Touring - Gps

Anyone here used it? I'd be interested in your opinions of your equipment. Obviously cycling experiences are of the most interest, but anything you've put to use hiking or driving would be useful to hear about, too.

Thanks...

I had a navigation course a few weeks ago, more routine but i learned some new things as wel :)

With GPS you can locate your position and navigate in area`s with less visability or at night.

But the system has a few points to consider;

- the signal is influenced by forest, buildings or rockwalls.

- The US goverment has the right to jam the signal any time (not working since may 2000)

- the receiver needs a mapgrid to locate your position for example UTM (Nato grid) , be sure you can set different grids or enter a custom one.

- A handheld GPS has limited energy reserve, the most receivers can operate between the 10 / 20 hour on two AA batteries.
Out in the cold batteries will fade away much faster, and low power means no signal!

- The position is accurate between 20 / 50 metres, depending on the receiver and area wich you travel.

- Altitude measurement is very unsecure, accurate with 100 / 200 metres, and therefore not useful, especially not in mountain areas!!

It`s excellent to mark routes (MTB) , to give accurate position with emergencys, night or fog and to guide your way back.
But don`t use GPS as a replacement for compass and altitude metre, more as a very good addition...

For myself; i`ve thought about it to buy a receiver, but now i see a compass and altitude metre is good enough for me.

Hope this makes some things clear?

Some advice if you want to buy such a nice goodie, there are several receivers on the market with onboard electronic compass and altitude metre.

Don`t buy these! ,if you forgot your spare batteries or something is broke, you have nothing left, no altitude, no compass!
And you don`t want that :D

Freak:

Thanks. Popular Mechanics had a write-up on various models recently that piqued my interest.

Reading your remarks reminds me that, when it comes to cycle touring, $400 buys a lot of maps.

Cheers.

One of my friends used one he recently bought for bicycling. Luckily, he had it when he was run off the road by a dump truck, and suffered a broken arm. He was able to phone his wife on a cell phone a farmer had on his tractor, and tell her exactly where he was using the GPS so she could come get him, and take him to the docs. He probably won't ride without one now. If you're interested, here's the link to the one he bought:

http://www.garmin.com/products/etrexVista/index.html

He says it works anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, and that he won't ride in unfamiliar areas without it.

John

PS--That's right, the two of us are walking wounded here at work.