[Philmont]: RE: GPS use and waypoint collection

John LeBlanc writes...

Concerning waypoints for use in GPS.

As a user of GPS on a daily basis, I'd like to point out some observations
I've made over the past dozen years or so.

First, there are numerous lists of GPS coordinates for Philmont. Some are
helpful and some are not. The most negative thing about these lists are
that they never list the datum they used when they collected the waypoints.
When I wrote to one of these authors, he admitted he knew nothing about
datum and also that he got the waypoints from various sources besides
personally collecting some.

The people who publish these lists of waypoints are well meaning people,
but! Some are accurate and some are not. The only problem is they all look
the same until you use them. Then and only then does the problem become
apparent. And by then it's too late. <snip>

So much for my soap box stand. Now for some help. I suggest that you
collect your own waypoints and verify their accuracy. <snip>

Comment...

An engineer, I question the accuracy of everything. And always look to
avoid errors, both systematic (for instance, using the wrong datum) and
random (like transposing numbers).

John's points are well taken. However, realize that he talks at length about
collecting your own waypoints, his introductory line includes "and verify
their accuracy." That is necessary because there are two obvious sources of
errors in the collection process - getting the wrong coordinates in the
first place or getting the right ones but then inputting them wrong.

Since you have to check the data anyway, an alternate would be to get data
available from some source, input it (preferably by an electronic transfer,
not by hand), and then check it (ALL of it) using the TopoZone method he
describes or some other.

But if you don't check ahead of time whether you collected it yourself, or
downloaded it from somewhere, you don't know whether or not you have a
problem with your data until it is too late.

- Al Thomson, Troop 236, Schooley's Mountain NJ
Treks 1999, 2001, and 2003
Autumn Adventures 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006

-------------------------------------------------------
Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
Subscribe/Unsubscribe at http://usscouts.org/lists/
Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
-------------------------------------------------------
Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------
As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
-------------------------------------------------------

 
Received on Wed Aug 17 01:07:17 2005