Help with Garmin Dakota 20 display/settings

[+Ina56]

I am new to geocaching and also new in using a gps. I have bought a Dakota 20 but I have some problems getting it to work as I want it to. When I enter some coordinates manually I can’t get it to show the route. It shows the map correctly when I enter the coordinates but when I push “drive/start” it jumps to the nearest geocache which I have transferred from my pc. I can’t get it to show distance to the coordinates I entered manually. It will only show the geocaches I have already entered. Is this something I can change anywhere in settings? Thanks for your help.

[RuideAlmeida]

After you entered the manual coordinates as a waypoint, you may choose "Where to?", selecting the desired waypoint in "Waypoints" and then "Go".

If it shows only the map and a straight line to the waypoint, you can go back with "X" and selecting again "Where to?", choose "Recalculate on Road".

Edited May 4, 2015 by RuideAlmeida

[+Ina56]

After you entered the manual coordinates as a waypoint, you may choose "Where to?", selecting the desired waypoint in "Waypoints" and then "Go".

If it shows only the map and a straight line to the waypoint, you can go back with "X" and selecting again "Where to?", choose "Recalculate on Road".

That's the way I have been doing it. At first it does show the map with the coordinates I entered but when I push "go" it shows the way to the nearest cache in stead of the waypoint I entered.

[+kunarion]

when I push "go" it shows the way to the nearest cache in stead of the waypoint I entered.

The guidance is presented in more than one way. By default, the GPSr shows the nearest Geocache, which is not always the thing that cachers want.

 

Before navigating to a new waypoint or cache, select “Stop Navigation” to avoid the confusion of the device pointing in two different directions. The GPSr can guide to both the destination (such as the nearest cache) and waypoints simultaneously, but most of the time you only need one of those at a time while Geocaching.

 

You may use “Profiles” to load a lot of settings all at once. Use the Geocaching Profile, set it as desired, and you have all the features (menus, everything) set at once. You can set up a "dashboard" with info ideally suited to the way you Geocache.

 

If you have no manual, here's one: http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.garmincdn.com%2Fpumac%2FDakota_OM_EN.pdf&ei=R45HVbKaEYKlgwTJ74DoAw&usg=AFQjCNFwXfGd-5ufPF6iX4p1sFpRekiZ9w&sig2=15VnLNF1qdfa3ltNXx_eMg

 

In order to be guided on streets, you'd need street routable maps. The GPSr comes from the factory with a very basic map. It may also follow a Route that you've previously saved, but that's probably not what you want at this point.

 

To save a set of manual coordinates, first make a new Waypoint, then edit the name and coords, and save it. To navigate to that, select “Go To”, select the waypoint from the list, and tap “Go”.

 

I don't know what you mean my “drive/start”.

Edited May 4, 2015 by kunarion

[RuideAlmeida]

After you entered the manual coordinates as a waypoint, you may choose "Where to?", selecting the desired waypoint in "Waypoints" and then "Go".

If it shows only the map and a straight line to the waypoint, you can go back with "X" and selecting again "Where to?", choose "Recalculate on Road".

That's the way I have been doing it. At first it does show the map with the coordinates I entered but when I push "go" it shows the way to the nearest cache in stead of the waypoint I entered.

 

Check if you stoped the navigation to the prior geocache, before choosing another target.

[+Ina56]

when I push "go" it shows the way to the nearest cache in stead of the waypoint I entered.

I don't know what you mean my “drive/start”.

Thanks for your reply. In fact I meant "go". It's because my settings are in Danish and I didn't know which term was used in English. I have tried everything but it still does the same thing. Also if I choose something else to search for. There are shops etc. already on the map and if I choose a shop it will show the destination on top but as soon as I press "go" it will change the address on top and show the way to the nearest cache. I do have a manual but I can't seem to find a solution to this. I am wondering if it is possible to change it somewhere in settings. It's like it is programmed to favour caches for everything else.

[+kunarion]

when I push "go" it shows the way to the nearest cache in stead of the waypoint I entered.

I don't know what you mean my “drive/start”.

Thanks for your reply. In fact I meant "go". It's because my settings are in Danish and I didn't know which term was used in English. I have tried everything but it still does the same thing. Also if I choose something else to search for. There are shops etc. already on the map and if I choose a shop it will show the destination on top but as soon as I press "go" it will change the address on top and show the way to the nearest cache. I do have a manual but I can't seem to find a solution to this. I am wondering if it is possible to change it somewhere in settings. It's like it is programmed to favour caches for everything else.

Yes, it's just a setting. Your Dakota is a very powerful system, but it can be changed to be useless for a given purpose. It's also set up from the factory by Garmin to do things in a way that many Geocachers probably don't want.

 

Is this a used GPSr? It may be set up in an odd way. Plus you may be seeing the "Geocaching Dashboard" which you will find is fancy (it is cool), but it also just takes up room for more useful displays.

 

Start with this. Change Profiles, to the "Geocaching Profile". Select a waypoint and tap "Go". Switch to the Compass. There should be a "dashboard" at the top with four data fields, and if not, long-press the dashboard and select "Small Data Fields". Short-press each data field. In the first, select Navigation/"Waypoint at Destination". In the 2nd, select Navigation/"Distance to Next". The last two may be "Location of Destination" and "Time of Day", but try some fields and see what you like. For reference, you can see a small data field dashboard on the compass screen, near the bottom of this page: http://www.letsgomobile.org/en/5038/garmin-dakota/

 

I hope that makes sense. Once you get it to show "Waypoint at Destination" rather than the closest Geocache, it will work much better. It will point at a Waypoint or a Geocache or a "shop", whichever you have selected when you click Go. Once you get comfortable with that, change the settings of other Profiles to suit your taste. I have a Profile very similar to "Geocaching", set up just for use while driving, called "CachingCar" (and it's different from the generic "Automotive") -- but "Automotive" settings are most useful with user-installed routable street maps.

Edited May 4, 2015 by kunarion

[+Ina56]

Thank you very much. You have been very helpful. I managed to get it to work but not completely. It works as you said it would when I am in map mode but when I switch to compass mode it still shows the nearest cache on top and not the waypoint. I can't find a way to get 4 data windows in compass mode - only in map mode. Another thing. I couldn't find the options you mentioned so I changed the settings to English and there are much more options than in Danish. A bit weird. But thanks for your help so far. Hope I can get the compass to work as well.

[RuideAlmeida]

Maybe you could make a backup and after that delete all the caches saved on the GPS (connecting the unit to your computer with a USB cable), that way there will be not a "last geocache" to navigate to. After that, create a waypoint and try to navigate to it.

 

Just an idea.

Edited May 4, 2015 by RuideAlmeida