> Whilst being a firm user of map and compass I realise that a GPS
> could offer me more. But my life may be too short to understand all
> options available and prices that range over a factor about 5 as far
> as I can tell.
Chris,
I take part in bat box checking in Devon woods and someone had the
bright idea of using GPS for locating the trees with boxes instead of
rudimentary sketch maps. Two things a GPS doesn't like are tree canopy
and hills, and guess where most of our boxes are located. Back to
sketch maps.
I bought a basic Garmin GPS-60 which does me fine. With a good
triangle of satellites on the plot it gives about 5 metres accuracy
which is OK for civilian use as the military keeps metre accuracy to
itself. It's got all sorts of geegaws I don't use but that's
inevitable. You can mark and recall locations. but doesn't have a
heading display which
would have been useful.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=3D6446
I bought mine on eBay about half list price where people often upgrade
to the colour screen which is about twice the price of the mono. If
you want to use OS maps you need colour, and the maps have to be
bought and downloaded, so the cost creeps up.
Other considerations are batteries - I like alkaline AA's rather than
rechargeables which I find can let you down and the AA's last long
enough. Don't worry about external antennas unless you want to use it
in a car. The standard version is splash resistant but they do an
immersible series. You see how the cost goes upwards. :-)
Personally I print out a map from get-a-map with a 10 metre grid laid
over it and scribble, as the default map is next to useless and the
small screen would shows so little of a 1:25,000 and you'll probably
still like the paper version.
The Garmin range has a lot of options but so do other makes. I'd go
for a dedicated GPS rather than a GPS add-on to another device.
Hope that helps.
BTW from a previous message, I've now recorded kestrels as well as
squirrels, and the original was a squirrel. Your web site is helping
me a lot. I'm still behind on audio LBJ's though. Too many all at once
but some nice dawn and evening choruses when I can get them on my web
page. I've got three identifiable blackbirds with overlapping
territories.
David
David Brinicombe
North Devon, UK
Cogito cogito ergo cogito sum - Ambrose Bierce
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