Re: GPS for mountain walking

Dundonald wrote:
> Paul Saunders wrote:
>> Dundonald wrote:
> Paul, thanks for the links above. I've been reading a few articles on
> there. One article explains that garmin models are tied in with
> mapsource cartography. Am I correct in saying that the road maps you
> purchased are from mapsource? And do the mapsource maps also include
> the OS maps for snowdonia, peak district etc .. ? So much to learn
> but I'm getting there ... :)

Every maker of GPS attempts to tie you to their supplied maps, and generic
map software (Anquet, MemoryMap, Tracklogs, etc) do not display an OS map on
the GPS device.

For Garmin, there are no detailed OS maps of the UK. Garmin offer road maps
of Europe, with routing instructions (ie. the GPS will take you through all
the turns along a route, rather than straight-line between two places), this
costs circa £150.
IGN offer detailed walking maps for France (IGN being the French equivalent
of the OS), for several hundred Euros.

For Magellan there are some "not very good in my opinion" OS maps.


The one advantage that Garmin has over others is people building their own
free maps. So, if prepared to do some minor registry changes in Windows,
you can add contour maps of the UK (I think you can now get these for most
of the world, certainly all of Europe) to a Garmin receiver. But, such
stuff isn't supported by Garmin.



> I'm taking a good look at the GPSMap60CS. I found this useful article
> on the site you suggested:
> http://www.gpsw-support.co.uk/buyersgpshandheld.htm . The 60CS isn't
> listed under the enhanced section with an electronic compas and
> barometer. Have you had any problems with the GPS dependant compas and
> barometer on the 60CS?

The Garmin website says the 60CS has electronic compass and barometer.


The Electronic Compass on some Garmin models works when you are stationary.
Whereas the GPS compass can only function when you are moving (at a very
fast walk or quicker), or by extrapolating the route you have been moving
over. However, the electronic compass does eat batteries (hence the GPS
allows you to turn it on/off very easily). The electronic compass appears
very accurate, so if you need it, it does work. The main advantage I find
is that if the GPS is to hand, it saves fumbling in a pocket looking for my
traditional compass (though I'd still carry that as backup).
I'd describe the electronic compass as "useful but hardly essential".

The barometric altimeter has two main advantages over the models without.
Firstly, you get the height plot screens which are sometimes useful to see
where you have been on the screen of the device. From those plots you can
then return to a point on a navigation screen, etc.
Secondly, when you are in an area with no GPS reception, the altimeter keeps
working. For example, under thick tree cover, or in a deep valley or gully
(satellites too low in sky to see over valley sides). The altitude readout
will continue with the barometric models, and this continues to give useful
navigation information until you have reached a place where GPS reception
continues.
The barometer swings things for me, if you can afford the jump to a model
with the barometer, because it works when GPS signals are lost, its very
useful.


> I think I'll try do a like for like comparison against the two (Vista
> C and 60CS).

You'll find it hard to find shops with both and the lower prices of the
on-line suppliers. Best I can suggest is wading through the manuals
(available from the Garmin website) and trying to work out how the devices
work. However, Garmin's manuals are not the easiest to understand.


Garmin's website has a specification comparison table. I'd suggest that the
main differences are:

Price - 60CS costs more than a Vista-C. In the UK, the difference is around
£90, but in all cases, chase special offers.
Vista-C - smaller overall size and weight.
Screen slight difference (Vista-C wider, 60CS taller): Vista-C 220x176
60CS 240x160 pixels
Memory - more in 60CS. However, if looking at the new models with removable
memory, this is irrelevant.
Serial interface on 60CS only; if planning to use various external data
logging tools this might be important. For most people irrelevant.
External aerial on 60CS only. Relevant if you plan to buy and use one.
Otherwise irrelevant.

Internal aerial type. The Vista aerial works best if the unit is
horizontal. I think the 60CS is best vertically. I carry my Vista on my
shoulder, clipped to the shoulder strap webbing of my rucksack. Easy to
reach for navigation, and with a good view of the satellites whilst its just
recording my walks.

In other respects the two are near enough identical.

If using the GPS Warehouse comparison document (which you referenced above),
be aware that the older B&W Vista did not support routing map instructions
(for road maps), whereas the Vista-C does. This puts the Vista-C in the same
group as the 60CS in their comparison table.



I fear this discussion is heading a long way from your original £250 (£300
tops) budget. The discussion is now around a £250 or £340 device (or the
new models with replaceable memory, which I guess, will be £50 more per
model), to which you are considering adding road maps at £150, rechargeable
batteries, battery charger, etc. etc..



- Nigel


--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/


.

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