These goggone Garmin guyz

[mountainborn]

I expect that It is a form of flattery that these doggone Garmin guys should always throw down the gauntlet.
You know, the newbie on the scene, always trying to proooove them selves to be a peer.
After all, Magellan has been the world standard for many, many years.
Magellan is the navagational electronics that demanding professionals choose. Every time. Not occasionally. But absolutely every time.
So when a seasoned geocacher puts the coordinates into his Garmin, squares up his shoulders and looks you right in the eye. Then says, "ok, let's go".
Then, you know, without a doubt that the gauntlet has been thrown down !
The sheer audacity of this upstart in the world of navagational electronics !
Step for step, traveling side beside, Magellan versus Garmin, we closed in on the targeted coordinates.
Then suddenly without warning, the Garmin operator breaks pace. Hesitating and falling back. Studying the screen carefully. Moving much slower.
It worried me a bit at first. This seasoned Garmin geocacher lagging behind, while I continued on with my trusty Magellan.
I turned to look back. Then I saw it ! He had completely stopped. Looking around in a circle he was looking wildly about.
There he was on hard packed dirt, nothing anywhere near him looked like a hiding place.
Then he did it ! He actually placed his Garmin GPS on the ground and walked away from it !
The Garmin could not take him any further.
Yet there I was with my Magellan still moving in closer and closer to the actual coordinates.
In desperation the Garmin operator briskly abandoned his GPS and rushed ahead of me looking franticly for the find at the coordinates.
Then, just as I see the magellan has found the coordinates, the Garmin operator says triumphantly, "I found it, I think".
He was actually standing there with the find in his hand, and his Garmin was laying on the ground yards away, claiming victory !
He, he, he . . . . . .
Ok, let the fireworks begin !
I wonder who this mystery geocacher actually was.
The names have been omitted to protect the guilty.
Who will holler the loudest in this challenge of GPS giants ?
What is your favorite ?
Do you have a victory, defeat or tie story to tell ?

[Geezer_Veazey]

deleted.

[mountainborn]

The following are some excerps from the "mystery" garmin geocacher" cache logs:
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After a visit with the cache owner this morning we headed out to look at some coords that another cacher had mysteriously left with him. Early this morning and using inferior technology he struck out in his initial search.
Recognizing that xxxxxx and xxxxx were equipped with far superior GPSrs devices he requested assistance and we were all too glad to try to help out a fellow cacher in distress and one of Grannis' finest.

The advantage of the ultimate GPS receiver was readily apparent when one of the group said "I've got it" and have it he did indeed. Now what "it" was is top secret police stuff or TSPS and cannot be reveled here in these logs but needless to say it was an interesting find. If you knew exactly what it was your life might be in danger. You know national security and all.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Another cache log entry:
What a great day of caching in the Ouachitas!!! Before we found this cache, we stopped for a visit with Mountainborn. He told us that, unexpectedly, Cachemates had provided a bonus cache in the area. xxxxx and Mountainborn had to cuss and discuss the merits of Garmin vs. Magellan GPSers as we were seeking the new Arkansas geocoin that Cachemates had cleverly hidden to give to Mountainborn.
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The actual identity of this mystery garmin geocacher is exxxe'd out to protect the identity of the guilty.

[Geezer_Veazey]

I believe there is merit in what I posted earlier but I have no desire to become fodder for your crusade, and I certainly don't want to get involved in TSPS and national security issues so I will quietly bow out. I have deleted my previous post.

Geezer

[cachemates]

Good story mountainborn." Icenrye" don't have any thing you and xxxx.

[nonnipoppy]

Then suddenly without warning, the Garmin operator breaks pace. Hesitating and falling back. Studying the screen carefully. Moving much slower.
It worried me a bit at first. This seasoned Garmin geocacher lagging behind, while I continued on with my trusty Magellan.
I turned to look back. Then I saw it ! He had completely stopped. Looking around in a circle he was looking wildly about.
There he was on hard packed dirt, nothing anywhere near him looked like a hiding place.
Then he did it ! He actually placed his Garmin GPS on the ground and walked away from it !
The Garmin could not take him any further.

Could this be a matter of lacking observational skills? Perhaps the Garmin had ALREADY shown the cacher where to look while lesser devices were still attempting to determine the location and as a courtesy not trying to show others up he was allowing them a "head start"?

Then, just as I see the magellan has found the coordinates, the Garmin operator says triumphantly, "I found it, I think".
He was actually standing there with the find in his hand, and his Garmin was laying on the ground yards away, claiming victory !

Please pardon my question here Mountainborn but do I read this correctly that while you were chasing your Magellan around the Garmin cacher actually located the cache.

So your point is??????? Was the object here to play with your GPSr or to locate the cache? Perhaps the two people had different goals.

[mountainborn]

I believe there is merit in what I posted earlier but I have no desire to become fodder for your crusade, and I certainly don't want to get involved in TSPS and national security issues so I will quietly bow out. I have deleted my previous post.

Geezer

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Geezer, Poppi and I had so much fun with this when It happened that I thought posting it here would give others a chance to get in on the fun.
However, I am afraid that we have played it with too stern a face on it and have kept others out of the fun of it !
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Ain't that just like them daggone Garmin guyz, takin' themselves way too serious.

[nonnipoppy]

IMHO one of the real challenges on discussion forums is the use of only the written word makes it sometimes difficult to understand what the emotions of the posters actually are.

That is what gave birth to the use of emoticons, smileys, and terms like ............LOL. Obviously our playful kidding each other was interpreted as something else. Knowing that our tongues were placed firmly in our cheek was not apparent to all. We failed to signal our emotions. Sorry about that.

But the true question is why have so many Magellan users switched to Garmin? I can name three, that readily come to mind, that are now using a Garmin for their primary unit. I know of no one that has done the opposite.

[mountainborn]

Poppy said:
But the true question is why have so many Magellan users switched to Garmin? I can name three, that readily come to mind, that are now using a Garmin for their primary unit.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Oh, geeze ! He's gona' call names !
Look out you faithless "ship jumpers" !!
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Demanding navagational professionals have requirements for many features to enhance their skills.
The mass of data that is available is often overpowering for the occasional recreational user.
So, some opt for the simpler Garmin with less capability.
Geeze, I hope I got enough emoticons inserted into this post.

[nonnipoppy]

.
So, some opt for the simpler Garmin with less capability.

Now there gentle readers is the epitome of self delusion and rationalization.