gps units...the best el cheapo
 

"Tom Nakashima" wrote in
:


"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
t...
Tom Nakashima wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote:
Scott Seidman wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
... We set up camp between two sets of traps
and entered the waypoint into the GPS. It was dusk when we
returned and even though the GPS said we were standing right
in the middle of our campsite, we were not. It was just a hundred
yards away but I had a serious anxiety moment for a few minutes
there. It's a mind blower to depend on a piece of equipment like
that and have it fail you.

What year was this, Ken? ...

It was either 2000 or 2001, right at the beginning of the Lynx
Project in Yellowstone. The biologist was Tiffany Potter and she
was more surprised than I was that the GPS was off. I had never
used one before but she assured me that they never fail. Hah.

Ken,
do you remember what make of the GPS you were using?
We've found that there are dead areas, where the GPS units have
problems taking a reading, sometimes it's a matter of moving a few
meters in a different direction

It was a Garmin I think. In teaching me to use it she emphasized
that there were two settings and you had to make sure you had it
on the right one. That's about all I remember except that sinking
feeling in the pit of my stomach when we thought we had lost our
campsite.

--
Ken Fortenberry

The GPS units have come a lot ways since when they were first
introduced to the public. Some of the units today incorporate a
satellite correction. "WAAS" Wide Area Augmentation System is one of
them. I believe the accuracy is within 1-3 meters today.

We had our topo maps out and tested the accuracy of the GPS
with WAAS. We were off in location within 20 ft. Could have been
our pencil work drawing coordinates on the map.
-tom




Do a google news search for "Space Storm Disrupted GPS, Experts Say".
Oddly enough, reuters ran the story just yesterday.

Apparently, in December, a big Solar flare loused things up

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

gps units...the best el cheapo
 

Tom Nakashima wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote:
Tom Nakashima wrote:
Ken,
do you remember what make of the GPS you were using?
We've found that there are dead areas, where the GPS units have problems
taking a reading, sometimes it's a matter of moving a few meters in
a different direction
It was a Garmin I think. In teaching me to use it she emphasized
that there were two settings and you had to make sure you had it
on the right one. That's about all I remember except that sinking
feeling in the pit of my stomach when we thought we had lost our
campsite.

The GPS units have come a lot ways since when they were first
introduced to the public. Some of the units today incorporate a satellite
correction. "WAAS" Wide Area Augmentation System is one of them.
I believe the accuracy is within 1-3 meters today.

The technology has doubtless improved over the years but I
still wouldn't trust a gadget as my sole orienteering device.
Perhaps I'm a luddite but there's something very comforting
about a map and compass. Not that a GPS unit wouldn't be handy
but handy is not the same as trustworthy.

--
Ken Fortenberry

gps units...the best el cheapo
 

"Scott Seidman" wrote in message
. 1.4...
"Tom Nakashima" wrote in
:


"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
t...
Tom Nakashima wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote:
Scott Seidman wrote:
Ken Fortenberry wrote:
... We set up camp between two sets of traps
and entered the waypoint into the GPS. It was dusk when we
returned and even though the GPS said we were standing right
in the middle of our campsite, we were not. It was just a hundred
yards away but I had a serious anxiety moment for a few minutes
there. It's a mind blower to depend on a piece of equipment like
that and have it fail you.

What year was this, Ken? ...

It was either 2000 or 2001, right at the beginning of the Lynx
Project in Yellowstone. The biologist was Tiffany Potter and she
was more surprised than I was that the GPS was off. I had never
used one before but she assured me that they never fail. Hah.

Ken,
do you remember what make of the GPS you were using?
We've found that there are dead areas, where the GPS units have
problems taking a reading, sometimes it's a matter of moving a few
meters in a different direction

It was a Garmin I think. In teaching me to use it she emphasized
that there were two settings and you had to make sure you had it
on the right one. That's about all I remember except that sinking
feeling in the pit of my stomach when we thought we had lost our
campsite.

--
Ken Fortenberry

The GPS units have come a lot ways since when they were first
introduced to the public. Some of the units today incorporate a
satellite correction. "WAAS" Wide Area Augmentation System is one of
them. I believe the accuracy is within 1-3 meters today.

We had our topo maps out and tested the accuracy of the GPS
with WAAS. We were off in location within 20 ft. Could have been
our pencil work drawing coordinates on the map.
-tom




Do a google news search for "Space Storm Disrupted GPS, Experts Say".
Oddly enough, reuters ran the story just yesterday.

Apparently, in December, a big Solar flare loused things up

--
Scott
Reverse name to reply

Interesting article.
-tom

gps units...the best el cheapo
 

On Apr 5, 8:50 am, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:
The technology has doubtless improved over the years but I
still wouldn't trust a gadget as my sole orienteering device.
Perhaps I'm a luddite but there's something very comforting
about a map and compass. Not that a GPS unit wouldn't be handy
but handy is not the same as trustworthy.

Redundancy is the key. Your map could get blown away,
you could lose or break your compass, your GPS could
spontaneously stop working.

With any two of the three I can find my way out.
- Ken (expert at getting lost)

gps units...the best el cheapo
 

On Apr 4, 2:51 pm, "rb608" wrote:
"Opus--Mark H. Bowen" wrote in message

Or where you last placed it?

Yeah; that too.

Sorta on topic - has anyone else ever tried the geocaching thing? I found a
few caches close by to see if it was fun. I was actually disappointed. I
liked the GPS part of navigating to specific coordinates; but the
hide-n-seek part of trying to find some little box hidden within a 30'
radius didn't hold much appeal.

It probably didn't help that a couple were in less than desirable locations
near dumpsters. Others were nigh impossible. It would probably be more fun
the more rural the setting; but I haven't had the opportunity for
close-to-home caches.

Joe F.

The original reason I got the Garmin was as a Christmas present from a
well meaning family. They saw it as a hobbie the main squeeze and I
could do together outdoors. We have looked up a haalf dozen of them
so far. For a while if we were going ot the beach or someplace in the
mountains we would download a few and try to find them. Maby thsi
comming summer we'll do some more.
We're not hard core about it, just something to do when were hiking
around. There is a website that list all the geocashes and you can
search by zip code, coordinates or someother way. If you read the
website you'll see some people go about it very intensely.
http://www.geocaching.com/
It was while looking one on the Oregon Coast that we got to the
location and started looking around. I didn't expect the thing to be
that accurate so I started looking around the area. I finally looked
down at my feet and I was within a foot of a 50 Cal ammo box. It was a
brush area and the thing was under some dry grass. The SOP is you
open the box, sign the book, take something our, leave something in.
Then you register your find on the website, tell what you took and
what you left. Not all are things some are views. some are points of
interest and things you may not notice otherwise. Some peole leave
clues in the form of elaborate puzzles and riddles. I don't like to
think that much. . .
Corny I know, but when you want to be outside and the fishing isn't so
good.

gps units...the best el cheapo
 

On Apr 4, 8:28 am, "asadi" wrote:
I'm gonna start looking up things about them..

I'm looking mainly to find my way back where I started, and keep track of
where I find mushrooms...

john

Nest time you go better check the forecast for solar storms as well as
rain/snow etc. Solar storms can play hell with GPS satalites or so it
says here. http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2007/s2831.htm
Better take a map and compass just in case.
There are morels in this part of the world but I have never hunted
them. They have commercial hunters and sometimes things get hostile
in the woods.
When the smelt run I may try of find some. Fried smelt, Morells
fried in butter and a bottle of Resiling. Thats a meal that will
panic any cardiologist.

gps units...the best el cheapo
 

"BJ Conner" wrote in message
ps.com...
On Apr 4, 8:28 am, "asadi" wrote:
I'm gonna start looking up things about them..

I'm looking mainly to find my way back where I started, and keep track of
where I find mushrooms...

john

Nest time you go better check the forecast for solar storms as well as
rain/snow etc. Solar storms can play hell with GPS satalites or so it
says here. http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2007/s2831.htm
Better take a map and compass just in case.
There are morels in this part of the world but I have never hunted
them. They have commercial hunters and sometimes things get hostile
in the woods.
When the smelt run I may try of find some. Fried smelt, Morells
fried in butter and a bottle of Resiling. Thats a meal that will
panic any cardiologist.


A few years ago my friends and I were backpacking in the Santa Cruz
mountains and accidentally stumbled across a Cannabis garden.
We thought it best to play safe and quickly leave the area.
-tom

gps units...the best el cheapo
 

On Apr 5, 12:46 pm, "Tom Nakashima" wrote:
"BJ Conner" wrote in message

ps.com...





On Apr 4, 8:28 am, "asadi" wrote:
I'm gonna start looking up things about them..

I'm looking mainly to find my way back where I started, and keep track of
where I find mushrooms...

john

Nest time you go better check the forecast for solar storms as well as
rain/snow etc. Solar storms can play hell with GPS satalites or so it
says here.http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2007/s2831.htm
Better take a map and compass just in case.
There are morels in this part of the world but I have never hunted
them. They have commercial hunters and sometimes things get hostile
in the woods.
When the smelt run I may try of find some. Fried smelt, Morells
fried in butter and a bottle of Resiling. Thats a meal that will
panic any cardiologist.

A few years ago my friends and I were backpacking in the Santa Cruz
mountains and accidentally stumbled across a Cannabis garden.
We thought it best to play safe and quickly leave the area.
-tom- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

A testimonial to the value of the GPS. I have read that some pot
growers are not planting gardens any more. They can space their
plants out and record the position of each. Supposedly they don't
show up as easliy on aerial surveys. Tehy can also put them in clear
cuts and burns where hikers don't like to go.

gps units...the best el cheapo
 

On Apr 5, 11:42 pm, "asadi" wrote:
" wrote in message
Redundancy is the key. Your map could get blown away,
you could lose or break your compass, your GPS could
spontaneously stop working.

With any two of the three I can find my way out.
- Ken (expert at getting lost)

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west....

john

Trees and clouds get in the way....I live in Oregon, so
it's cloudy 9 months of the year.
- Ken

gps units...the best el cheapo
 

" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Apr 5, 8:50 am, Ken Fortenberry
wrote:
The technology has doubtless improved over the years but I
still wouldn't trust a gadget as my sole orienteering device.
Perhaps I'm a luddite but there's something very comforting
about a map and compass. Not that a GPS unit wouldn't be handy
but handy is not the same as trustworthy.

Redundancy is the key. Your map could get blown away,
you could lose or break your compass, your GPS could
spontaneously stop working.

With any two of the three I can find my way out.
- Ken (expert at getting lost)


The sun rises in the east and sets in the west....

john