I just recently joined, so may have missed the discussion on this. Checked the archives and saw nothing. Anyone have any GPS units that they have experience with and would recommend? Sea-Kayaker showed a new Magellan Pioneer for under $100 but in the reviews I read, some dealers refuse to carry it because it is so limited in channel capacity and took up to 45 minutes to get its initial reading, and when turned on and off, lost its initial reading and required another 45 minutes to get it. I was interested to see that they have CD's with complete maps and charts that can be plugged into computer and the GPS; would sure save on purchasing local charts everywhere you go. A gimmick or an asset? Thanks. Ken Johnson *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
I have a Garmin 38 GPS. I use it inside a waterproof "baggy" type enclosure boat stores sell for cell phones. None of the GPS units are "really waterproof". The unit has worked perfectly. Since I use mine on my surfski, I have to attach it to the top of my thigh, above the knee, where I can read it ( using elastic bands). The only downside I have had with the GPS is getting bogus GPS numbers form others---this has happened once( someone who read me the wrong numbers, had me paddling waaay out beyond the reef I was looking for), and one other time, I and 5 other kayakers were using my GPS as sole navigation tool to find a reef called Horseshoe, about 2 miles out---after freediving it for about 3 hours, a horrendous rain storm ensued, cutting visibility to 30 feet in any direction, and bringing waves up to about 8 feet and bigger.......The GPS would NOT pick up any satelites, so the compass function would not work, i.e., we did not know what direction shore was. We went with the waves, but after 10 minutes found a break in the clouds, and discovered the strong west wind had the waves going "OUT" to sea, not in. Just a warning for anyone who may have thought they did not need a compass if they got a gps. Regards, Dan Volker -----Original Message----- From: Kenneth Johnson <kjohnson_at_trip.net> To: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net <paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net> Date: Saturday, April 18, 1998 10:22 PM Subject: [Paddlewise] GPS options for kayakers >I just recently joined, so may have missed the discussion on this. Checked the archives and saw nothing. Anyone have any GPS units that they have experience with and would recommend? Sea-Kayaker showed a new Magellan Pioneer for under $100 but in the reviews I read, some dealers refuse to carry it because it is so limited in channel capacity and took up to 45 minutes to get its initial reading, and when turned on and off, lost its initial reading and required another 45 minutes to get it. I was interested to see that they have CD's with complete maps and charts that can be plugged into computer and the GPS; would sure save on purchasing local charts everywhere you go. A gimmick or an asset? Thanks. Ken Johnson >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ >*************************************************************************** > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Ken, So is this experience you relate; to suggest that one not bother to invest in a 'GPS' because the techonology is still in it's infancy stage? That one is better off to wait a few more years because a 'GPS' is only reliable under ideal weather conditions? Gosh I can barely remember as a kid having a crystal set, next the big box transistor radio and now today we have compact CD's. GPS techonology may well have a way to go yet with it's evolutionary developement. I am not comfortable spending big bucks for such unreliability. Does the Magellan GPS offer the same effectiveness as the Garmin 38 GPS that you purchased? This leaves me somewhat convinced that a reliable deck compass and chart package is still the best system for navagation. Best Regards, Philip Wylie Dan Volker wrote: > I have a Garmin 38 GPS. I use it inside a waterproof "baggy" type enclosure > boat stores sell for cell phones. None of the GPS units are "really > waterproof". The unit has worked perfectly. Since I use mine on my surfski, > I have to attach it to the top of my thigh, above the knee, where I can read > it ( using elastic bands). > The only downside I have had with the GPS is getting bogus GPS numbers form > others---this has happened once( someone who read me the wrong numbers, had > me paddling waaay out beyond the reef I was looking for), and one other > time, I and 5 other kayakers were using my GPS as sole navigation tool to > find a reef called Horseshoe, about 2 miles out---after freediving it for > about 3 hours, a horrendous rain storm ensued, cutting visibility to 30 > feet in any direction, and bringing waves up to about 8 feet and > bigger.......The GPS would NOT pick up any satelites, so the compass > function would not work, i.e., we did not know what direction shore was. > We went with the waves, but after 10 minutes found a break in the clouds, > and discovered the strong west wind had the waves going "OUT" to sea, not > in. Just a warning for anyone who may have thought they did not need a > compass if they got a gps. > Regards, > Dan Volker > > -----Original Message----- > From: Kenneth Johnson <kjohnson_at_trip.net> > To: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net <paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net> > Date: Saturday, April 18, 1998 10:22 PM > Subject: [Paddlewise] GPS options for kayakers > > >I just recently joined, so may have missed the discussion on this. Checked > the archives and saw nothing. Anyone have any GPS units that they have > experience with and would recommend? Sea-Kayaker showed a new Magellan > Pioneer for under $100 but in the reviews I read, some dealers refuse to > carry it because it is so limited in channel capacity and took up to 45 > minutes to get its initial reading, and when turned on and off, lost its > initial reading and required another 45 minutes to get it. I was interested > to see that they have CD's with complete maps and charts that can be plugged > into computer and the GPS; would sure save on purchasing local charts > everywhere you go. A gimmick or an asset? Thanks. Ken Johnson > >*************************************************************************** > >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > >Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > >*************************************************************************** > > > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
> So is this experience you relate; to suggest that one not bother > to invest in a 'GPS' because the techonology is still in it's > infancy stage? I think that is overstating it. GPS is fully mature, but I think some people misunderstand its purpose. The core function of a GPS is to give you a lat/long pair that is accurate within a few hundred feet. With a set of well annotated maps/charts [I draw grids all over mine], you can take a brief look, find yourself inside a particular 1 minute grid square, then using visual aids you can usually tell exactly where you are, even if you haven't been paying the best attention to your charts while cruising. Maybe you've been drift fishing for the past hour and been way more interested in watching for mullet hopping than in worrying about your position.... GPS never replaces chart and compass. It makes chart and compass very easy and convenient to use. Load in a few waypoints to your stops, and you can glance down to get a bearing and distance any time you want, then steer your boat with the deck mounted compass. > big bucks for such unreliability. Does the Magellan GPS > offer the same effectiveness as the Garmin 38 GPS that you > purchased? This leaves me somewhat convinced that a reliable > deck compass and chart package is still the best system for > navagation. A GPS can not replace, and never was meant to replace compass and chart. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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