Re: GPS for mountain walking


GSV Three Minds in a Can wrote:
> Bitstring <1137021681.844893.22510@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, from
> the wonderful person Dundonald <mark.dundon@xxxxxxxxx> said
> >I've recently aquired a taste for walking mountains after completing
> >the 3 peaks and welsh 3000's as charity events organised by my
> >employers. I'm aware that there's no substitute for a good OS map and
> >compass but I'm looking for a GPS unit that I can have fun with but
> >also that can help me get more out of my walking. I've done a bit of
> >research by visiting shops, all of which only stock a brand called
> >Garmin. I've googled this group for ideas on best GPS but most of the
> >recent questions / threads seem to be for mountain biking so are not
> >particularly relevant for me.
> >
> >I am very new to GPS but hopefully I could may be receive some guidance
> >from you chaps/ladies as to what units might best suit my needs.
> >Budget is up to £250 ish at a push £300 tops but the cheaper the deal
> >with most value for money the better! At the end of the day I want a
> >good quality sold reliable unit that I can use for a long time.
> >
> >I'm not sure if these are possible / out there but I figured I'd give
> >it a go at least anyway.
> >
> >- large internal memory and / or accept a memory card such as SD
> >- I'd like to if possible see an OS map on screen pin pointing my
> >position?
> >- trace and record a route that I might walk (would have loved to have
> >done this when I did welsh 3k's) and if possible download and plot that
> >route against a map that I can see on PC?
> >- all the usual basic stuff like current altitude, height gain, walking
> >distance, avg speed bla bla bla
> >- good battery life
> >- i'd like to be able to download routes from the internet (walking
> >sites, news groups etc) if possible that I can key in to the GPS and
> >guide me on a walk. For example, I'm yet to complete the snowdon horse
> >shoe in one shot, if I could download a route such as that and follow
> >the GPS promptings to take me on it that would be great!
> >- record a route and retrace steps backward?
> >- is there a device that I can use on mountain walking as per above but
> >one that I can have a little fun with in every day life such as
> >downloading maps to the device for normal streets / roads etc?
> >
> >I have a ton of other stuff I'd like but like I say I'm new to this
> >game both walking and GPS so I'm not sure what can and / or can't be
> >done.
> >
> >Any help appreciated.
>
> Start by reading http://www.gpsinformation.net/
>
> Basically most GPSs will do most of what you want, but you can't have an
> OS map on the screen unless you got with a PDA type, which are
> relatively fragile with lousy battery life.

Thanks mate I'll take a look at the site you suggested. I don't want a
PDA type. The blacks store I went in to talked of a garmin etrex vista,
it supposedly being the top model. When I went in to the store I knew
nothing of GPS, so I came home and looked up on the internet. I
couldn't find any information on this model from either garmin.com or
garmin.co.uk under their product lists. The blacks.co.uk site doesn't
give a lot of detail on it either.

>
> You might be able to pick up a cheap Garmin 60c, since they just
> announced the 60Cx, with removable memory cards (the 60C has 56MB built
> in .. runs for 20-30 hours on 2 AA cells, is colour, and does most of
> what you want). Else a n Extrex C (colour). I'd recommend colour .. it's
> tres useful, and well within your budget.

How does the 60c and 60Cx compare with the etrex vista that blacks are
trying to flog me? I did see these models on the garmin websites so
I'll take a look at what they do. But it would be interesting for me
to see how they compare to the etrex range that blacks flog.

>
> Yes, you can also use it in you car, but if you want good UK Streetmap
> data to load that'll cost you a significant amount of the cost of the
> GPS unit (on top). You can only buy the whole of Europe these days.
>
> Garmin are probably the market leader, Magellan second, everyone else
> way third. Developing your own maps for loading onto a Garmin is not
> hard, but it is a lot of work. You can have UK contour maps for free
> (just contours, summits, coastline, and trig pillars) coz some idiot
> already did them.
>
> You =will= need =some= PC software to go with it .. there are freebies,
> and there are the ones which come with raster OS maps (which cost
> money). The latter at least allows you to plan a route, upload the plan
> to the GPS, and later on download where you really went, display on the
> map, fly through in 3D or whatever. Again, budget some money (but not
> outrageous if you only need digital OS maps for a small part of the
> country .. want the lot at 1:25k?, get a mortgage).

I know, crazy. I can't remember where I saw it, I think again it might
have been blacks but I'm sure I remember seeing UK maps for sale at
over £200. Crazy.

>
> --
> GSV Three Minds in a Can
> Contact recommends the use of Firefox; SC recommends it at gunpoint.

.

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