"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 19 Jan 2004 21:00:01 -0500, Gene Kearns
wrote:

Hmmm..... I have some PFC pipe, a can of Life Guard, and a
potato...... EUREKA.....

============================

I think I hear cannon fire in the distance...

Kinda of hollow "phooomp" sound?

Mark Browne

Gary Warner wrote:
We bought the handheld Garmin 72 for our little 22 footer. We won't be
doing much if any long distance navigation, but just knowing our position
and just "playing" with the thing should be fun. Goofing around with it
inside (while it's cold and snowy outside) a few questions come to mind.

-- Lets say you are out in open ocean and heading for a waypoint that
it programmed into the unit. If everything was calm, no wind and no
current, all you have to do it point the arrow at the waypoint. But what
if there is a current and/or wind? Just pointing the boat toward the
waypoint might not take you on a straight course to the destination. You
would need to steer a different course to get the desired outcome. So:
Can this GPS (or others) help figure what course you need to steer?

-- I see there is a "Highway" screen that shows a "road" that one
might follow. Seems that may be the correct screen to do what I'm
thinking, but I can't quite figure out it's use.

Well, probably all this will become clearer when we can actually use
it ON the boat.

Oh, any good books out there telling how to use a GPS (not a manual
for a particual unit, but a general 'how-to' book of ideas and uses?

Thanks,
Gary




They're great but don't become complacent, even well experienced pros
end up on the bricks when they get too confident:-)

Even for a short trip use lots & lots of waypoints, the arrow points to
the next waypoint "all" the time, so if there's a cross tide/wind etc
etc you might finish well off your intended track, however still happily
headed "directly" to the next waypoint, via the car park:-).

As well as lots of waypoints, don't just place them at fixed intervals,
position them strategically; e.g. say there's a headland or reef to get
safely around, place at "least" 3 waypoints on your intended safety
margin track around/past it, one a reasonable distance before you get
anywhere close, then one off the reef or whatever & another as you exit
the area into clear water again. The risk is as above that you'll be
swept sideways & actually be approaching the danger from other than your
intended track & even though you'll be getting readings that confirm
you're such & such a distance from the "waypoint" your approach to it
may take you into the danger area. Again once at the waypoint your exit
from that risk area needs at "least" another for the same reasons.

Obviously lots of people can input the waypoints as they complete a
regularly traveled trip but if you are entering your intended waypoints
from a chart, then join them all up & mark the true & compass courses
between them on each little leg. After you've entered them, you can run
through the passage on the gps & it'll give you the bearings from each
waypoint to the next, take care these are the same as your plotted
courses, it's extremely easy to mis-enter a co-ordinate & this check
will show it immediately. It's also nice to have the tracks courses
marked on the chart, so you can confirm at a glance what the GPS
"should" be telling you, also note the soundings & just get used to
confirming them.

They're never, not ever wrong, if they're working with enough sats up
then they're correct:-) So no matter how disoriented, tired, wet, cold,
****ed off or in a hurry to get in, don't believe your gut or your
balance or or your assessment of distance over water or the advice of
the crew, if it's up & working it's right!!

K

"Gary Warner" wrote in message ...
"D0N ßailey" wrote:


As long as you're not going long distance, this really isn't a big deal.
If you do stray off course, the little arrow will always point towards
your target. I use one all the time, and find that once I reach a
destination, my "bread crumb" trail will be a bit curved from point A to
B.


Which I assume is fine, unless that curved course is too big. In which case
you are traveling a longer distance than you need to or, much worse, getting
into an area of the water that you don't want to be in (say shallow or
such).
Yes?

But generally we'll just be going short distances so you're right,
it probably isn't a big deal. Just like to think it all through anyway.

With a Garmin, you can either follow your original route upon return,
or you can go back to your origin in a straight line. Also, you can
wander around going back, and not to worry, follow the arrow, and
you'll go back to your origin anyway. One thing I found out, is that
while reading the manual, and messing with it on my deck, wasn't the
same as taking the manual, going out on the lake, and practicing with
it. Pretty easy, once you do that. BUT, take the manual with you, so
you'll learn to use all of the features.

K Smith wrote in message ...
Gary Warner wrote:
We bought the handheld Garmin 72 for our little 22 footer. We won't be
doing much if any long distance navigation, but just knowing our position
and just "playing" with the thing should be fun. Goofing around with it
inside (while it's cold and snowy outside) a few questions come to mind.

-- Lets say you are out in open ocean and heading for a waypoint that
it programmed into the unit. If everything was calm, no wind and no
current, all you have to do it point the arrow at the waypoint. But what
if there is a current and/or wind? Just pointing the boat toward the
waypoint might not take you on a straight course to the destination. You
would need to steer a different course to get the desired outcome. So:
Can this GPS (or others) help figure what course you need to steer?

-- I see there is a "Highway" screen that shows a "road" that one
might follow. Seems that may be the correct screen to do what I'm
thinking, but I can't quite figure out it's use.

Well, probably all this will become clearer when we can actually use
it ON the boat.

Oh, any good books out there telling how to use a GPS (not a manual
for a particual unit, but a general 'how-to' book of ideas and uses?

Thanks,
Gary




They're great but don't become complacent, even well experienced pros
end up on the bricks when they get too confident:-)

Even for a short trip use lots & lots of waypoints, the arrow points to
the next waypoint "all" the time, so if there's a cross tide/wind etc
etc you might finish well off your intended track, however still happily
headed "directly" to the next waypoint, via the car park:-).

As well as lots of waypoints, don't just place them at fixed intervals,
position them strategically; e.g. say there's a headland or reef to get
safely around, place at "least" 3 waypoints on your intended safety
margin track around/past it, one a reasonable distance before you get
anywhere close, then one off the reef or whatever & another as you exit
the area into clear water again. The risk is as above that you'll be
swept sideways & actually be approaching the danger from other than your
intended track & even though you'll be getting readings that confirm
you're such & such a distance from the "waypoint" your approach to it
may take you into the danger area. Again once at the waypoint your exit
from that risk area needs at "least" another for the same reasons.

Obviously lots of people can input the waypoints as they complete a
regularly traveled trip but if you are entering your intended waypoints
from a chart, then join them all up & mark the true & compass courses
between them on each little leg. After you've entered them, you can run
through the passage on the gps & it'll give you the bearings from each
waypoint to the next, take care these are the same as your plotted
courses, it's extremely easy to mis-enter a co-ordinate & this check
will show it immediately. It's also nice to have the tracks courses
marked on the chart, so you can confirm at a glance what the GPS
"should" be telling you, also note the soundings & just get used to
confirming them.

They're never, not ever wrong, if they're working with enough sats up
then they're correct:-) So no matter how disoriented, tired, wet, cold,
****ed off or in a hurry to get in, don't believe your gut or your
balance or or your assessment of distance over water or the advice of
the crew, if it's up & working it's right!!

K

If you use "lots and lots" of waypoints, you may run out, and that is
bad, especially in open water.

"Calif Bill" wrote in message
nk.net...
Just keep the triangle pointing up.
Bill


Yep.

db

On 20 Jan 2004 06:35:14 -0800, (basskisser) wrote:

If you use "lots and lots" of waypoints, you may run out, and that is
bad, especially in open water.

==========================================

Yes, and there's really no reason for "lots and lots" of waypoints in
open water. A glance at your Cross Track Error (XTE) once in awhile
will tell you if you're being set to one side. As long as Course Made
Good is matching up with Bearing to Waypoint, that shouldn't happen
anyway.

Gary Warner wrote:

We bought the handheld Garmin 72 for our little 22 footer. We won't be
doing much if any long distance navigation, but just knowing our position
and just "playing" with the thing should be fun. Goofing around with it
inside (while it's cold and snowy outside) a few questions come to mind.

Yep, they're fun.



-- Lets say you are out in open ocean and heading for a waypoint that
it programmed into the unit. If everything was calm, no wind and no
current, all you have to do it point the arrow at the waypoint. But what
if there is a current and/or wind?

The unit should have a readout for a data point called CMG or "Course Made
Good" which means, what direction are you really travelling? When this
matches the bearing to your waypoint, you are heading directly towards it
regardless of current or leeway.


Oh, any good books out there telling how to use a GPS (not a manual
for a particual unit, but a general 'how-to' book of ideas and uses?

A book that I have found very helpful & interesting is "User's Guide To GPS"
by Bonnie Dahl. Excellent info on how the system works overall and what
specific units will do as a navigating tool.

One thing that I frown on is the tendency for many people to assume that the
GPS unit will do their navigating for them. It will not, and cannot, do any
navigating. It's a great tool, but that's all it is.

Fair Skies- Doug King

I understood K's point to be something like: Use lots / plenty
of points when around obstacles, harbors, etc. In open water
where depth, obstacles, or restricted zones, ect., are not a problem
there really isn't much need for lots of points.

"DSK" wrote in message
...

The unit should have a readout for a data point called CMG or "Course Made
Good" which means, what direction are you really travelling? When this
matches the bearing to your waypoint, you are heading directly towards it
regardless of current or leeway.

Thanks.


A book that I have found very helpful & interesting is "User's Guide To
GPS"
by Bonnie Dahl. Excellent info on how the system works overall and what
specific units will do as a navigating tool.


I'll check it out.

"Gene Kearns" wrote:

Most manuals give you the building blocks
to develop your own usage of the item. Most toys (necessities) are
sort of like a box of tinker toys..... they are what you make of
them......


Yep. And I love to try new things & experiment and find
cool new ways to use those toys. Other times reading
what others have figured out is fun too.


Hmmm..... I have some PFC pipe, a can of Life Guard, and a
potato...... EUREKA.....


What's that? Your PWC cannon?