Paul Saunders said:Colin Blackburn said:One thought was marking various waypoints along paths but I wondered if there were any units
which would record whole paths to the point where a print-out would form a skeleton map. Are
there units which could effectively record a whole day's walk to a fine level of detail?
Yes, they'll all record a track of your walk. You might want one with a high track capacity though
if you want a fine level of detail. The latest Garmin units can do 10,000 track points, like the
Geko 201 or 301, but I'd recommend the Garmin GPSMAP 76S, which is a map GPS, hence will probably
have most of the streets in there anyway, or at least the main ones, so it will give you a skeleton
to start with. garmin.comgpsmap76sOpen ↗
Ditto the Vista - I am using mine at the moment for exactly what you describe. 10,000 trackpoints,
and a very flexible tracklog set-up (ie log points every n seconds, or every n feet, or auto (works
out direction changes, speed of travel etc. I find this works very well.)
Quoted message said:
Another good option if you want massive track capacity is the Lowrance iFinder, with 100,000 track
points, also a mapping GPS.
The biggest problem you'll get though is reception, which can be seriously affected by high
buildings nearby. In particular you'll proably have a problem with those snickets, ginnels and
alleys that you mention (I have no idea what the first two are). It's quite possible you'll lose
the signal altogether in a narrow alleyway, so...
The Vista has a 'satellite' page, which shows visually how many satellites, how good a signal for
each, and the estimated error. I keep this page displayed, and monitor it as I walk. Advantage of
the Vista is that it likes to be flat, so it can be carried in the hand and watched easily. In
severe conditions, you will need to hold it away from the body, and as high as possible. Gets you
some funny looks !
Quoted message said:
I'd recommend marking a waypoint at every street (and alley) junction. Provided the alleys are
straight you could link the waypoints together with a straight line later if you lose the signal in
the alley itself. I've tried mapping out all the paths in a nearby forest, most of which are not
marked on the map, and in some places I lose reception completely, so I find that marking waypoints
is very helpful.
Good idea.
Quoted message said:
Interestingly, due to the way trackpoints are placed, corners are often cut by the track. The GPS
tends not to respond to a sudden change of direction quickly enough, so marking a waypoint at
corners is a good thing to do. When you mark a waypoint you can average it for a short while, which
gives a more accurate position. The waypoints thus make good reference points since the tracks
alone can be a bit wobbly, and don't always go through the waypoints. After walking the same tracks
a few times you'll probably find that they are slightly different each time.
I find that the direction of travel makes a difference. walking NS gives one track, and SN a
slightly different one. Consistent all the time, ie each walk has a slight offset. Quite useable
with a few reference points.
Generally my Vista is within a few feet (ie I can tell which side of the road I was walking on).
Jim Hutton
