Oregon 600 Field Notes issue

[+lulusoy]

I have an Oregon 600 and I like to find geocaches and then mark them in my GPS as found. Then later I upload them as field notes in my account in geocaching page and log the found eventually. I specially do this when Im traveling because I don't like to log in the field and I don't have to use papers to save my notes. But something is wrong with my GPS. Two things are happening:

 

1- I can not upload the found as field notes when I plug my gps to my computer. I follow the instructions provided by always end with a No file choosen message and no field notes are uploaded.

 

2- And when the battery is off and I put other another pair of batteries in my GPS, all the entries, all the found marked are lost.

 

Any recommendation? Is there a setting that I need to change? Just in case my Oregon is using software v 5.00 and I use a MacBook Pro with OS X el Capitan.

[+Team DEMP]

I'm not exactly sure of the steps you are following, but what I'd expect you should see when you plug the GPS into your Mac via USB is that Finder shows 1 or 2 (if you have an additional microSD card in the GPS) as new Devices with the device showing GARMIN for the GPS and No NAME for the microSD card if you have one. That would be your GPS as your Mac sees it.

 

Lets go with you using the built-in memory of the GPS and not the microSD card. You should be able to go to https://www.geocachi...fieldnotes.aspx and click on Choose File which opens a window where you will locate the file to upload. There are different Finder views so I can't be sure, but you want to navigate to Garmin device in a drop-down or left nav then Garmin directory and then geocache_visits.txt file. That's the file to upload so after it's selected click Upload Field Note on the geocaching.com page.

 

See if that helps or what step might be causing you to get tripped up.

Edited February 13, 2017 by Team DEMP

[+Mineral2]

 

2- And when the battery is off and I put other another pair of batteries in my GPS, all the entries, all the found marked are lost.

 

 

um... do you mean that the found caches no longer appear in your list of caches or on the map, or that they revert to being marked as unfound? If it's the first, then your filters are simply set to hide your finds and they are actually disappearing while your device is on. If it's the latter, that is unusual behavior that should not be happening. The device reads your field notes (both the .txt file and the .xml file) in addition to the status written into the GPX file to mark caches as found. This is also how the device can distinguish between a DNF and an unattempted cache. Either you didn't mark it as found, or went back and marked it as unattempted after you found it.

 

The latter can happen if you delete the geocache_visits.txt and geocache_finds.xml files, but not update your pocket queries or cache files.

 

The geocache_visits.txt file is what you need to upload field notes (located in /GARMIN/Garmin/). It's a good idea to periodically delete this file (and the xml file) *after* you import your field notes as this makes sure the GPS is properly indexing a fresh file each time you run your PQs.

Edited February 13, 2017 by Mineral2

[+Atlas Cached]

The geocache_visits.txt file is what you need to upload field notes (located in /GARMIN/Garmin/). It's a good idea to periodically delete this file (and the xml file) *after* you import your field notes as this makes sure the GPS is properly indexing a fresh file each time you run your PQs.

 

I never delete this file, and do not have any issues with it. I do archive it once a year and start a new one on each GPSr January 1st.

[+Mineral2]

The geocache_visits.txt file is what you need to upload field notes (located in /GARMIN/Garmin/). It's a good idea to periodically delete this file (and the xml file) *after* you import your field notes as this makes sure the GPS is properly indexing a fresh file each time you run your PQs.

 

I never delete this file, and do not have any issues with it. I do archive it once a year and start a new one on each GPSr January 1st.

 

Is there a reason you archive your files? Once your field notes are logged, you have record of them at geocaching.com

[+lulusoy]

Sorry for this late reply, I was expecting an email that my comment was replied.

Anyhow, that is exactly what Im doing, uploading from the Garmin/geocachig_visits.txt file and obtain a no file chosen. I just did an excersice right now. I marked a cache found in my gps. then plugged the gps and try to upload the a field note. nothing. If I look in my gps and select show found, I can see the cache listed as found.

 

Any other recommendation?

Edited February 16, 2017 by lulusoy

[+lulusoy]

 

2- And when the battery is off and I put other another pair of batteries in my GPS, all the entries, all the found marked are lost.

 

 

um... do you mean that the found caches no longer appear in your list of caches or on the map, or that they revert to being marked as unfound? If it's the first, then your filters are simply set to hide your finds and they are actually disappearing while your device is on. If it's the latter, that is unusual behavior that should not be happening. The device reads your field notes (both the .txt file and the .xml file) in addition to the status written into the GPX file to mark caches as found. This is also how the device can distinguish between a DNF and an unattempted cache. Either you didn't mark it as found, or went back and marked it as unattempted after you found it.

 

The latter can happen if you delete the geocache_visits.txt and geocache_finds.xml files, but not update your pocket queries or cache files.

 

The geocache_visits.txt file is what you need to upload field notes (located in /GARMIN/Garmin/). It's a good idea to periodically delete this file (and the xml file) *after* you import your field notes as this makes sure the GPS is properly indexing a fresh file each time you run your PQs.

 

 

So, should I delete the geocache_visits and geocache_finds files and create them back?

BTW, I noticed that these files, geocache_visits and geocache_finds are indexed in the Filters folder. Im pretty sure I never touched these files before.

[+JohnCNA]

So, should I delete the geocache_visits and geocache_finds files and create them back?

BTW, I noticed that these files, geocache_visits and geocache_finds are indexed in the Filters folder. Im pretty sure I never touched these files before.

 

You might try copying the geocache_visits.txt file to your computer and open it in Notepad or a text editor. On an eTrex 30 I once had that file get corrupted when the device crashed. It was pretty easy to see where there were two incomplete entry lines. I just deleted the two bad lines and resaved it back to the eTrex and it operated normally again after that. Worth a try...

[+Mineral2]

Just a thought. When you upload the file, you have to hit the "upload file" button after selecting your file. It's a two-step process. I have, on occasion, selected my file but forgot to hit upload and wondered why my field notes weren't there.

[+lulusoy]

Just a thought. When you upload the file, you have to hit the "upload file" button after selecting your file. It's a two-step process. I have, on occasion, selected my file but forgot to hit upload and wondered why my field notes weren't there.

 

Yes Im aware of hitting the upload file button, thanks.

What about the indexing? are they in the correct location, under Fllters?

[+Mineral2]

no, the Filters folder should just have files for your geocache filters.

Edited February 17, 2017 by Mineral2

[+Atlas Cached]

Just a thought. When you upload the file, you have to hit the "upload file" button after selecting your file. It's a two-step process. I have, on occasion, selected my file but forgot to hit upload and wondered why my field notes weren't there.

 

Yes Im aware of hitting the upload file button, thanks.

What about the indexing? are they in the correct location, under Fllters?

 

No, they should be in the Garmin directory. The GPSr would never put them in the Filters directory. This indicates someone has been goofing around with your GPSr 8^)

[+lulusoy]

no, the Filters folder should just have files for your geocache filters.

 

 

Could you please refer to the photo included and tell me which files should not be there?

Thanks

Edited February 18, 2017 by lulusoy

[+Mineral2]

 

 

Could you please refer to the photo included and tell me which files should not be there?

Thanks

 

your link is bad.

[+lesden]

Had the same problem this morning until I unplugged my Garmin watch that was charging on another USB port. I was using the Publish logs function from GSAK.

If it can help.