[Newt]

Got one of these for my b'day and am wondering if getting the *GPS Made Easy* book is worth getting. I'm a complete dummy in regards to using the unit and GPS. My biggest problem will be finding time to use the thing. Thanks for any feedback NN

[-lol-]

[Allison]

Well, I'll tell you, I've got that book, and I think it talks more about traditional navigation than it does about GPS. Not sure that it's such a bad thing though, give people's propensities to bury snout in GPS from time to time. Now Tom, before you get all testy with me, I'm not just talking about you. Lots of people do it. With Map and Compass you look backwards a lot, because you've got no tool to pinpoint location with except your very own brain. I have this book because I am allegedly writing a piece on navigation, and they gave me this damn GPS to help research the article. I'm having a hard time embracing the idea though because I don't do a ton of snow travel and have no use for such a thing on dry land. So, the book hasn't helped me a lot, but in my case that may be because I don't want that kind of help. It's not that I'm snobby, it's that the tools I use now (map, compass, alti) work so well that I haven't been able to get into relying on something new and potentially less reliable, due to battery and signal issues.

[Malachai Constant]

The SportTrack Pro has better reception under trees than most. It also has 24meg of memory whixh is more than enough to load topo maps of the whole state(but you must buy seperatly). I find the maps alone are handy as you can zoom out to finf distant peaks and such. I would not worry about patteries much as you normally have spares fro you flashlight which is enough for a quick fix. Unless you are tracking or storing a route there is no need to turn it on when just hiking so batteries last a long time anyway. In answer to the book there is no real need you can get enough off the web as posted above Mehaffey's site is a good one it also has links to the newsgroup which can answer most questions.

[Tom]

Allison, you have never hiked with me so perhaps that explains your ignorance regarding my "propensities" and/or ability to use a map and compass. My rough experience on Ruby mountain had more to do with losing my pack (which contained my flashlight, map, and compass) than overreliance on my GPS. If you read my TR carefully you'll note that I navigated down safely based on recollections from my map which I had studied carefully on the way up. When hiking in fog, dark, or deep woods without the ability to identify landmarks my opinion is that a map and compass are less than effective navigation tools. In those situations I'd think you are relying entirely too much on you map, compass, and altimeter . Randy and Beave can probably remember tromping around the snow trying to find a creek on one of our hikes before eventually letting this neophite find it quickly with my mapping GPS, but I do not generally use my GPS for routefinding - I primarily use it for determining altitude which I find more reliable (now that SA is off) than a barometric altimeter. Of course, it's nice to know exactly where I am when I consult my GPS for elevation, but that doesn't mean I don't look around - I'm constantly on the lookout for a good photo. When I'm short on time and want to get down before dark I find the backtrack feature to be quick, effective, and far more efficient than digging out a bulky map. I you have a good GPS (i.e. one with a quad helix antenna) signal issues are not generally a problem. In the very limited number of cases where it becomes an issue you can easily pull out your map. Batteries can run out just like they could on a headlamp but that doesn't mean you wouldn't carry a headlamp. I have hiked with accomplished mountaineers who don't necessarily need to prove anything to anyone. When I consult my GPS typical comments include "that's amazing, how much did it cost" or "we sure could have used that yesterday in the fog to determine if we were on the true summit". Perhaps your comments relate to having read articles that are not up to date or interviewing those who use an eTrex or similar unit with a poor antenna. If you do eventually write an article I hope you will put aside your pre-conceived ideas and write an objective review. Given your rigid gear testing guidelines and the number of times you get out the woods to test maybe I shouldn't worry about that. Just make sure you test a good unit (no eTrex toys please) with topo lines.

[Newt]

Well I did get the MapSend topos with the $50 rebate. Haven't loaded it up yet. Got it for $72.99 including shipping/handling. Used the unit on a hike Sun and was impressed. I hand held it on the way up and then I attached it to a loop on my shorts and stuck it in my pocket upside down for the return trip. It did a fairly acurate job of tracking the same route back. Think I'm gonna have some fun with this. NN