Sorry - another GPS question

Paul Saunders <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

KRO said:

Come on then - what's the steering wheel for? I don't
envisage you playing Grand Theft Auto!

Serious racing games of course! Simulations, not arcade!
Current favourites are Toca Race Driver

I'm back with Grand Prix 3, and couldn't find Grand Prix 4
today in the stores. I may grab it when it gets onto the
bargain rack.

So I'm practising for Monaco at present. Knocked 8 seconds
off my first day's efforts, but still not satisfied with the
car setup, got it over- steering at the moment, with too
much rear brake and too low a first gear. :-)

One week to go, but the real GP scene is depressing, with
Shoemaker walking away with ever race. 🙁
--
Gordon

"Jiffy" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sorry I can't help with the GPS72 V GPS76 as I'm not
familiar with them

but

Quoted message said:

I can't help thinking the Garmin Geko 201 might be worth a
look for you?

Cheers, Jiffy

The Geko 201 is cheaper and efficient and in the future, if
you want mapping, you just buy a pocketpc or pda and connect
your Geko with it.

Theo

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

Quoted message said:

Sorry I can't help with the GPS72 V GPS76 as I'm not
familiar with them but I can't help thinking the Garmin
Geko 201 might be worth a look for you?

Cheers, Jiffy

"Jiffy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<1084370461.17384.0@nnrp-t71-
02.news.uk.clara.net>...

Quoted message said:

Sorry I can't help with the GPS72 V GPS76 as I'm not
familiar with them but I can't help thinking the Garmin
Geko 201 might be worth a look for you?

Cheers, Jiffy

I popped down to Covent Garden after work (there are lots of
outdoor shops there) and had a look at various GPSs. I was
chatting to a very helpful guy in Field & Trek who also
suggested the Geko 201 as a possibility. I had a good play
around with it, and it does seem quite suitable, and will
quite possibly be the one I plump for. And it's ever so
small (which is good).

Interestingly, none of the stores (Snow & Rock, Field and
Trek, Ellis Brigham, etc. etc. - I went in about 6 or 7) had
any GPS72 or GPS76 - many of them hadn't even heard of them.
I'm not sure whether that says more about the units or more
about the stores...

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion Jiffy!!

Also, thanks for your input Phil. I also asked about PC
cables when I was there, and he mentioned that 3rd party
ones were fine, and could be purchased for half the price of
the Garmin ones. However, the cables are RS232, and I don't
have such ports on my computer. He said that Garmin do a RS232-
USB converter, but it costs a small fortune, so he had tried
a cheapo 3rd party convertor and it didn't work. Are there
likely to be compatability issues, or was it just cos he'd
bought a cheapo ('[censored]'😉 convertor???

Again, thanks for the help, and for anyone else in the same
situation (thinking about getting a GPS but unsure about
models) I strongly recommend getting yourself to a dealer
(preferably with knowledgable staff!) so you can have a play
with them - it really helps.

However, I now have a dilemma... I was planning on checking
them out in the shops then buying off the internet. But the
guy in the shop was great and made a lot of effort... so now
I feel guilty for getting it off the WWW. Although not so
guilty that I'm happy to spend 50 beer-tokens more by
getting it in a shop!

I may burn in hell, but at least I'll know my precise
location while I sizzle for eternity![1]

Michael S

[1] I presume satellite coverage extends to hell

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

Quoted message said:

Sorry I can't help with the GPS72 V GPS76 as I'm not
familiar with them but I can't help thinking the Garmin
Geko 201 might be worth a look for you?

Cheers, Jiffy

"Jiffy" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<1084370461.17384.0@nnrp-t71-
02.news.uk.clara.net>...

Quoted message said:

Sorry I can't help with the GPS72 V GPS76 as I'm not
familiar with them but I can't help thinking the Garmin
Geko 201 might be worth a look for you?

Cheers, Jiffy

I popped down to Covent Garden after work (there are lots of
outdoor shops there) and had a look at various GPSs. I was
chatting to a very helpful guy in Field & Trek who also
suggested the Geko 201 as a possibility. I had a good play
around with it, and it does seem quite suitable, and will
quite possibly be the one I plump for. And it's ever so
small (which is good).

Interestingly, none of the stores (Snow & Rock, Field and
Trek, Ellis Brigham, etc. etc. - I went in about 6 or 7) had
any GPS72 or GPS76 - many of them hadn't even heard of them.
I'm not sure whether that says more about the units or more
about the stores...

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion Jiffy!!

Also, thanks for your input Phil. I also asked about PC
cables when I was there, and he mentioned that 3rd party
ones were fine, and could be purchased for half the price of
the Garmin ones. However, the cables are RS232, and I don't
have such ports on my computer. He said that Garmin do a RS232-
USB converter, but it costs a small fortune, so he had tried
a cheapo 3rd party convertor and it didn't work. Are there
likely to be compatability issues, or was it just cos he'd
bought a cheapo ('[censored]'😉 convertor???

Again, thanks for the help, and for anyone else in the same
situation (thinking about getting a GPS but unsure about
models) I strongly recommend getting yourself to a dealer
(preferably with knowledgable staff!) so you can have a play
with them - it really helps.

However, I now have a dilemma... I was planning on checking
them out in the shops then buying off the internet. But the
guy in the shop was great and made a lot of effort... so now
I feel guilty for getting it off the WWW. Although not so
guilty that I'm happy to spend 50 beer-tokens more by
getting it in a shop!

I may burn in hell, but at least I'll know my precise
location while I sizzle for eternity![1]

Michael S

[1] I presume satellite coverage extends to hell

Quoted message said:

Be careful, already heard of someone being mugged for
theirs!

Scumbag probably thought it was a phone...

Richard Webb firmly in the checking the GR every now and
then school of use. Done enough DCP work to know my datums.

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

Quoted message said:

I really like the electronic compass on my summit, it
makes the "magic pointer" a lot more responsive,
especially when standing still, and it's a good backup if
you lose reception. I would probably get the 301 if I were
replacing my Summit.

I would add that the electronic compass will reduce your
battery life by a fair degree. I run on battery save all of
the time, using Energizer E2 batteries (lithium?) and the
life is phenomenal compared to normal Duracells - I keep the
GPS on to record my track. The only other things I would
suggest is a case which clips onto your rucksack and keep
the lanyard on the GPS attached to your rucksack as well,
one of those "toy" karabiners from the gear shops does the
job well. Software will allow you to get the best out of the
unit. You could use Ozi or GPSU which I'm think in saying
you can use scanned maps you already have, or something like
Anquet or Memory Map. The latter are more expensive but come
with maps, if you're sure you don't need them for now, then
go with one of the first two. As to make/model I can't help
you really, I use a etrex Summit which has its deficiencies
but I'm happy with what it does and I don't feel like
splashing out to keep at the cutting edge. Good luck, I do
agree with you - choice can be baffling :-)

KRO

Brian said:

I certainly don't believe a mapping GPS will show a map of
comparable detail to a OS map.

But they're getting very close. The latest offerings from
Magellan and Garmin offer OS mapping with 256 colour
displays. Not cheap though.

Paul
--
wilderness-wales.co.ukwilderness-wales.co.ukOpen ↗
wildwales.fsnet.co.ukwildwales.fsnet.co.ukOpen ↗
photosig.comuserphotosOpen ↗

Cheers to everyone for all the advice. Top stuff! Maybe
somebody who has some spare time could write a FAQ on GPSs
similar to the one on boots (if such a thing doesn't already
exist - I must say I haven't checked)?

What are the best options regarding internet purchases?
Anybody used places like gpsw.co.uk or gps4less.co.uk, and
if so, are they ok or a bit dodgy? Reading general reviews
by 'strangers' is fine, but it's always good to hear it
'first hand'.

Anyway, thanks again for all the advice - hopefully this has
helped some other users who are in the same situation as me.

Regards,

Michael S

Michael S said:

However, I now have a dilemma... I was planning on
checking them out in the shops then buying off the
internet. But the guy in the shop was great and made a lot
of effort... so now I feel guilty for getting it off the
WWW. Although not so guilty that I'm happy to spend 50 beer-
tokens more by getting it in a shop!

One of the GPS FAQs I read suggested that an outdoor shop
was a poor place to buy a GPS receiver : marine outfitters
were cheaper.

The shop you tried might have been an exception, but I found
that outdoor shops had a rather limited range of models and
some (notably Field & Trek) were very expensive. I ended up
buying a Magellan at a small boat chandlers for very little
more than the mail-order discounter's price.

-adrian

"Michael S" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I also asked about PC cables when I was there, and he
mentioned that 3rd party ones were fine, and could be
purchased for half the price of the Garmin ones. However,
the cables are RS232, and I don't have such ports on my
computer. He said that Garmin do a RS232-USB converter,
but it costs a small fortune, so he had tried a cheapo
3rd party convertor and it didn't work. Are there likely
to be compatability issues, or was it just cos he'd
bought a cheapo ('[censored]'😉 convertor???

I bought a cheapo USB serial interface from ebuyer (£5-odd +
VAT from ebuyer) and it talks very happily to my 201.

Steve.

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

Quoted message said:

You could use Ozi or GPSU which

insert : " I think I'm right"

Quoted message said:

in saying you can use scanned maps you already have, or
something like Anquet or Memory Map.

oops

KRO

KRO said:

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

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I really like the electronic compass on my summit, it
makes the "magic pointer" a lot more responsive,
especially when standing still, and it's a good backup if
you lose reception. I would probably get the 301 if I
were replacing my Summit.

Quoted message said:

I would add that the electronic compass will reduce your
battery life by a fair degree.

Unless you set the compass options to keep the compass
mostly off,
e.g., only to switch on after 3 stationary minutes, and to
switch off immediately speed exceeds 0 mph., plus either
turning the entire GPs, or at least the compass, off,
when you stop for a break. Under those circs you can use
the compass whenever you want, while using very little
extra battery.

What kills the battery with the compass feature is having
the compass turn on automatically while you're having your
lunch break. It's easily avoided.

My unit came apparently optimised for car driving, with
the default compass settings only turning the compass off
when my speed exceeded 12mph, a speed I never even reach
while walking, so it gobbled batteries until I changed
the settings.

--
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/]

Paul Saunders said:

Brian said:

I certainly don't believe a mapping GPS will show a map
of comparable detail to a OS map.

But they're getting very close. The latest offerings from
Magellan and Garmin offer OS mapping with 256 colour
displays. Not cheap though.

Paul

Are you sure about the OS mapping, Paul ? If so, what scale
& what coverage & what model Garmin ?

Jim H

(Michael S) said:

What are the best options regarding internet purchases?

The best option cost-wise is to buy via Ebay from a US
source. Provided they treat the transaction as a *gift* so
you don't get ripped off by customs and Post Office handling
charges. Sellers are usually amenable to this, and you can
pick up GPS units for less than
2/3 the cost over here.

The main problem would be if the unit developed a fault,
which I think is rare, or if you want one of the mapping
units, which will have the wrong basemap.

(Michael S) said:

Cheers to everyone for all the advice. Top stuff! Maybe
somebody who has some spare time could write a FAQ on GPSs
similar to the one on boots (if such a thing doesn't
already exist - I must say I haven't checked)?

The ultimate GPS FAQ is here:

gpsinformation.netgpsinformation.netOpen ↗
--
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/]

Michael S said:

Cheers to everyone for all the advice. Top stuff! Maybe
somebody who has some spare time could write a FAQ on GPSs
similar to the one on boots (if such a thing doesn't
already exist - I must say I haven't checked)?

There are rather a lot already (though there might be room
for one on UK specifics such as suppliers, map quality etc).

For general information, it's hard to beat
gpsinformation.netgpsinformation.netOpen ↗

For queries and news, particularly on Garmins, the Usenet
group sci.geo.satellite-nav

For Magellan specifics,
groups.yahoo.comMagellan MeridianOpen ↗

There are many other excellent source of information, but I
always try those first.

-adrian

"Chris Malcolm" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Unless you set the compass options to keep the compass
mostly off,
e.g., only to switch on after 3 stationary minutes, and to
switch off immediately speed exceeds 0 mph., plus
either turning the entire GPs, or at least the
compass, off, when you stop for a break. Under those
circs you can use the compass whenever you want, while
using very little extra battery.

Yup, you are right, you can tell it when to come on. When I
first went out with my GPS, I had everything on - compass,
full battery power and used it to follow a route (which
wasn't required). Then I wondered why the batteries ran
down so quick!

KRO

KRO said:

Quoted message said:

You could use Ozi or GPSU which

insert : " I think I'm right"

Quoted message said:

in saying you can use scanned maps you already have, or
something like Anquet or Memory Map.

OziExplorer and GPSU will both allow the use of scanned
maps. Memory Map 3 would also. Memory map 4 (UK edition)
will not, because the OS have forbidden it.

Steve Rumsby said:

"Michael S" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I also asked about PC cables when I was there, and he
mentioned that 3rd party ones were fine, and could be
purchased for half the price of the Garmin ones.
However, the cables are RS232, and I don't have such
ports on my computer. He said that Garmin do a RS232-USB
converter, but it costs a small fortune, so he had tried
a cheapo 3rd party convertor and it didn't work. Are
there likely to be compatability issues, or was it just
cos he'd bought a cheapo ('[censored]'😉 convertor???

I bought a cheapo USB serial interface from ebuyer (£5-odd
+ VAT from ebuyer) and it talks very happily to my 201.

Steve.

I am surprised Steve hasn't got the required 9 pin serial
ports. Most motherboards have two. Unless your GPS can cope
with USB data transfer rates why not try a PCI card with i/o
serial ports.

Norman

Jim Hutton said:

Are you sure about the OS mapping, Paul ?

That's what I've been told. It was discussed here recently.
Can't remember who it was, but someone visited a show and
saw a new Magellan with OS mapping. No info on their website
yet though (but I haven't checked recently). Apparently he
was told that Garmin are also working on OS maps but theirs
aren't ready yet (different format).

Quoted message said:

If so, what scale & what coverage & what model Garmin ?

Probably 50k, probably the whole UK (but a limited amount
uploadable to the GPS at any one time due to memory
contraints). The models are the 76C, 76CS, 60C and 60CS.
Prices are roughly 500-600 dollars each. The map CDs are of
course extra.

garmin.comgpsmap60csOpen ↗
garmin.comgpsmap76csOpen ↗

Take at look at this page (at the bottom) for examples of
what the US 24k mapping looks like;
garmin.comtopo24knp.jspOpen ↗

As I said, no info about OS mapping on the website yet, but
it is on the way apparently.

Paul
--
wilderness-wales.co.ukwilderness-wales.co.ukOpen ↗
wildwales.fsnet.co.ukwildwales.fsnet.co.ukOpen ↗
photosig.comuserphotosOpen ↗