Gps?

[sardog1]

I will take the high road - but I prefer if people want to bust my balls, they know me first or have at least a clue how I might act in a given situation...

Shared a tent and shelter with many on this board..pretty sure all would say it was a rather decent/positive experience....

IMO - this sends the wrong message to those that don't know me personally.

Um, it was meant only to imply that a playful time would be had in your company, not a particularly restful one. As previously suggested by my post #26 in Things that make you smile.

 

[leaf]

Um, it was meant only to imply that a playful time would be had in your company, not a particularly restful one. As previously suggested by my post #26 in Things that make you smile.

wow dude. i suggest spending time with giggy before making assumptions. i've been on several trips with him and not only do i want him on my rope, but i'd rather share a tent space with him than most people. he's the first one to suggest getting some rest. why? because he's a responsible climber.

ok, back to GPSs

 

[Neil]

You can use a hiking gps while driving but I don't think a driving gps would work out all that well on the trails.

The problem with a hiking gps while driving is the screen size. The screens are rather small and the driver risks getting distracted trying to discern the small features while maintaining control of the vehicle.

Before getting a gps to locate trailheads you could pick up the AMC guide book. I have found it to be first rate and the distances are highly accurate. I print up my own Google maps to augment the information and have never had a problem finding a trailhead in the Whites.

Before using a gps on the trail I highly recommend getting lots of practice with the map and compass. As you follow the trail take note of your direction of travel with the compass, duration with a wristwatch and you use visible landmarks in conjunction with the compass to determine your position with a high degree of accuracy. You can use the gps to "check your work".

Most map and compass folks carry 3 compasses and keep the 2 backups in different locations in their packs.

 

[DougPaul]

The Garmin 60SCx looks like what we are heading for...

A reasonable choice.

As with any GPS, it will take you a while to learn to use it.

It sounds good as a hiking GPS...once you purchase the appropriate topo maps (we are looking at the one that covers the Eastern US)

If I were to get only one topo map it would be the Topo US 100K (DVD) https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=28229&pvID=29597 because it covers the entire US. (Note that AMC WMG topos are at a 95K scale.) This is fine for most trail hiking. If you wish more detail, you can add the Topo US 24K National Parks East (CD-ROM) https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=999&pvID=2286 which covers the ADKs, the Greens, the Whites, Baxter, the entire AT, and other selected areas. (See the link for a full list.) Get the maps on DVD/CD-ROM so you can use them on both your computer and your GPS. (The maps on microSD can only be used on your GPS. )

If you have the maps on your computer, MapSource (the Garmin program that manipulates and displays maps) can combine several maps together and load them simultaneously into the GPS.

Can it be used as a TURN BY TURN driving GPS too? From what I've read, this is a flaw...BUT...it seems I also read where you can purchase a "city navigator" software that will fix this issue?

Yes it can. As you approach a turn, the 60CSx beeps at you and shows a detailed map of the intersection with an arrow showing you where to go. (Many (including me) find this entirely adequate--voice prompts are not necessary. ("We don't need no steenking nagging GPSes!"))

I can't give you any specific advice on which road map to buy--mine has been discontinued and I haven't followed the newer ones. Just make sure that it is routeable on both the GPS and the computer. And don't follow its directions blindly--there are loads of stories of people driving off ferry docks and down cow paths because they followed their GPS and didn't bother to look where they are going. (Expect the road maps to have errors too.) And yes, you should still bring your paper road map too. (The compass is optional for driving...)

We really want one that will be both a good hiking AND driving GPS (tried a Nuvie and it was AWESOME for the whole turn by turn thing!!)

The 60CSx can do all of that (in fact, mine does) and a lot more that the Nuvi models cannot do. I have Topo US 100K, Topo US 24K Natinal Parks East, and Metroguide (an older routeable road map) on mine. So I can use Metroguide on the drive to the trailhead and switch to either of the topo maps when I get there. I can fit road maps and 100K topos for the eastern third of the country and the entire 24K topo in the GPS without reloading so it covers pretty much any where I am likely to go in the car. (If I wish to go anywhere else, I can simply reload the microSD card (or load up a new microSD card) with maps for where I want to go.

Notes on the road maps: they are locked to a single GPS. If you want to use or transfer them on a second GPS, you will have to buy a new unlock code. The maps sold on microSD card are locked to the card so you can move the card around, but cannot use it on your computer or change it.

Doug

 

[mookie]

wow dude. i suggest spending time with giggy before making assumptions. i've been on several trips with him and not only do i want him on my rope, but i'd rather share a tent space with him than most people. he's the first one to suggest getting some rest. why? because he's a responsible climber.

ok, back to GPSs

And you know you wont get lost with Giggy. He loves to look at his map(s).
Dont need no GPS

 

[sardog1]

I'm sorry to have to hijack this thread further, but it's necessary.

I never intended any disrespect to giggy. I enjoy seeing giggy's posts here and I have defended him here in the past, as you would know if you had taken the time to read the linked post by me above. I only meant to say that someone with his sense of humor would keep things jumping while wintering over in a 6 x 10 foot hole.

 

[MichaelJ]

The City Navigator NT maps are routable and give turn-by-turn instructions on both the GPS and with Garmin's software on the computer. They're not just cities, they're all the streets state-wide for the whole country.

Get a good-sized (1 or 2GB) micro-SD card for the GPS and you can load all the maps you'll ever want at once and never have to worry about it again.

Make sure when you load maps to select from both Topo and from City. You have to pick geographical areas from both, then load all at once.

(I'm going from memory on this one, so I might be a bit wrong) When on the map page of the GPS, hit menu and choose setup. Go to the "I" then hit menu again. This will give you the opportunity to hide or show map sets that are loaded. Make sure you only show City or Topo but not both at the same time. If you try to show both you'll only get one not t'other.

On the topo maps, the "detail" setting makes a huge difference for the number of contours shown.

The currently selected map affects your point-of-interest display & searching. I think the City maps have more POIs than the topo, certainly for things like nearby food or gas stations. I find that to be an incredibly useful feature, btw: locate and direct to nearest whatever you're looking for.

The currently selected map affects your routing. You have to pick the City maps before it will give you a turn-by-turn route. Otherwise, you'll get a straight line on the topo map.

Good luck!!!

 

[DougPaul]

You can use a hiking gps while driving but I don't think a driving gps would work out all that well on the trails.

Agreed. If you want a single GPS for everything, a high-end hiking GPS such as the 60CSx is a good choice. Also works well on a boat or in an airplane.

The problem with a hiking gps while driving is the screen size. The screens are rather small and the driver risks getting distracted trying to discern the small features while maintaining control of the vehicle.

Agreed--the screen is a bit small for driving. I review the route before starting the car and then only have to recognize the intersections rather than read the details on the screen as I drive. (I also put up a data field showing the distance to the next intersection. I only need to watch this number count down to know when to get ready for the next turn.)

A GPS can be very helpful in an area like the Boston area where they don't seem to believe that street signs are needed...

One should also be aware that the auto-routing function on the GPS may not choose the same route that you would. (Another reason to review the route before starting.) You can either enter the desired route manually or ignore its instructions as you drive. It will still show you where you are and will re-autoroute when you deviate from its old route.

Before getting a gps to locate trailheads you could pick up the AMC guide book. I have found it to be first rate and the distances are highly accurate. I print up my own Google maps to augment the information and have never had a problem finding a trailhead in the Whites.

Before driving to a potentially obscure trailhead, I just put a waypoint on the trailhead and tell the GPS to "goto" the waypoint. It can be a big help if there are no signs...

Before using a gps on the trail I highly recommend getting lots of practice with the map and compass. As you follow the trail take note of your direction of travel with the compass, duration with a wristwatch and you use visible landmarks in conjunction with the compass to determine your position with a high degree of accuracy. You can use the gps to "check your work".

I suggest that you practice with both so you will know how to use them when and if the need arises. Figuring either method out when lost and panicked is not likely to work very well. (And may be the reason that you are lost and panicked in the first place...)

Unlike the M&C, the GPS "knows" where you are without using local reference points. However it executes very similar navigation functions to those that you would do with an M&C.

Most map and compass folks carry 3 compasses and keep the 2 backups in different locations in their packs.

I carry spare compass batteries with my spare compasses and maps. Has the advantage that I can borrow them for the GPS if its batteries run down.

Doug

 

[Chip]

I'm sorry to have to hijack this thread further, but it's necessary.

I never intended any disrespect to giggy. I enjoy seeing giggy's posts here and I have defended him here in the past, as you would know if you had taken the time to read the linked post by me above. I only meant to say that someone with his sense of humor would keep things jumping while wintering over in a 6 x 10 foot hole.

humor translates poorly sometimes in these forums. i, for one and FWIW, believe you've been sufficiently flogged.

have a great weekend, all

 

[DougPaul]

Get a good-sized (1 or 2GB) micro-SD card for the GPS and you can load all the maps you'll ever want at once and never have to worry about it again.

I'd suggest at least a 2GB micro-SD card. They are cheap. The 60CSx will take up to a 4 or 8GB card if you update the software to the v3.90 or higher. If you include topo maps in the mix, you will hit the 2025 map segment limit before you hit 2GB. With my mix of maps, I consume 2025 segments and 1.3 GB. (You can use the extra space to record tracks.)

Make sure when you load maps to select from both Topo and from City. You have to pick geographical areas from both, then load all at once.

(I'm going from memory on this one, so I might be a bit wrong) When on the map page of the GPS, hit menu and choose setup. Go to the "I" then hit menu again. This will give you the opportunity to hide or show map sets that are loaded. Make sure you only show City or Topo but not both at the same time. If you try to show both you'll only get one not t'other.

You can turn maps on and off by either the mapset or the individual map segment.

The GPS only shows one map at a time for each location. There is an unpublished priority list and it goes down the list and displays only the first map that it finds. Thus mine will show Metroguide, then 24K topo, then 100K topo, then the basemap. If I turn Metroguide off, then I will see the next on the list (24K topo), but if I am in a region not covered by the 24K topo, I will see 100K topo. And finally if no loaded map is found it will show the basemap (a very coarse city, road, and water map).

On the topo maps, the "detail" setting makes a huge difference for the number of contours shown.

You can also set the map display scale over a wide range of scales.

This points to a fundamental difficulty with any small map display--if you want to see a wide area, you can't see detail. If you are looking at a small area with lots of detail, you can get lost (not know where the small area is in relation to the rest of the world). In the field, I often use bigger paper maps to show the overall area and the GPS to show the local area with detail. You are likely to adjust the scale and amount of detail fairly often. (For solo driving, you simply have to choose a scale and an amount of detail and stick with it. You pretty much have to stop to play with the GPS settings if you hope to survive the trip...)

This is much less of a problem when you display the maps on a large computer screen. (But I still adjust the scale and detail pretty often--they are right up there on the toolbar so you can get to them quickly.)

Doug

 

[Neil]

I carry spare compass batteries with my spare compasses and maps. Has the advantage that I can borrow them for the GPS if its batteries run down.Doug

That's playing it smart. My compass requires 8 AA batteries but it has excellent reach. I can get the magnetic north pole in fact. It also has WAAS, but I leave that off to save juice.

 

[DougPaul]

One other point on hiking vs car GPSes: batteries.

The battery runtimes in hiking GPSes are usually in the 14-20 hour range. Some car GPSes don't even have internal batteries or only have a runtime of a few hours. The batteries in the hiking GPSes (typically 2 AA cells) are field replaceable, but may not be field replaceable in a car GPS.

Doug

 

[Little Rickie]

I suggest that you practice with both so you will know how to use them when and if the need arises. Figuring either method out when lost and panicked is not likely to work very well. (And may be the reason that you are lost and panicked in the first place...)

Don't leave your map and compass at home, even if you have extra batteries. .

My job is done here.

 

[DougPaul]

Yet another thought: you can download the manual for the 60CSx from the Garmin website: https://buy.garmin.com/shop/store/manual.jsp?product=010-00422-00&cID=145&pID=310
http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/GPSMAP60CSx_OwnersManual.pdf

Doug