If you were doing a PowerPoint presentation on "GPS 101"...

[Alphawolf]

What are the top ten things you would think needed to be in the lesson for beginners.

[+david.travis]

What are the top ten things you would think needed to be in the lesson for beginners.

 

Oh, man. Great question.

 

One thing that comes to mind -- for those who are hikers and using a GPS to guide them through remote areas, be sure you have a topo map and compass as backup, just in case.

[GreatCanadian]

Ditto on the previous post - Make sure you know how to navigate without a GPS !!

After that, managing tracks - track setup, saving, navigating, displaying, and as much as possible about tracks.

 

This of course is if you are using the GPS for travels that will take you off the beaten path, hunting, fishing, hiking, and so on. For other purposes, the needs may differ.

 

Marking, saving, deleting waypoints.

USING THE PROPER COORDINATE SYSTEM AND MAP DATUM!! EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!

Setting a go-to.

Power management (disabling WAAS) SPARE BATTERIES!!!!

More about tracks!!

Interfacing with a computer (not necessary, but useful)

 

There soooo much more that you can do with GPS (such as area calculation) but knowing these basics will get you anywhere you want to go.

Edited April 18, 2007 by GreatCanadian

[CenTexDodger]

Since it is 101, Stick with the basics

1. A brief, non technical discussion of how GPS (the system) works.

2. Coordinate systems (lat, lon).

3. What is a waypoint.

4. Navigating to a waypoint (go-to).

5. Using the moving map (for Mapping GPSrs).

6. Setting up and using a route.

7. What is a track--how a breadcrumb trail is useful.

8. Hmmmm

9. What to do if the GPS fails

10. GPS myths, what a GPS will not do, also discuss real-world applications.

[+media601]

Since it is 101, Stick with the basics

8. Hmmmm

 

Number 8 should be, "Don't mark a waypoint for your return route at the fork in the trail, mark it 100 feet up the trail you want to return on. Otherwise, your waypoint is only telling you you're at a fork in the trail."

[+egami]

Since it is 101, Stick with the basics

1. A brief, non technical discussion of how GPS (the system) works.

2. Coordinate systems (lat, lon).

3. What is a waypoint.

4. Navigating to a waypoint (go-to).

5. Using the moving map (for Mapping GPSrs).

6. Setting up and using a route.

7. What is a track--how a breadcrumb trail is useful.

8. Hmmmm

9. What to do if the GPS fails

10. GPS myths, what a GPS will not do, also discuss real-world applications.

 

Having done some basic introduction to GPS with some friends, small groups I agree with most of these, but would consider setting up a route to be more of a 102 topic for most people.

 

I would maybe consider info. about how to manually enter a way point and then how to navigate to that waypoint. Introduction to various features like the Altimeter, Compass and Trip information.

 

Trimble has a nice tutorial you can download for some ideas too. http://www.trimble.com/gps/index.shtml

 

Kind of depends what direction you want to go with it too...

Edited April 18, 2007 by egami

[sakis]

min ton pezeis poli giati i malakia mporei na se tiflosei

[CenTexDodger]

Since it is 101, Stick with the basics

8. Hmmmm

 

Number 8 should be, "Don't mark a waypoint for your return route at the fork in the trail, mark it 100 feet up the trail you want to return on. Otherwise, your waypoint is only telling you you're at a fork in the trail."

 

Thats good.

 

I could only think of 9, and since I was doing a "top 10 list", number 8 wound up being "Hmmmmm"

 

It could also be: Don't forget to mark a waypoint where you parked the car!

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

Tracks vs. routes - what is the difference? This is very confusing to noobies.

[Grasscatcher]

1. That the absolute best way to learn about your new GPS is to use it or "Play with" it in a familiar area before having to depend on it in unfamiliar surroundings. This is the beginning of understanding......

 

2.Learn how to and then save several waypoints of local POI .

 

3. Set up nearby and distant "Go To" points (to the saved local points) and then use the GPSr ONLY to direct you to them while your eyes can see what the unit is "telling you" and your intellect can reason with, either agreeing or disagreeing with, the results. Resolve any differences.......

 

4. That a route is a series of connected points describing where you "want to go" ( yet to be traveled)

 

4. That a track is a breadcrumb trail showing "where you've been". ( a record of a previously traveled or traced path)

 

5. Understand that coordinates you manually enter into your GPSr must be entered in the same Datum and the same Coordinate Format as what your GPSr is currently set on.

 

6. Get a Basic understanding of Datums and Coordinate formats,..... and understand that if using a GPSr in conjunction with a paper map, BOTH GPSr and MAP must be the same..... i.e.GPSr must be set on the Datum that the map was created in and use the (one of,if multiple) same coordinate format.

 

7. If your GPSr has an electronic compass.....only turn it on and use it when you are STANDING STILL and the unit is held level.(Garmin)

 

8.In unfamiliar territory, always carry,and understand how to use for navigation, a paper map and manual compass.

 

9. Always, carry extra batteries, ALWAYS.

 

10. Re-apply rule NO 1 "Play"some more...... until you understand....and agree

[+bengtb]

About always having spare batteries I would add "change them in time before the GPSr turns itself off". It has happend to me more than once that my trail has dissappeared from my GPSr when the receiver turned off due to the batteries being flat. Change them in time it your trail is of interest.

[+Renegade Knight]

Stick "How to enter a waypoint for where you want to go" since it seems that no GPS manual covers that and "Mark your current position and then edit that point" is not obvious until AFTER you learn that's how you do it.

[+macatac1961]

Never set it down. It goes from the car mount to your lanyard or belt clip. When you've found the location/cache/fishing spot, clip it back on your belt or stick it in your pocket. The habit of setting it down is guaranteed to be the reason it gets lost.