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Phantom waypoint Oregon 550


Polomand

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I have started geocaching with my Oregon 550. I select a geocache and press go. Somehow, I always end up with a phantom waypoint and the GPS telling me the distance to that rather than the geocache. I can still see the geocache and my location but this is annoying. Can you help me with process or share yours?

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How are you getting the geocaches on the 550 (pocket query or some other method)? Are you using the Geocaching profile on the 550? What are the steps you go through when you "select a geocache and press go"?

So far I have been downloading cache info directly to the GPS. I didn't know about the geocache profile until this am so haven't been using it.

I press geocache then find the one I want select it and press go. It is when I'm on the way that I experience the phantom waypoint.

Thanks

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It sounds like you may be getting some unintended screen presses .... maybe if your Oregon is bouncing around in your pocket on on a lanyard? If you touch the map, it creates a pushpin at the touched location, and it is only a couple more presses to create a waypoint, or in some profiles to get another "Go" for the push pin. One thing you can do to prevent this is push the power button once, then select "Lock screen". Now when you press the screen, it will alert you that the screen is locked instead of accepting the screen press. To unlock, you have to press the power button again and press "Unlock".

Edited by alandb
Link to comment

How are you getting the geocaches on the 550 (pocket query or some other method)? Are you using the Geocaching profile on the 550? What are the steps you go through when you "select a geocache and press go"?

So far I have been downloading cache info directly to the GPS. I didn't know about the geocache profile until this am so haven't been using it.

I press geocache then find the one I want select it and press go. It is when I'm on the way that I experience the phantom waypoint.

Thanks

Here's a web site that helped me figure out the Oregon:

http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/Geocaching (Garmin Oregon Wiki)

 

You should switch to the Geocaching Profile when caching. You can set it up as you like (including setting it to be completely useless for Geocaching, if you wanted to :anicute:). One example of how thinge get strange (there are a bunch of possibilities):

If you have routable maps, and you're selected to street routing, the GPSr will point to the middle of the nearest street, not to the cache coordinates. So if you get in the practice of switching Profiles between Automotive (while in a car) and Geocaching (while walking), all settings change appropriately.

 

The "dashboard" can give guidance to many different things. I've customized mine to show only useful cache-related stuff. If you can show a picture of the waypoint guidance (the weird problem you're having), that might help with a solution. "What is that you see that is telling you to go to a waypoint?"

 

It's possible to navigate to "Parking Coordinates" Waypoint, and then when you select "Geocache", still be directed to the Parking Lot. It's some kind of waypoint priority thing. I haven't seen that happen to my Oregon lately, and I actually thought it was fixed in a patch once. But if you get directed to a Waypoint for some reason, you can Stop Navigation, then select the Geocache.

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It sounds like you may be getting some unintended screen presses .... maybe if your Oregon is bouncing around in your pocket on on a lanyard? If you touch the map, it creates a pushpin at the touched location, and it is only a couple more presses to create a waypoint, or in some profiles to get another "Go" for the push pin.

If the OP can describe specifically what is directing him to the "Phantom Waypoint", that would help. If it's a dashboard item, it could be displaying "distance to nearest waypoint" or something (there are many dashboard options), in which case, even parking coords for the current cache would count as a waypoint to go to.

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It sounds like you may be getting some unintended screen presses .... maybe if your Oregon is bouncing around in your pocket on on a lanyard? If you touch the map, it creates a pushpin at the touched location, and it is only a couple more presses to create a waypoint, or in some profiles to get another "Go" for the push pin.

If the OP can describe specifically what is directing him to the "Phantom Waypoint", that would help. If it's a dashboard item, it could be displaying "distance to nearest waypoint" or something (there are many dashboard options), in which case, even parking coords for the current cache would count as a waypoint to go to.

That was my first thought too. He might have the Geocaching dashboard on and be not going to the closest cache. That fits his description.

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