I also would appreciate the group's input/experience with various GPS devices (i.e., best price to performance, water-resistant vs. waterproof, etc.). *************************************************************************** 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 also would appreciate the group's input/experience with various GPS > devices (i.e., best price to performance, water-resistant vs. waterproof, > etc.). Since we are all moderately computer literate here on the list, you might want to consider how good the GPS interfaces with your system. My Garmin 12XL does a superb job. I rarely use the GPS keypad to enter waypoints. Instead I mark them off on Street Atlas and then use a free program called Waypoint+ to read the street atlas file and upload the marked off points to the GPS. During the trip, I set the track log function to record a point every 30 seconds. Once home, I can download the entire track, using Waypoint+ again, and save it into a Street Atlas file, which I can then use to review my trip, compare my dead-reckoning navigation with where I actually was; compute true speeds, and compare that with how I paddled and what the conditions were. My 12xl has taken a couple dunks, and has been splashed many times. Some tiny amount of corrosion is showing on the battery contacts on the flip up top that holds the AAs. I normally run mine off of a 12V 7ah rechargeable. AA's are to expensive and don't last long enough. The 7ah battery gives me a couple days of power, plus having it along allows me to power a hefty 12V lamp when I want to. Even if you don't want to go the rechargeable route, 4D cells hooked up together will give you much more economical useage. It is also a useful tool for driving to places you've never been. Street Atlas on a laptop + GPS gives you a real time satelite navigation system to run in your car, better than even the high dollar cadilacs. A $500 used laptop with 486 and about 300megs of space will do you perfectly fine for this purpose. I went with the Garmin because it had a superior internet reputation and support. Probably because the Garmin protocol is relatively open, so people have written software to work with it. One word of advice on cabling. Use a seperate cable for your computer setup than the one you use to power the GPS while in your kayak. I made a short stubby one for power only to use while boating, and it is much more rugged than the one that has a DB9 serial connector dangling from the end. They also make high end GPS systems with maps built in, but that seems a bit of overkill for use on a kayak... Richard Walker Houston, TX http://www.neosoft.com/~rww/kayak_log.html *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
DeLorme's Street Atlas 6 now supports track downloads direct from the 12XL. I dump my commercial flights as well, just for fun. cya *************************************************************************** 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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