For the navigationally challenged - me!

G'day austastar,
Yeah mate, have a 'mactop' and power is there. Big or small unit is ok but cost is the limiting consideration

Seakarvan

Thanks Pete,
I have put the 760 on the list.

Seakarvan

Signman I am very confused about your statement

What's so confusing???

you are saying a GPS indicates where you are and then you are saying if you don't know where you are, a GPS won't be of any help

maybe I am missing something?

OK..I'll make it simple..and type slower ..
A GPS (receiver) indicates your position on the earths surface..
This can be indicated by a set of numbers- sometimes incorrectly referred to as co-ordinates...
OR by an indication on an electronic computer device giving a 'graphic' indication..

OK..so you fire up the GPS receiver- and it gives you a series of numbers...So What??
And if you've got a graphic display- it may show as a little cross- hair or something...So what?? If I'm out in the middle of a remote area- I can say to myself..Coool. I'm at S25deg30' E127deg47..So What?? If I didn't know where I was- what help would a GPS receiver be??

wow

did you have to be a D*$% about it?

Not sure about your navigation equipment but but with mine I can zoom out and see where I am

Troll mate-

That's exactly what I mean..If you've gotta use your electronic navigation equipment to indicate where you are, then I suggest you shouldn't be there....
Yes, I do use GPS equipment, both on the land and at sea- but not to let me know where I am, but more importantly where I'm heading!!

That's very interesting but not wanting to start anything why do you do that?

I got bought up with computers and gadgets in this modern area that we life in, you most likely got brought up with paper maps and the type writer and that’s what you are comfortable with. I have not used a UBD or any form of paper map for at least 5 years and I don’t get lost. I set my course on my navman for city driving and she guides me to my destination for out west I plot everything out on Ozi and run with that….pretty easy if you ask me.

Don’t know maybe I am to young to understand but I would hate to think how much time you waste with your paper maps

Troll 81, I think you are a risk to yourself and whoever is with you if you venture into a remote area.

The GPS is a Navigation Aid, it should never be used used as the sole means of knowing where you are. It can fail just like any other gadget. You should always maintain an awareness of your present position based on the last positive fix (location) and the time and distance and average speed you have travelled. If you can't do this you should stay on the sealed roads.

You should never go anywhere into a remote area without a good Compass, a Map of the area you are travelling in, a reliable watch, a Protractor, a Ruler and a Notebook and Pencil. There are the very basics of navigation. With these you should be able to find your way out of any remote area.

I normally carry multiple GPS's when I travel and I have never had one fail yet but if it does, I am certainly prepared to navigate manually. One of these is a Battery powered GPS that just gives me a Lat and Lon of my location which I can plot to a paper map if necessary.

That’s your opinion and you are 100% entitled to it but I don't agree with your statements but that’s what makes us human and we can’t all be the same.

Have a good day

I quite agree with Signman & Dick (int). If you are in a remote area & not familiar with the suroudings with just a GPS & cannot relate the GPS position to a map of the area you are in then what good is it???. Without a good compass as backup to give you direction you can get lost very easily & this is just one man's opinion also.

Hi all, i notice nobody has mentioned breadcrumbs :-)

Signman, I'm with you. If someone dropped me into an area that I didn't know, my nav gear would indicate where I was on the earth's surface, and possibly what was around me and where I was heading.
But that by itself would not tell me where I was without some sort of reference. Quite possibly the lat/long reference would give me a clue whether I was in the Simpson Desert or the Gibson or Great Sandy. But without a map...

And I agree that in remote areas, relying upon electronic nav aids can be folly. Murphy always knows that you've forgotten to pack the paper maps. I'd hate to be out in the Gibson when he struck.

It pays to actually look at the terrain and notice things as they appear, instead of looking at the screen all the time. The GPS might tell you there's a well over there, but observation will indicate it's state of repair and any recent tyre tracks etc.

For the vast majority of time a GPS with inbuilt mapping is fine as the primary means of navigation. With the current crop of electronic devices available, the days of using paper maps & a compass are declining. Where people need to be careful is relying solely on an electronic device with no paper map back up & the knowledge of how to use them. Just recently my Garmin screen simply went blank for no apprent reason. "Breadcrumbs" to find my way home were of no use to me that day. In that rare occurance I wonder how many would have trouble finding their way out?
Cheers Craig..............

Heh Signman,

Thanks for your advice mate,
In remote area's (land) I have used Topo's and prismatic's for years and a macro map. Spot on. However towing a van through an unfamiliar city, that cant be avoided, I think one of those "Talkie" GPS would be handy. A great toy.

Every time I think I've got up to speed with gadgetry, something new comes along. I love technology but I have taught my kids and the older grandkids the "Basic's" of navigation. You never know, it may be handy for them one day.

Cheers and Thanks

Seakarvan

Im with you. GPS is another gadget that some people swear by, they love them thats good. But But twice in the last week i have had two people come into our shop asking the way to Dalby west of Toowoomba. We are on the Gore Highway heading toward Gundy. I ended up drawing them a good old mud map and sent them on their way. We travell 5000km a year on the Endeavour Rally heading off again next week only armed with a book of directions and a terra trip meter and a good UHF. Our 2 year old street is still not in any TOM TOM GPS. I must point out we are in our late 30s and use technology and have not required a GPS. Back to the origonal question I have herd that the ones that you can up grade each year using the Transport Department is the way to go.

Hi mate
Looks as if I'm the same vintage as you !!!!!
I know what you mean by possible 'unit failure' ..even with all the high tech gear- the sextant is never far from the navigator.
Even on a short trip from say Sydney to Coffs Harbour- when we can still see the coastline, the charts are still laid out, and the parallel rule and dividers still get a workout.
I notice Supercheap have a voice directions thingy at the moment. It's on the Mio unit- which has a good name..
I assume you're ex-Navy?? I'm ex-Army (Signals)..Very sad to hear on the news this morning of the Signaller killed in Afganistan !!!
Have a great day

G'Day "Signalman"

Navy, no mate just a dick head conscript.

Thanks for the Supacheap tip,

Afghanistan - Need to bring the boys home. The rag heads done the Soviets and are so well organised and trained it was never going to be easy.

Can't understand the politics, never could, given there is no oil there.

Cheers digger

Seakarvan

I have been following this post since it was created. Coming from a background in the fishing industry, delivering vessels between Geraldton WA to Groote Eylandt NT.
GPS playing not so much of a role back in the early eighties, Rather relying on charts and radar.
when the first GPS receivers became available to fisherman and the like, they were a massive turn around for the entire industry and we can see evidence of this today with diminishing stocks throughout worldwide waters.

I too agree with Seakarvan with his reply ;-)

Hi Rob, You sure are right about the cost of these toys. Some would have to have an integrated coffee maker to charge what they do!
I must admit, for me, its only getting through unfamiliar cities where I think a talking street navigation aid would be helpful.

eg Going through Melbourne from the East to the ferry terminal last year. Yeah, I done the homework, got through with only one stop to check a street - Google map print outs, NRMA map and sectionalised notes flying around the Cruiser. The missus done a great job, I just drove.
So a Garmin or Navman thingo would be a nice toy.

And a bit of fun.

Cheers

Seakarvan

Hi Roblin, did you say you have a Garmin XL Explorist are you sure it's not a Magellan eXplorist XL GPS.

I thought I'll get in before Dougy, he hates Magellan's LOL

Well, thanks to a heap of advice and info I've settled on a Navman S80 play toy.

Unfortunately, when it came to Macintosh compatibility - bugger!!

Any GPS thingo owners out there with a Mac????

Cheers

Seakarvan