Paperless Caching with eTrex Venture HC and Summit HC

[+Kohavis]

The vital information given here is already available on this forum, but it involves a fair amount of searching and web surfing. I've assembled it here as a convenience for other geocaching.com members.

 

This is mostly for the new members just starting out and wanting to make the most of their first GPS units. Many of you veterans have already upgraded to more elaborate units that have more advanced paperless caching built in.

 

By paperless caching, I mean BASIC paperless caching. The more expensive models allow you to store the entire cache page in some cases. I'm talking here about adding your own notes for when you're out on the trail and are tired of dragging along pages of printouts.

 

It can be done using the Custom Point Of Interest (POI) feature.

 

Several of the eTrex line are listed as not supporting Custom POIs in their specs. The two models listed don't, and neither do the newer basic "H" models like the Legend H. I don't know if they will at a later date, so I'll limit this to the two models in the topic title. Usually the units that have Micro SD card readers have had the Custom POI feature since the unit's release. But a lesser known fact is that the Venture HC and Summit HC have had that feature enabled after release via a software update. The Venture HC and Summit HC are often dismissed out-of-hand as being unsuitable for paperless caching. The purpose of this post is to show how to use these units for some very basic paperless duties.:

 

Changes made from version 2.30 to 2.50:

 

* Add custom POI function.

 

The reason that feature doesn't show up in the Find menu is because you don't have Custom POIs loaded. Once you upload them to the unit, the feature will appear on the menu.

 

You can create custom POIs very easily. My favorite app to do this is Mapsource, which comes with the GPSr unit. Easy GPS also can do this, but it severely limits your text character count in the comments field.

 

In Mapsource, open your current database. Save before you do anything else.

 

Using the Waypoint Tool, click an area near the cache you want to add comments for. Fill in the name and your notes in the "Comments" text area. Keep it brief or it will be truncated later:

 

 

Repeat for each cache you want to make a note for.

 

Delete your other waypoints, tracks and routes. DON'T save it or you'll lose them - you have a copy of your DB on the HD.

 

Go to the file menu and "Save As" a .gpx file. Pick a name for it. Close Mapsource WITHOUT saving.(You can also save this version with a different name ...just so you don't overwrite your regular DB file.)

 

Download and install Garmin POI Loader:

http://www8.garmin.com/support/collection....ct=999-99999-12

 

Connect your GPS unit with USB cable and turn it on.

 

Start POI Loader. Click "Next".

 

Select "Garmin Device" in this screen:

 

 

Click "Next". After a few seconds it should find your connected device and show it on the "Device:" line.

 

Click "Next".

 

Select "Install new custom POIs onto your device" in this screen:

 

 

Click "Next".

 

Now you need to point it to the folder containing the .gpx file you just saved from Mapsource. NOTE: It will load all .gpx files in the folder, so make sure you have cleaned it out of unneeded files before you do this step:

 

 

Click "Next". Your unit may beep, and a screen will come up saying it was successful

 

Now go to your GPS unit and go to your "Find" menu. You should see "Custom POI" near the bottom:

 

 

 

 

Select it. Now you should see a list of the Custom POIs you've just created:

 

 

 

 

 

Select it. Now you should see the fruits of your labors - the field notes for the cache:

 

 

You're done

[+dukeofurl01]

This is good stuff, but I have a question. Can you mark it found like regular waypoints, and if so does it change the icon from a closed treasure chest to an open one like the regular geocaches?

[+IBcrashen]

This is good stuff, but I have a question. Can you mark it found like regular waypoints, and if so does it change the icon from a closed treasure chest to an open one like the regular geocaches?

no, you cant change anything about the POI in the gps. What you could do is hit the save button and it will save it as a waypoint. Then just change the icon to an open treasure chest.

[+Kohavis]

Thanks for the assist, IBcrashen.

 

Another thing you can't do with a POI on the GPS is delete it. But POI Loader has that option on this screen: