What do you think of GPS units?

[_mark_]

I was looking at a Satmap Active 10 until I saw the price with maps! Doesn't do much more than a phone with memory map.

I have a thing for paper maps anyway, I think they are beautiful things.

A GPS I could happily leave behind, a compass, never! I even have a tiny one on on a chain round my neck.

 

[Harley]

GPS (and mobile phones) are mandatory items for many ultra-distance events now. Whilst this can often upset the purists, the organisers consider that if the technology is accessible/cheap and greatly improves the safety of entrants then it is entirely reasonable to insist on it being carried.

This is in contrast to when GPS units were actually forbidden in some events, such that it often led to disqualification if a team were observed using one!

 

[rancid badger]

I think they're the best thing since sliced turnip me.

Why, just last Thursday, I was able to establish that myself and a mate managed to paddle my new NC SP3 Prospector, at no less than 9.2 kmh heading down Ullswater!

to be honest and in all seriousness; these days, now that I'm venturing further afield with my canoe, I find it much easier and quicker, to simply check the gizmo for a grid reference then check it on the map, than fanny about trying to take bearings to plot my position.

I spent too many years taking bearings then wondering if I'd got it right, even when I knew it was correct.
So yes they're excellent pieces of kit.

I think relying on one, without sound map & compass skills however, is foolhardy.
R.B.

 

[Shambling Shaman]

I have a Garmin Etrex, got it for geocaching but use it quite often now for general navigation. I do back it up with a compass, especially amongst trees where it can get confused about direction.

Dave

Lol Ditto, Its important to keep your map and compass work up, also just map work with out compass, If you can get out to the hills try nav' with an AtoZ in your local town orientating the map and pacing out distences.

 

[Mojoracinguk]

I use a Phone (are you counting these?)
The sony erricson c702 has a tracking system to show all the usual stuff (distance/speed/gridreference) It does me proud when running in the country side or through woods....google maps is loaded on too so sattellite images can be used to help with navagation...Plus it's a phone so you can call in back up!

 

[pteron]

I grew up navigating with compass and Ordnance Survey maps. I love maps. Love 'em.

But if your navigation is to get you from point A to point B, then GPS is a god send. Especially on a boat where one wave looks like any other.

I'm learning celestial nav with my sextant but I won't kid myself that it's anything other than a backup, nor will I be doubting the GPS position if the two differ. The best backup to a GPS is another GPS! I have 3 - including one that lives in my ditch kit.

People talk about GPS failure and report it on fora, but the reason it gets reported is because it is so infrequent - there are millions of GPS units happily guiding their owners reliably every second of the day. Plus it will only get more reliable as the receivers improve in sensitivity, have multiple satellite systems to look at etc. The US consider GPS to be reliable enough to land airliners. Good enough for me.

 

[kiltedpict]

I happily used ViewRanger on my last Nokia- reassured us as we did a night walk (low level) in the Cairngorms (long story). Now I have the iPhone, there are two main issues- needs a phone signal to download the map tiles, otherwise you have a dot on a screen, and the awful battery life. I have come into a little money recently and decided to splash out on a SatMap Active 10 (good deal on evilbay) and used it yesterday on a easy to follow walk to gauge it's usefulness and reliability- Well impressed. Yes, I like a map and compass (and would not go out without them in the pack), but I also love gadgets, and although expensive, it works well and extremely accurate in my limited experience.

Just my tuppence worth..

KP

 

[sharp88]

Whats the limitation of newer units? Garmin seem to do one with an electronic compass, higher definition screen and a camera (which seems a bit plain silly to me). Can you view and browse 1:25 maps in OS style? Can you set multiple markers for areas of interest? What is the battery life like?

 

[Gaoler]

I learned to map read with ordnance survey maps and compass in the cubs and scouts.

Never forgot what I learned and as a result I have never been lost. Ever!

Works for me and I haven't seen anything to make me change my mind so far.(and i Really love gadgets too)

 

[Mr Adoby]

Whats the limitation of newer units? Garmin seem to do one with an electronic compass, higher definition screen and a camera (which seems a bit plain silly to me). Can you view and browse 1:25 maps in OS style? Can you set multiple markers for areas of interest? What is the battery life like?

I got the Garmin Oregon 550t with 1:50 000 topo maps of southern Sweden. You can buy 1:20 000 maps as well. I don't know what is available in UK. It has a 3d compass, so it is reliable even if not held absolutely level. Also a camera, very nice to take geotagged pix that you can browse using google earth. Every picture you take becomes a marker for that spot, so you can actually navigate using the pictures for reference. If you see something nice or interesting, take a picture. Later you just browse to that picture and can view where it was taken. Another key press and you start navigating to that spot. You can mark spots without taking pics, but that is no fun... The pics are OK in good conditions (daylight outdoors) but not by a far way as good as with a "real" camera. Still great fun!

The GPS is really nice for geocaching and on a bike. The display is bit hard to read in the sun, even if you crank up the light level.

Edit: Just got one of my pics i took yesterday selected by google maps. Had one selected previously, but that was manually geotagged. Here are some sample pictures taken with the GPS: (Click to see full resolution unedited original pic.)





The specs for the GPS say 16 hours run time. But if you crank up the light and increase the time before powersave starts and use the camera now and then, it is more like 8 hours normal use. Two rechargable AA-batteries, so no problem carrying extras. If you turn it off and only take a few positions a day, or in emergencies, it should last for weeks.

I bought a holder for the handlebar on my bike. Best bike computer I've ever had. (And most expensive...)

But I still carry a normal map and compass. Much better for a better overview and long distance navigation.

I also considered a camera with a built in gps...

 

[Graham_S]

In my view, GPS is a handy tool, but it doesn't replace needing to know how to navigate.
If you're out in the hills, you should have a map and compass, and know how to use them.
Batteries die, signals get lost.

 

[Laurentius]

Not enough options there, they might be an essential piece of kit, if only they could find a satellite fix when you really need one

When I upgraded my mobile phone I got one with GPS and I am not at all impressed, on that basis I would not go forking out for any of this garmin kit or whatever.

 

[rik_uk3]

Not enough options there, they might be an essential piece of kit, if only they could find a satellite fix when you really need one

When I upgraded my mobile phone I got one with GPS and I am not at all impressed, on that basis I would not go forking out for any of this garmin kit or whatever.

I would suggest that your phone is not as good as typical GPS receivers and you don't dismiss them out of hand.

 

[Mr Adoby]

Not enough options there, they might be an essential piece of kit, if only they could find a satellite fix when you really need one

Never had any problems with getting a satelite fix when I am outdoors. Could perhaps be a problem in dense woods. But I haven't noticed it yet.

 

[Chasseur]

Utterly useless under dense or even partial canopy. There is a tendency to be overreliant on gadgets and gizmos, at the expense of real knowledge and understanding of basic navigation principles. A GPS is a valuable tool to reconcile your existing superb map, compass and ready reckoning skills, but not as a primary navigation system on its own. A GPS is useful to confirm your position as reckoned using traditional methods. That way you will know exactly how lost you are +/- 10m

 

[Opal]

I needed a new toy.

 

[forrestdweller]

judging from my experience with car-mounted versions: NO THANKS!!! the bl**#@ thing wanted to sent me-driving a ute with 6m-trailer through underground parking areas, straight through petrol stations, through walls, in circles around a parking area... do i need to go on? gladly i had a street directory and some local knowledge... .also the system is owned by the military which can change position of satellites and not all handheld receivers show you this; +limited reception in dense forests or in narrow gorges. and what if you run out of battery power on a long trip???

 

[Mr Adoby]

It is easy to imagine what might go wrong with a GPS. But compass and map is not foolproof either. It is possible to crush a compass, and a map may get wet or even outdated. If it is dark the map is hard to read, and once a compss of mine was stored near a magnet, and got reversed.

That said, on any outdoor trip to unknown land, I mainly use map and compass. But I still bring my GPS. It is a great tool.

Even if I know how to rub two sticks together to make fire, I still bring a firesteel and matches.

And judging from the voting results in this thread, it seems most agree.

 

[Opal]

Can someone tell me the exact cable to use for downloading waypoints with the Garmin Etrex h and a laptop?

 

[ashes1627]

I had on conversation with a friend of mine who wanted to buy some fancy GPS system. I use an OS map and a compass, and the compass is optional. Here where we are (North Norfolk) there isn't much need for anything but a map and a pair of eyes. If I was stuck in bad weather, I would rather set up camp than try and move and stray from where I should be. As long as I tell someone where I am going, they should be able to find me by looking in the area of my route. If I try and move and stray away from my route, thats when I would have a problem.