ScoutMan
Make sure you have fresh batteries in your unit and an extra set in your pack. I normally have an AA powered mini light in my pack so the batteries can serve both if needed. I have found that many re-chargeable AA batteries will not fit in my Mini Mag-lite.
First you need to make sure you are setup to track. With your unit powered up push on the PAGE button unit the MAIN MENU page comes up. On the MAIN MENU PAGE , select the TRACKS ICON using the rocker. Press the Enter button. On the TRACK LOG PAGE, use the rock to select ON, press ENTER and a dot will appear in the On Icon. Using the Rocker scroll down to the SETUP box, and select with the Enter button. I select the wrap around full option. Use the Rocker and go to the Record Method box, I use the Auto selection. Scroll down to the Interval box, I use the Normal option. Scroll to the color box, a lot of times the unit comes with it set at Transparent. I normally select Red or Green. I might save tracks in the same area from two different hunts and I use different color to define each hunt.
After you select your color hit the Quit button. This brings you back to the earlier page, select Quit a second time.
This brings you back to the Track Log page. Make a note of the TracBack box. You will select this button when you want to TracBack. Or you can turn around and wall along the track shown on your screen.
Quit the page.
Go to the page button and push until the Map Page comes up.
(A little footnote here. You might want to save your batteries while checking out your unit while reading this response. Plug the USB/Mini usb cord into your computer. It will power your unit and save your batteries. Note it will not charge batteries.)
Normally I plug my gps into my vehicle power outlet when I leave home and that way it knows its location when I enter the woods and does not need to search for satellites. On the way up the mountain I might see a critter or something of interest in the dark and I mark the location by holding down the Enter/Mark button. You can just hit okay and leave it as is on edit later.
Use the Quit or Page but buttons to go back to the map page.
When you park you rig at the parking spot you want to create a new waypoint. Select the Enter/Mark button. This is a very important waypoint because your vehicle which is your lifeline will be there waiting for your return. You are smart in wanting to mark this location. In a long career I have pickup a number of hunters who could find their pick. If they are running late in the dark it becomes that more difficult.
I normally edit this waypoint by using the rocker to go to the icon box in the upper left corner of the screen. On that corner select Enter. That brings up a bunch of icons/symbols. I scroll down and select the P in the circle. Then I Quit that page and I am back at the Mark Waypoint Page. To help with sorting waypoints I code my Parking spots in the following manner, P1, P2, and so forth. Now that I have given the waypoint where my rig is parked I scroll down to the OK button and select Enter. That action brings me back to the map page.
You want to make sure your Track option is turned on. Go To Main Menu, and the TRACKS ICON. Make sure it is on. You should have selected the track color at home. Once it is on use the PAGE Button to find the Map Page.
You might want to practice the process. I took a lot of long walks from home using the unit features.
(To delete practice waypoints select the FIND button. Select the Waypoint Icon. You will get a drop down with waypoints near your current location. Select the Waypoint you want and Enter. That brings up the information page for that waypoint. You can edit, view on your MAP, or DELETE. In this case I selected DELETE and pushed the Enter button.)
Now you have walk deep into the woods, and you are a least a couple hours of hard walking back to your vehicle and it is getting dark. You have a couple of options the shortest route is to beeline directly back to your vehicle.
You select FIND>Waypoints>your Parking Icon and #, you get the waypoint page for it and select Go To, you get two options follow road, and Off Road(direct route). Select Off Road. The map page pops up. Using the in button you zoom in on the map. On your map you see a direct line from your location to your vehicle. Just take off and walk the line as displayed on your screen. The line will move along as you walk are logs, stumps, and other obstacles. You can switch to the COMPASS Page and the Point on the compass will point the way to the parking spot. You might setup your COMPASS page to fit your needs.
You find that you need to go back the same way because you lost an item and you want to TracBack. Using the Page button go to the Main Menu Page, and select the TRACKS ICON. Scroll down to TracBack>Enter. The Map Page will pop-up showing your track, on the screen is a pointer which can be moved with the rocker. Move it to the point on the Trac you want to return to, in this example it would be your parking spot. Press Enter.
Another option might come up; you have TracBack a few hundred yards and found the missing item. It is getting late and you want a direct route to your vehicle. Go to the compass pass and select the MENU button and select Stop Navigation option. Now you can go to the Find button and the Waypoint Icon. Select you’re parking location waypoint, and you can use your compass Icon to navigate to your vehicle.
If it turns dark you can light your screen by touching the rocker.
I was going to shut down, and realize you might want to save your track to display on the MapSource Topo 2008 computer software, or transfer to Google Earth. Go to the Track Log page. Using the Rocker select Off and Enter and follow the menu.
