GPS distance & angle

[+Not the Mama!]

The descendant of my faithful raven patrols the seven hundred and twenty one paces from landing place to amulet, in the hope of guiding brave searchers. He is to be recognised by his red beak and legs. Wizards will supply the knowledgeable with the means of following the raven’s flight over land, using the magical angle of one hundred and twenty one. The landing place has been marked by runic stones.

 

Colorado 300

 

As a noob, along with a total lack of anything that could be described as a manual, I can't figure out how to follow an angle (bearing?) or how to travel a set distance.

 

Despite finding the start point of GCKPKV & then setting it as a waypoint, I couldn't figure out how to find a bearing (walking around slowly gave me everything except 121°) & I couldn't figure out how to set the distance travelled.

 

Any hints & tips please?

[+StarBrand]

Look in the manual under projecting a waypoint.

 

or

 

 

Use FizzyCalc: http://www.fizzymagic.net/Geocaching/FizzyCalc/index.html to get the point you need to head to.

[+Not the Mama!]

Thanks, there's no manual to speak of.

 

As far as I can tell & doing a bit of Googling, I can't project a waypoint using the Colorado.

 

Please someone tell me I'm wrong?

[+StarBrand]

Thanks, there's no manual to speak of.

 

As far as I can tell & doing a bit of Googling, I can't project a waypoint using the Colorado.

 

Please someone tell me I'm wrong?

From the compass screen - select options - sight-n-go - lock direction - project waypoint

[+Night Stalker]

I have done this without being able to project a waypoint. If you keep that waypoint and walk away from it you will get your distance from that spot. One of the screens on my GPS gave me a heading back to the marked waypoint, so if you subtract your new heading from 360 degrees that will give you the heading you should see back. This sound complicated, but I was able to get within 20 feet of the final leg without having a unit that would project a waypoint.

[+briansnat]

Moving to appropriate forum

[+TakeTheLongWay]

I think what night stalker is referring to is a back azimuth.

 

And if so thats not how you do it (or perhaps I'm misinterpreting how he explained it).

 

A back azimuth is the exact reverse of the heading you wish to go in. In other words (as in your example) you need to go a certain distance in a 120deg heading. So:

 

1. Since your heading is 120deg you add 180 to this to get a back azimuth of 300deg. (also you subtract 180 if actual heading is over 180deg)

 

2. Your distance to site is 721m

 

3. Keep the goto on the gps to your starting point.

 

4. Walk around until you see a heading on the GPS to the starting point of around 300deg.

 

5. Keep going out until you reach 721m (or .44mi) If you go off course a little on the way there just move around a little bit in the general area until the compass screen shows 721m (.44mi and a 300deg heading to your starting point.

 

or as suggested figure out how to project a waypoint on the GPS, I would expect that a high end unit like the Colorado can do this by itself.

 

Edit..

Edited February 13, 2008 by Limhi

[gps_dr]

Thanks, there's no manual to speak of.

 

As far as I can tell & doing a bit of Googling, I can't project a waypoint using the Colorado.

 

Please someone tell me I'm wrong?

If you know the angle & don't want to use the GPS based compass....

1. Move Cursor
   
2. Press <OK>
   
3. Press <Options>
   
4. select <Project>
   
5. Press <OK>
   
6. Enter desired info (You can use cursor pad to move to digit to change.)
   

Like any good computer, there's more than one way to get a task done.

[+apersson850]

A rough estimate of distance here is 396.55 meters. A normal pace is about .55m, (based on a average pace count of about 55 paces per 100m).

Ehmm...

If a pace is 0.55 meters, then 100/0.55 = 182 paces/100 meters.

[+TakeTheLongWay]

Your right.

I just noticed that..i did my math wrong.

 

I edited the post to be right.

 

Good pickup.

 

geez... I should know better I taught this stuff for 2 years as a PLDC (now WLC) instructor

 

ok...edit version 3 to my initial post..

 

I did the new calculations and came up with .82 mi (1.31km), which seemed like a really long way for geocahing bearing step.

 

So apon further research on that exact cache, the cache hint reads "use meters for paces"...LOL

 

So all that work and rework and the initial 172 is in meters not paces really..

 

I personally don't like that write up. I know without looking at the hint I (and I think most other familiar with land nav / orienteering would go by their 100m pace count.

 

Also further thinking. The cache page never mentions exactly what north to use? (true,grid or magnetic)

Edited February 13, 2008 by Limhi

[+Not the Mama!]

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate the advice.

 

GPS & caching is very new to me & I have no other experience to draw-on, e.g. Orienteering. I have RTFM, but the manual is nothing more than a Quick start.

 

It's another lovely day here on the Island, so I may try that one again.

 

One thing I was finding odd standing at the "landing place" was that my compass didn't seem to be accurate. It was pretty well back to front, with the compass showing South where I would have guessed North to be. I was in sight of the coast (South). I recalibrated my compass last night - which may help.

[+Not the Mama!]

From the compass screen - select options - sight-n-go - lock direction - project waypoint

 

Ahh! Thank you!! Did you find that in a manual?

[+apersson850]

Pressing the left soft button actually gives you a choice to project a waypoint from several places, like when handling waypoints and so on.

[+Not the Mama!]

Pressing the left soft button actually gives you a choice to project a waypoint from several places, like when handling waypoints and so on.

 

That's where I was looking, but there's nothing under Waypoint Manager or Mark Waypoint.