GPS Question

“If you want to find the accurate coordinats on a TOPO map to navigate to with a GPS how do most of you do it? I have done that in the past to find communication tower locations but it involved a special ruler and calculator that you would not always have with you and I can't even find anyone that sells them anymore. I have seen in my GPS owners video tape a clear grid scale that looks like you lay over a map. Does anyone know what this is or uses one?”

“Outamatches,

You can set your GPS up to use the UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) coordinate system. Then get a UTM grid at an outdoors store (I know REI carries them). I'd suggest getting a book on using GPS, any good book should have a chapter on using UTM, with your GPS and a grid it will be simple to find your exact position on the map.

One caveat is that the UTM grid is usually not overlayed on the map, for most maps there will be tick marks along the margins that you can use to grid the maps yourself. Generally the UTM tick marks are blue (lat, long are usually the black tick marks).
last edited: 8/01/05 9:40:47 AM”

“Thanks, that is what I saw in the video. I understand longitude and latitude cordinants but not UTM. I will have to read up on it more. So most people use the UTM instead of L L. Is it easier?”

“UTM is a lot easier than lat/long, and it won't take long to learn at all. It gives you a position based on the grid, you just find the corner of the grid position that you are in and your position is so many meters north and east of that corner, simple.

My understanding is that pretty much anyone who does orienteering uses UTM.
last edited: 8/01/05 10:23:56 AM”

“Ditto what Bison posted. UTM is much easier to use.”

“Do you have a particular book that you would recomend?”

“I use one occassionally but then I only use the GPS occassionally - here is a link to some products: link”

“There's a falcon guide "Using GPS" it's not in depth, but it'll have the info you need.”

“Our GPS only does lat/long - not UTM. (We bought it on sale at an REI Attic sale - now I know why.) The reason I will never be a good GPS navigator - too much math involved. I don't want to think that hard. It's easier to just read the map.”

“I always go for maps that have both UTM and Lat/Long on tics on them. You never know what you are going to get when someone sends you a set of coordinates. I use UTM for almost everything, however.

How many people actually carry a GPS when they hike? I have in the past, mostly as a plaything. I have never really needed it. I kind of like recording tracks of trails and then working the data back onto maps. That said, my GPS just doesn't get enough signal under a canopy to get good tracks so it's rare I can accomplish this.

I know a lot of people do geocaching. I have thought of tossing this into a hike or two just for fun. Never actually done it.”

“I carry my GPS when I bushwhack, but it generally stays home if I'm just trail hiking.”

“Any of you GPS lovers ever go to a state or US forest, plug in the coordinates of your car and just try to get lost exploring?

I went to one of my old stomping grounds Morgan/Monroe and Yellowwood state forests yesterday. Most of this land is unmapped, at least the trails and logging roads are. I thought it would be awesome to just go some time and just wonder all over exploring and then being able to find the car again with no problem when I'm done.”

“biggest problem with this is that all too often when you are down in some hollow under some trees you just don't get a signal or when you do get out in an exposed area it may take a fairly long time to find the satellites - this gets old real fast.

These days I mainly use the GPS to get to the trail head in my car - it works well for that purpose - I then just leave it in the trunk and go hiking using map and compass.”

“"These days I mainly use the GPS to get to the trail head in my car - it works well for that purpose - I then just leave it in the trunk and go hiking using map and compass.”

I thought I was the only one who did that? I always get GPS guilt for leaving the little guy behind.”

“I took it with hiking among Badlands park formations by myself!! I didn't go that far and was good enough go get back out without tracking. ;-P”

“I load up my topographic mapping software and plot a few peaks, creeks, roads, and other points of interest. I download to my GPS and print the map. If I record waypoints on my hike I upload them into my mapping software when I get back.

I posted a JPG of a sample map under bbw photos. The adobe version would not load. The Adobe version is crystal clear. The jpg is not.”

“Yes, i do this alot.”