GPS

trufflesdad said:

Can anyone advise me on which map to buy....I am primarily
interested in the High Peak area UK...The usage will be for m/biking and
walking...I have looked at Anquet and Memory map...Anquet seems to have
the edge with slightly greater coverage...Is there anything else
I should look for between the two before I buy ??..

There's also Tracklogs, who upset quite a few people here recently by
charging a ridiculous update fee if you want to use the new version of
their program with maps you've already bought from them. They have all
of GB in 1:25k and 1:50k in customisable chunks. I use v.2 and find it
very useful for route planning.

Quoted message said:

??Also?my?choice?of?gps?unit?is?between?the?Garmin?Geko?201
and the Etrex legend....Any comments appreciated..

Happy Geko 201 user here. You'll need to carry a spare AAA battery set
as they tend not to last a long day in the hills (if you record tracks
anyway).
--
Rudi Winter, Aberystwyth, Wales

"Rudi Winter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

trufflesdad said:

Can anyone advise me on which map to buy....I am primarily
interested in the High Peak area UK...The usage will be for m/biking and
walking...I have looked at Anquet and Memory map...Anquet seems to have
the edge with slightly greater coverage...Is there anything else
I should look for between the two before I buy ??..

There's also Tracklogs, who upset quite a few people here recently by
charging a ridiculous update fee if you want to use the new version of
their program with maps you've already bought from them. They have all
of GB in 1:25k and 1:50k in customisable chunks. I use v.2 and find it
very useful for route planning.

Quoted message said:

??Also?my?choice?of?gps?unit?is?between?the?Garmin?Geko?201
and the Etrex legend....Any comments appreciated..

Happy Geko 201 user here. You'll need to carry a spare AAA battery set
as they tend not to last a long day in the hills (if you record tracks
anyway).
--

Just interested to know how much you rely on your GPS when walking - do you
use your GPS to confirm where you are as a backup to navigating off a map,
or is it your primary tool for navigation? I'm thinking of getting one as a
way of maintaining confidence in my navigation from time to time, especially
if walking alone and thre is no one else to back up your decisions.
Therefore I only really need a basic device which I think the Geko would be
a suitable candidate.

Rudi Winter said:

trufflesdad said:

Can anyone advise me on which map to buy....I am primarily
interested in the High Peak area UK...The usage will be for m/biking and
walking...I have looked at Anquet and Memory map...Anquet seems to have
the edge with slightly greater coverage...Is there anything else
I should look for between the two before I buy ??..

There's also Tracklogs, who upset quite a few people here recently by
charging a ridiculous update fee if you want to use the new version of
their program with maps you've already bought from them. They have all
of GB in 1:25k and 1:50k in customisable chunks. I use v.2 and find it
very useful for route planning.

Quoted message said:

??Also?my?choice?of?gps?unit?is?between?the?Garmin?Geko?201
and the Etrex legend....Any comments appreciated..

Happy Geko 201 user here. You'll need to carry a spare AAA battery set
as they tend not to last a long day in the hills (if you record tracks
anyway).

Thanks for the info....Have just looked at the Tracklogs site and find it
very helpful...The two systems I mentioned are both around £100 so
Tracklogs wins on price and it also seems to do all that the others do..
....Main reason for buying is that senility is galloping on and when out
on the bike I find I am spending more time getting out the map, finding my
glasses and then after a few minutes forgetting whih path I am supposed to
take....Ok when walking but cannot mapread when cycling....
--
Regards
Ted Wager
Using Libranet Linux

I have a geko 201, which is perfect for what you are looking for. It
is simple to use, both at home when loading routes and waypoints and on
the hill. My friend has a V. expensive Silva gps which is not really
as good, the geko is faster at getting a signal, and has the 3D
function about 99% of the time - the Silva struggles to get 3D at all.
Infact my friend is thinking of putting it on Ebay and getting a geko!.
I use Memory Map, purely because the shop did not have any Anquet the
day I was in. I had tried the demo copy of both and there was not much
differance, you can download the demos at the websites, you should find
them on google. Memory map seems to work well with the geko, I have
had no problems with either and would certainly recommend the Geko 201
& Memory Map combination. Don't forget you will need to buy a lead to
download your data to the gps, they are quite expensive (£25 if I
remember correctly) but the shop threw mine in for nowt when I bought
the gps (Craigdon Mountain Sports in Perth). I hope this info helps

Paul

I have Tracklogs, and plan to buy the northern region at 50k details.
Version 3 of product looks great. I also have a Geko 201, which I use for
walking and will use for bikiing in the coming months. There's a handlebar
mount available for it too.

Personally I'd say Tracklogs and Geko 201 are a great combination for
walking and cycling. Anyone with different opinion?

Regards,

Simon Mc.
"trufflesdad" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Can anyone advise me on which map to buy....I am primarily
interested in the High Peak area UK...The usage will be for m/biking and
walking...I have looked at Anquet and Memory map...Anquet seems to have
the edge with slightly greater coverage...Is there anything else
I should look for between the two before I buy ??..
Also my choice of gps unit is between the Garmin Geko 201
and the Etrex legend....Any comments appreciated..

--
Regards
Ted Wager
Using Libranet Linux

erics said:

Just interested to know how much you rely on your GPS when walking - do you
use your GPS to confirm where you are as a backup to navigating off a map,
or is it your primary tool for navigation?

I tend to keep track of where I am on the map (I find that quite
enjoyable) but a GPS is so much less hassle than a compass when I need
to check where I am that I've abandoned the latter. I always carry
two or four spare batteries. I don't often walk in terrain where
going downhill at a reasonable angle isn't likely to get you back
to some trace of civilisation, so I'm happy to take what I think is
a small risk. The point is not getting lost in the first place, and if
it's easy to confirm your position, you're less likely to loose track
of where you are.
--
Rudi Winter, Aberystwyth, Wales

trufflesdad said:

...Main reason for buying is that senility is galloping on and when out
on the bike I find I am spending more time getting out the map, finding my
glasses and then after a few minutes forgetting whih path I am supposed to
take....Ok when walking but cannot mapread when cycling....

I tried following routes on the GPS rather than on the map but found that
(a) boring and (b) awkward. The problem is that you need to zoom in
to an extent that you don't have the big picture and end up staring at
the screen most of the time. Now I print out handy double-sided A4 maps
and use them in the traditional fashion, checking my position on the GPS
when in doubt.
--
Rudi Winter, Aberystwyth, Wales

I use GPS as my primary navigation tool. I study Memory Map at home and
download a route into my unit. Also print out on waterproof paper the
tricky bits of the route should I need to cross check anything. I do carry a
full map with me, but only seem to use it if I decide to go off and change
my planned route. I trust the GPS and my initial route planning, especially
in bad weather, when getting the map out is just too much faffing around.

"Rudi Winter" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

erics said:

Just interested to know how much you rely on your GPS when walking - do
you
use your GPS to confirm where you are as a backup to navigating off a
map,
or is it your primary tool for navigation?

I tend to keep track of where I am on the map (I find that quite
enjoyable) but a GPS is so much less hassle than a compass when I need
to check where I am that I've abandoned the latter. I always carry
two or four spare batteries. I don't often walk in terrain where
going downhill at a reasonable angle isn't likely to get you back
to some trace of civilisation, so I'm happy to take what I think is
a small risk. The point is not getting lost in the first place, and if
it's easy to confirm your position, you're less likely to loose track
of where you are.
--
Rudi Winter, Aberystwyth, Wales

In a recent message <[email hidden]>, Simon Mc
<[email hidden]> wrote.

[...]

Quoted message said:

Personally I'd say Tracklogs and Geko 201 are a great combination for
walking and cycling. Anyone with different opinion?

[...]

Wouldn't disagree with this. Myself, I use Fugawi 1:50,000 mapping and a
Geko 301, which is very handy under tree cover. Most of my walking is
done on footpaths in the south so typically I have to be able to create
a 30-km circular route from a mess of little paths and I just don't have
the time or the inclination to be playing about with maps and compasses
every ten minutes.

I save the route to the Geko as a track, which is just like having a
moving map. One the screen a little walking bloke representing me and a
line representing my route. Just keep one on the other and Bob's your
uncle.

Regards,
Nick.
--
Nick Hopton and Anne Hopton
Caversham, Reading, England
<[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Personally I'd say Tracklogs and Geko 201 are a great combination for
walking and cycling. Anyone with different opinion?

[...]

Wouldn't disagree with this. Myself, I use Fugawi 1:50,000 mapping and a
Geko 301, which is very handy under tree cover. Most of my walking is done
on footpaths in the south so typically I have to be able to create a 30-km
circular route from a mess of little paths and I just don't have the time
or the inclination to be playing about with maps and compasses every ten
minutes.

I have found that FUGAWI is great for planning Munro walks and MTB route
profiles,
to check if it will be uphill rideable.

Although if you draw along a contour line FUGAWI draws a sawtooth and shows
ht gain/loss, even though you are contouring ! , but after downloading the
update
it's a lot better. It now reads, within Help about, as Engine 3.2.0.887

Nick

Simon Mc said:

Quoted message said:

--
Regards
Ted Wager
Using Libranet Linux

No your not:

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trufflesdad said:

Can anyone advise me on which map to buy....I am primarily
interested in the High Peak area UK...The usage will be for m/biking and
walking...I have looked at Anquet and Memory map...Anquet seems to have
the edge with slightly greater coverage...Is there anything else
I should look for between the two before I buy ??..
 Also my choice of gps unit is between the Garmin Geko 201
and the Etrex legend....Any comments appreciated..

I have only been using the Legend for a week and have no experience of
the Geko or anything else, but the Legend is really quick to get to
grips with, the display is very clear (it's the 'C'😉 and looks like it
will last a while...

jonsie said:

On Wed, 14 Sep 2005 11:16:29 +0100, trufflesdad
<[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also my choice of gps unit is between the Garmin Geko 201
and the Etrex legend....Any comments appreciated..

I have only been using the Legend for a week and have no experience of
the Geko or anything else, but the Legend is really quick to get to
grips with, the display is very clear (it's the 'C'😉 and looks like it
will last a while...

I had a Legend for about three years. It was fine,
_but_don't_rely_on_the_belt_clip_! If you want one for free, mine's now
somewhere on the Southern slopes of Beinn a Bhuird. 8^(

Jim Ford

Jim Ford said:

jonsie said:

On Wed, 14 Sep 2005 11:16:29 +0100, trufflesdad
<[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Also my choice of gps unit is between the Garmin Geko 201
and the Etrex legend....Any comments appreciated..

I have only been using the Legend for a week and have no experience of
the Geko or anything else, but the Legend is really quick to get to
grips with, the display is very clear (it's the 'C'😉 and looks like it
will last a while...

I had a Legend for about three years. It was fine,
_but_don't_rely_on_the_belt_clip_! If you want one for free, mine's now
somewhere on the Southern slopes of Beinn a Bhuird. 8^(

Jim Ford

hehe, thanks!

i was thinking of getting one of those neoprene cases and strapping it
to the shoulder harness of my backpack...haven't really seen the thing
i want just yet!

jonsie said:

Jim Ford said:

I had a Legend for about three years. It was fine,
_but_don't_rely_on_the_belt_clip_! If you want one for free, mine's
now somewhere on the Southern slopes of Beinn a Bhuird. 8^(

hehe, thanks!

i was thinking of getting one of those neoprene cases and strapping it
to the shoulder harness of my backpack...haven't really seen the thing
i want just yet!

I use the Garmin Etrex case (which has a clip on the back) and hook the clip
into the webbing which runs over the shoulder padding of my rucksac (not all
rucksacs have this webbing). The on the GPS lanyard is looped through the
rucksac shoulder harnass so that if the GPS detaches from the shoulder
mount, the unit is caught well before it hits the floor.

Its quick to unclip, and with the GPS horizontal, gives a fairly decent
satellite reception for recording a tracklog.

My GPS is a Vista-C (I had small bequest just as I was GPS shopping, so was
able to go a bit more upmarket).

Its excellent, rechargable batteries last about 2 days of walking without
going flat (one day I will run a test to see how long they really last).
It will loose track in severe conditions, such as overhanging rocks, very
steep valleys and thick tree cover (happened fairly regularly in
Switzerland, but its predictable when it will happen).

Having the barometric altimeter on it is very useful in mountainous areas
with a lot of trees, altitude information is often more use for navigation
than a compass. I've found this especially useful outside the UK, within the
UK, mountains are often much less tree covered, and the nature of routes
mean that the altimeter isn't used as much.
Also, the western side of the UK can get rapid weather changes, which can
render an altimeter useless unless re-calibrated very frequently.
Even with the UK limitations, if the budget will stretch that far, I'd
suggest getting a model with a barometric altimeter or a separate altimeter
and remember to reset it whenever you pass a known height point (for cheap
decent standalone altimeter, consider the Swiss Army Knife model for around
£50-£60 or the Suunto Escape203 for ~£100).

I also have a collection of (free from various legal download sites) DIY
topographic maps for the areas I visit which I can load into the GPS (UK,
France, Switzerland); these transform the mapping units for walking use;
without the topographic maps, the mapping units are not worth the price for
walking use. You need a bit of confidence in fiddling with computer
settings to install these non-standard maps.

- Nigel

--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

The message <[email hidden]>
from "Nigel Cliffe" <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

I use the Garmin Etrex case (which has a clip on the back) and hook
the clip
into the webbing which runs over the shoulder padding of my rucksac
(not all
rucksacs have this webbing). The on the GPS lanyard is looped through the
rucksac shoulder harnass so that if the GPS detaches from the shoulder
mount, the unit is caught well before it hits the floor.

Quoted message said:

Its quick to unclip, and with the GPS horizontal, gives a fairly decent
satellite reception for recording a tracklog.

I do the same except that the lanyard goes round my neck and I detach
the gps when I take the rucksack off. That way I am never likely to
leave the gps behind.

Quoted message said:

My GPS is a Vista-C (I had small bequest just as I was GPS shopping, so was
able to go a bit more upmarket).

I moved to a Vista C as I was fed up with the Summit running out of
track points before lunch.

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 53 summits
New - 27 (Marilyns 13, Nuttalls 5, Outlying Fells 10)
Repeats - 26 (Marilyns 10, Nuttalls 17, Wainwrights 12, Outlying Fells 0)

On Sun, 18 Sep 2005 23:21:37 +0100, Roger <[email hidden]>

dropped their trousers and said:

I do the same except that the lanyard goes round my neck and I detach
the gps when I take the rucksack off. That way I am never likely to
leave the gps behind.

Never a good idea to have a lanyard around your neck...

--
Dewi,

(remove spin for email)

Dewi said:

Never a good idea to have a lanyard around your neck...

Depends how paranoid you are and how strong it is. In practice it's
/very/ unlikely to cause any problems and there are other risks with
higher probabilities it may well be more worthwhile worrying about.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Nigel Cliffe said:

I use the Garmin Etrex case (which has a clip on the back) and hook the clip
into the webbing which runs over the shoulder padding of my rucksac (not all
rucksacs have this webbing). The on the GPS lanyard is looped through the
rucksac shoulder harnass so that if the GPS detaches from the shoulder
mount, the unit is caught well before it hits the floor.

Quoted message said:

Its quick to unclip, and with the GPS horizontal, gives a fairly decent
satellite reception for recording a tracklog.

That's what I do with my eTrex. I find that without unclipping it I
can yank it round a bit to have a quick look at the display (visible
through the transparent window) without having to unclip it. If I want
to take a serious look at it I take it out of the case rather than
unclipping it.

Quoted message said:

My GPS is a Vista-C (I had small bequest just as I was GPS shopping, so was
able to go a bit more upmarket).

Quoted message said:

Its excellent, rechargable batteries last about 2 days of walking without
going flat (one day I will run a test to see how long they really last).
It will loose track in severe conditions, such as overhanging rocks, very
steep valleys and thick tree cover (happened fairly regularly in
Switzerland, but its predictable when it will happen).

Quoted message said:

Having the barometric altimeter on it is very useful in mountainous areas
with a lot of trees, altitude information is often more use for navigation
than a compass. I've found this especially useful outside the UK, within the
UK, mountains are often much less tree covered, and the nature of routes
mean that the altimeter isn't used as much.
Also, the western side of the UK can get rapid weather changes, which can
render an altimeter useless unless re-calibrated very frequently.

Sounds as through you're not using the very useful autocalibrate
option on the altimeter. IMHO that's one the great strengths of the
Garmin altimeter models, makes them much more useful than a
stand-alone altimeter, or the effectively stand-alone altimeters
offered by some other GPS brands.

--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]