iggy Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 As always I'm doing a lot of research about my new hobby. Have any of you lost your direction while detecting? The other day I drove to a nice spot and left the car. I usually check mountain peaks in relations to my location. That is my military survival training kicking in. Well I did walk a little more than I planned and traveled down a long gully. I had no problem finding my car but I just wondered how many of you use or carry handheld GPS's. Like to hear from you.What Manuf., model and what you like or hate about yours.Thanks. Iggy in the desert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skipperbill Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Hi Iggy, I have used a GPS many times to locate a claim or spot I haven't been to before. Sometime I'll mark the corners of a claim just to make sure I don't wander onto someone else's property even when out of sight of the markers. I use an old Garmin that is no longer made but it's ok for what I do. Even before GPS I always managed to find my way back, but I have been within a few feet of my own footprints a time or two. The GPS could be a life saver if you ever really need itBill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlakMagnet Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Iggy,Most of us have one.Yes you need themAll the best,Flak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bunk Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 As always I'm doing a lot of research about my new hobby. Have any of you lost your direction while detecting? The other day I drove to a nice spot and left the car. I usually check mountain peaks in relations to my location. That is my military survival training kicking in. Well I did walk a little more than I planned and traveled down a long gully. I had no problem finding my car but I just wondered how many of you use or carry handheld GPS's. Like to hear from you.What Manuf., model and what you like or hate about yours.Thanks. Iggy in the desert. Iggy, I will show you what I use at the push this W/E.Bunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rexb Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Once you get one you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. I find they help when it's getting dark and it becomes difficult to see the terrain and your vehicle. Also, if you have a good spot, a gps becomes an invaluable tool to mark that spot without placing little markers out in the field and making crude maps. The gps makes sure you will arrive at that spot again without a problem. Boy I sound like a salesman. :blinkI can recommend the Garmin Etrex Legend for sheer value, reliability, and usefulness. I cannot recommend the Garmin Etrex for reasons I state here:http://nevadanuggethunters.myfreeforum.org...__about359.htmlRx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlakMagnet Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 The other thing about gps that's cool Iggy,is their "track-back" feature...The Garmin that I use has a selection button that, whenyou choose it, it makes a dotted line on your screen that shows exactlywhere you walked (or drove). You can then mark waypoints at interesting points alongyour "path" (ie geological info, where you found gold ect). You can then choose to return via the exact route you took, or it willmake a direct route to your starting point.If you save these routes, they make driving (or walking etc) into a complicated locationa snap to find again.Here's an interesting site to look at:http://gpsinformation.net/#faqAll the best,Flak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 I have a GPS, {GOLD PROSPECTING SYSTEM} I look and I look until I find some! That My system! Ha! Ha! TWO GARMIN RINO GPS 120 radio's that way if i'm lost I just have to key up, and it give my position to who ever has the other one. Grubstake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brewbeat Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Newby here.make sure your GPS has WAAS capabilities, since it will allow for greater accuracy.Floyd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iggy Posted January 10, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Once you get one you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. I find they help when it's getting dark and it becomes difficult to see the terrain and your vehicle. Also, if you have a good spot, a gps becomes an invaluable tool to mark that spot without placing little markers out in the field and making crude maps. The gps makes sure you will arrive at that spot again without a problem. Boy I sound like a salesman. :blinkI can recommend the Garmin Etrex Legend for sheer value, reliability, and usefulness. I cannot recommend the Garmin Etrex for reasons I state here:http://nevadanuggethunters.myfreeforum.org...__about359.htmlRxThanks Rex for your comments. I was looking at the basic yellow model of the Extrex but also the Legend. The point you made is an important one about entering coordinates. I was think more on the way back to the car. I guess if I want to find a far corner of the claim I would just put in the coordinates and it will take me there and then do a reverse to get me back. Is that what you said and mean in your article?Thanks, iggyI have a GPS, {GOLD PROSPECTING SYSTEM} I look and I look until I find some! That My system! Ha! Ha! TWO GARMIN RINO GPS 120 radio's that way if i'm lost I just have to key up, and it give my position to who ever has the other one. GrubstakeGrubstake, Thats great only if you travel in pairs. Anyway up your neck of the woods you just go west until you hit the ocean or east until you get higher ground to see where you are. LOLAny news on your international detector travel log?I suspect it may be up in Chicargo by now and get a direct route bas to Vegas.Hope it shows up soon.Iggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rexb Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Yep, Iggy that's what I'm saying, for example, I plot interesting areas on google earth or the geocommunicator, etc. and enter them in the gps and find them in the field. If camping, it's always good to mark camp so you have a back up to finding it again as well. Both the extrex and extrex legend will make little paths as you walk which you can retrace. A convenient arrow will point you to the right location while you are walking. It will also give the current distance to the coordinate as well as an estimated arrival time based on walking speed. They also have WAAS settings although it requires more battery usage.Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kool Water Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 Rex, Can you enter UTM's manually in the Garmin legend? All the info. I've read seems imply you can only enter Lat/Lon manually. I was thinking about buying the Garmin eTrax Vista CX. But the manual seems to say that only Lat/Lon can be entered manually.Kool Water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grubstake Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 My detector is still floating around the usa. I can't stand incompetance! If they worked for me I would FIRE them ALL. Grubstake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rexb Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 Kool Water,I was not sure, so I checked the location format and it does allow for "UTM UPS" as well as all sorts of other grids such as British, New Zealand, Finland, etc. Did I mention that it will also give the elevation in feet or meters? I will say there is nothing fancy about the display, it is in black and white, but there is back lighting.Rex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reno Chris Posted January 11, 2007 Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 I'll just agree with some of the folks here - I've had my GPS unit for years, and am real glad I bought it, I am about to get another sensor unit that has a USB plug out of it so that I can hook this one up to my laptop. I will allow me to drive around with the sensor on my car roof, and see on a topo map displayed on my laptop exactly where I am. Great for finding out of the way spots.Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iggy Posted January 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2007 I'll just agree with some of the folks here - I've had my GPS unit for years, and am real glad I bought it, I am about to get another sensor unit that has a USB plug out of it so that I can hook this one up to my laptop. I will allow me to drive around with the sensor on my car roof, and see on a topo map displayed on my laptop exactly where I am. Great for finding out of the way spots.ChrisChris, Is this what you are looking for?Check it on ebay item# 180073431398They say all you need then is the Microsoft Street and Trips 2006Iggy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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