Re: [Paddlewise] Current GPS device recommendations?

Nick Schade wrote:
> 
> On Thursday, December 5, 2002, at 03:13 PM, Ulli Hoeger wrote:
> > I can do the same thing with my electronic compass free GPS.  It's
> > called projecting a waypoint.  All I have to do is enter the bearing
> > (read it from the deck or hiking compass) and estimated distance and
> > there is a new waypoint.  Can do the same thing from an existing
> > waypoint.  Take the bearing from the map, enter the distance and
> > there is the new waypoint.
> >
> > People on the GPS groups discuss the usefulness of the built in
> > electronic compasses since the first came out.  There are problems
> > with those things (calibration, levelling of the GPS etc.) one should
> > be aware of -not only that the batteries drain faster.
> >
> 
> Yes, I am certain you can get a way point without the built in compass.
> But the electronic compass lets you do it more easily and accurately
> without the need of pulling a bearing off a chart. To get the bearing
> from the chart you need to first plot your location on the chart and
> then transfer the heading to a destination. With the built in compass
> it is point and shoot, then you can estimate by eye how far away your
> point is.

No need to take out a paper chart and get a bearing from it.  If you
have a GPS (w/o mag compass) and a separate deck compass then you read
the bearing to the object off your deck compass and project a waypoint
on the GPS using that bearing.  Estimating the distance by eye can be
quite error-prone, but if you have two bearings from different points
you can get the GPS to draw lines on its map with the two bearings and
your waypoint will be located at the intersection point. [Create a
waypoint when at point A and project waypoint B at the observed bearing
with a distance past the real object.  Then move to C and create a
waypoint there plus a projected waypoint D at the new observed bearing. 
Finally make a route on the GPS from A - B - C - D.  It will be in the
form of an X with the unknown object at the crossing point.]
>
> Another useful feature with a charting GPS with an electronic compass
> is you can identified land marks while standing still. Hold the compass
> in front of you and face each land mark. The chart will adjust for the
> direction you are facing and you can read off the chart what the land
> marks are. That done you can more accurately refer to your paper chart
> for future navigation.

This is also easily done with a deck compass and a regular GPS.  Just
orient your GPS so mag. north on its map corresponds to north on the
compass and you can quickly identify landmarks shown on the GPS map with
the real-life counterparts.  
An electronic compass in the GPS can make the operations a bit faster,
but I don't think it actually adds any capabilities beyond a GPS and
separate deck compass.
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