Auto GPS » Handheld Unit

Marine GPS Maintains Boater Safety

admin — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:22:36 +0000

It’s never a good feeling when you are lost on your boat in an unfamiliar lake, yet on occasion even experienced boaters have had that unnerving feeling of losing their navigational way. However, if your boat is equipped with a Marine GPS unit, your chances of returning safely to shore increases exponentially.

It does not matter whether you use a standalone Marine GPS unit, or a handheld unit or have a GPS capable personal data (PDA) finding your bearings can be made much easier. Additionally, God forbid there is an emergency, you can use your marine GPS unit to give rescuers an exact location which would make you safe return to shore pretty much guaranteed and you will also get a quicker response.

When utilizing a handheld Marine GPS unit, it is best to first check the location when you are on the shore and market that down in your unit, in the event you get lost while you are out on the water. You can get to your destination in a quicker, safer, simpler manner by knowing where you are and where you need to go. Particularly if you are in water that you are not familiar with or a quick storm makes visibility nearly impossible. A Marine GPS unit can help you find yourself into a safe harbor in the event that you travel too far away from shore and loose any of your directional bearings that you were hoping you had if you maintained a line of sight.

Marking and Recalling Locations of Successful Fishing Spots

When on the water and your fishing and you come upon a suitable location that gives great results, you cannot put a ‘X’ on the water, but by utilizing a Marine GPS, you can do the next best thing. You can go back to the precise spot the next time you are looking for a place to catch fish, by marking the location that is revealed by the unit. There will be no judging location by a reference point on the shore and there will be no guessing involved because your Marine GPS unit has the data within it marked.

When boaters sometimes wander away from the territory that they are familiar with they need to send for help. Whether there was a malfunction on their boat or they lost their bearings on the lake and they have a need to guide the rescue craft to their location it becomes more crucial as time goes by. A Marine GPS unit on board can make your imminent rescue easier and faster if you can provide them with the exact location to give to a rescue craft.

In a more severe accident on the water, such as your boat sinking, then a quick rescue is in order. By utilizing a Marine GPS, particularly if equipped with a GPS locator, you can assist rescuers to find you near your last reported location. Having a starting point for a rescue operation can be a life-saving and critical piece of knowledge.

By: Korbin Newlyn

Garmin GPS Systems – Your Complete Guide

admin — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:05:29 +0000

So you have decided to buy one of the many Garmin GPS systems available. You’ve spoken to everyone you know, and now you need to start getting information together – how much do you want to spend on your Garmin GPS system? Where will you be putting your new Garmin GPS system? Which one of the Garmin systems are you going to pick?

First, you need to undertake various Garmin GPS comparisons. There are many versions available, for many types of vehicles and requirements. When comparing Garmin GPS navigation systems, it’s best to go with what is best for you, not what someone else has or what might seem the best simply because it is the most expensive. For example, you may have been recommended a Garmin GPS handheld unit by a friend who does a lot of bushwalking, but as a boating person, a handheld unit would not be as useful to you. Similarly, a Garmin portable GPS system is great for someone who is in and out of a car, as they need to take it with them to prevent theft. However a fixed Garmin global positioning system would be better for someone who has no need to be removing it from its mounting all the time (or someone, like a courier, who is in and out of their vehicle more times than they care to think about!). You definitely don’t want your Garmin GPS system to be a hindrance!

Compare Garmin global positioning system prices, and see if it might be cheaper to purchase a Garmin GPS system online. Many places sell Garmin global positioning systems online, so be sure to have a look around as it may be cheaper (even taking into account postage) to buy your Garmin GPS system from an outlet that does not have the overheads a physical shop-front might have. The issue with shopping online is, of course, not being able to ‘play’ with your new Garmin global positioning system. But a trip to the local GPS shop may fix that.

One of the Garmin GPS systems available is the Garmin 2720 GPS. This particular Garmin GPS system offers many features, including the ability to program points of interest (such as speed cameras and school zones) so you need never be caught out again. The flashy Garmin 360 GPS doubles as a personal assistant, boasting facilities such as MP3 players, a translator, and Bluetooth capabilities enabling you to make hands-free calls. Another good pick is the Garmin c530 GPS – ready to go straight from the box, this unit is a good pick for those needing an ATM or petrol station quickly – just touch and go!

Garmin GPS systems offer it all; the hardest part is picking which one you like. Read some Garmin global positioning systems reviews, which are usually unbiased and give both pros and cons for each model. With a Garmin GPS navigation system, you can’t go wrong!

By: Chaz Newman

What Can A GPS Handheld Unit Do For The Hiker?

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:09:03 +0000

Handheld GPS units are a hikers best friend. Any hiker knows that being able to find your way around, especially in wilderness areas, is important. Hikers also know two of the deterrents to hiking in the wilderness are how to find the head trail and then how not to get lost during the hike. A handheld GPS unit can give people the freedom to explore the experience hiking in the wilderness areas that they have not attempted before.

A typical handheld GPS unit is powered by standard batteries and is 2 to 3 inches wide and 4 to 6 inches long. These handheld GPS units have a small screen which shows an icon representing your current location and pre-plotted locations. Various models also have maps showing roads and streams, topography, etc.

Handheld GPS units which can be used for hiking in the wilderness, use satellites orbiting over 12,000 miles above the earth to determine the position of the handheld GPS unit on the ground. It does this by using travel times to the handheld GPS unit’s signals being emitted from some of the 24 Navstar satellites. Consumer grade handheld GPS units need to receive signals from at least three of these satellites to calculate your “XY” or map coordinated position. At least four of these satellites are needed to also calculate your altitude.

There are several physical elements which may prevent a handheld GPS unit from receiving a satellittes signals. Mountains, canyon walls, high metropolitan buildings, and dense forest growth can limit the number of low in the sky satellites that are visible and therefore useable by the handheld GPS unit.

Once a handheld GPS unit has a location fixed in it, here’s what it may do for you while you are hiking in the wilderness.

1. Waypoints: A waypoint is a single point location. It can be saved in the handheld GPS unit’s memory. As you are hiking in the wilderness you can see your current position in relation to the point you want to go to. Waypoints may be created and saved in the handheld GPS unit’s memory before leaving for your trip or while you are in the field exploring. Sometimes a series of waypoints are sequentially linked to form a route.

2. Routes: A route is a series of locations that are linked in sequence to describe a path along which you intend to hike in the wilderness. The maximum number of positions that can go into a route varies depending on the type and model handheld GPS unit you have.

3. Tracks: A track is essentially a route that is made up of many linked sequential locations which a handheld GPS unit automatically creates and saves as you hike in the wilderness. This is analogous with leaving markers along a trail, so you can retrace your path that your came in on while hiking in the wilderness. This helps the hiker avoid getting lost while enjoying and exploring in the wilderness.

Waypoints, routes, and tracks are the three principal categories of locations that are fixed by a hiker in a handheld GPS unit. An understanding of these three basic categories gives the hiker insight into how a handheld GPS unit can help one navigate and explore safely while hiking in the wilderness. It can be used to preplan trips and to guide the hiker along their from their start to the destination and back again. A handheld GPS unit is ideal for the hiker to track and show them where they are going, where they have been and to reverse the course and return the hiker safely to their starting point.

By: Beth Appel

Handheld GPS Hunting – Never Lose Your Trophy Kill Again

admin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 09:46:03 +0000

There are handheld GPS receivers for just about any sport out there today, hiking, biking and now fishing and hunting. Several manufacturers of GPS units are making handheld receivers for hunters complete with camouflage and compasses. Many of these personal GPS receivers have up to 12 satellites calculating your position. Some have a built in calendar helping you to chart the best time to go hunting. Most weigh between six and 10 ounces and won’t weigh you down, but have so many capabilities. Features include being able to store 500 to 2,000 waypoints – which are location you can navigate to later – both with graphics and names and the track log stores up to 10 to 50 retraceable paths. The trip computer indicates such things as sunrise and sunset times, speeds, distance and much more.

Some hunters think the handheld GPS receiver units are great when out wondering in the woods. One reason is because they don’t have to pay close attention to where they are going and can pretty much wonder freely and still be able to find their way back to their vehicle or campsite with the GPS trackers. Since you have marked your waypoints, you can easily find you way back to camp or your vehicle by turning around and placing the GPS on directional or compass screen and when the arrow points left, go left and when the arrow point right, go right and you will soon be where you want to be.

One of the most popular handheld GPS hunting receivers is one that has multiple receivers for hunting dogs as well as the hunter. You attach a GPS tracking unit to each of your dogs and then you can track there whereabouts with your GPS handheld unit. There are two screens in which to do this. One is a compass and if you have more than one dog, will show you which direction each dog is going, if they are running or on point (pointing to a bird or other wildlife) and do it in different colors so you can tell the dogs apart on the screen. The other way to track the dogs is on the dog info screen which give you individual dog information, such as where they are located, if they are running or on point, how much battery life their GPS unit has left and average distance and speed they have traveled over a predetermined amount of time. There is a dog screen for each dog you have, it even shows if one or more are back at the camp in their crates, not just out in the field.

There is additional software available for the handheld GPS hunting units to upload topographical maps and public hunting area maps. These are very useful to hunters who do not own or know someone with private property to hunt on. This upgraded system also comes with a memory card and personalizable software so you can create your own maps to use year after year.

By: Charlie Lee

How to Choose a GPS

admin — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:27:35 +0000

You’ve heard that new sport, geocaching, is fun. Or, you’re tired of getting lost on your travels. Welcome to the 21st century. Global Postioning System (GPS) has been around long enough that prices are reasonable and the technology is user-friendly. With myriad brands and models, how to choose?

If you want a GPS for both hiking and driving use, then a handheld unit would be the way to go. Some handhelds even have accessories to allow them to be installed in an automobile. But don’t rule out a PDA. More on that in a moment. For driving only, there are GPS receivers made just for vehicle use.

Handheld GPS receivers are either mapping or non–mapping. A basic, non–mapping unit can often cost less than $100 US and usually has/displays the following:

Location Compass heading Elevation above sea level Accurate time Satellite location and signal strength The ability to calculate distance traveled The ability to record your path as a set of waypoints The ability to navigate routes The ability to retrace your steps

Handheld mapping receivers do all the above plus have the ability to display maps. The maps are either pre–loaded or uploaded from your PC. Prices are reasonable for mapping units, starting at around $150 US.

Paper maps are strongly recommended whether you’re using a mapping receiver or not. Paper maps do not require batteries and probably won’t go defective. Also, a paper map gives you a “big picture” view of your situation — something lacking on the small screen of a GPS.

I mentioned earlier your considering a PDA with GPS capability. A PDA is bulkier and the battery life is usually shorter, but if you’re using a PDA anyway, then there are several ways to turn a PDA into a GPS. Some PDAs accept a GPS “sleeve.” That is a device that the PDA nestles into. Another choice is one of Garmin’s PDAs. Garmin is probably the most popular GPS maker and they have one PDA/GPS that is Palm–based and one that is Pocket PC–based.

Prices for automotive GPS start at around $250 US. These provide turn–by–turn guidance. Spend a little more than that and you get voice guidance. These are larger than handhelds in order to accommodate a screen large enough to be seen while driving. They are powered by the car’s electrical system and because of this, they can only be used in a vehicle.

Many automobile manufacturers now offer built-in GPS receivers as an option. Because they are built-in, the big advantages are security and aesthetics. They are quite a bit more expensive than add-on units and often have fewer options. I’ve also heard some stories of people having a hard time getting map updates.

A PDA/GPS is a good alternative for automotive use. Its screen is about the size of an automotive unit, so seeing the display is not a problem. They can also be powered by the car, eliminating battery worries. The Garmin PDAs mentioned above both come with the hardware and software for automotive use.

If you’re hiking, a basic handheld unit (without maps) will be fine since you’ll always have paper maps with you anyway (you will, won’t you?). An advantage to a handheld mapping unit is that they usually have more advanced features than the basic units. For driving, you have the choice of a handheld, in–car dedicated, or PDA. The handheld does have limited usefulness in a car, as it does not provide turn–by–turn guidance. For a more detailed look at how to choose a GPS, click here.

By: James Chartwell