Gps for prospecting.

Charlie


I suggest you try Johnny Appleseed. They can give some very good advice.

I use a HP Ipaq PDA GPS which has Ozi CE. I am happy with it but I do not do any prospecting and would not know if the unit is appropriate for that use.





Tjilpi

Charlie

Just keep it simple BUY him a Garmin E-trex the yellow one thats all you need. when he get's to know how to use it he can add on to it with all sorts of gizmo's

you can get them anywhere even in the WA country

Richard

By the way

still off to the NT?

Charlie
I agree with other comments for the eTrex
Smaller Garmin hand-held GPS Comparison
Click on the small pictures of units for details.

Not sure how much you want to spend but this unit with rechargeable lithium battery is worth a look and would be ideal for prospecting, Foretrex 201 Wrist-strap GPS


.

Whatever one you get it wont tell him where the Gold is

Michael who manages our shop is more than happy to give you any pre-sales information you require for GPS products on our shop. Obviously, we appreciate Forum readers supporting our shop?!!!

G'day Charlie.

I use a Garmine Etrex. It's all I have and all I know, really.

It's an entry level GPS with basic features. It will do far more than I use it for.

I use it for two main things:

1) As I travel (we're talking outback on a motorbike here) I create waypoints at significant landmarks. Creek crossing, dam, hill top, significant change in direction, the car and where I left the bike and proceeded on foot. The last two are very important.

The GPS will tell me the direction and distance to any one of these waypoints.

2) If I get bushed, I can set a waypoint and plot my position on the paper map. It can make a big difference if I know that I'll pick up the track if I head NE for 2km.

A further use your brother may put the GPS to, is to set up a waypoint list on the computer using OziExplorer and upload the waypoint list to the GPS. Then he can follow the pointer on the GPS straight to the pot of gold.

You can download free geological maps from Geoscience Australia that can be used in OziExplorer. These maps tell you where to go look for gold, uranium, copper and anything else worth digging for. Dead set! I'm not pulling your leg!

I have only the free version of OziExplorer. This will accept only BMP files, which are rather large. I would need to save the download JPG file as a BMP. I'd probibly crop and save the section I wanted.

From there, you could set the waypoints for likely prospecting coordinates.

To put my use into perspective: On my recent trip, I did over 900km on the bike, in the country between Woomera, Lake Torrens and Andamooka. Way off the beaten tourist track, of course. In fact, there's a bit of prospecting going on out there.

Regards,
Laurie.

Another vote for Garmin E-trex. Basic, simple (almost idiot proof)..

Thanks everyone, sounds like the Etrex will be the way to go. Its cheap and simple to use, just like my brother. Any accessories I should by at the same time?

Charlie.

Two accessories I bought with mine, Charlie:

1) Usb cable to interact with the computer.

2) Cigarete lighter cord.

I've wired a plug into the bike to run the GPS when I'm traveling and also charge the phone and camera.

The GPS takes two AA batteries and they're good for about six hours. I use the bike battery power when I can.

When I leave the bike I set a waypoint and switch the GPS off to save the batteries. Always carry two spare batteries in my backpack along with a compass, snake bite bandages and water.

With the GPS turned off, you don't get the track map of where you've been, but you only have to switch it on to get a bearing on your destination waypoint or set another waypoint.

Of course, if you get into real trouble, you'll still have sufficient power to afford to leave the GPS switched on.

A GPS must have a clear view of the sky so it can pick up the satellites, same as a satellite phone. However, I find it works OK on the dash of the car. The hand held GPS, you'll understand, doesn't have an external areal.

Regards,
Laurie.

Hey Charlie,
The yellow one is pretty good as an entry level. is easy to use and is water resistant. I have taken mine out on my kayak many times and have had it for 8 years. I think the screen is getting a little tired now as there is a rather large black spot on the screen.
Here is a pic of it in action
Kayak with gps
Peter