Newbie With Lots Of Questions!

[planewood]

Never owned a GPS before and this is only my 2nd day on this forum!

 

But, I'm considering purchase of the Garmin 60cx.

 

I'm not a 'geocacher', at least not yet. I do have lots of mapping experience and experience with coordinate systems and am computer literate. (was a systems analyst for 35 years in the oil business) My primary reason for wanting a handheld GPS unit is for geographical mapping (not street mapping) in heavily wooded areas.

 

Here's some of my questions (pertaining to Garmin):

 

1) can I upload my own topo sheets and aerial photos to it? Has anyone 'broken' or 'reverse engineered' the Garmin format yet? If so, who and how do I get there? I got tons of old topo sheets and aerial photos laying around and have access to a wide body scanner.

 

2) are there any text files on the internet for all surveyed Bench Marks, at least for Oklahoma. I think there is at least one bench mark (brass plate) per section (square mile).

 

3) can I write files to the microsd card that comes with the 60cx using a sd card adapter and the sd reader on this computer? Or, can I only do it by attaching the gps through their supplied USB cable and then by using a program like EasyGPS??

 

4) Would getting an antenna help in wooded areas?

 

That's all I can think of for now.

[Neo_Geo]

Here's some of my questions (pertaining to Garmin):

 

1) can I upload my own topo sheets and aerial photos to it? Has anyone 'broken' or 'reverse engineered' the Garmin format yet? If so, who and how do I get there? I got tons of old topo sheets and aerial photos laying around and have access to a wide body scanner.

No, can't load image data to the unit, but the Garmin map format has been reverse engineered! CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE for more information on that subject. GIS data for making maps is becoming more and more readily available, so you may not even need those old maps or that old scanning equipment.

 

 

2) are there any text files on the internet for all surveyed Bench Marks, at least for Oklahoma. I think there is at least one bench mark (brass plate) per section (square mile).

CLICK HERE for more information on BENCHMARKING

 

 

3) can I write files to the microsd card that comes with the 60cx using a sd card adapter and the sd reader on this computer? Or, can I only do it by attaching the gps through their supplied USB cable and then by using a program like EasyGPS??

You can use a Garmin program called "POI LOADER" to upload your own Points of Interest (a little different from waypoints). CLICK HERE for more information on "CUSTOM POIs"

 

 

4) Would getting an antenna help in wooded areas?

Probably not much. The Cx uses the new Sirf III chipset which is renowned for its ability to get great reception in places where other GPSrs can't get ANY reception at all! I don't think an antenna would hurt reception, but I don't think you'd really need it.

Edited February 27, 2006 by Neo_Geo

[planewood]

Thanks NEO -

 

For benchmark text files I mean like this:

http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/GEOID/GPSonBM99/format99.txt

 

and like this:

http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/GEOID/GPSonBM96/nad5379.txt

 

The site you sent me to had lots of pics, but nothing organized in the form of tables.

[+SwampYankee]

How about this one http://www.geocaching.com/mark/ and just type in your zip code for where you want to see them...... SwampYankee

[Neo_Geo]

Thanks NEO -

 

For benchmark text files I mean like this:

http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/GEOID/GPSonBM99/format99.txt

 

and like this:

http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/GEOID/GPSonBM96/nad5379.txt

 

The site you sent me to had lots of pics, but nothing organized in the form of tables.

 

Look at the very bottom of the page of the LINK I posted:

I have questions about benchmarks, datums, Geodetic Survey Markers, etc.

 

They have FAQs, search engines for data sheets, etc. If you can't find what you're lookin' for there, try the Benchmark Hunting forum or the National Geodetic Survey forum. But only post in the latter if you've exhauseted ALL OTHER MEANS of searching.

Edited February 28, 2006 by Neo_Geo

[planewood]

How about this one http://www.geocaching.com/mark/ and just type in your zip code for where you want to see them...... SwampYankee

 

Thanks! Just what I was looking for!