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From: Jim Croft <jrc_at_anbg.gov.au>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Wave~Length: calculators for kayaking or sailing??
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 09:50:51 +1000 (EST)
> Does anybody know of any online calculators for kayaking or sailing??
> I like to add the to the calculator.com directories.

There is a thing called 'SpeedCoach' made by Nielsen Kellerman (a Yank
company that also makes a neat looking water-proof impellor-based pocket
digital anemometer).  It seems to be aimed at those interested in serous
competetive training.

It has a smaller impellor that attaches to the underside of the hull
with self-adhesive, a tilt switch for kayak paddles, and a signal
transmission system that picks up info from the impellor and displays it
on a deck-mounted LC display.  The canoe and rowing versions can pick up
cadence from changes in boat speed and do not need the tilt switch.

The display includes elapsed time, split times, cadence, speed through
the water (in a variety of units), pace (time for 500m), and verages at
up to 25 checkpoints, and so on.

In Australia that cost c. $450 and might be less than $US300.

I have almost worked up the courage to buy one... but my 14 year old
son will probably steal it on the grounds that he can paddle faster
than me...

-- jim 
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From: Wayne Langmaid <langer_at_terrigal.net.au>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] (2) calculators for kayaking or sailing??
Date: Wed, 01 Apr 1998 00:41:27 +1500
G'day Jim -

You poor lost soul - the techno weeney gear bug has gotten you as well.

Soon you will be attending TW Anonymous meetings with lots of people you
don't know.  You will find yourself standing up, professing your self
indulgences and begging forgiveness (actually that may already occur on
a few club trips from what I hear!)

Since getting a GPS a few months ago I can't go anywhere without the
blasted thing - I have this desire to know exactly where I am at all
times - now this is not all that critical when you are standing out
front of the Australian Geographic shop at Erina Fair Shopping Center.
My batteries went flat and I had a near panic attack finding my way to
the nearest shop down the mall without my "guidance system".

Do yourself a favor, forget the calculators - take your GPS, find your
nearest counsellor and stop the madness before it gets worse.

Regards -

Wayne Langmaid



Jim Croft wrote:

> > Does anybody know of any online calculators for kayaking or
> sailing??
> > I like to add the to the calculator.com directories.
>
> There is a thing called 'SpeedCoach' made by Nielsen Kellerman (a Yank
>
> company that also makes a neat looking water-proof impellor-based
> pocket
> digital anemometer).  It seems to be aimed at those interested in
> serous
> competetive training.
>
> It has a smaller impellor that attaches to the underside of the hull
> with self-adhesive, a tilt switch for kayak paddles, and a signal
> transmission system that picks up info from the impellor and displays
> it
> on a deck-mounted LC display.  The canoe and rowing versions can pick
> up
> cadence from changes in boat speed and do not need the tilt switch.
>
> The display includes elapsed time, split times, cadence, speed through
>
> the water (in a variety of units), pace (time for 500m), and verages
> at
> up to 25 checkpoints, and so on.
>
> In Australia that cost c. $450 and might be less than $US300.
>
> I have almost worked up the courage to buy one... but my 14 year old
> son will probably steal it on the grounds that he can paddle faster
> than me...
>
> -- jim
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Wave~Length Paddling Mailing List
> Submissions:       wavelength_at_lists.intelenet.net
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From: Andrew Eddy <Andrew.Eddy_at_dfst.csiro.au>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] (2) calculators for kayaking or sailing??
Date: Wed, 01 Apr 1998 13:20:35 +1000
At 00:41 1/04/98 +1500, Wayne Langmaid wrote:
>G'day Jim -
>
>You poor lost soul - the techno weeney gear bug has gotten you as well.

<more aside at poor lost Jim Croft>

>Since getting a GPS a few months ago I can't go anywhere without the
>blasted thing - I have this desire to know exactly where I am at all
>times - now this is not all that critical when you are standing out
>front of the Australian Geographic shop at Erina Fair Shopping Center.
>My batteries went flat and I had a near panic attack finding my way to
>the nearest shop down the mall without my "guidance system".

Wayne, I bought a GPS nearly two years ago. What a wonderful toy it is!

The good news is that the novelty wears off, your sight clears, and you
find that you know where you are even when the batteries are flat. The
techno weeny gear bug is a short-term problem (it just recurrs too often!).

I still practice using my GPS, on occasion, but find that the best toy is
still the kayak. With bits of gear. Like a sail. And a sea anchor. And a
foot pump (I fitted it a month ago and still push the pedal just for fun).
And a towrope. And custom fitting. What a blast it is to play with these toys!

If I were in your place, I would be concerned about the panic attack. These
things need to be managed. Your diving experience should bear this out. I
suggest that, for the time being, you carry a couple of fresh sets of
batteries, a paper bag and your favourite stuffed animal (mine is a
platypus). If you don't have a stuffed animal, then the Australian
Geographic shop has an excellent selection from Jozzies Toys. You will
probably find the waypoint for the shop in your GPS. If not, then just make
a MOB waypoint at the last track record for that day. That should be close
enough.

(For those of you who are from outside Australia, have a look at
http://www.ausgeo.com.au)

There is some useful software out there, for typing in waypoints and
plotting tracks: Waypoint+ by Brent Hildebrand at 
http://www.ks8n.org/~waypoint+
This is what I have settled on. If the GPS were a _truly_ useful tool for
the sea-kayaker, I would _buy_ Fugawi or some similar software which
supports scanned maps.

Play, play, play,

Andrew

>
>Do yourself a favor, forget the calculators - take your GPS, find your
>nearest counsellor and stop the madness before it gets worse.
>
>Regards -
>
>Wayne Langmaid


>Jim Croft wrote:
>
>> > Does anybody know of any online calculators for kayaking or
>> sailing??
>> > I like to add the to the calculator.com directories.
>>
>> There is a thing called 'SpeedCoach' made by Nielsen Kellerman (a Yank
>>
>

<snip>

>> I have almost worked up the courage to buy one... but my 14 year old
>> son will probably steal it on the grounds that he can paddle faster
>> than me...
>>
>> -- jim

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From: Dan Hagen <dan_at_hagen.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] (2) calculators for kayaking or sailing??
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 1998 08:40:35 -0800
Wayne Langmaid wrote:

> ...SNIP...
> Since getting a GPS a few months ago I can't go anywhere without the
> blasted thing - I have this desire to know exactly where I am at all
> times - now this is not all that critical when you are standing out
> front of the Australian Geographic shop at Erina Fair Shopping Center.
> My batteries went flat and I had a near panic attack finding my way to
> the nearest shop down the mall without my "guidance system". ...

I have had a similar experience. That is why I always carry a spare! It
may seem as though the solution is counseling, but actually the solution
is simply to get more gadgets, and back-ups for those gadgets. All of
this stuff makes great ballast.

:-)

Dan Hagen
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