Took the GPS plunge

“Stopped in REI tonight and bought the Garmin eTrex Vista. I had the $29 rebate check and thought I was also getting a 20% discount, but the discount does not apply to GPS units. But I had talked myself into it by then, so bought it anyway. I will use if for my work with the WV Highlands Conservancy. It seems like it will be a fun piece of equipment once I learn how to use it, which will probably take awhile. I have to get some map data for it, it looks like.”

“You'll soon be a geocaching geek like the rest of us. :-)

www.geocaching.com”

“Geo, that's the one I bought. We have to get together and exchange our collective and limited knowledge of it...”

“I joined that site too, Lizs. We got our first one before the long winter frost and now I am ready with info on about 6 local caches on Staten Island. So, I hope to be a lot more active with it in the coming months...”

“I'm not caching myself until I know how to use the danged thing. So far I've been going through the pages pretending I know what I'm doing, the Walter Mitty of GPS!”

“Absolutely. I was like a kid the second day I had it. I took it into the elevator at work and roda up and down a few times watching the altimeter climb! I think we climbed 370'. It's pretty neat too because of how fast those high speed elevators go.”

“What color is it Geo? I have the blue one. I don't know the name of it.”

“I've got to set the compass tomorrow, or maybe Sunday. The coords for my house are exactly what I had plotted from the topo map years ago.

I don't need it for navigational purposes, although it will probably come in handy for bushwacking from time to time. But for photos I am taking for visibility studies for windmills and such, we need accurate data on where the photo was taken, distance to target, etc. While I can do a pretty good job of triangulating a position with compass, this will make it dead on. Then if we need to present data to the PSC, we'll have accurate data.

It will also come in handy in other applications for the conservancy, so it seems like a good investment. May be able to claim it as a deduction. That would be icing on the cake.

The demo model in the store showed the routes of people demonstrating it or trying it out. If they had started with a clean screen, you could have figured out what counters they went to.

I was going to buy the next one down. Same parameters, but without the compass and altimeter, and $100 less. But I figured what the heck, those things might come in handy, so go for it. I'll check it in the field along the Delaware Canal on Sunday.”

“It's gray and black Tango. You got the next one down, the $200 model without compass and altimeter.

In reality, you probably don't need them, since if it gives your position you'll have an idea from the map of your elevation. But there may be applications where it will come in handy.

I don't expect to hold it in my hand while hiking. Probably won't even use it at all while walking trails, and very infrequently on bushwacks. Just for those times when I feel as though it's become another Fugawi Indian expedition.”

“I have both of those, altimeter and the compass. That's weird.”

“I have the Legend.”

“Hmmm, the REI data list lied to me. It indicates the Legend does not have compass and altimeter. Mine has 24 megs of memory. Yours has 8, according to the data sheet. If you tell me yours has 24 megs, I'm taking it back to exchange!”

“Hmmm, the REI data list lied to me. It indicates the Legend does not have compass and altimeter. Mine has 24 megs of memory. Yours has 8, according to the data sheet. If you tell me yours has 24 megs, I'm taking it back to exchange!”

“Oops! I see everything twice!”

“I have a directional page with a compass ring and it also shows my altitude. Is that different than a compass and altimeter?”

“Apparently you can run this thing while driving and it gives you your speed and other data. If you can look at it without running into a tree, that is.”

“No 24. Altimeter- gotcha, it's late!”

“Okay, I think so. This has the direction page, but there is a compass that spins on it. The next page is the altimeter/barometer. I have to work my way through setting those handy gadgets. You have to reset the compass whenever you change batteries. I guess you have to reset the barometer whenever the pressure changes.”

“I'll tell you when I was in Utah, by following it I found a trail I had found on a map and had no hope of finding when I was there. It was cool. There was no sign for the turn off to the trailhead.”

“I'd just like to know I got something for my extra hundred besides 16 megs of memory.”

“There have been cases where I've followed unmarked trails not on the map, or going cross country and trying to intersect something. I've always gotten by with map and compass and frowned on these gadgets. If it weren't for the WVHC work, I'd still be frowning. But it will get used from time to time, and probably a lot while I'm learning to use it.

I could always use it in elevators to see what floor I'm going past, ey tree?”

“There must be a diff between a compass and a compass ring and an altitude reading and an altimeter. I don't know what it is.”

“The altimeter page has a host of data on it, not just altitude. Let me fire the dang thing up and see what it has ... Sit tight, Tango!”

“Glide Ratio, Glide Ratio to Destination, and Vertical Speed to Destination and a barometric altimeter and a built in compass. The comparison says I don't have any of those!”

“Yeah, the compass rotates and gives bearing and speed. The altimeter has a graph that apparently shows the angle of the climb or some such thing, elevation, maximum elevation, and total ascent.

Gotta read up on this stuff and figure out what it all means.”

“I'll bring mine to Ithaca, we'll have dueling GPS's!”

“Good God, on the odometer page, if you pick it up and transfer it from one hand to the other, it gives a readout of the speed with which you did it. This thing is absolutely amazing.”

“Yeah, well, we'll have treebeard's too. A GPS shootout!

Maybe by that time I'll have a clue how the dang thing works.”

“I'll have to get mine out before then and study up! It's like getting a brand new one every time I use it!”

“Thanks for jawing with me. Gonna head off to dream land.”

“Me too.”

“Take it out on your next flight... well... AFTER you're allowed to turn it on. One guy told me he did this, so I had to try. Actually, he put a ton of waypoints on his, so he could track exactly where the flight went.

Me?? I just turned it on and was in awe at 632 MPH and 31,274 ft. LOL!”

“lol lizzy.


i lost mine....”

“compass ring on lower end GPS depends on the GPS moving - the direction is derived from successive position readings; compass on upper end GPS detects earth magnetic field and operates properly while GPS is not moving as well as when moving; altitude readings for lower end GPS are derived from the 3d position readings and tend to be rather inaccurate but not sensative to barometric pressure changes; higher end GPS altimeter uses a barometric pressure sensor and is much more accurate than the 3d position from the GPS but it is sensative to pressure changes and needs to be reset at known altitudes to compensate for the barometric pressure changes”

“Thank you HOI. How's it going?”

“I've got an older GPS I'd be willing to let go fer a decent price.

email me if anyone is interested.........”

“Geocaching exists in my area! thank you, lizs..I have the little Geko 201. The first GPS I had was a Magellan given to me by my Dad years ago after I got turned around (lost) on U.P.Michigan logging roads. I remember asking the Magellan guy, "So, to find out which direction I'm headed I have to walk, right?" "Yes" he said" "So, at least I'll know which direction I'm going when I march off a cliff some dark night, huh?" "Yep"..LOL”

“Spend the money for a good quality mapping program or two. I have Maptech's Terrain Navigator for topo maps. Having a GPS is a lot of fun, but if you don't have mapping software you are missing out on a lot of GPS features.

The ability to exchange data between map and GPS is very empowering. As I plan a trip I pull up a map and place waypoints at trail intersections, water sources, peaks, etc. I might draw in a track to follow. I dump the data into the GPS and print a map with coordinates along the borders. You can walk right to any point on the map.

When traveling an unmarked trail I upload the track and waypoints back to the map for an accurate plot on the map.

For my six hour drive the the Sipsey trail head, I loaded the GPS coordinates of the trail head into Delorme's Street atlas. Connected my GPS to my laptop and took off. I had turn by turn feedback of my route and voice commands notifying me of each upcoming turn. ETA, distance to next turn, search for points of interest (Elvis's house in Tupelo) and real time position is displayed on the map.

I have a Mobile Desk computer stand in my truck so everthing is at my finger tips. If you geocache this is a must have.”

“Whoa, good info bacpac. I was looking at the National Geographic mapping programs, but they are $100 a pop and it looks like I'd need at least two of them to cover Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states.

How much is Maptech and how much of an area does it cover?”

“Thanks HOI. That is a pretty good breakdown. Glad I got the higher priced model now. The extra hundred should be worth it, but I doubt this is really a "higher end model." It's probably a lower part of the higher end. STill, it seems to have a nice compromise between price and features. Didn't expect to go that high. In my mind, $150 was tops going into the store, but comparing features it seemed wise to go up a bit and get something I can use for the rest of my life.”

“Terrain Navigator sells for less than $100 per state or region. I got a regional package for about $129. It had three states. There is a package of the entire AT.

Elevation profiles, 3-D views, and some other goodies are nice too. I can send you an email with a sample map.

The maps are DRG images of 1/24,000 USGS maps. There is a seamless view that allows you to make maps of multiple adjoining maps. Some topo software uses 1/100,000 scale maps. Avoid these.

Topo is a good product and there are probably some others.”

“Don't need a sample map. I will scout this out on the net. Yeah, Nat Geog has the regions, but the regions don't embrace all the states I want, so looks like I'd be going with two regions in any case. I hike in NJ, PA, VA, WV, and some in NY.

I thing the Nat Geog has 1:100,000 maps for regional packages and 1:24,000 for each state individually. Together I'd have to spend more than it cost for the stinking computer.

Actually, I thought Pa and NJ were in the Mid-Atlantic states, but not according to Nat Geog! Who-da thunk it?”

“its going OK Tango - I want to go back to Sipsey however - did not do enough blowdown work there this last time and I want to see the spring flowers - don't know if I will be able to however - going to be moving soon and I need to find a place to live.”

“Wow, good luck with finding a place. I'm sorry I have had to miss the last trips there (Sipsey), they sounded like fun.”

“Free map program

This isn't quite as user friendly as NG or TOPO, but it does cover the entire USA....and it's free. I use it for States that I don't have in my other map programs.

bacpac, I believe, has some sites that have lists of coordinates that makes using this program much easier.”

“Another free program that will make using your GPS easier. It's EasyGPS...


From their web site.....

"EasyGPS is the fast and easy way to create, edit, and transfer waypoints and routes between your computer and your Garmin, Magellan, or Lowrance GPS. Using EasyGPS, you can manage all of your waypoints and routes, and display them in lists sorted by name, elevation, or distance. EasyGPS connects your GPS to the best mapping and information sites on the Internet, giving you one-click access to street and topo maps, aerial photos, weather forecasts, and nearby attractions."”

“geo, it's a breeze once you dedicate an evening to studying it. i've already mastered the gps and both mapsource programs. now, i'm off to make good use of it. see ya!”

“Hey, thanks loads guys. I downloaded the satellite program that mtnsteve recommended and downloaded an image for my entire neighborhood. Clicked in the waypoints for my short, 1-mile hike and loaded them into the vista. Off I went, checking speed, distance, and hitting the waypoints dead on. What an amazing tool. It does more than I expected it would. Speed and distance are great assets.”

“Okay, downloaded waypoints for tomorrow's canal hike. Hoochie Mama!”

“Sounds like your having a good time....ain't technology a fun!

My partner uses his GPS for a speedometer in his Toyota.

Have you played with the USGS 7.5 Topo maps yet?

I bet you have a cache within a couple miles of your place...”