Re: Good GPS for multi day?
- From: "Tony S." <email_tonys@xxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 17:27:28 GMT
"Dot" <dot.h@#duh?att.net> wrote in message
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Tony S. wrote:
"Dot" <dot.h@#duh?att.net> wrote in message>
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Tony S. wrote:
Interesting. I don't know how 10,000 would rate for a longer trip. Is
the memory card standard and swapable? For a 150 mile trip (I
probably will only to a leisurely 1/2 of that this time) would be 66
track points per mile. I'd like more than that, I think, but since
I'm going to be on marked trails anyway, I could live with that.
Still, to be able to upload and see a more detailed course would be
better.
That's about one point every 80ft/25m. Keep in mind the precision for
these things is about 10-30 ft radius, so there's a question as to
when more frequent becomes noisy. They record when there's variation,
like curves. I just looked at a couple of my tracks, and straight
trail sections get recorded no more than every 50ft, more like 30ft.
Tight switchbacks, it's more like every 10ft, but I doubt you'd be
doing 150 miles of that type of trail.
Yea that's certainly good enough, on second thought! It's never going to
record distance properly anyway. Only a wheel could do that, and I
assume the NY-NJ trail conference people use wheels to measure the
marked routes, but not sure.
If you're just looking at analysis, then more data can always be
processed. But if you're looking at maps, you can't tell an 80ft
section on a 150mi map.
On my recordings ("most frequent" setting), I get about one point
every 3-5 sec running. The only time I want more is when I'm mapping a
trail with poor sky visibility and short switchbacks. (The borough's
map does drew a line straight up the cliff, but there's probably about
8 switchbacks in there.) I stand at the tip of the switchback for a
few seconds to be sure it gets caught.
The FR305 can be set to once / sec. It can handle more than 10,000
track points, but I think it would be too hard to use for what you
want - awkwardness of waypoints and short bettery life without
charger. Waypoints can be used, but they're buried a couple layers
down in the menus, iirc. The lap points do show up on its screen, but
they don't download to most mapping software that's not designed to
handle FR305 data.
I'd have to rethink things if I was indeed mapping new trails with tight
turns.
I think both use regular batteries. I know the 60 uses 2 AA, and
lithiums work great - maybe 30 hours, but I never remember to keep
track of when I put the batteries in so lose track after a few weeks.
I know I use it 13 hrs straight at RP, and probably 10-20 hrs after
that.
The green in me would be having me using NiMH rechargable batteries.
More weight, yes.
Probably a lot more weight. Heavier and shorter life, I think. I got
some to use in gps and headlamp, but not sure I ever did. I think the
ultra runners up here who have compared said the NiMH don't result in
same light quality from lights as lithium do, so I'm assuming would
have shorter life in gps. The performance dropoff with lithiums
doesn't happen for awhile, but when they go, they're gone - not the
slow fading of capability you get from when you turn other batteries
on. Lithiums don't lose significant charge like rechargeables and most
primary batteries. That's their beauty for emergency purposes. Also,
when they're dead in gps and headlamps, I use them to power my
battery-operated kitchen clock - for at least 6 months.
Yea, NiMHs have a lower voltage anyway, so the device has to be designed
with that in mind I think. As long as they can be easily replaced,
that's what counts.
For perspective, I'd be surprised if you needed more than one change
of
lithiums for 150 mi at 3mph = 50 hrs, although you might want another
change in your last drop bag. I'm sure I get at least 20 hrs, and
probably close to 30 hrs per battery set, but I have WAAS disabled,
70% backlight. Not sure how technical your terrain is whether you'd be
going slower than 3mph.
Pretty technical, Catskills hiking trails, slower than 3mph.
Also, the Etrex and 60csx listed above have barometric altimeters so
you get better hill data. The Edge is the bike equivalent of FR and
it does have the altimeter in it. It's form factor is like the Etrex,
but I think might have rechargeable batteries.
Excellent, that might mean I can leave my Polar s625x at home.
Barometric altimeters in gps units should be better than those in
hrm's since they supposedly self-correct when weather changes. When I
have both my 60csx and Polar 625 with me on long runs when weather
moves through, you can see the difference in the elevation profiles.
Another selling point to the 60csx ;)
Yea I heard about spot before and I'm going to check it out, thanks.
I have to do my research now, but you've headed me squarely in the
right direction, thanks so much! Spot might be enough for me, since
emergency capability is the most important thing, and after-the-fact
mapping is the main GPS need I foresee right now. But if Spot only
had a long/lat readout display it would be ideal, since I could use
that to locate myself if necessary - doesn't look like it has that.
I might add that Spot has been somewhat spotty in its reliability.
Meltzer has issues on the AT. I don't know that there were any issues
with the ITI folks - just misinterpretation of signals, but not sure.
Yea, that's what I found from online reviews: unreliable especially
under tree cover, and also considered to have an expensive yearly fee
that is non-refundable.
Actually since I'll probably carry my cellphone/camera, I was checking
into phone GPS software. It won't work with my current phone, but the
"Trimble Outdoors" GPS app looks pretty good. I will consider GPS more
when shopping for my next phone. For now the Nav software available
won't cut it for mapping the whole track, but I might be able to use it
for long/lat location and waypoints by tricking the street nav software,
but further testing is needed.
I got a fix right away at home inside with two stories above me. The
only problem with using the phone as GPS, aside from not having good
software options for this model, is that when it searches for cell
signal it eats battery like crazy. It can be put in standalone mode to
use the camera and music player and not have it waste battery searching
for signal, but GPS won't work in standalone mode. I already have an
extra battery for this phone so I might just use it as a GPS should
testing in the woods go well.
I still have lots of research to do on emergency devices since SPOT got
too many bad reviews. 406mhz beacons get good mention, as do the
acronyms EPIRB, ECT, PLB ;)
-Tony
The Iditarod used these folks for tracking http://www.ionearth.com/
but not sure what products or services they really provide. Very slow
web site or not liking my browser, so you'll have to check it out
yourself.
Dot
--
"Often, quantity of miles is not the answer, but rather quality, i.e.
making your training specific to your goals.... The key was
specificity
of training balanced with the volume." - Scott Jurek (quoted in Trail
Runner 49:16, Dec 2007)
.
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- From: Tony S.
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