[at-l] GPS questions

[wdlists at optonline.net (Walter Daniels)]

> 
> I want one, but I don't know much about them other than what 
> I've read on the 
> Garmin boxes at EMS.
> 
> I'd like to type in coordinates, and be directed to that 
> point. I'd also like 
> to find out where I am (a 'waypoint'?) several times during a 
> walkabout and 
> keep a record of the hike on the gizmo. And do they do record?
> altitude? 

Inputting waypoints (from coordinates on a map for instance) is hard from
the GPS but easy if the GPS can be connected to a PC and the points
downloaded to the GPS. GPS keyboards are very short on keys making typing
very hard.

They do record altitude but the error is about twice the horizontal error,
in otherwords pretty worthless compared to an altimeter some of which are
good to 10 feet. You can easily be off by 100 ft. A few GPSs come with a
builtin barometric altimeter.

They do record everywhere you were but the memory is limited so you have to
read the specs carefully to see how long you can be out without uploading
the data to a PC. My Garmin 12CX is good for at least 8 hours of wandering
around.

>Work in 
> cloudy weather?

GPSs are unaffected by the weather. Most are at least moderately water
resistant. I use mine in the rain all too often.

> I don't need road maps and fishing info, but 
> do I need to buy 
> mapping software and cables anyways?

Most people want to upload their track when they get home and display it on
a topo map to see where they really went. As stated above entering waypoints
using only the GPS is tedious.

If you want to use the GPS for map making an external antenna is most
useful. That allows you to put the antenna on your hat or somewhere that you
body does not block some satellites so you get better data.

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