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RAUK - Archived Forum - Any advise guys on what GPS to go for

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Any advise guys on what GPS to go for:

Author Message
Nashy
Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2006
No. of posts: 12


View other posts by Nashy
Posted: 16 May 2006
Just wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction for good
cheapish GPs systems

As the more i get involved the more i appreciate the power of the GPS

GemmaJF
Admin Group
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
No. of posts: 2090


View other posts by GemmaJF
Posted: 16 May 2006

Hi Nashy,

The Garmin 12 is good for the field. Bit of a brick but rugged and simple to use. Cost around ú120 ish from the shops, ú40 on ebay.

You can also download GARtrip free from the web, this lets you download all your waypoints and mark them on maps etc.


Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant
Nashy
Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2006
No. of posts: 12


View other posts by Nashy
Posted: 16 May 2006
Gemma thanks for that

So what do you mean i can download all my waypoints  - are
these specific locations from a Herp website??

sorry still treading water a bit!!

saratoga
Member
Joined: 08 Jun 2005
No. of posts: 5


View other posts by saratoga
Posted: 16 May 2006
I would also recommend a garmin.....mine is now 6 or 7 years old but does
everything needed of it. The interface is very easy to learn and use. Friends
have had magellans which I found often had trouble picking up satellites
and the interface seemed much more difficult.......but that is here in
australia and several years ago.

Whilst doing remote area wildlife surveys for several mining companies it
was reassuring to see that they all were using Garmins.

greg wallis
GemmaJF
Admin Group
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
No. of posts: 2090


View other posts by GemmaJF
Posted: 16 May 2006

Hi Nashy,

No, what I ment was that when your in the field you switch on the GPS, after a bit it will work out where it is from the satelites.

You can then save the position as a 'waypoint'

If you get a lead to connect you Garmin 12 to your computer, you can then use a shareware programme called GARtrip (free download on the web) to talk to the GPS and dowload your saved waypoints.

The programme then lets you draw out the waypoints as dots over the top of image files such as jpeg. So you can put your dots on something like an ordance survey map and know where you saw animals, or where you put things like refugia.


Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant
Nashy
Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2006
No. of posts: 12


View other posts by Nashy
Posted: 16 May 2006
Thanks Gemma


I felt like such a dinlow - but now this little kiddy is well in the picture!!

Vicar
Senior Member
Joined: 02 Sep 2004
No. of posts: 1181


View other posts by Vicar
Posted: 16 May 2006
Hi John,

GPS units really boil down to three functional groups:
1) Basic GPS which provide location, waypoint saving and finding etc.
2) Map GPS which show you a map of where you are (great for the car, not much use in the field of heather).
3) Electronic compass GPS units which provide bearing even when you are stationary. (to be honest, they don't work too well).

Higher the number, the higher the cost.

The basic unit will do everything we used my GPS for the other weekend, I.E. recording tin positions, finding tins and recording sighting locations.

So if you don't want to break the bank, the basic Garmin eTrex will be absolutely fine. Its pretty rugged, and a nice bright colour for when you drop it. Cost is about ú85 new, bound to be cheap on ebay.

Steve Langham - Chairman    
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG).
Nashy
Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2006
No. of posts: 12


View other posts by Nashy
Posted: 16 May 2006
Steve

Thanks alot mate!!!

I'll have a looksie on ebay, and thanks again for the other weekend!
still cant believe i saw 2 smoothies - on my first outing!!

Vicar
Senior Member
Joined: 02 Sep 2004
No. of posts: 1181


View other posts by Vicar
Posted: 16 May 2006
Yeah John...you jammy whatsit...first tin he ever turns over, and under it is a young female Ca !, in Surrey too !

Forgot to mention....

Invest in a set of 4 x 2500mAh AA rechargable batteries and a battery charger for it too. Both cheap from places like Maplin.
Vicar38853.6475231481
Steve Langham - Chairman    
Surrey Amphibian & Reptile Group (SARG).
Caleb
Forum Coordinator
Joined: 17 Feb 2003
No. of posts: 448


View other posts by Caleb
Posted: 17 May 2006
I use an eTrex, I only really need it for confirming grid references and altitudes (and occasionally checking car/ bike speedos...)

The batteries last for ages if it's only turned on when I actually need to get a grid ref.
John Newton
Senior Member
Joined: 19 May 2005
No. of posts: 151


View other posts by John Newton
Posted: 17 May 2006

Hi all

Within the affordable price range, the basic Etrex has a quoted positional accuracy <15m. Other Etrex models have a positional accuracy <5m (albeit more expensive), and this is achieved by WAAS/EGNOS (satellites) enabled circuitry. These are satellites covering mainly the US (WAAS) and Europe (EGNOS) and are used to achieve the greater positional accuracy.

For most applications it doesnt matter too much if the greater accuracy is required, although if downloaded waypoints are input directly into a GIS database with, say, maps/aerial photos as a layer onto which the waypoints are to be shown, then it is entirely possible for the waypoints to be plotted in the middle of roads or similar - especially if animals are being recorded along roadside verge habitats !!

In my own circumstance, some surveying takes place within a 3 mile wide sand dune system, so even 15m accuracy is far better than any other method - aerial photos of dunes can change within a year, so not always helpful.

 


John Newton

South Yorkshire ARG
Mark T
Member
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
No. of posts: 7


View other posts by Mark T
Posted: 18 May 2006
Garmins work ok, Argos has a couple for around ú100
there are a couple of points to remember.

The accuracy of the GPS position depends on the satelite signal, and could range from 6-40 metre radius of where you are.

Generally the more satelites the GPS looks for the greater the accuracy, but a clear unobstructed view of the sky helps considerably (i.e. cloud & trees = bad)

When locating a previously marked point the GPS may change its mind which direction to head in.

This is because it has to know which direction you are heading in to determine which way to go.

to solve this just walk in one direction for about 20meters and it will sort itself out.

In other words, dont expect it to tell you which way to a certain 'waypoint' if you're standing still, it only works when you're moving.
GemmaJF
Admin Group
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
No. of posts: 2090


View other posts by GemmaJF
Posted: 18 May 2006

Garmin 12 is pretty accurate. I usually get between 3.5 and 7m accuracy in the field - good enough that I can find cover objects using it even when they are at high density and also produce location maps that are really useful. Good for me as I have a mermory like a sieve.


Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant
David Bird
Forum Specialist
Joined: 17 Feb 2003
No. of posts: 515


View other posts by David Bird
Posted: 22 May 2006
I have found the 2 following books to be useful and would recommend them for persons thinking of purchasing a GPS unit or for owners who may wish to know more about what they do and how they do it.

Letham,L 2003   GPS made easy   Cordee   ú10.99

McNamara,J. 2004 GPS for Dummies   Wiley ú14.99

but there are new models coming out all the time so look out for new editions of the books.


There is also a very useful site on Yahoo groups

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gpsu/

which is mainly for the GPS Utility , a program for downloading your data to your computer but there are many questions on here regarding all aspects of GPS use and there always seems to be someone with an answer.

I have found that the Garmin etrex Summit and Garmin etrex are good enough for areas that you have not been to before or are unable to blow up detailed maps for. They are great for foreign trips where maps are often unobtainable. I do not find they are good enough for repeated recording of individual animals over small areas for more detailed surveys. I think you are looking into a lot more money and a much larger amount of equipment for this accuracy.
I think that EGNOS will take many years before it is up and running and think there is only one satellite up at the moment. I am also not certain that this will be compatable with the WAAS system anyway.

I have had some very odd results with odd waypoints being many hundreds of metres out and one being many kilometres out so beware.
British Herpetological Society Librarian and member of B.H.S Conservation Committee. Self employed Herpetological Consultant and Field Worker.
Matt Harris
Senior Member
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
No. of posts: 196


View other posts by Matt Harris
Posted: 22 May 2006
On a related note, what GIS do people use for plotting results of surveys? I use MapInfo Pro. at work, but it's too expensive for the group to afford. We just need something that'll display raster and vector layers, and allow us to plot herp and habitat data.
Gwent Amphibian and Reptile Group (GARG)
GemmaJF
Admin Group
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
No. of posts: 2090


View other posts by GemmaJF
Posted: 22 May 2006

http://www.mapmaker.com/index.asp

useable free GIS, bit quirky on Windows 2000 and XP though


Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant

- Any advise guys on what GPS to go for

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