RE: [Philmont]: GPS units

I also have the eTrex Vista unit and it's a blast to operate. I have
replaced the built-in maps with regional topo maps for the areas I frequent.
  The only draw back to the unit is the long upload time for the map
selections I have picked. A general rule of thumb is that more features =
quicker battery consumption. On the Vista Unit, I usually turn the compass
off as well as put it in battery saver mode. This particular unit has a
breadcrumb feature that will set small points along your journey, looking at
each point will give you long/lat/elevation, etc. This is also a great
feature to follow your way back to your starting point. The number of
crumbs your drop is user settable, and I would imagine that this could
potentially eat up the battery. Most GPS units have a tiny display, but if
you have a lap top, you can place the gps unit on your car dashboard and see
your progress on a bigger screen - does a great job tracking miles per hour,
etc

Last year one of our scouts took an older GPS out to Philmont and it was
just extra weight at the time as we didn't know how to read the scales (UTM
vs WAG, etc). Now that we have a better understanding on how to use the
GPS, it would become another tool on the trail. I have made up a template
that fits over the grid lines on the Philmont maps - I've determined that I
can get within 100-200 yards of any location within Philmont. It would be
nice to use this level of accuracy for when you look at your map, then the
trail and confirm you are where you think you are...

Has anyone on the list mapped out all the Philmont map locations as
waypoints in a Garmin format?

I'm still a believer in teaching map and compass skills and this would be
the primary method of orienteering when we visit next time.

Has anyone heard of geocaching? Trying to locate a cache or two will allow
you to quickly get up to speed on how to use the GPS unit.

----Original Message Follows----
From: Pfeifer Randy-QA4427 <Randy.Pfeifer@motorola.com>
Reply-To: philmont@troop47.com
To: Multiple recipients of list philmont <philmont@troop47.com>
Subject: RE: [Philmont]: GPS units
Date: Thu, 24 Jul 2003 14:48:21 -0500

I have a garmin etrex Vista GPS and love it. It has built in road maps. I
used it while on a canoe trip to the NT earlier this month. I never used it
for navigation but just for sampling waypoints at campsites to measure
overall distance from the base and as a novelty (we tried to see how fast we
could paddle one day). For navigation we of course used a compass and
Fischer maps (which have an explicit note on them that they are not intended
for navigation). I never needed to change the batteries in the GPS as I
only used it occasionally. It also has the major lakes in the map. This
Visa has a magnetic compass and barometer to augment the satellite
calculated direction of motion and altitude calculations.

Randy Pfeifer
(847) 632-5563

  -----Original Message-----
From: Robert Haig [mailto:rhaig@hackboy.com]
Sent: Thursday, July 24, 2003 2:30 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list philmont
Subject: Re: [Philmont]: GPS units

On Thu, Jul 24, 2003 at 12:52:07PM -0500, Donnie Scoggin wrote:
> The 2 models I have been considering are the Garmin eTex legend and
> the Garmin map76

I don't have any experience with either of those models. I use a Magellan
Meridian Platinum. Backpacker Magazine picked the Magellan SportTrack Pro
as their editors pick. It's light, has an 11hr battery life, and a good
amount
of memory. I picked the Meridian Plat because it uses SanDsik Memory cards,
is listed as having also an 11hr battery life (though I've tested it at 9hr)
and is also light.

I used to have a Garmin, and they make good units. I have a comittee member
who has a eTrex series Garmin. He loves it.

As a side note, I've been using my Magellan with rechargable batteries
and get about 7hrs out of a set of two batteries. I also have a solar
charger that charges 4 batteries in about 7 hours. That's how I plan on
using this unit at philmont. Take 8 batteries, have two sets in charger,
one in the unit, and one in reserve.

and before someone spouts off that I'd better hope I don't run into
cloudy days or I'll be screwed, let me add that I'm also very aept with
map and compass. But none of that matters as I won't tell my crew where to
go at philmont unless it becomes a safety issue. I'll be on vacation.

--
Rob
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cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
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