"waters" and have not yet been successful.HELP!!

This is my first perplexing issue with this brand new unit.

Maybe reading through other threads on the exact topic will be of benefit.
Where are they please?

I'm particularly looking for solid recommendations for a somewhat vibrant,but not overly saturated,general all-around preset.Some reviews have observed that the factory presets out of the box are on the dull and flat side.Is that all your consensus?

Here's how things have gone thus far before progress stopped:

1)Went through the 11 pages of the "official" thread.
2)Downloaded all of the presets offered.
Why are some missing in the numeric sequence and/or replaced?
I was hoping that Chris's excel spreadsheet would include all of them not just the first 18.If I'm blind,please point that out.Thanks!
3)Discovered I needed a card reader so I went out and got that from Radio Shack.
4)Created the preset folder called PRESET on a 2 gig SD card as instructed and copied the .cpf file/presets in there.

OK,so unfortunately here's where things go south...

Probably missing something obvious but please bear with me here.

I have the A1 in Av record mode

Now for some exploratory questions:

1)How do I know I successfully accessed the desired preset and I'll be actually be shooting with that one?
2)Does a flashing or a holding steady "CP" icon on the display LCD mean that particular preset is activated?I don't know which one is which.Or does the above have any significance at all?
2b)How does one tell if the card was set-up right or not?
3)Since a user is limited to 20 presets on a single sd card,what do you all reccomend as absolutely essential,a must have? It seems the vivid rgb preset (or whatever it's called exactly) seems to be universally popular.
4)Can I rename presets by their intended usage instead of the generic PRESET1.cpf 1,PRESET2.cpf default designations?

Page 81 of the manual does not make much sense to me so please be patient in your responses.Obviously I'm missing something along the set-up process.If crucial details were inadvertently left out please let me know.Another guy on the learning curve.Only owned the A1 for a few days,

Appreciate any guidance offered.

Thanks so much.

Bruce

1)How do I know I successfully accessed the desired preset and I'll be actually be shooting with that one?Since the display only shows the preset number (CP1, CP2 etc.), it's a good idea to carry a small printed "cheat sheet" that tells you which one is which (such as CP1: VIVIDRGB).

2)Does a flashing or a holding steady "CP" icon on the display LCD mean that particular preset is activated?Flashing CP icon means it's ready to be activated. Press the CP On / Off button one time to activate it... when the icon is steady on, no longer flashing, then it's active.

2b)How does one tell if the card was set-up right or not?Go to Menu > Customize > Custom Preset > Edit > Select CP > Tune and double-check the settings for each preset. As far as I know, all of the settings in the download library are correct. But of course you can tweak and change them to your own satisfaction.

what do you all reccomend as absolutely essential... It seems the vivid rgb preset is popularThat's entirely up to you. Most folks don't need 20 presets. Yes, in my opinion Steven Dempsey's VIVIDRGB is the bomb, by far the most popular one.

Can I rename presets?Yes. Go to Menu > Customize > Custom Preset > Edit > Select CP > Rename.

Hope this helps,

chris, where can I find/download Steven Dempsey's VIVIDRGB preset? Thanks

Steven Dempsey's VIVIDRGB preset is located at http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showpost.php?p=656507&postcount=78

Thanks for the quick response chris!

Obviously I have no other life but this one.

ahhh its alright man...we can't help we are like this....haha

Obviously I have no other life but this one.

At least you have one :)

I printed out a small sheet with the PRESETXX number and the preset name along with a short description of each - pretty much taken from the Excel file on the Official Custom Preset Thread.

The paper is approximately 5" x 2.75". I laminated it, folded it in thirds, and stuck it in the battery compartment on top of the battery.

Works well for me.

That's a great tip, Ken -- of course if you're using the larger BP-970G then there won't be any more room in the battery compartment but that's a great place to put your cheat sheet if you're using the smaller BP-950G that came with the camera. Thanks!