Bearing to next waypoint

[+Cadiz Big Dogs]

I use the Garmin 76CSx and want to identify the bearing and distance in feet between two waypoints that are about two miles apart. I want the bearing relative to True North. I have City Navigator maps loaded. Can anyone tell me how to do this in the field?

[+BaldEd]

To find the bearing and distance between two waypoints in the field with a Garmin 76CSX.

 

1. Load both waypoints (WPT1 and WPT2) into your gps.

2. Change the heading reference to True (Menu>Menu>Setup>Heading - North Reference = True)

3. Change the units to Statute (Menu>Menu>Setup>Units - Distance/Speed = Statute)

4. Press FIND. Select Waypoints. From the list displayed select your WPT1.

5. Press MAP. (The map will appear with the cursor pointing to it).

6. Press FIND. Select Waypoints and then scroll down to your WPT2. The true bearing and distance from WPT1 to WPT2 will appear in the box at the bottom of the screen.

 

The distance will be in miles + hundredths of a mile. You will need to convert to feet (5280ft = 1 statute mile) as the 76CSX has no setting for measuring in feet.

 

If you want more accuracy out in the field then use metric and convert to feet afterwards, however this will still give a +- 10m/33ft error. Else for greater accuracy, use a program like Navigate v3.2 (http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/navigate/index.html) on your Palm PDA. A good program for your PC is Fizzycalc.

Edited March 11, 2008 by BaldEd

[+Cadiz Big Dogs]

To find the bearing and distance between two waypoints in the field with a Garmin 76CSX.

 

1. Load both waypoints (WPT1 and WPT2) into your gps.

2. Change the heading reference to True (Menu>Menu>Setup>Heading - North Reference = True)

3. Change the units to Statute (Menu>Menu>Setup>Units - Distance/Speed = Statute)

4. Press FIND. Select Waypoints. From the list displayed select your WPT1.

5. Press MAP. (The map will appear with the cursor pointing to it).

6. Press FIND. Select Waypoints and then scroll down to your WPT2. The true bearing and distance from WPT1 to WPT2 will appear in the box at the bottom of the screen.

 

The distance will be in miles + hundredths of a mile. You will need to convert to feet (5280ft = 1 statute mile) as the 76CSX has no setting for measuring in feet.

 

If you want more accuracy out in the field then use metric and convert to feet afterwards, however this will still give a +- 10m/33ft error. Else for greater accuracy, use a program like Navigate v3.2 (http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/navigate/index.html) on your Palm PDA. A good program for your PC is Fizzycalc.

[+Cadiz Big Dogs]

To find the bearing and distance between two waypoints in the field with a Garmin 76CSX.

 

1. Load both waypoints (WPT1 and WPT2) into your gps.

2. Change the heading reference to True (Menu>Menu>Setup>Heading - North Reference = True)

3. Change the units to Statute (Menu>Menu>Setup>Units - Distance/Speed = Statute)

4. Press FIND. Select Waypoints. From the list displayed select your WPT1.

5. Press MAP. (The map will appear with the cursor pointing to it).

6. Press FIND. Select Waypoints and then scroll down to your WPT2. The true bearing and distance from WPT1 to WPT2 will appear in the box at the bottom of the screen.

 

The distance will be in miles + hundredths of a mile. You will need to convert to feet (5280ft = 1 statute mile) as the 76CSX has no setting for measuring in feet.

 

If you want more accuracy out in the field then use metric and convert to feet afterwards, however this will still give a +- 10m/33ft error. Else for greater accuracy, use a program like Navigate v3.2 (http://fermi.jhuapl.edu/navigate/index.html) on your Palm PDA. A good program for your PC is Fizzycalc.

 

Thanks for the answer, but I am still trying to find out how to determine the exact bearing in degrees, rather than the general bearing, such as N, NE, etc. I have the fizzy calc, but want to be able to do the determination in the field on the GPSr, since I want to have someone project a waypoint based on the relationship between two other waypoints. Thanks again for your reply.

[+kenk]

I use the Garmin 76CSx and want to identify the bearing and distance in feet between two waypoints that are about two miles apart. I want the bearing relative to True North. I have City Navigator maps loaded. Can anyone tell me how to do this in the field?

 

I have a 60CSx which has the EXACT same software. Its actually pretty simple - all you have to do is create a route - though you'll only get the distance in feet if it is under a fairly small distance - maybe less than 0.1 miles - above that its miles.

 

First, make sure your GPS is set to true north.

 

Press Menu twice to get to and select the Routes icon.

 

Select New.

 

Select <Select Next Point> then the Waypoints icon in order to find and select the first waypoint you want to use, and then select Use. Repeat this process for the second waypoint.

 

Now instead of pressing Navigate, scroll up to highlight waypoint #2. The fields at the bottom of the screen will show leg information. Mine showed leg distance and the direction arrow, but they both can be modified by Pressing the Menu button and then Change Data Fields. I made them so that one shows the Leg Distance (in feet or miles depending on distance) and the other shows the Leg Course (in degrees).

[+hogrod]

I am still trying to find out how to determine the exact bearing in degrees, rather than the general bearing, such as N, NE, etc.

 

If I'm not mistaken the default setting in these garmin units is to use cardinal letters not degrees for data fields. You can change this setting here: main menu, setup, heading. now set the display to degrees instead of cardinal letters.

Edited March 15, 2008 by hogrod