basic gps questions - questions answered
 

Brien,
Don't put a god @ddress out on the usenet or the spambots will grab it.

Brien Alkire wrote:
Can anyone make suggestions on what I should consider when purchasing a
hand-held GPS?

I am fairly new to sailing and don't own a boat. I charter them, and
frequently the boats either don't have GPS or I have to spend a lot of time
figuring out how to use them. I sail in So Cal and the local Channel
Islands.

I want a hand-held I can bring with me on charter boats. I am willing to go
with monochrome to save $. I am versed on coastal nav, but would
particularly like a GPS when navigating in fog. I'd like to be able to
interface with my laptop and overlay on charting software (don't own any
yet).
Find out more about this a Peter Bennett's (link below). There are
several free/share packages that are great for entering and storing
waypoints. In fog, I find it best to go to know and pre-loaded
waypoints (these can even be set on the way out - if you keep a list).
Aftermarket data cables are available if the unit is not supplied with one.

I started looking at some manuals for Garmin hand-helds.
Very Good Start - Thinking is the Cheapest Thing to Do

Any pointers on what I should consider?
Go where you can hold one in a hand and try to do standard operations

Any good articles on the basics, either on web or in a magazine?
Go to Peter Bennett's wonderful site ont the subject
http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter/

Any special considerations of chart/map software and standards I should know
about?
I am not fond of mappers and do not like anything that uses proprietry
charts (some older units can no longer be updated as they are not
supported any longer)

Any new technologies on the horizon I should consider before purchasing?
Peter will know about it - look there.

Any "wish I would have known about this before I bought mine" kind of
stories?
WAAS came along, but it is not really all that important as that if you
are on the GPS instead of visual and need that accuracy, you should be
anchored.

Thanks,

Brien
Any Time.
Matt Colie A.Sloop "Bonne Ide'e" www.yachtek.com
Lifelong Waterman, Licensed Mariner and Perpetual Sailor

basic gps questions
 

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
In fact, the only thing that I really find the map useful for, is
inputting
routes.

Yup. That works well with the mapping units. More proof that Ganzy is
wrong
again.

It really depends on your priorities.


What info is missing from your unit that makes it less than useful.

The problem is that the display is far too small. If you have all the info
shown on the display, then it becomes very cluttered.

Another way to think about, is to imagine working with a 3" paper chart.
It would be impossible, wouldn't it?





I can
display miles of water with all navaids clearly labeled....great when I
want to
pass a harbor entrance six or seven times before entering!

While you see if you find a *soft* rock?????


Regards

Donal
--

basic gps questions
 

50 pics of daysailing? Must have been very entertaining, sorry I missed
them all. Did you see my pics?

Your jealousy is showing, again.

Scotty


"Bobsprit" wrote ...
Do you understand the phrase,''less than''. Ask Jax to splain it to you,
daysailor.

Scotty, if you only went on 3 day trips or more, and worked, then you
didn't
sail much, especially since you posted here all summer, even when I was
away! I
also posted pics of my sails...more than fifty in fact. You posted only a
few
and told us "stories."

BUSTED!

RB

basic gps questions - questions answered
 

Brien,
Don't put a god @ddress out on the usenet or the spambots will grab it.

Brien Alkire wrote:
Can anyone make suggestions on what I should consider when purchasing a
hand-held GPS?

I am fairly new to sailing and don't own a boat. I charter them, and
frequently the boats either don't have GPS or I have to spend a lot of time
figuring out how to use them. I sail in So Cal and the local Channel
Islands.

I want a hand-held I can bring with me on charter boats. I am willing to go
with monochrome to save $. I am versed on coastal nav, but would
particularly like a GPS when navigating in fog. I'd like to be able to
interface with my laptop and overlay on charting software (don't own any
yet).
Find out more about this a Peter Bennett's (link below). There are
several free/share packages that are great for entering and storing
waypoints. In fog, I find it best to go to know and pre-loaded
waypoints (these can even be set on the way out - if you keep a list).
Aftermarket data cables are available if the unit is not supplied with one.

I started looking at some manuals for Garmin hand-helds.
Very Good Start - Thinking is the Cheapest Thing to Do

Any pointers on what I should consider?
Go where you can hold one in a hand and try to do standard operations

Any good articles on the basics, either on web or in a magazine?
Go to Peter Bennett's wonderful site ont the subject
http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter/

Any special considerations of chart/map software and standards I should know
about?
I am not fond of mappers and do not like anything that uses proprietry
charts (some older units can no longer be updated as they are not
supported any longer)

Any new technologies on the horizon I should consider before purchasing?
Peter will know about it - look there.

Any "wish I would have known about this before I bought mine" kind of
stories?
WAAS came along, but it is not really all that important as that if you
are on the GPS instead of visual and need that accuracy, you should be
anchored.

Thanks,

Brien
Any Time.
Matt Colie A.Sloop "Bonne Ide'e" www.yachtek.com
Lifelong Waterman, Licensed Mariner and Perpetual Sailor

basic gps questions
 

50 pics of daysailing? Must have been very entertaining, sorry I missed
them all. Did you see my pics?


Missed them? You commented on them, including trip to Port Jeff and Thimbles,
oyster bay, and so on.
Poor fella!

RB

basic gps questions
 

The problem is that the display is far too small. If you have all the info
shown on the display, then it becomes very cluttered.

Another way to think about, is to imagine working with a 3" paper chart.
It would be impossible, wouldn't it?

I generally agree, Donal. What I do is shut down everything but the navaids.
Pretty usable in that mode for SMALLER areas.
As BB pointed out, not a chart replacement....just an additional tool that
happens to cost next to nothing. It's also great for road trips and hiking
beyond a non-mapping unit.

RB

basic gps questions
 

quick reference and quite accurate. Mine shows all navaids,

What a pity that it doesn't also show rocks!!!

It can show depths....but I'd only ignore that!

RB

basic gps questions
 

I have an older GPSMap 175 (gift from my brother - I probably wouldn't have
bought it at the time) plus the chips for most of the areas I've sailed. The
nice thing is that I can quickly transfer my position from the tiny screen to a
paper chart with a high degree of confidence.

Last year I forgot the chip for Martha's Vineyard. However, I had programmed in
so many buoys as waypoints I still had the equivalent of the handhelds that have
a map display of buoy locations, without the geographic features (such as the
GPS 76).

One feature of mapping is the "bread crumbs" that provide a safe path to return
to a spot visited before. Very handy in foggy, rockbound coasts since it means
you can exit any harbor you entered, or retreat if condition deteriorate.



"Donal" wrote in message
...

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
In fact, the only thing that I really find the map useful for, is
inputting
routes.

Yup. That works well with the mapping units. More proof that Ganzy is
wrong
again.

It really depends on your priorities.


What info is missing from your unit that makes it less than useful.

The problem is that the display is far too small. If you have all the info
shown on the display, then it becomes very cluttered.

Another way to think about, is to imagine working with a 3" paper chart.
It would be impossible, wouldn't it?





I can
display miles of water with all navaids clearly labeled....great when I
want to
pass a harbor entrance six or seven times before entering!

While you see if you find a *soft* rock?????


Regards

Donal
--

basic gps questions
 

One feature of mapping is the "bread crumbs" that provide a safe path to return
to a spot visited before. Very handy in foggy, rockbound coasts since it means
you can exit any harbor you entered, or retreat if condition deteriorate.


And there you have it!

RB

basic gps questions
 

I think you should bring a server with you instead of a laptop...
That way you'll WIN every time!

"Bobsprit" wrote in message
...
True, but I can usually see it from the wheel with little effort and
it gives a much bigger picture.
Plus the data saving is excellent.

Like I said...I agree the laptop is better. But I haven't setup my Laptop
yet
and the mapping GPS has proved useful. Paper charts are a must. Mapping
GPS
isn't...but it's a nicety. With paper charts and your laptop you're more
than
covered.
But Ganzy is just cheap.

RB