall it does not have far to go!:)
Thanks SRS for sharing your experience. I am not a fan of stuck on the dash stuff so already knew I probably would not use that part of what was sent. I will use the new bracket.Quote:
Originally Posted by shuman road searchers
Perhaps we have opportunity for a new and important thread here. Obstructed view laws! It applies to stickers, tinting and even snow/ice. Depending on where you mount your GPS....you could be subject to an officer's judgment call.
And you are correct - the retired trooper often reminds me of this all the time.;)Quote:
Originally Posted by squirrelcache
Rick, if this is a spam post, let me know and I will take it down. I'm not comfortable soliciting business on the forums, but this bracket may be just the thing for these problems!
I sell brackets from a company called Panavise. They make a bracket for most cars designed to mount a cell phone on the dash using existing screw holes, avoid the glovebox and airbags, works quite well and won't block your view. I use them for sirius and XM recievers. I stock some, but there are hundreds (custom for each vehicle) that I can get in about 2 days time. They are usually $25.00.
http://www.panavise.com/index.html?p...ECTIONSword=ww
Click on the vehicle brand at the top of the page to find the model for your vehicle. You can buy accessories to clamp different sized GPSrs into these brackets.
I've always had good luck with Ram Mounts . . . have one mounted on the ATV. Other folks mount them on kayaks, motorcycles, bikes, sleds, etc.
As long as there is nothing between you and your GPS, your view is not obstructed is it? ;)
Sheesh! I was reminded of another of the "10 Rules of Paperless Geocaching" today. Make sure you load your PDA before you depart...
:o:o
Yeah I solved that one by getting a new friend to help me and others riding along. A laptot! It's bailed me out a ton of times and was glad I had it along. Well that is...if you use GSAK ;) You just Never know what's going to happen out there.
:eek: I hope that's a typo! LOLQuote:
Originally Posted by squirrelcache
Laptot is the new nickname for netbooks......tiny laptops.Quote:
Originally Posted by cachecrashers4