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From: Dan McCarty <dmccarty_at_us.ibm.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] GPS-Yes/Hawaii
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 21:42:37 -0500
Alex said,

"I recall now a story about kayaker blown off to the sea at Hawaii.  It 
took
2 or 3 days to find him after he placed his distress call.  Would take 
much
less if he knew his exact location."

I saw this on the weather channel the other night.  I missed the first 
part of the
story but it seems like the man was depending on the usual weather 
patterns to keep
him safe.  When a freak storm blew him out to see his goose was almost 
cooked.  If 
it was not for the cell phone he would have been cooked.  If he had a GPS 
the 
Coast Guard search would have lasted minutes instead of days.  The other 
thing I 
could not figure out is if the guy had a compass?  At one point he said 
that he
could see the twin peaks of the islands.  Seems like if he had a compass 
he could
have triangulated the twin peaks and at least get a rough idea of where he 
was to
the USCG...  But maybe I missed the part about his compass.

Later,
Dan McCarty
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From: alex <al.m_at_3web.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] GPS-Yes/Hawaii
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 23:15:56 -0800
----- > could not figure out is if the guy had a compass?  At one point he
said
> that he
> could see the twin peaks of the islands.  Seems like if he had a compass
> he could
> have triangulated the twin peaks and at least get a rough idea of where he
> was to
> the USCG...

You know, I've posted this but honestly can't say what other lessons can be
learned there except for wearing any sort of communication device.  As it
has transpired by the end of the discussion, almost nobody wears GPS 'cause
it needs a waterproof case or drybag and therefore can not be weared,
besides it may die on the deck inside a drybag due to overheating and
humidity.  I'd like to hear if anybody tried Aquapack bags for GPS, though.
I read somehwat contradicting versions of this story, and don't remember now
if he was still in his kayak or not; and if he wasn't, I doubt that he was
physically and emotionally capable of estimating his location using
triangular methods.
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From: PeterO <rebyl_kayak_at_iprimus.com.au>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] GPS-Yes/Hawaii
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2004 22:40:28 +1100
Alex wrote: -
>I'd like to hear if anybody tried Aquapack bags for GPS,

G'Day,

I'm puzzled as to why Garmin are able to make a perfectly good waterproof
VHF Marine transceiver but appear to be having trouble making a water proof
GPS - I don't own a GPS but am intending to buy one.

I've had a Garmin VHF transceiver for years and taken no special care except
to keep it in an Aquapack. It only comes out to recharge batteries. It gets
very hot on the deck in the Australian sun and extremely wet in surf and
rolling exercises. Still works fine though.

Is there a fundamental difference between a GPS and a transceiver, which
makes the GPS more vulnerable to water?

All the best, PeterO
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From: Steve Holtzman <sh_at_actglobal.net>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] GPS-Yes/Hawaii
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2004 06:44:18 -0800
> Alex wrote: -
> >I'd like to hear if anybody tried Aquapack bags for GPS,
> 

My Garmin GPS Map76 is used in an Aquapack bag and it works fine. The
only disadvantage is that the screen is a little more difficult to read
- especially some of the smaller writing on the map page.

Steve Holtzman
Southern CA
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From: Michael Daly <michaeldaly_at_rogers.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] GPS-Yes/Hawaii
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2004 10:33:38 -0500
On 16 Feb 2004 at 22:40, PeterO wrote:

> Is there a fundamental difference between a GPS and a transceiver,
> which makes the GPS more vulnerable to water?

No.

There's lots of gadgets that are waterproof - cameras, underwater 
housings, EPIRBS etc that can handle these conditions.  I had a 
camera that could handle unlimited submersion to 5m; a Nikonos can do 
much better,  My current underwater housing for my didgital camera 
handles 30m.  

The only limit on what Garmin can do is their perception of the 
market.  As long as they think a marine GPS only has to work on the 
deck of a big boat, they'll continue to make then as they do.

It's not just Garmin.  Several marine VHF units have waterproof 
rechargeable batteries but non-waterproof backup battery holders 
(alkaline)  There's no reason for this.

Mike
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From: Patrick Maun <patrick_at_patrickmaun.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] GPS-Yes/Hawaii
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 2004 21:19:56 -0600
At 11:15 PM -0800 2/15/04, alex wrote:
>I'd like to hear if anybody tried Aquapack bags for GPS, though.


I've used my Garmin 48 in a Aquapack on my deck for around six years 
now. Never had a problem with it. Easy to use as well, but then 
again, the 48 is a pretty simple unit.

-Patrick
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