GPS units

[Bud]

I'm kind of old fashioned---I like to do map and compass work. GPS units feel like "cheating" to me, though I know for those not inclined with the compass, they are real handy. Do you have one?

 

[sherbearski]

I don't have one, I use a good old compass as well. I have a friend with one and I think it would be a lot of fun to have one though. It shows nearby points of interests which have led us to several very interesting places, that otherwise we would have never known about.

 

[mi77915]

I use both. I like the feel of using a compass and a map but I also use a GPS unit to "track" my way and also use it for measuring the distance that I travel that day. By using a GPS, I can review my progress and if by chance I get "turned around" and loose my bearings, I can use the GPS unit to back-track my way out. I have not had to use it for this yet, but I feel safer carrying a GPS unit with me.

 

[Refrigerator]

I use Maps, Gps and comapss together on most of my trips.

 

[YogiBear]

I always use maps and a compass but like someone else said I am thinking of getting a GPS system. Can anyone recommend a good one?

 

[Refrigerator]

I always use maps and a compass but like someone else said I am thinking of getting a GPS system. Can anyone recommend a good one?

Do you have a friend who use one? If you do talk to them and let them show you there GPS. Go here.. Here's the Best Handheld GPS Ratings for Backpackers!

Backpacker's Guide to GPS Systems

What to look for in a GPS for backpacking - GPS for Hikers


I currently have 3 models and like them all so it's a coin toss which one I use. Garmin 60csx, Garmin Dakota and a Delorme.
Here is a link to compare many types

http://www.thegpsstore.com/Handheld-GPS-C2.aspx

 

[oldsarge]

Great links Refrigerator!

YogiBear: I own a Colorado 300, it's a discontinued model but still available at a great price. Garmin still supports it and it is a very popular unit. It has more features than I can use and that's what I like about it. I can use it on the street with turn by turn navigation or switch to a Geocaching mode to enable me to do paperless caching. And if you just want something for the trails there's many features for basic navigating. I'm sure Garmins newer models are just as good but a little pricier. I have had many GPS units throughout the years and I always find myself going back and upgrading to something better. My advice is to dish out the bucks and get something high end that will suit your needs further down the road. I have owned Magellan's but decided to get away from them due to support issues, Garmin has a good following and they have a great product with reliable customer support. My next GPS will most likely be The DeLorme PN60. I know that these can run into bigger bucks, but it the long run, I think you will be comfortable with something with more features available.

As far as being old fashioned, I too enjoy the old ways of the map and compass. A GPS is fun and it can help in developing map skills. I use my GPS to help confirm my location when doing terrain association. Kind of helps you hone the map skills if you will. GPS's are fun and make things easier, but there are so many folks out there using them by them selves, and when they break down they're screwed. Hope you find something to fit your needs and have fun out there!

 

[Bud]

So, many of you think they each have their place. I would not have guessed that. One main reason I like the map and compass is in event of a GPS malfunction or breakdown.

 

[oldsarge]

So, many of you think they each have their place. I would not have guessed that. One main reason I like the map and compass is in event of a GPS malfunction or breakdown.

I guess it's all how how you look at it! Just another piece of technology to take advantage from. It definitely is a quicker way to determine your location in a pinch plus helping in other navigating issues like saving way points and having bread crumbs to follow on the screen. Yes it does have it's pro's and con's. It does take away from those valuable map reading skills, which is why I like to always have a map and use my GPS just to help back up those skills. I often wonder when the first compass was invented, did someone say "What happens if it breaks, then what"! Folks back then were so in tune to the lay of the land, they didn't need maps or compasses to get around. They never found themselves several hundred miles away from home having to get back (unless you were a sailor). I would think back then if you were that lost out in the bush, that far away from home, it simply turned in to a survival issue and you lasted as long as you could as you used the stars to navigate you back home. If you even possessed that skill. Prior to the 19th century, sailors used the stars to navigate by, don't know how many landlocked folks knew how to do that. All in all, GPS are a fun item!

 

[Refrigerator]

So, many of you think they each have their place. I would not have guessed that. One main reason I like the map and compass is in event of a GPS malfunction or breakdown.

Never had a GPS break down and I use mine on every trip I do...I do however have a map and my compass on my trips as well.

using a GPS for 11 years now and never FAIL. It has also been said that when the automobile was first introduced many on horses said similar things much like what some say about GPS break downs. I'll keep my GPS

The Global Positioning System (GPS) was developed by the U. S. Department of Defense (DOD), Ivan Getting, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Originally consisting of 11 orbiting satellites, the GPS--official name NAVSTAR (Navigation System with Timing And Ranging)--was launched by DOD in 1978 strictly for military use. The idea for the system began much, much earlier. In fact the basic idea of GPS navigation can be traced back centuries to the first explorer who asked the question, "Where am I?" The technology of GPS history, however, first emerged in the 1950s.
In 1957, Russia launched a satellite (Sputnik) into space. After the launch, MIT researchers noticed that as Sputnik orbited the planet, its radio signal varied in strength. As it approached their position, the signal strength increased. When the satellite departed the MIT researchers' position, the signal strength decreased. From this increase and decrease of the radio signal, the MIT researchers could determine Sputnik's exact orbit. This recognition that radio signals from a satellite, or "artificial star" could determine distinct positions on the ground was truly the launching pad of the GPS system.

Even before that, however, the seeds for the GPS technology were being planted. In 1951, Dr. Ivan Getting, a graduate of MIT student and a Rhodes Scholar from Oxford, put his Ph.D. in astrophysics to use at Raytheon. The Air Force requested a guidance system for a proposed ICBM traveling via railroad. In response to this request, Dr. Getting developed the first three-dimensional, position-finding system based on time difference of arrival. This system became the basis for the future GPS.

The deployment portion of the GPS history began in 1973 with the decision to develop a satellite navigation system based on existing technology of the U. S. Air Force and the U. S. Navy. The system went through extensive testing during the next three years. In 1977 the first transmitters were installed on the surface of the Earth and tested--even though no satellites have been launched yet. The transmitters were dubbed Pseudolites (pseudo satellites).

Between 1978 and 1985, eleven satellites were launched into space and put into position. In 1979, the decision was made to increase the number of satellites to 18. In 1980, the first Block I satellite was launched. This "bird' had sensors specifically designed to detect atomic explosions, and was placed in orbit as a means of monitoring the Soviet Union's compliance with the 1963 agreement with the United States to refrain from nuclear testing.

Also in 1980, the onboard atomic clocks, the most accurate timepieces in the world, were activated. Developed by physicists, atomic clocks measure time by the change in energy levels of electrons. These clocks are stable, continuous, and accurate to a nanosecond, or one-billionth of a second.

In 1983, the GPS ceased being solely a military system and was made available for public use. President Ronald Reagan declassified the GPS system in response to a tragedy involving a civilian airplane. Korean Airline flight 007 got lost over Soviet territory and was shot down by Soviet fighters. In 1986, the Challenger space shuttle tragedy halted space shuttle launches, and thereby delayed the GPS system, because shuttles were supposed to transport the new Block II satellites. Eventually, Delta rockets, the original transport, were put back into use to launch the satellites, and in 1988, the decision was made to increase the number of satellites to 24, because functionality with 18 satellites was still limited.

Though the GPS system was available for public use, the first Gulf War in 1990 saw temporary deactivation of use by the public, because the military needed more receivers. Public use returned in 1993 along with the decision that the GPS system would be available free of charge to the entire world. Full Operational Capacity (FOC) was achieved in July of 1995 with the placement and activation of the last of the 24 satellites.

Since 1995, GPS history has seen considerable technological advancement. More satellites have been put into orbit, increasing both availability and accuracy. Previously GPS could locate a subject within 100 meters. That accuracy improved to finding subjects within 10-15 meters, and at present can be measured within centimeters in some cases. Availability improved from utilization in military and the position-required industries of aviation, nautical navigation, and land surveying, to include many personal applications. With the use of a fairly inexpensive receiver, employers use GPS to track their fleet of vehicles, parents use the system to keep track of small children and of disobedient teenagers, and pet lovers use it to keep track of their dogs.

 

[IndianaHiker]

IF you carry maps anyway and want just a cheaper bare bones model I live my Garmin Etrex HS. No it doesn't have maps or many of the other bells and whistles but works great and is less than 100 bucks.

 

[Simmions]

I use both. It is like a cheat sheet that I can use if I question my judgment or get turned around. There is something to be said for using the old fashion method though.

 

[oldsarge]

Same hear Refrigerator, I never had a GPS completely break down, there have been times where it's dropped a signal or the screen froze for a short time. A simple restart fixed the issue and off I went.

IndianaHiker, You make a good point about going to a cheaper unit if you are going to carry maps anyway. I also have a Garmin eTrex Legend and it has worked great all the times I used it.

 

[Sophia]

I do use my GPS when I am riding, especially when going out of town. It actually encourages me to travel farther, because I know I won't get lost.

 

[trbird]

I use GPS on most hikes. I also always have a map or a guide book or something along those lines on our hikes as well as a compass. Usually though, I rarely need to use the compass as we don't get off the trail much if any at all.

As for what GPS we use? I have a Garmin eTrex Legend that I take and have recently purchased Trimble Outdoors for my Blackberry Curve 8330. I've took it out on the last couple of trips instead of the Garmin. I've yet to have them side by side on a trip for a quality comparison, but with the cellphone equipped with Trimble, I can get a good idea of where we are, how far we have gone, etc. You can also choose from Topo, Aerial, Hybrid etc. which is really neat. I have come to find that there is a lot of wiggle with the GPS tracks so it's hard to determine exactly how far you have walked. Normally with Trimble, when we get home after a trail, I do a map edit on the web (you can upload your trips to their website under your account, and share details with others) to get a better idea of how far we hiked. I also use this to share our trips with others especially on our trail reports that we write up on our blog.


Happy Trails,
Tim

 

[ChadTower]

I have an older Garmin Etrex but I only use it for Geocaching. If on a really long hike I might take it and set my starting point and then turn it off. That way I have a solid way to get back home but can't imagine using it to get where I am going. It's just not how I do things. It would tick me off to depend on the GPS only to find out it brought me to some topographical feature I can't cross but would have been fine reading the map.

 

[oldsarge]

I have come to find that there is a lot of wiggle with the GPS tracks so it's hard to determine exactly how far you have walked.

Don't understand wiggle! I've downloaded tracks and routes traveled to mapping programs and found them to be really accurate.

 

[oldsarge]

I have an older Garmin Etrex but I only use it for Geocaching. If on a really long hike I might take it and set my starting point and then turn it off. That way I have a solid way to get back home but can't imagine using it to get where I am going. It's just not how I do things. It would tick me off to depend on the GPS only to find out it brought me to some topographical feature I can't cross but would have been fine reading the map.

I agree that older model GPS's without any mapping features can be a pain to use. About the only thing they are good for is saving way points and getting coords. Folks who don't know how to plot coordinates on a map can really find themselves in a pinch.

 

[Refrigerator]

I use GPS on most hikes. I also always have a map or a guide book or something along those lines on our hikes as well as a compass. Usually though, I rarely need to use the compass as we don't get off the trail much if any at all.

As for what GPS we use? I have a Garmin eTrex Legend that I take and have recently purchased Trimble Outdoors for my Blackberry Curve 8330. I've took it out on the last couple of trips instead of the Garmin. I've yet to have them side by side on a trip for a quality comparison, but with the cellphone equipped with Trimble, I can get a good idea of where we are, how far we have gone, etc. You can also choose from Topo, Aerial, Hybrid etc. which is really neat. I have come to find that there is a lot of wiggle with the GPS tracks so it's hard to determine exactly how far you have walked. Normally with Trimble, when we get home after a trail, I do a map edit on the web (you can upload your trips to their website under your account, and share details with others) to get a better idea of how far we hiked. I also use this to share our trips with others especially on our trail reports that we write up on our blog.


Happy Trails,
Tim

I am repeating what oldsarge said about wiggle? I have used a GPS for hundreds of treks with no error what so ever. Tracks,mileage,and all the features have performed above my expectations. Once in Alaska I was reading our mileage for the day and one of the guys said no way....He pulls his map out and calculates our previous position with our current location and says...Wow fridge..that Garmin has us pegged. He later bought him one.

 

[oldsarge]

My next GPS, some day!


Earthmate PN-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator & Topo North America 9.0 - DeLorme