[hogrod]

There are a few models under $100, most don’t allow uploading waypoints. The Garmin Venture HC is slightly more than $100 online, has a USB PC connection for loading waypoints.
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=6015175

If you look around the tech talk, help & general forums you can find quite a bit of info posted recently about a few other cheap models.

[hogrod]

Holding down the click-stick is actually the short cut for marking a waypoint. You can also mark a new waypoint from the main menu by selecting mark. The screenshot below isn’t from the VentureHC though I’m sure its pretty similar.

[hogrod]

I had the exact same question a few days ago, I also started a topic which can be found here: http://wi-geocaching.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&p=107423#107423

I would really like to see more info included with these front page photos, heck there could even be a nice little mini map showing the location/general area on google maps.

[hogrod]

I See RSplash40 posted pretty much the same exact question today. Maybe this is an indication there should be more info included with the front page photo.

http://wi-geocaching.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=9980

I see lots of great photos posted on caches around the Wisconsin, would be kinda neat to have a cache photo contest to show off some of the great caches/places around the state.

[hogrod]

You might want to check out this recent thread, it covers allot of the cheaper garmin units.
http://wi-geocaching.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=9925

1. Venture HC, last time I looked walmart.com has them for $118, a bit more than the $80 Etrex H but a much better buy. You have to buy the serial cable separately for the etrex H & hope their PC has that hookup. I believe garmins retail on the serial cable is $38, so the slightly more expensive unit with USB is well worth the added cost.

2. If you didn’t load the waypoints as caches(by using garmins default treasure chest icons) & used a different icon the unit would not need to be reset unless someone accidentally moved a waypoint. By not using these icons it removes the found/note from the compass page so there is no way to mark caches as found.

3. I would avoid the multicaches, even if someone is tech savy it might take a bit to figure out how to input coordinates and could end up leading them somewhere they shouldn’t be.

Since the ventureHC is a mapping unit(24mb storage) it will hold about half the state worth of topo maps. you could use the free topo maps from gpsfile depot & have a decent map of the park on the gps too. http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/150/

[hogrod]

You can get just a cradle from ram mount, though you would have to look into how you could mount the thing without their hardware.

http://www.ram-mount.com/

I got mine for my 60Cx from gpscity, they took a couple weeks but I did get my order. Just the cradle is under $10.

http://www.gpscity.com/gps-mount/magellan/triton-1500

[hogrod]

Just tested, it’s not working for me either. Since I use firefox web browser I just use its built in spell check. Any words its thinks are misspelled it underlines in red. All you need to do is right click(with your mouse) the word & it will bring up some alternatives you might have meant.

[hogrod]

You could try the webpage in a different web browser(firefox, google Chrome, Safari, Opera). See if it’s just a IE issue or if something has changed on your PC.
Your PC may be running a very low screen resolution, you could try setting it to something higher & see if that gets things looking more correctly.

[hogrod]

@Todd300 wrote:

I’m not fond of using cables to make transfers of any sort.

The OP was asking about good cheap starter units, the only H model Etrex with a card slot are the LegendHCX and VistaHCX. these models range from $180-250, definitely not a cheap starter unit. Those models use Micro SD cards which are around the same size as an average person fingernail, and are very easy to drop/loose. Like you I also transfer my pictures from my digital camera by removing the card but these microSD cards are so small I have a hard time handling the thing.

Normal waypoints are not stored on the card of any etrex model, only custom POI which require more hoops to jump through + software just to get waypoints onto your gps. That makes hooking the unit up to the pc via a USB cable the ONLY way you can send normal waypoints to the unit & is actually easier.

Hook the cable from the unit to your PC, click the send to gps button on any cache page & the cache will get transferred to the unit with a few seconds(the first time you will have to install the garmin communicator plugin). For someone new to caching you can’t get much easier than that.

[hogrod]

The original etrex models don’t have as good of GPS chipset, any etrex with an H in the model uses a newer better chipset that holds signal much better in the woods.

I wouldn’t buy the Etrex H even though it has a better chipset, it still uses a serial connection to the PC(doesn’t come with cable) so it’s much harder to just send waypoints to the unit. This is especially true if you have a newer PC/laptop without a serial port.

The Yellow Etrex H is the only H model etrex with a serial connection, if you look at the LegendH, VistaH, Venture HC, SummitHC, LegendHCX or the VistaHCX they all use a USB PC connection.

For slightly more than the Yellow EtrexH you can buy the LegendH or the VentureHC. Either unit can be bought for less than $150 if you shop around. These units are almost identical in specs, 24mb detail map storage, USB connection, & 18hr battery life. the main difference is the ventureHC has a color screen while the LegendH’s screen is black&white.

With all that said I would probably try & get the VentureHC.

[hogrod]

I usually look only about 40ft from ground zero before I give up, If your coordinates are averaged there is no reason I should have to look farther than that. I post averaged coordinates on caches I consider off. If they are out in the open I would expect them to be within 20ft, if they are in the woods or any cover I would expect them to be under 35ft.

My gps is not the only thing I base coordinates being off on, we use two different gps models/brands so they both have to show they are off. Next We take a ton of waypoints at ground zero and when we get home we compare our waypoints to the listed cache coordinates on a map. Funny thing is everytime I do this our new averaged spot is in the exact direction and distance the posted coordinates were off.

You can even use projection to get coordinates more accurate, mark/average a waypoint in the closest spot to your cache that has a open view of the sky. Next get the compass bearing from your waypoint to the cache, now measure the distance to the cache.
You can use the projection function of the gps to test the coordinates this gives you, or you can wait until you get home to use your PC. Obviously the closer you are to your cache the more accurate this will be, I probably wouldn’t try anything over 100-200ft distance away.

[hogrod]

@SammyClaws wrote:

The latest beta release for the Garmin Oregon’s allow for rasterized maps to be loaded. From what I can figure out, that means we will be able to load portions of Google aerials onto the Oregon as a map. I have not been able to figure out all the details yet, but it shows the direction Garmin is taking the unit.

You might find this info interesting.
http://forums.gpsfiledepot.com/index.php/topic,630.msg4150.html#msg4150

Map of Kauai, Hawaii:
http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/239

[hogrod]

@Timberline Echoes wrote:

Our computer totally crashed yesterday. We thought it had something to do with the antivirus pro 2010… we should get it back tomorrow, maybe it was from the Poobah. Bummer having to use another computer but at least it is a Mac and can’t get a virus.

Most of these new fake antivirus programs(including the one you mentioned) are the newest type of malware out. They mimic real security software and tell you your computer is infected and ask you for $$ & personal information (for future identity theft).

They also turnoff any antivirus/ security you have, stop you from installing removal tools, & block connections to websites related to antirus software & malware removal. I use Malwarebytes (free) to clean these types of infections off most PC’s I fix. The software is very simple to use, does a great job, and since it’s free I highly recommend it. I’m posting a link so if anyone goes looking for it they don’t get fooled by another fake program/website.
http://www.malwarebytes.org/

This software offers no real-time protection unless you buy the pay version. I have the full version and find it doesn’t catch as much as my Antivirus software so I’m not sure it was worth the money. As a removal tool you use periodically to scan your PC to remove these types of infections, There isn’t much better.

[hogrod]

@Jeremy wrote:

It does not show up as an attack site for me either, but I do see some weird Javascript on the page. For those getting it blocked by their virus software, is there a reason / name / type of threat listed?

My Microsoft Security Essentials software blocks the virus, its a fake adobe flash installer. I got the popup to install flash(which I already have installed and up to date) in firefox as soon as I tried to goto the website.

Details:

TrojanProxy:Win32/Dosenjo.C
Published: Oct 12, 2009
http://www.microsoft.com/security/portal/Threat/Encyclopedia/Entry.aspx?name=TrojanProxy%3aWin32%2fDosenjo.C&threatid=2147628697%5B

[hogrod]

Yes, the vista C has been discontiuned for awhile. It was replaced by the Vista Cx, and the current VistaHCx.
The VistaC is only worth about $80-90. For $130 you can get a brand new VentureHC which has the newer better gps chipset, only thing it doesn’t have is the compass.

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