GPS Training

Transcription

1 GPS Setup for use at Home & Abroad When a new GPS leaves the factory the default setting is for central USA and the position format & map datums set to latitude & longitude. All of which is fine for factory testing but isn t going to give you an accurate position fix in London or Geneva. If a GPS is Set Up correctly then it can be used anywhere in the world; this lesson is about making sure you understand how to Set Up a GPS correctly for the location you wish to use it. Before you can use your new GPS you must complete setup; this involves going through the settings options in the device and editing them to suit your navigational needs. In most cases you can leave the setting on the default setting as its probably the recommended setting. Others are going to be personal choices like meters or feet for instance; however there are some settings that must be changed to suit the country, position format and map datum where the device is going to be used, failure to edit these settings will result in inaccurate position & recording data. As devices offer more and more features; so setup has become more daunting. We have always offered our clients access to a setup sheet; in the early days a setup sheet was a single page, the latest setup sheet for the Oregon 600 series runs to 3 pages. However we do recommend you take the time to setup your device before you get started as it will pay dividends it time saving later with the added benefit it will help you understand how to get the best from your GPS. A really good starting point would be to watch our step by step video below before you download the Setup worksheet.

2 Providing a GPS can receive a signal from 4 Satellites it can give a 3D Fix in either Lat/Long or a Selected Position Format like British Grid but you have to edit the settings in the device to your preferences

3 View GPST Video - Step by Step Guide - Setup Oregon 600 Series September 2103 Use our setup sheet to setup your Oregon 600/650 - Download PDF A GPS receiver works on Trilateration which essentially is the same as taking a series of back bearings with a compass; if you were to draw these back bearings on a paper map, where the lines cross is your position. A GPS does more or less the same; put simplistically where the GPS signals cross gives you a location fix. To give you an

4 accurate position fix a GPS needs to be told where you are (Time Zone) what Grid System you are using (Position Format) and what map you are using (Map Datum). These are the critical GPS settings and must be correct for the location where you wish to use your unit and for the position fix to be accurate. There are also several important settings; these are not critical in the sense that your location fix will be inaccurate but they make the difference when navigating on the hill with GPS. They are the Navigation Units which are set by default to statute (Miles). We recommend that a GPS be set to the same units as your paper map which in most cases is going to be Metric. The North Reference default setting is True; we recommend that you set the North reference to Magnetic. Why? If you set the North Reference to Magnetic then any bearings created by the unit will automatically include the magnetic veriation and therefore agree with any compass bearing you create. Finally WAAS/EGNOS; which is a continent based signal enhancement system can improve GPS signal reception by a factor of 5. The Default setting is Disabled; so you must choose to enable your GPS to use WAAS/EGNOS with a Garmin GPS (recommended) Finally there are whole multitude of personal settings; as the new generation of Garmin GPS ranges has offered more and more features, so then these settings have become more complex. We have found on our courses that its easier to give our students a work sheet that they can sit down with and work through when they have a quiet moment. We have worksheets available for you to download for all the current Garmin Outdoors and most legacy devices below. Before you sit down and setup you GPS we recommend you view one of the two GPST step-by-step videos below and then use the setup sheets to complete process. If you don't find a setup sheet for your device then you may find it listed on our technical support pages on our website View GPST Video - Step by Step Guide - Oregon 600 Series, Montana Series, GPSMap62 series with minor differences between ranges View GPST Video - Step by Step Guide - Garmin New Generation GPS covers New etrex, Dakota, GPSMap62, Oregon and Montana ranges. View GPST Video - Step by Step Guide - GPS Setup covers etrexc and GPSMap60 ranges. Download GPST Worksheet - New etrex and GPSMap62 ranges setup worksheet for new etrex and GPSMap62 ranges Download GPST Worksheet - Dakota and Oregon ranges setup worksheet for Dakota and Oregon ranges Download GPST Worksheet - Montana range setup worksheet for Montana range

5 Get your setup right to go Geocaching - A treasure hunt with GPS. General notes for using this lesson Garmin have just completed a major overhaul of all Outdoors GPS; they now offer GPS devices to cover all requirements and pockets. Fortunately for us whilst there are subtle differences between the operating systems of the ranges; the differences are minor. To ensure you have the maximum information to enable you to setup your GPS correctly we have provided Setup worksheets for each current Garmin Range and Video guides for both new & now discontinued/older/legacy devices. In the following pages of this lesson you will find step-by-step guides & information about setup using screen shots from an etex 30 as an example. If you are using one of the other current Garmin GPS; there are only very subtle differnces in the setup routine between devices, the main one obviously being buttons or touchscreen. If you are using a touchscreen device then where the instructions say Press/Enter then you Tap/Touch the screen icon. GPS Set Up The Essential Basics - Time Zone Set Up. Historically users had to select the Time Zone for your location; made easy by a series of pre-set selections. If you are using one of the new generation of Garmin Outdoors devices then all you have to do is select Auto and the GPS selects the time zone based on your location. However if you are using an older device then the GPS manufacturers provide an easy method of selecting the Time Zone for your location. Most users might not know the time Zone they are in but will be aware of the nearest major city; so to keep things simple Garmin in most cases ask the user to select the nearest major city from a list which in turn will automatically set the Time Zone. In the Time Zone Step-by-Steps below you will see that the Default Time Zone setting is Automatic (new generation) US-Cental (older devices) in which case the time offset is -06 Hours. London is on the Zero Meridian so by selecting London or Europe West the GPS will automatically set the UTC Offset to Zero. You will find pre-set options for most countries in the world - where there is no pre-set option you will have to use UTC Offset manually. Only older GPS units will allow the user to set the time zone offset by selecting Other in Time Zone and then Enter on UTC Offset will reveal a dialog box allowing UTC Offset editing.

6 Time Zone Set Up Step- by- Step Step 1 From the Main Menuselect Set Up > then Time > Enter > the Time Format box is revealed. Step 2 In the Time Format menu you can choose between a 12 or 24 hour clock > Select > Time Format > scroll to 24 Hour > Enter. The Time Format is now set. Step 3 In the Time Format menu you can manually edit the Time Zone by selectingtime Zone > Enter >scroll & select Time Zone We recommend you leave Time Zone setting on Automatic Step 4 To restore to default use Find/Options button ans select Restore Defaults > Enter. This is a etrex/gpsmap feature Setup Activity Use the Time Zone menu in your GPS to set the Time Format to 12 Hours Use the Time Zone menu in your GPS to set the Time Format to 24 Hours Use the Time Zone menu in your GPS to set the Time Zone to Brisbane Use the Time Zone menu in your GPS to set the Time Zone to London Use the Time Zone Menu to restore defaults. GPS Set Up - Position Formats and Map Datums When you get a GPS out of the box it will be set to the default setting of Lat/Long; which is fine until you want to use it with a paper map. Here in the UK we are blessed with some of the finest mapping in the world, the copyright of which are owned and managed by Ordnance Survey. We have our own grid system (British Grid) and Map Datum (OSGB) all of which makes it really easy if we want to create a matching grid reference

7 on a paper map or in a GPS. Essentially creating a position fix is a mathematical equation; a GPS takes the location fix created by the GPS reception and converts it into a Grid Reference which can be cross referenced with a map. The key thing here is you need it to match the map you are using! So if here in the UK we tell the GPS we are using a Position Format of British Grid and a Map Datum of OSGB the GPS can then convert the position fix to a 10 figure grid ref in British Grid. Which would read something like NY which would be accurate to a 1sqm box. More and more users wish to use GPS and mapping software on their travels and,whilst most people are comfortable about using GPS here in the UK with OS maps, they are unsure of how to do so in other countries. During our training courses we address these concerns but our experience is that there are still many people who would like to become involved but are unsure of how to take those first steps towards that goal. Here in the UK we are spoilt by having great maps and a very easy to use grid system British Grid. Alas many countries are not so lucky and have to use worldwide grids like Lat/Long or UTM. If you are unsure what grid system to use then the simplest option is just to use your GPS at a basic level in Lat/Long. Your GPS will give you a position fix and allow you to use all the features you would expect. But at the very least you could mark your position and return to it doing a GoTo, or use the Tracklog to retrace your steps in an emergency. Position Format Set Up Step- by- Step Step 1 From the Main Menuselect Set Up >then Position Format> the menu is revealed >select > Position Format scroll through the pre-set British Grid In the Position Format menu select British Grid your GPS will use Ord Srvy GB (OSGB) as the Map Datum by default. Lat/Long In the Position Format menu select one of the three lat/long formats. Your GPS will use WGS 84 as the Map Datum by default. UTM In the Position Format menu select UTM UPS Your GPS will use WGS 84 as the Map Datum by default.

8 grids and select the gridf you require. Setup Activity Use the Units step by step guide to set the position format to British Grid. Note the Map Datum Use the Units step by step guide to set the Position Format to UTM UPS Note the Map Datum Restore defaults GPS Set Up Navigation Units These aren't critical settings but we consider them important, set correctly they make more sense when used with Map & Compass. Most map squares are 1KM and therefore can be easily sub-divided into tenths so if your map uses meters then it's logical to set your GPS to display distance, speed and elevation in Kilometres/Metres. Depth is a tricky one we recommend setting to Meters - but I suppose if you were using the unit in a nautical environment Fathoms would be more logical. Navigation Units Set Up Step-by-Step Step 1 From the Main Menuselect Set Up > Units >Distance/Speed the following setings are personal In the Units menu selectdistance and Speed >if using an OS map we recommend you selectmetric. Units Menu Settings Distance & Speed - metric Elevation - Meters Depth - Meters Pressure - Millibars

9 Setup Activity Use the Navigation Units step by step guide to set the Distance/Speed to Yards and Elevation to Feet Use the Navigation Units step by step guide to set the Depth to Fathoms and Distance/Speed to Statute Use the Navigation Units step by step guide to set the Elevation Meters (m/sec) to Yards and Distance to Metric Restore defaults. GPS Set Up - Heading Set Up The default setting for Display is Directional letters; essentially this means that when a bearing is displayed it will show the bearing as say NNW. Which is fine unless you are navigating with a compass as well in which case you to ensure that the GPS bearing and the Compass bearing match you need to set your Display to show the bearing to Numeric degrees i.e. 245 degrees. Setting the North Reference is fundamental to GPS navigation especially when used in combination with Map & Compass. As with your Display by setting your North Reference to Magnetic your bearing should agree with any compass bearing your create at your location; but more importantly the GPS will automatically include the magnetic variation at your location as well (something navigators often forget to include to their cost). The Go To Line (Pointer) is a personal setting that can alter the appearance of the pointer on the Compass Page. The Course setting is something more widely used in navigation at sea; when applied the bearing pointer displays your relationship any course deviation from your chosen course (don't go there unless you have to) Leave the Compass setting on default unless you wish to switch it Off; but importnatly you must calibrate the compass every time you change batteries or move more than a few hundred miles from the last place you sued your device. Heading Set Up Step- by- Step

10 Step 1 From the Main Menuselect Set Up > then select Heading > E nter -Heading Format box is revealed. Step 2 To change the way headings & bearings are displayed - Select -Display - scroll to Degrees - Enter. The Display format is now set. Step 3 To Select North Reference Scroll to North Reference- Enter from drop down box select - Magnetic the GPS will now calculate the magnetic variation for your location. Step 4 Change the way your Go To Line (Pointer) appears on the Compass Page in this submenu. Course is a nautical setting. The Bearing Pointer will only visible when navigating. Setup Activity Use the Heading step by step guide to set the Display to Numeric Degrees Use the Heading step by step guide to set the North Reference to Magnetic Use the Heading step by step guide to set the Go To Line to Bearing (Small) - view on Compass Page Use the step by step guide below to Calibrate your compass Calibrate Compass

11 Step 1 From the Main Menuselect Set Up > Heading Step 2 Now select Calibrate Compass Step 3 Select Start and follow the on-screen instructions System Setup There are a couple of important setting here that are very important as they affect your GPS reception and unless you get your battery type correct you will suffer severe loss of power. Lets's work through the settings. Satellite System - WAAS/EGNOS Until recently there was only one satellite system the GPS System run by the US Government; we now have the Russian system GLONASS up and running with the EU System Galileo due in What does this all mean for us? The intention is for all GPS systems are commisioned to be compatible for all GPS devices and for access for all users to be free, so as now once you have bought your GPS its free except for the cost of your batteries. WAAS & EGNOS are Satellite Based Augmnetation Systems (SBAS). They are designed to improve GPS accuracy by a factor of around 5 and can typically produce a position fix down to 3m horizontally and 6m vertically. They work by using geostationary satellites to improve the quality of the signal from the GPS Systems. These systems use satellites in fixed positions so they have limited coverage. For example in Europe we cannot get reliable USA augmentation signals (their system is called WAAS). For this reason we have had to build our own system called EGNOS. The satellite covering the UK is number 33. Its position is roughly over the French/ Spanish border so you will only pick this signal up if you have a good line of sight to the south. Battery Type We get more questions about batteries then almost anything else; some users are obsesed by saving battery power al all costs. As we want to use the full range of GPS features we never switch our Power off whilst we are on the hill as we use a mapping GPS that is constantly re-drawing the map we tend to use more power than most. With

12 all mapping GPS the advice from Garmin is to use either Lithium or Good Quality rechargeable batteries and then make sure that the Battery Type setting in your GPS matches the batteries you are using (very important the wrong setting here can seriously affect the power usage of your batteries). USB Mode The default setting for USB Mode is Mass Storage; we recommend that you leave this setting well alone unless you really know what you're doing!! WAAS/EGNOS System Set Up Step- by- Step Step 1 From the Main Menuselect Set Up then selectheading En ter - System Menu is revealed. Step 2 To select Satellite System from the System Menu > select Satellite System > GPS + GLONASS Step 3 To enable WAAS/EGNOS recommended > in thesystems Menu > select > WAAS/EGNOS > Enter Step 4 In the Systems Menu >select > Battery Type >select the option that matches your battery type

13 Congratulations you've completed the lesson! Now that you've completed the lesson; remember that you can come back to it as often as you wish. You have unlimited access to the lesson, step by step guides and exercises think of the resource as a reference book you can pick up whenever you feel the need. However you can only take the test once. Once you have completed and passed the test you can print off a personalised certificate.we hope you have found this lesson useful and that you go on to complete the full course. In the fullness of time there will be a portfolio of courses all available OnLine. We have done our best to make sure the information provided is error free and technically correct. If you find any errors or omissions please contact us at this address office@gpstraining.co.uk. We for our part undertake to make corrections asap. GPSTraining are now a GPS resource for you going forward - if you have a burning GPS question you need the answer to simply contact us by phone or and we will do our best to help. If you found this course useful why not consider attending one of our GPS, Navigation, Digital Mapping or Hillwalking courses? Our courses are held at selected venues nationwide, are reasonably priced and practical - for more information visit our websitecourses.gpstraining.co.uk. If you are considering purchasing a GPS there is loads of information on our website or if you would like to speak to a real person then call us at on where you can chat through your requirements with a friendly GPS expert from the team. We always have great deals on Garmin handheld outdoors GPS, Accessories and Garmin mapping products all backed up with on-going technical support from the GPS team for the lifetime of the unit. Thank you for reading this lesson Peter -

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