Re: [Paddlewise] GPS Navigation

From: William Jennings <will_at_bigwoodenradio.com>
Date: Fri, 1 Jan 2010 17:33:05 -0600
>  I do not understand why the GPS units would recommend these people
> leave the safety of standard major highway routes and turn off into
> the National Forests on roads that aren't even maintained in winter.
> What's going on here?


You can plot a course with charts and compass that is the shortest linear
distance.
And a GPS could even recommend this sort of course.
But that wouldn't account for tide, wind and weather...which could lead to
difficult or tragic consequences.

A GPS may recommend 'shortest' or 'quickest' route, but it should never be
trusted to accurately account for
all road types and current atmospheric conditions or local environmental
issues that influence "distance made good".

"Shortest" and "quickest" are based on 'regress to the mean' measure.
I don't imagine those formulae include being stuck for 14 hours in a drift w/o
reliable cell signal.

It's as if the GPS units are channeling Richard Pryor's old routine...."Who
you gonna believe, me, or your lyin' eyes?"

-Will
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Received on Fri Jan 01 2010 - 16:41:45 PST

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