I think I am going to by the Sportrack Pro today
h...@ev1.net
HJJ
On Thu, 19 Sep 2002 08:30:34 -0500, Lawrence Glickman
<lgli...@ameritech.net> wrote:
>
>If I can find it locally at the Right Price !
>
>I have nothing but positive feedback on this instrument, and like the
>idea of increased sensitivity, and hardening against weather, which my
>eMap is lacking.
>
>Will report back later, as I am going to research least expensive
>place to buy it.
>
>Maybe I can't afford it, and then I am *stuck* with what I have.
>
>
>
>Lg
Ben David
http://home.attbi.com/~g7towin/
The Magellan SporTrak Pro sure is a damn good unit.
--
"Lawrence Glickman" <lgli...@ameritech.net> wrote in message >
>
> That is an incredibly good price.
> I drove into downtown Chicago, Illinois, and got scalped.
> The data/power cable alone was $40 ! But I have too many waypoints
> and routes to have tried transferring them by hand from the eMap to
> the Sportrack.
>
> So, I got scalped. But I don't care. I _LIKE_ the gpsr !!! I have
> had very many. Maybe a dozen. This is a good one.
>
> Lg
Vekis
"Lawrence Glickman" <lgli...@ameritech.net> a écrit dans le message de
news: g8kjou08r0t10vlbg...@4ax.com...
Mike Fields
the best GPS for fishing that the SportTrack would fit the bill ...
you use it to navigate to where the fish are, attach a big treble
hook to the bright yellow thing and use it as a lure (it's water
proof .. sort of anyway). See ANOTHER good thing the
Sport Track can do !!
mikey
"Lawrence Glickman" <lgli...@ameritech.net> wrote in message
John Day
JMD
3rd...@bigfoot.com
<lgli...@ameritech.net> wrote:
>On Thu, 19 Sep 2002 22:07:26 -0400, "Vekis" <no...@antispam.com>
>wrote:
>
>>good choice, have fun !!!!
>
>Thanks Very Much. It is a wonderful gps receiver; the more I use it
>the more I like it.
>
>I use my eMap for automobile navigation. It has address lookup and
>all that, which is nice ( almost a necessity, without a computer on
>hand ).
>
>But for out in the field, I needed something like the Sportrack. I
>was just waiting for this product to come along. It is as good as
>everyone says, IMO. Outstanding reception, and a nice weatherproof
>case.
>
Lawrence, I just purchased a used Emap and one of the other models I
was considering was the Sportrak Pro. Tell me something if you don't
mind. Is it possible for the Sportrak Pro to not only be a great
field GPS, but also replace your Emap for the auto? I'd appreciate
hearing your ideas on why it would or would not work for both. Thanks
for the info!
Chuck
Vincent van der Laan
"3rd...@bigfoot.com" <3rd...@bigfoot.com> wrote:
>
> Lawrence, I just purchased a used Emap and one of the other models I
> was considering was the Sportrak Pro. Tell me something if you don't
> mind. Is it possible for the Sportrak Pro to not only be a great
> field GPS, but also replace your Emap for the auto? I'd appreciate
> hearing your ideas on why it would or would not work for both. Thanks
> for the info!
>
> Chuck
I use the SporTrak Pro in the car all the time. Works fine as long as you
keep it vertical. I have mine in a cellphone pouch (you know with the
see-thru plastic so you can still access the buttons). My car has the
windshield at quite a low angle and I can easily jam my GPS in a vertical
position between the dashboard and the windshield. The (genuine fake
leather) cellphone pouch gives the GPS enough friction to keep it from
slipping away when driving thru corners.
Regards, Vincent
3rd...@bigfoot.com
mapping models.
Chuck
On Fri, 20 Sep 2002 08:01:58 -0500, Lawrence Glickman
<lgli...@ameritech.net> wrote:
>On Fri, 20 Sep 2002 06:44:46 GMT, 3rd...@bigfoot.com wrote:
>
>>Lawrence, I just purchased a used Emap and one of the other models I
>>was considering was the Sportrak Pro. Tell me something if you don't
>>mind. Is it possible for the Sportrak Pro to not only be a great
>>field GPS, but also replace your Emap for the auto?
>
>Sure it is.
>The reason I use the eMap in the car is because of Metroguide address
>lookups. That is how I get coordinates of places to go without having
>to access a computer.
>
>Can the Sportrak Pro do this? I have no idea ;-\ I only bought the
>non-mapping version.
>
>I decided not to spend extra money on map memory, as I have all I need
>in that capacity in the eMap.
Jack Yeazel
Lawrence Glickman wrote:
> >Lawrence, I just purchased a used Emap and one of the other models I
> >was considering was the Sportrak Pro. Tell me something if you don't
> >mind. Is it possible for the Sportrak Pro to not only be a great
> >field GPS, but also replace your Emap for the auto?
>
> Sure it is.
> The reason I use the eMap in the car is because of Metroguide address
> lookups. That is how I get coordinates of places to go without having
> to access a computer.
>
> Can the Sportrak Pro do this? I have no idea ;-\ I only bought the
> non-mapping version.
The answer is yes...
--
Jack
Get general GPS information at:
http://www.gpsinformation.net/
Peter Rathmann
> dearie ME !
> I am not prepared to run TWO mapping systems;
> 1 Garmin
> the other Magellan
>
> The cost of doing so would be too high, IMO.
> DEARIE ME !
>
> I just want(ed) something for when I am out and about on foot.
>
> Now how -far- can I travel whilst of the main beaten path. In my
> condition ( bad heart, age 57 ) NOT too far..........
>
> The idea here is for eMap to get me to Theatre of Operations
> Then when deploy on foot, take the Sportrack vanilla with me for
> touring.
>
> I would be surprised if I ever find myself more than a few miles away
> from my car ( and eMap ) whilst walking about in the USA.
The SporTrak should work fine for that, but I'm not sure why you ever
thought the eMap wouldn't. My eMap has been dropped on rocks, stepped
on into deep mud, washed off in a creek, been rained on numerous times,
dropped on pavement from 6' up while moving 20 mph, etc., and is still
working great. I do try to protect the battery cover from water, so I
put it in a ziplock when going on a long bike ride in the rain and an
AquaPac bag for sea kayaking, but I sure don't baby the thing - nor does
it seem to need that.
Only problem I've ever had with it was having it turn off due to battery
vibration - but a few bits of packing foam in the battery compartment
cured that.
Peter Rathmann
> >The SporTrak should work fine for that, but I'm not sure why you ever
> >thought the eMap wouldn't.
>
> another matter unless I am to stick Scotch Reflector tape on it.
The yellow rubber cover ('condom') for the eMap is pretty bright and
also protects the battery cover from rain. True, it's not reflective,
but I'm not sure any other units are either. Only time I had trouble
finding it was when I went sliding down a muddy slope and the eMap went
flying. Looked around all over for it and couldn't see it - then I heard
a little beep down by my feet. I had stepped right on top of it and
driven it down into the mud - none of it was visible anymore. Lucky it
had that 'lost signal' audible alarm.
>
> Also, I have a sizeable investment in the eMap with Metroguide for
> entire USA, and a 128 MB memeory cart. The entire eMap cluster cost
> me a bundle of $.
But taking it outside isn't risking the MG or other map investment, and
the 128 MB card is very well protected from anything but loss. So if
you were to damage the unit, just pick up another bare-bones one (last
one I saw went for $95 on eBay incl. shipping) and use all your old
accessories.
>
> So, the analogy is my going to a beach with a camera.
> I have a very expensive SLR digicam which is not hardened against the
> elements. I also have a less expensive model which is also not
> hardened against the elements, but is small enough to tuck in a
> pocket.
>
> For careful work, I use the SLR, but for rough stuff, I use the Cannon
> A50. I just do not wish to subject the "slightly" less than $1,000
> digicam [ Fuji FinePix S602Zoom ] to the abuse that I wouldn't care
> about subjecting the Cannon to.
The analogy would be more like having a reasonably priced camera for
which you have lots of expensive lenses. Use the expensive lenses under
good conditions, but leave them at home when going river rafting or
something similar. But no reason not to take the same camera if it isn't
very expensive.
>
> There is an economic Maxim that one uses the lower cost equipment (
> usually ) in harsh environmental conditions, and saves the *good
> stuff* for special occassions.
Cost of replacement is what counts and replacing the eMap unit (not
incl. all the accessories) may well be cheaper than replacing a
SporTrak.
> The eMap also has LIMITED NAVIGATION SCREENS in comparison with the
> Sportrack. What I mean by that is that on the Sportrack I can get BIG
> LETTERS giving me important information regarding bearing, distance,
> speed, distance to waypoint.
Agreed, but I haven't found it to be a big deal for me personally. I
also have a III+ which does have the additional screens, but I hardly
ever use it since I find that the eMap gives me all the information I
need and is in a much smaller and more convenient package. YMMV - I can
certainly see how some people may consider it more important to have
bigger fonts and less need to push buttons to get additional
information.
>
> Furthermore, in my personal testings this morning, the sensitivity of
> the Sportrack under wet canopy outperformed that of the eMap, so, if I
> am going into the woods, the Sportrack is going to be performing like
> an eMap with an external amplified antenna, except it doesn't need an
> external amplified antenna. The Sportrack, in my tests, has a
> supercharged receiver in comparison with the eMap.
I haven't played with a SporTrak yet, but some comparisons under
marginal signal conditions between the eMap and some Meridians didn't
show any clear difference in sensitivity. I also haven't noticed much
difference when hiking with people who have recent Magellans (don't know
if any were SporTraks).
I have seen substantial sample-to-sample variations in some units, so
this may also be a case where YMMV.
>
> Watch how QUICKLY the Sportrack uses best satellites, in a side by
> side comparison with the eMap.
>
> eMap finds an SV and wants to hold on to it no matter where that
> signal goes ( up or down ). Sportrack scans all SV's for best ones,
> and tosses them up on the screen at a frequency of once per second.
I've learned not to trust the satellite screen of any unit. The Garmin
ones are very slow to respond. Cover the antenna completely and watch
the satellite signal levels slowly drop down (and it takes 30 sceonds to
decide the signal is lost). Haven't done as much checking on the
Magellans, but I had the impression their information was also heavily
filtered, just in a different way. I'd be very surprised if any
12-channel unit weren't always scanning for all available satellites to
get the best lock.
Peter Rathmann
> I had the opportunity to get the Garmin 76S/Map for -less- cost than
> what I bought, because the comm cable was included in the *package
> deal.*
The 76S for less than a basic SporTrak? That was either a fantastic
deal on the 76S or you got robbed on the SporTrak.
>
> Also, the lady at West Marine told me they hardly ever sell Magellans,
> but do sell a lot of Garmins.
That's probably reflective of past history. While today's Magellans are
very good, they had reliability problems in the past (prior to the
315/330 and Meridian series). So Garmin has a better reputation among
people who bought units a number of years ago and I'm sure it'll still
take awhile for Magellan to overcome that. Especially at a place like
West Marine since many boaters base their buying decisions on talking
with other boaters whose information may be dated.
>
> I faced a dilemma:
> do I go with Garmin or Magellan. price differnce was not all that
> much between the two.
I thought the other option was just to stick with what you had. Since
you just wanted a unit to take on occasional outdoor outings, it wasn't
clear to me why your existing eMap wouldn't have been sufficient. Mine
has certainly done well for me over the years in a variety of
applications incl. driving, hiking, geocaching, sea kayaking, and
bicycling. There's a big price difference between buying something and
not buying something.
>
> Garmin is FAR FROM PERFECT. If you gave me an e-trex for free, I
> would return it for something else. I have heard nothing but horror
> stories of how they do NOT perform under canopy, and that is where you
> need better than *normal* performance.
Yes, the eTrexi are the units I was referring to when I mentioned that
some have substantial sample-to-sample performance variations.
> There are people who have
> returned eTrex's because of poor performance, and a screen so small
> you need a magnifying glass to read it. So, Garmin is not God.
You sure don't have to convince me of that! But Garmin's deification or
that of the eTrex seems irrelevant. I was just responding to some of
your posts that implied that just because you wanted to go a mile or two
from your car sometimes, that you *needed* to supplement your eMap.
Since I routinely use mine for outdoor pursuits, thought I'd mention
using it for such activities as an option so others don't get an
incorrect impression.
>
> I expect to continue using the eMap until it stops working or gets
> lost.
>
> I expect to continue using the Magellan until it stops working or gets
> lost.
>
> I had my choices. About 1/2 _dozen_ receivers from various
> manufacturers, all affordable to me, in my hands. I took home the
> Sportrack, and have not been disappointed. It has a good case, good
> menus, the only shortcoming I have seen is waypoint names are limited
> to 6 characters, wherein they are allowed 10 on the eMap.
Doesn't the SporTrak support a text note associated with each waypoint?
That's something I miss on the eMap and I'd gladly go back to
6-character names in exchange.
Ian Falle
"Peter Rathmann" <prat...@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:3D8B8F87...@attbi.com...
> Doesn't the SporTrak support a text note associated with each waypoint?
> That's something I miss on the eMap and I'd gladly go back to
> 6-character names in exchange.
My Sportrak Pro waypoints have eight character names, and a separate message
area. Didn't count the characters allowed, but it is pretty generous on
several lines.
It is also a lot nicer to just take the thing along, no matter what the
conditions. I don't like having to protect outdoor equipment from the
conditions. Personal bias.
Cheers,
Ian
Dale DePriest
"Ian Falle" <ifa...@uniserve.com> wrote in message
news:uonie39...@corp.supernews.com...
>
> "Peter Rathmann" <prat...@attbi.com> wrote in message
> news:3D8B8F87...@attbi.com...
> > Doesn't the SporTrak support a text note associated with each waypoint?
> > That's something I miss on the eMap and I'd gladly go back to
> > 6-character names in exchange.
>
> My Sportrak Pro waypoints have eight character names, and a separate
message
> area. Didn't count the characters allowed, but it is pretty generous on
> several lines.
If it is like older Magellan units only 100 waypoints can have notes.
Dale
Jack Yeazel
Dale DePriest wrote:
>
> If it is like older Magellan units only 100 waypoints can have notes.
The Pro has 200...
Walton
speed as my meridian now which should be the same speed as the sporttraks).
Wyatt W.
"Lawrence Glickman" <lgli...@ameritech.net> wrote in message
news:uvfkou4tto84g3bsj...@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 19 Sep 2002 21:11:13 GMT, "Ben David"
> <replyne...@nilspam.com> wrote:
>
> >Lawrence why not use G7toWin to do the transfers!
> >
> >http://home.attbi.com/~g7towin/
> >
> >The Magellan SporTrak Pro sure is a damn good unit.
>
> THAT is _exactly_ what I did !!!
> I used G7toWin, after changing the parameters to Magellan at 4800 baud
> on Com 1.
> Transfer went without a hitch, and now I am a happy camper !!!
>
> I like this Magellan unit very much. My last Magellan was a 315 that
> I munged with pre-official firmware. I didn't like the 315 because I
> had to walk at a fast pace to *break averaging.* Here, I can just
> -move- ever so slowly, and I break averaging. This is a good machine.
> But remember, it must be held _vertical_ for maximum signal reception.
>
>
> Lg
Peter Rathmann
>
> On Fri, 20 Sep 2002 22:00:51 GMT, Peter Rathmann <prat...@attbi.com>
> wrote:
>
> >Lawrence Glickman wrote:
> >
> >> I had the opportunity to get the Garmin 76S/Map for -less- cost than
> >> what I bought, because the comm cable was included in the *package
> >> deal.*
> >
> >The 76S for less than a basic SporTrak? That was either a fantastic
> >deal on the 76S or you got robbed on the SporTrak.
>
> robbed on the SporTrak. Of course, I can take it -back- for refund
> and/or exchange. I just at the moment don't have a compelling reason
> to do so.
I've never used the 76S, but reasonable prices for the SporTrak basic
run around $150 vs. about $375 for the 76S - so I was surprised to hear
of a store that would sell the 76S for less than a SporTrak. Some
reasons for the higher price of the 76S include: magnetic compass,
barometric altimeter, much higher resolution and somewhat larger screen,
24 MB of map memory vs. 1 MB with no mapping.
Even if I liked the SporTrak better, I'd be tempted to get the 76S, sell
it on eBay, and then get a SporTrak for less.
>
> >> Also, the lady at West Marine told me they hardly ever sell Magellans,
> >> but do sell a lot of Garmins.
> >
> >That's probably reflective of past history. While today's Magellans are
> >very good, they had reliability problems in the past (prior to the
> >315/330 and Meridian series). So Garmin has a better reputation among
> >people who bought units a number of years ago and I'm sure it'll still
> >take awhile for Magellan to overcome that. Especially at a place like
> >West Marine since many boaters base their buying decisions on talking
> >with other boaters whose information may be dated.
>
> I think the lady at West Marine was playing the Name Game. I wonder
> if she ever did a side-by-side comparison of receiver performance in
> the field between the SporTrak and the Garmin 76S. Although she did
> appear to be quite knowledgeable, I doubt she has -tested-, first
> hand, every model of receiver that has come into the store.
I'm sure she hasn't - I was just suggesting one reason why West Marine
may currently be selling far more Garmins than Magellans. Garmin also
has more boat-suitable models than Magellan.
>
> >> I faced a dilemma:
> >> do I go with Garmin or Magellan. price differnce was not all that
> >> much between the two.
> >
> >I thought the other option was just to stick with what you had. Since
> >you just wanted a unit to take on occasional outdoor outings, it wasn't
> >clear to me why your existing eMap wouldn't have been sufficient. Mine
> >has certainly done well for me over the years in a variety of
> >applications incl. driving, hiking, geocaching, sea kayaking, and
> >bicycling. There's a big price difference between buying something and
> >not buying something.
>
> I think that the Navigation Screens on the eMap are not what I want to
> use when out in the field. I don't need a lot of _clutter_ on the
> screen, showing me a road map I don't need at the moment, but just the
> basics, like where I am at the moment , -relative- to where I want to
> be.
But when I'm out hiking, there isn't any clutter of roads on the screen
- because there aren't that many roads (if any) around. And if there
are roads around then I want to know about them - they may be a good
safety option if something goes wrong. But most of the time the only
things on the map page are my tracklog and any waypoints I chose to put
in. Of course I also have the option of loading my Topo maps and having
the contour lines can be useful in plotting a cross-country course in
hilly terrain, but it's easy to turn those maps off if they're
distracting.
>
> Bearing
> distance
> maybe a direction of travel arrow
> all big and easily readable in all weather conditions
> eMap doesn't pass that test
Hmm. It does for me, in fact this is what it usually shows: bearing,
distance to go, speed, direction of travel arrow, and time to go. All
easily readable from 6' away and certainly when held in my hand; even in
the rain - haven't tried it in heavy snow or hail yet.
>
> Did I mention superior receiver performance under wet tree canopy?
> Both sides of my street are lined with 60 foot high Maples and Elm
> trees, now still in full foliage.
>
> I got under the most dense of them, and compared the eMap with the
> Sport Trak side by side in the rain. Sportrak blew the eMap away in
> receiver sensitivity tests.
>
> That was on my street. In the forest, it could make _the_ difference
> between getting a fix, and having none at all.
Been in lots of forests and the only real reception problems have been
in dense redwood areas, and it seems all models have problems there.
Haven't had more than intermittent problems in deciduous forests. But as
mentioned earlier, reception can vary quite a bit between samples of the
same units. Of course if I were going into a particularly dense forest
and really needed to rely on a GPSr, I'd want one with an external
antenna capability and a long telescoping stick.
Peter Rathmann
> On Sat, 21 Sep 2002 05:33:10 GMT, Peter Rathmann <prat...@attbi.com>
> wrote:
> >Lawrence Glickman wrote:
> >> On Fri, 20 Sep 2002 22:00:51 GMT, Peter Rathmann <prat...@attbi.com>
> >> >Lawrence Glickman wrote:
> >> >> I had the opportunity to get the Garmin 76S/Map for -less- cost than
> >> >> what I bought, because the comm cable was included in the *package
> >> >> deal.*
> >> >
> >> >The 76S for less than a basic SporTrak? That was either a fantastic
> >> >deal on the 76S or you got robbed on the SporTrak.
> >>
> >> What is so great about the 76S? Although I already admitted to being
> >> robbed on the SporTrak. Of course, I can take it -back- for refund
> >> and/or exchange. I just at the moment don't have a compelling reason
> >> to do so.
> >
> >I've never used the 76S, but reasonable prices for the SporTrak basic
> >run around $150 vs. about $375 for the 76S - so I was surprised to hear
> >of a store that would sell the 76S for less than a SporTrak. Some
> >reasons for the higher price of the 76S include: magnetic compass,
> >barometric altimeter, much higher resolution and somewhat larger screen,
> >24 MB of map memory vs. 1 MB with no mapping.
> >
> >Even if I liked the SporTrak better, I'd be tempted to get the 76S, sell
> >it on eBay, and then get a SporTrak for less.
> I don't need all the *jazz* on the 76S. I just want a souped-up
> receiver with good, easy-to-read menus.
>
> Magnetic compass? That's what my Silva Ranger is for, and it doesn't
> need batteries.
>
> Altimeter? I don't need/want it. And etcetera.
I didn't say it was necesarily any better - just generally more
expensive and therefore surprising that they'd offer it for less. How
much did they want for the 76S - and are you sure it really was a 76S,
not a simple non-mapping 76?
By analogy, I like to drive small cars and much prefer driving a Corolla
to something like a Lexus SUV. But if I went into a dealership to look
at a Corolla and the salesman told me that because of some limited
promotion he could sell me the Lexus SUV for less, then I'd be likely to
take him up on it, sell the SUV, buy a Corolla, and pocket the cash.
Ken
lgli...@ameritech.net says...
>
>There are many people who break this convention. Use the Special
>China plates for weekday meals; but most keep them in a display case,
>and only take them out for special occassions, like when company is
>visiting.
Life's too short. Use the good stuff for yourself every day. The guests
at the funeral can make do with paper plates. :-)
Ken
>
>If it is like older Magellan units only 100 waypoints can have notes.
I think I'd wear my thumb down to a nub before I got that much typing
done on one of these units.
Peter Rathmann
>
> On Sat, 21 Sep 2002 06:06:52 GMT, Peter Rathmann <prat...@attbi.com>
> wrote:
>
> snips
> >> Altimeter? I don't need/want it. And etcetera.
> >
> >I didn't say it was necesarily any better - just generally more
> >expensive and therefore surprising that they'd offer it for less. How
> >much did they want for the 76S - and are you sure it really was a 76S,
> >not a simple non-mapping 76?
>
> the total selection available ) amounted to about 1/2 dozen.
>
> I picked up the display model of the 76S and fooled about with it for
> a short time. I didn't see any advantage to it over my eMap ( no
> auto-routing ), so returned it to the shelf.
>
> >By analogy, I like to drive small cars and much prefer driving a Corolla
> >to something like a Lexus SUV. But if I went into a dealership to look
> >at a Corolla and the salesman told me that because of some limited
> >promotion he could sell me the Lexus SUV for less, then I'd be likely to
> >take him up on it, sell the SUV, buy a Corolla, and pocket the cash.
>
> moment. Had I known you were interested in one.......I wouldn't have
> been able to get it for you 8-)
No, I'm not interested for the same reason you're not - insufficient
advantage over the eMap and non-expandable memory.
However, the West Marine website doesn't seem to be aware of any
extraordinary discount on that model. Here are their prices:
76S: $450
Map76: $350
76: $220
SporTrak: $170
ST Pro: $270
So I can see the 76 and SporTrak being about the same if you also need
to buy a cable, but the 76S is in a very different price range.
Searching_Ut
"Chris Malcolm" <c...@holyrood.ed.ac.uk> wrote in message
news:amheul$ips$1...@scotsman.ed.ac.uk...
> Peter Rathmann <prat...@attbi.com> writes:
>
> >I've learned not to trust the satellite screen of any unit. The Garmin
> >ones are very slow to respond. Cover the antenna completely and watch
> >the satellite signal levels slowly drop down (and it takes 30 sceonds to
> >decide the signal is lost). Haven't done as much checking on the
> >Magellans, but I had the impression their information was also heavily
> >filtered, just in a different way. I'd be very surprised if any
> >12-channel unit weren't always scanning for all available satellites to
> >get the best lock.
>
> that the filtering means that completely obscuring the satellite
> signal drops the displayed signal strength to zero in a few seconds,
> but that it starts dropping as soon you obscure it. Knowing that, I
> can trust it completely, and use it under tree cover to dodge about
> finding the right position to get the most satellites when I want the
> most accurate fix.
>
I've been trying to figure out what the correlation between sat status
screens and postition fix is, and would hve to agree with you on this one.
My eTrex's update the screen faster than my GIII+ does. 6 seconds for an
eTrex to show zero reception on all sat bars vs 10 on the GIII+. More
importantly, the GIII+ will sometimes show good reception when it obviously
isn't getting any. For instance, when walking down a reception area inducing
trail in a forested deep canyon which wreaks havoc on reception, I have
actually been finding that the eTrex's compass page refects my direction
changes etc much more accurately than the GIII+ does, although the GIII+
indicates reasonable sat status while the eTrex sat status page makes
reception look hopeless. It's hard to say whether the eTrex actually is
getting better reception, or if the software just makes better use of what
little positional data it's getting.
> It doesn't take 30 secs to decide the signal is lost. That is a
> different function. When so may satellites have been lost that
> tracking is not longer possible, it guesstimates a continuous track
> based on last position and velocity, and maintains "tracking" on this
> guesstimate for 30 secs. If signals return within that time it simply
> corrects to hwewhere you now are and patches in a straight line track
> segment between last position and this one. In this way satellite lock
> loss for <30 secs does not interrupt the track. After 30 secs it gives
> up and erases the projected guessed track, reporting "weak signal" or
> whatever.
> --
> Chris Malcolm c...@dai.ed.ac.uk +44 (0)131 650 3085
> School of Artificial Intelligence, Division of Informatics
> Edinburgh University, 5 Forrest Hill, Edinburgh, EH1 2QL, UK
> [http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/daidb/people/homes/cam/ ] DoD #205
>
Dale DePriest
"Ken" <ka...@rahul.net> wrote in message
news:amh360$s30$1...@samba.rahul.net...
You can do the typing on a pc and then upload it to the unit.
Dale
TFW
West Marine list the 76S at $449 and the Sportrak at $169.
I gave them a call and thought I might get in on the sale but no go.
They said that they never sold a 76S at less that $449.
Meby wrong West Marine but their all over.
Thanks
Frank
"Lawrence Glickman" <lgli...@ameritech.net> wrote in message
news:5l1oou4qvdoc2i3vn...@4ax.com...
> On Sat, 21 Sep 2002 05:33:10 GMT, Peter Rathmann <prat...@attbi.com>
> This appears to be a close horse race ;-\
>
> I don't need all the *jazz* on the 76S. I just want a souped-up
> receiver with good, easy-to-read menus.
>
> Magnetic compass? That's what my Silva Ranger is for, and it doesn't
> need batteries.
>
> Altimeter? I don't need/want it. And etcetera.
>
> The True Test will come tomorrow, when I head out into the bush with
> both receivers. It is the right time to do this test, as the leaves
> haven't started falling yet, and they are soaked from rain during the
> last few days.
>
> I am remembering back to a time when I was on a hunting trip and
> became LOST in the wilderness of Upper New York State ( pre-gps ). It
> was a frightening experience, but I kept my head level, and used my
> Silva Ranger to get me back to a road I had parked my car to the side
> of.
>
> If Life or Death depend on getting a fix while out in the bush, I want
> a receiver that grabs signals, and couldn't give a hoot about any
> extra gadgets that might be viewed as *enhancements* by other people.
>
> I want a bearing to point of departure. Reliably, 24 hours/day, under
> ALL conditions. The test will come tomorrow.
>
> Not the backyard variety, of walking around the hedges, but going
> -deep- into deciduous virgin forest.
>
>
> Lg
Dave Martindale
>Try putting your eMap on a forest floor, walk away from it for 10
>paces, and then try to find it again.
My eMap is yellow - with the rubber cover on it. That's how I always
use it, unless I need to attach an external antenna.
Dave
Peter Rathmann
>
> On Mon, 23 Sep 2002 17:22:36 +0000 (UTC), da...@cs.ubc.ca (Dave
> Martindale) wrote:
> >My eMap is yellow - with the rubber cover on it. That's how I always
> >use it, unless I need to attach an external antenna.
>
> your Silva Ranger cover.
>
> Also on the bottom of the unit somewhere, as if I place my Silva
> Ranger on the forest floor, it disappears promptly because of its
> transparency and color.
>
> Now I know you will never drop your compass, as it has a lanyard,
> BUT.....why take the chance ;-)
Yes, manufacturer's color choices are sometimes interesting. Like the
adjustable-brightness LED flashlight I bought for astronomy. You'd
think people would like to be able to find such a device as easily as
possible in the dark - but it comes in an all black case. Mine now
sports bright yellow reflective tape on all sides. And my eMap is also
usually in its bright yellow cover when roaming around in the woods.
Bob Gross
to sunlight during the day, it glows yellow at night.
The US Army has used that stuff for decades to mark the wooden posts inside
underground bunkers.
---Bob Gross---
"Peter Rathmann" <prat...@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:3D8F684A...@attbi.com...
Ken
lgli...@ameritech.net says...
>
>Maybe it is intended to make the Guests feel Special, knowing that the
>good stuff has been taken out of stock for _their_ use/pleasure. I
>don't know. But you are right. Eat the dessert before the entre.
>Unless the entre is prime rib, in which case the entre is the dessert.
Or make do with hors-d'oeuvres and dessert.
Ken
>
>What I find to be best is yellow luminescent tape. Once it has been exposed
>to sunlight during the day, it glows yellow at night.
>
>The US Army has used that stuff for decades to mark the wooden posts inside
>underground bunkers.
OK, I give up -- how did they get the sunlight to them? Other than by
leaving the posts outside during the day? :-) Or does it get enough light to
activate from artificial light?
So where do you get the stuff anyway? It sounds like fun.