GPS

[Agavegeoff]

Hi, All.
I am thinking about getting a GPS unit something like a Garmin Etrek.
Has anyone used one in the Desert. If so would they be willing to share map referances to find places and plants.
Thinking about areas in and around Utah.

[Chris43]

Hi Geoff,
I have a Garmin eTrex, just the basic yellow one. I bought it in 1999 before I went to the Big Bend for the first time. I didn't realise that it was quite so well "trailed", but it has been very useful for wandering off the trails in hilly country and easily doing a backtrack. It saves you from having to constantly keep looking at where you've come from, and you can concentrate on what you see ahead.

My son actually bought it for me in the US, so it was not expensive at the time. I did have to reset the co-ordinate system, when I realised it wasn't recording Deg/Minutes/Seconds, but D/M.MM (decimal minutes).

I have some GPS locations in the Big Bend National Park, and in the BB Ranch State Park, and especially a lot from my 2005 trip to Mexico (Puebla and Hidalgo states).

But Utah, no, I can't oblige there. Sorry

[Agavegeoff]

Hi, Chris.
Thanks for that. It was the yellow one I was looking at.
I have seen if you buy it is side of the pond you get it with Uk and Europe on it. I think you need to buy a CD for the USA and that was not cheap.

[Chris43]

My eTrex is old enough that it doesn't have any loadable map capability. You can hook it up to a PC with a serial connector, and download a series fo waypoints (GPS co-ordinates), but it doesn't display any topographical maps as a result. Maybe some more modern ones do.

I just simply enter data as waypoints on the device itself, and then relate these to good old fashioned (and lovely) topographical maps - I use Topozone to get free maps which I print from my PC.

In my normal use, I simply save where I start from, usualy where I've parked the car, and set it going to keep a continuous record of my route to wherever I've got to. When I've had enough, I can just switch it to backtrack, and there's the route for me to get back where I started. And to be honest, that I have found to be enough.

So its very basic, but sufficient.

[Apicra]

I too have been looking at buying a GPS. I believe even the basic ones can load waypoints back to a desktop computer. Then I want to store co-ordinates into a spreadsheet, for use with existing GIS software - to plot plant localities of course.

Has anyone tried this loading from a GPS to a PC?

Derek Tribble,
London, UK

[Chris43]

I've never bothered to get the cable, Derek, it is of course non-standard! But I do know it is possible, even with my old one.

[Agavegeoff]

Hi, All.
Did a UK search of the internet for Handheld GPS. The Buy Garmin GPS one for Globalpositioningsystems. Found this info.
The Etrex Legend at ? 134.00 and looking for USA maps to go with it found Garmin Mapsource US TOPO 24K National Park West at ? 96.00.
Seams a lot of cash to pay, specially for the maps, but must say looks like you would never be lost, Also you would know exactly where you found the plants you were looking for.

[Chris43]

You will always know where you found the plants, as you can mark it as a waypoint, or even write it down in a notebook (my preferred option!). Then perhaps when you are home, try Topozone.com, feed in the GPS location and you can get a map and print it - for free.
To be honest, I'm not sure why you'd really want a Topo map on your handheld GPS unless you find it preferable to using and viewing a paper/plastic map. I prefer to look at the size and scale of a physical map, as it helps you to plan more easily.
But as I am only just a GPS user in my car, maybe I have still to adjust to the new medium. Actually what sold me on a TomTom unit, was when I was in a friend's carFrance before Xmas, and finding the way out of Lille to get back to our hotel in a small town 40 km away was so easy and good that I had to admit it was better than a map, even in the hands of my dear wife!

[Bill]

Me I use a PDA which runs TomTom for road use and MemoryMap for walking/offroading/cycling..

MemoryMap works on OS maps and you follow the route rather than be guided. It allows full waypointing,links to photos, notes etc, can be used for marine and maps are available for many countries including USA. The down side is the cost:(

[Agavegeoff]

Hi, All.
Etrek or is it Startrek. A cold sunset today.
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