Got A GPS now what?

[Schutzen]

Well I got a gps and was looking for some help or info from you all to help shorten the learning curve a bit. So if you have some helpful info you would like to pass along I'm all ears.

[3kills]

i havent played with them that much but i find the best way to learn is to grab it and go for a walk and play with it..

[Steeleco]

Darcy's right, take it with you everywhere, if your going for a drive, walk anything, keep the manual with you as they are all different with respect to options. Have you tried the manufacturers web site?? sometimes they have helpfull tips on their site's.

[CanuckShooter]

And always carry spare batteries....we had to direct more than one hapless soul that lost his way because the batteries had died....:biggrin:

[3kills]

spare batteries is an awesome piece of advice :D...if u go out fishin take it with u fishin even and when the fish arent bitin to much just place with it on the lake...

[Cappy]

Play around with it a bit. If you really get to know how to use one they can be a real good tool. I see a lot of people using them simply to mark their truck to make sure they can get back at the end of the day. They are missing out on a lot. I got trained to use them at work after already having one for a couple seasons, man was I misssing out on a lot. With good map skills you can plot grid refrences that will allow you to get from point A to B using waypoints to get you around obstacles before you waste your time by just running into them etc.......if you don't know anyone who can use them well, you'll have to read the instructions eventually...........don't forget to have the plotting system in your GPS (you'll usually find it in the menu) match the maps you are using.

[Schutzen]

Yeah I have already found it likes batteries! If the backlighting stays on for long it really eats up the juice, I got mine set to time out at 30 sec.
I got a Magellan Sportrak Colour, nice unit so far.
But I like what Cappy had to say... save yourself alot of useless wandering.

[3kills]

schutzen cant u set ur backlight to turn off sooner that way u are savin ur battery power even more?

[Walksalot]

DON'T LET IT REPLACE YOUR COMPASS.

I was out with a buddy and he has the same gps. As we got within .5 km of our destination both was roaming up to ten degrees.

Have a bearing on your compass you can bail out of the woods with if the gps goes south.

[LOC]

check out getting a program like Ozi-explorer as well. If you can get some e-maps of the areas you want to go to, or have been to, you can do some neat stuff with send way-points to and from the map to the GPS.

I have a E-trex that I use with Ozi all the time - it's great for mapping new logging roads / trails and plotting where you have been. You just load the map, and dump the track from the GPS and away you go...

[Fido]

I have a gps and was wondering is there any courses that you can take to teach you the right way to use them if so let me know thanks.

[LOC]

Fido, I've seen "How to use your GPS" courses listed in the Surrey Parks and Rec book before (under the General Interest catagory). For a more expensive option BCIT offers a course too http://www.bcit.ca/study/courses/surv0129 .

[Fido]

Thank you will look into that.:grin:

[Schutzen]

3skills...
I'll look into the backlite thing I do'nt know if I can turn it off but I put it on the lowest time I could at 30 secs.

Loc...
Thanx for the Ozi map info I'll check it out.

[BCKID]

I agree with the above {dont' leave your compass at home} I found mine would lose the satellite in the timber at times. You need to look for a clear spot if that happens. As for batteries I found the cheapest ones lasted twice as long as the pricey Duracell ones so try out a few to see what works best. BCKID

[zedex]

I have some more advice. When you get to your starting area and turn your gps on. Make sure you let the gps acquire all satellites.Then mark the waypoint. I mistakenly left in a haste once and didnt allow proper acquisition. When i decided to track back to the truck it was no where near the marked waypoint. Good thing i knew the area. If i didnt i would have been screwed.

[J_T]

The concept behind a GPS unit is simple. While we normally position ourselves in the field using three component x,y,z components (northsouth, eastwest and elevation) the GPS unit requires one more component. Time. receiving a signal from at least four satellites.

Your accuracy is based on the geometry (position in the sky) of the satellites. If you have a unit that can tell you what your expected accuracy is (IE, within 10 metres) this is preferable

There are two basic types of GPS units that you might bump into these days.
1) Recreational - Less than $500 (Can Tire, Walmart)
2) Mapping - Over $1000

The Garmin Product (www.Garmin.com (http://www.Garmin.com)) is absolutely the best in the recreational field. (GPS 2, 12XL) They have figured the mathematical geometry of a position fix very well. For the higher end models, Trimble (www.Trimble.com (http://www.Trimble.com)) is the best. The Mapping units allow you to interface with computer software.

For the money the best units are the Garmin ETrex series. There is a new Rhino series that is a combination radio GPS unit, that will let your buddy set a waypoint, based on your position (which is different than his) and navigate to your position using the radio and GPS combo. Waypoint, waycool.

The concept that to learn about it, just turn it on is absolutely correct. You can train a monkey to use a GPS. Just turn it on.

IF you are using a recreational GPS unit remember, the OMS (original manufactures specifications) indicates the unit is a 100 metre unit. 80% of the time the unit will give you a reading that is within 100 metres of the actual position. We know the units perform better than that (most of the time they are sub 20 metre), however, you should alway keep in mind the 100 metre expectancy.

If you are using the unit with a map, in order to have a good match, you need to know what datum your map is on. In BC, the green 1:50,000 topo maps use a NAD 27 datum reference and you have to go into the setup and set your readout to NAD 27. If you are using the white 1:20,000 TRIM based maps these operate on a NAD 83 or WGS 84. The differenc in a NAD 27 coordinate position and a NAD 83 position (same position, different reading) can be as much as 200 metres by 100 metres out.

All GPS units read in WGS 84. You will also have to decide if you want UTM (metres north of the equator and metres east or west of the central meridian) or degrees of latitude and longitude for a read out. Likely UTM.

If you are using a map, when you get to general location, find a known feature on the map, take a reading, and confirm the reading to the map. Any error will likely be your error over the next 6 hours. So if the unit is South and West by 100 metres of your known point, then make a similar adjustment through the day.

To get the best readings, don't take readings near your vehicle, powerlines, concrete structures. The satellite signal bounces off of these in what we call multipath and it distorts your signal.

Why the error when we take the readings? Initially it was the military that used the GPS. As civilians started using them, they introduced what is known as "selective availability" creating an error in the signal. As I said, the fourth component in a position is time and the military adjust the time, to distort your reading.

Remember, if there is political unrest, or a war going on, you may experience less accuracy because the US military move the satellites to the hot spots. By and large the civilian consumers in the states are taking over GPS and those of us close to the 49th parallel, will see more accuracy in the coming years. If you are moose hunting in the Prince George area, remember the best readings are taken in th early morning and late afternoon.

Sorry for the length.:?

JT

[Rob]

Ive also got a magellan sporttrac, its a couple years older, ive also found the backlight burns up the battery but youll only need that at night so i hardly use it(the light). Ive got mine on UTM which i find makes map reading a whole lot simpler. Go to a map store & p/u a map of some area close by your home talk to the guy at the store about maybe he can give some last minute advice, you can also p/u a roamer which will break down your grids even smaller. Gps's are fun but i also always bring my compass anyway. PS i read the manuel they give with it,it didnt make a lot of sense to me:confused: so i learned what i know from talking with people & going out to play with it.

[gpoole]

If you are like most of us you won't use most of the bells and whistles. I just use mine to tell me the UTM coordinates so I know where I am on a topo map. I don't use the compass features, distance to marked point, speed of travel or any other fancy features. This way I turn it on to find where I am then turn it off quickly. The batteries last longer like this too. And you still had best have topo maps and a compass.

[Ronforca]

I have used a gps for several years.I tend to wander a long way from camp so when I knock down an animal I then mark the animal and head back to camp for help,The gps will take you right back to your animal.No more stringing surveyers tape and wandering around looking for an animal with darkness coming on.
Good luck Ron