All things GPS (recommendations, tips, etc.) - merged

[Franko]

A GPS is a tool that enhances your ability to navigate. I use it as a way to confirm a location, after I've used my map and compass skills.

I swear by using a AA GPS. At least if the camp that your in has no power, you can still ADREP in AA batteries.

Regards

 

[dookie]

I have a Magellan eXplorist 600.  It has a rechargeable battery and comes with an alkaline battery adapter as well.  Best of both worlds.

 

[Sapper6]

Just bought a Garmin eTrex Summit at Canadian Tire for 1/2 price (~$120).  Plan is to do some geo-caching with the kids. I'll report back on how it goes. 

S6.

Note: was looking for a cheap hobby that involved going outdoors with the kids...I know, I know...geo-caching is borderline geekdom....well, it was either that or join the Frontiersmen (sp?)...

 

[Kat Stevens]

As stated earlier, I have a Garmin eTrex Legend.  The ability to operate in any kind of canopy is crap, even a cloudy day can shag up the signal.  I'm also not very happy with the mapping accuracy, but that's part of living in Toolietown Alberta.  You paid an excellent price though, Rod... good score!

Geocaching is not geekdom, it was cool when it was called orienteering and used map and compass, and a little mid tech can't hurt its rep that bad, can it?

 

[Jarnhamar]

Just bought a Garmin eTrex Summit at Canadian Tire for 1/2 price (~$120).  Plan is to do some geo-caching with the kids. I'll report back on how it goes. 

S6.

My friend got the same one and I had himbring it back.
His didn't come with any cables to hook it up to a PC and it had the old 4 gold prong connecter style thing which requires another cord that allowes it to patch into a USB port. Not sure if yours will need that but my old one did and the piece was pricey.

My friend ended up picking up the Garmin Ledgend CX.  I use the Garmin Vista CX and if your willing to spend th emoney on them their just amazing.
The summit, if I recall, doesn't let you put bigger memory cards in them right?  Garmin seems bad for that. Only their higher end GPSs give you expanded memory (Magellen seems much better in this department).

Depends what you wanna use it for and if your loking for a simple you are here then the summit is probably okay. (I still didnt like the lack of expandable memory and no cables).

ps. Listen to Kat Stevens when it comes to GPSs. I'm glad I did.

 

[LordOsborne]

My first GPS was a Garmin Etrex which I later sold in favour of a Magellan Explorist 200. Both are fairly basic; the Magellan is a little more capable because of the built-in map. I've also found that although both were WAAS capable, I never managed to acquire WAAS with my Garmin. The Magellan also seems better at aquiring more satellites. The only gripe I have with the Magellan is the really basic nature of the map, showing only rough coastlines and highways (although, it is only a basic model) and the small size of the buttons makes it hard to manipulate with gloves.

That being said, I'd rather use a DAGR than the Magellan. I'd like to have the opportunity to see a DAGR with a map uploaded, just to see how the two compare.

 

[vita per veneratio]

I recently bought a Magellan explorist 100 with the assumption that I could figure out how to use it for military application.  I was infact wrong.  If there is anybody out there that could tell me what map unit to use and what datum, and maybe explain to me a little something about it.  I was told to the map unit UTM with NAD27 as my datum.  If I look at a map while using these settings, it doesn't appear to make any sense. 

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

Set it to MGRS-new, 100 meter and check your local map to see what datum to set it to.  You can't always use NAD 27- it's dependent on the map in use.  It'll now give you a 6 figure grid.  Hopefully you'll be ok from there.

 

[lostrover]

Just to throw somethign else into the fire........

WAAS (although a great marketing ploy) in only available within the United States and very small portions of Canada, last check there were only 3 transmitters active within Canada.  A WAAS signal is not available within 1 hour north of Pet.  Civilian GPS units for the most part provide accuracy to 15-30 meters (even with SA turned off), thus you still need the ability to use a map and compass, most importantly how to read a map.  Although not user friendly the PLGR is the way to go for the nitty gritties of it all. 

 

[Donut]

Just to throw somethign else into the fire........
Although not user friendly the PLGR is the way to go for the nitty gritties of it all. 

PLGR has/is being replaced by DAGR, which I understand is a more user-friendly interface.

DF

 

[medaid]

It is! I'll attest to that, I used it on an ex once. Just be going through the screens it was quite easy to figure out!

 

[LordOsborne]

+1 on that. DAGR is smaller, lighter, more durable, more capable and much easier to use than the PLGR. One of the features i got to play around with was the functionality between it and the Vector Binos. By plugging them together, pointing the binos at a target, and pushing both buttons, it sends an exact grid to the DAGR, which I imagine makes giving target co-ordinates amazingly fast and painless.

 

[Sapper6]

...didn't come with any cables to hook it up to a PC and it had the old 4 gold prong connecter style thing which requires another cord that allowes it to patch into a USB port. Not sure if yours will need that but my old one did and the piece was pricey...The summit, if I recall, doesn't let you put bigger memory cards in them right?  Garmin seems bad for that. Only their higher end GPSs give you expanded memory...

Depends what you wanna use it for and if your loking for a simple you are here then the summit is probably okay.

ps. Listen to Kat Stevens when it comes to GPSs. I'm glad I did.

FD,

You know, you're right!  I had no idea.  I suppose I should have checked here first and listened to Kat like you said.  Oh well, you get what you pay for.  I don't intend on doing any heavy-duty GPS work.  I am hoping it should provide enough accuracy to do Geo-caching....outside....on a sunny day....when the wind is just right....and the moons are aligned.... lol.

S6

 

[JVJA]

The Summit is quite good. A big part of the GPS is the software/applications you get for it. The maps are expensive, but worth it if you have a mapping GPS. I would highly recommend buying Oziexplorer (link: http://www.oziexplorer.com/ ). The beauty of this software is you can load in scanned maps (any map for that matter), calibrate it, and you are good to go in planning out routes, WP's, etc. It doesn't upload the map, however, to your GPS.

For the GPS users out there, effective 1 Apr 07, NR Can has released most , if not all of the digital 1:50000 map sheets for the country. (And more)  And the beauty is they are all free!  Previously, you had to go to a third party and purchase the map sheets you wanted.  So like Mr. Luomala mentioned, if you have a program like Oziexplorer, or something similar you can plug data in to your GPS to your hearts content.  I didn't check any of the training areas, but it had all 10 sheets I needed.

Here's a link:  http://tinyurl.com/2mjwsd

 

[Kat Stevens]

Excellent link, thanks!

 

[ZipperHead]

Skip, brilliant link!!! Thanks for this. I am going to take a quick look for some areas that I am interested in. Gold!!!

Allan

 

[ZipperHead]

Just took a look for the Gagetown trg area map ( 021G09, Hampstead, NB ). The good news: it's there. The bad news: it's from 1980/1983. The terrain hasn't changed, but a lot of the details have (roads, buildings, etc). For free, better than a poke in the eye. It's 300dpi, BTW, which is good quality. With any luck there might be newer maps for other areas, but again, you get what you pay for.

Thanks again, Skip.

Al

 

[JVJA]

  No problem.  I was quite happy when I saw the news.  So much for my other plans for the long weekend!

  (And thanks to Kat Stevens for the Magellan recommendation)

  You are right, I downloaded ten 1:50000 and noticed six of the sheets I wanted were older (mid eighties), and four were 99/00.  I also grabbed two 1:250000, and they were early eighties but at that scale......

  I don't know how often they revise their data, but hopefully it will be updated as they go.  Coupled with Oziexplorer this makes a powerful tool.

  Take it easy

 

[241]

So how do you download the maps, as far as I can get is:

http://www.geogratis.ca/geogratis/en/product/metadata.do?controller=7000C8A972CE1CADC71362CF71C7250E-1175882926420&index=2

 

[ZipperHead]

241, try this link: http://www.geogratis.ca/geogratis/en/product/search.do?locate=true

It should give you a map of our fine country, and every time you click in the location you want, it zooms in a little further. Once you get the area locked in, hit the "Search" button at the bottom of the page (refine the search if you want by date). Then put a check in the box for the mapsheets you want, and it will bring you to a "Checkout" (like many e-commerce sites), but the good news is that it's a free download (good to see our taxdollars amount to something  ).

And from there, you should be good to go. BTW, the longer the map sheet name is (092K03 vs 092K) indicates it is more detailed. In the example I gave, 092K is 1:250000 and 092K03 is 1:50000 (the only 2 available via this one-time, limited offer..... j/k)

Al