I noticed a couple of guys here talking about GPS. I was surprised to see that the average guy really uses one. I thought a GPS was just a glorified compass. Does it really help you find your way in unfamilliar territory, and help make maps? How does it do it? What else can it do? I'm a total technology freak, and if I thought a GPS would actually be helpfull to me in the woods, I'd run right out and buy one.

 

A GPS is a whole lot more than a glorified compass. It will tell you speed, average/max/ speeds, etc, drwa a track of where you have been, trip times/distances, etc, etc... Some have built-in maps with all of the main rodas and highways. Some of those go one step further allowing you to download street or topographical maps for a reqion into the GPS from a CD-ROM. Check out www.garmin.com. They are in my opinion the best in the business. I use a GPS III, BTW.

 

Then, derekjes, you'll run right out and buy one!

Glorified compass? A GPS receiver shows you where you are, where you were, where you're going, the direction and distance to your destination and origin, etc., etc. Besides displaying your position and its relation to other points on a screen, you can read out your location in latitude and longitude, or in Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) grid coordinates corresponding to those on topographic maps. And, yeah, yeah, instantaneous, average, and maximum speed, precise time-of-day, sunrise and sunset time wherever you are, on and on. You won't live long enough to learn to use all the features on a sophisticated GPS receiver, I bet!

How does it work? Now, you REALLY didn't want to ask Tree Farmer THAT question, did you?

The system works on the intersection of three or more hyperboloid surfaces defined by time-difference-of-arrival of pulses from a satellite constellation in neo-geosynchronous orbit, altitude 22,300 miles . . .

Relax! I'll not offend anyone with further technical discussion; just funnin' you!


Tree Farmer

 

I didn't feel like spending 3-400 clams on a Garmin so I took a different route. I already had the Delorme Tripmate reciever so I picked up a used Palm to hook it to for $50.00. The Palm software is around $40.00 to run the reciever and it works great. Not quite as convienient as a one piece hand held but it does the job. This way I can be in the woods and still be a geek :-)

 

With a Garmin12 GPS you can buy a strap for the handle bars of your quad, an adapter to hook it to 12 volts (your battery...just cut the cigarette lighter adapter off and go straight to power source on quad) and wala! instant and constant speedometer, tripometer, and everything else the above posts say.

 

Go with the Garmin. They have many accessories to add to your GPS. I have a Magellan 315 its OK, nothing but a glorified compass. If you can spend the extra bucks with a GPS with the mapping function. My next GPS will be a Garmin.

 

OK,
Now you have heard how and what.But what about ATV applications.
I have many co-workers that have them and I am lucky enough to borrow one from time to time.
We were in a place here in North West Georgia called "Flat Woods". Lots of miles and trails. If one is new to the area he can get lost and waste lots of time trying to get back to the truck. With a GPS on board one can "Mark" the position of the truck and go without worries. Along the way you can set "Way Points" into memory. It will also as stated earlier draw a map or "Plot" of your trail. This is what I like when making new trails. When I get to a point to where I want to know where I am in reference to my starting point, I simply look at my plot. It will surprise you sometime to see just where you have been.
I will be springing for the Garmin III Plus soon. Is the top of the line and can be used in my Off Shore Fishing, Travel and Atving.
Later

 

One thing that I don't think that anyone has mentioned yet is that a GPS is not 100% accurate. In B.C. Canada I have a Garmin GPS 12 and it is accurate to within about 25 feet. also I have had mine stop tracking a couple of times in the 3 years I have owned it. Don't get me wrong it is a great tool and I am very glad I bought it but it is something to think about before anyone becomes 100% dependent on one. Also I should say where I live it is very hilly and forested so the terrain may make a very big difference.

 

I have horsed around with my GPS now for about 4 years. There very interesting to play with. But do your self a favor and go buy one or two books on what GPS do and don't do. It well teach you everything and then some. Here is one book that is very good.GPS Land Navigation by Michael Ferguson.