+fosterbass Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 I am very close to buying a Rino 120, but noticed that it lacks the electronic compass and barometer that the eTrex Summit and Vista have. How important are these? I am not a climber, but I will use it a lot on my bike, so I would like to be able to see my altitude, but I don't really need it to be exact. I'll use it primarily for geocaching, but also to keep in the car so I don't get lost as often. I was told that without the electronic compass, I need to be moving to know which way is north. Does that mean I need to take a few steps, or do I really need to be moving? Thanks. Quote Link to comment
+Stunod Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 A few steps will give you the direction. The GPS calculated altitude is usually good enough. "Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand." Quote Link to comment
+CCrew Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 I live by the compass in my Vista. You can keep the basemap, and the barometer, as I really don't care about the altitude, but the compass will put you right on a cache. I looked at the Rino's, and had to ask myself: Do I use an FRS radio when caching?? Never, as my family is always with me, and even if I did, I have 4 Motorola FRS's sitting here. So I bought a Vista. Sometimes a majority only means that all the fools are on the same side Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 I've not had an electronic compass in my GPS V and I don't miss it. A friend though got used to having it and liked the compass. What it did was let him stand still and still see which way to go. Where I have to take a few steps to ensure my pointer is accurate. The Baromiter though...Not sure who would need or want it though it's a fun toy. Wherever you go there you are. Quote Link to comment
+Team Cottengim Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 From what I have seen in the eTrex and Meridian Platinum, I will continue t carry my Silva Ranger compass with me all the time. I can stand in one spot and take a bearing to the cache anytime I want. I don't have to be moving nor do I have to calibrate the GPS unit's compass. Sometimes you just can't improve on something. Team Cottengim Quote Link to comment
Alphawolf Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 save the money and get a $10 Brunton or Silva compass. It'll be just as accurate(or more so) and never needs batteries or calibration. A barometer? What for? If it says something different than you expected, are you going to climb a tree or dig a hole to change it? The GPSR will tell you your altitude close enough to satisfy your curiosoty, and that's all the elevation is about is curiosity anyway. I've sold too many of these things to too many people who seldom use the barometer after the first few months when they are done playing with it. "Never take a sunset for granted. Stop what you are doing and enjoy it. You never know when it may be your last" Quote Link to comment
+Alan2 Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 I have a Vista and never use my regular compass in my pocket - often don't take it with me. Having a digital compass on board the Vista allows me to use one unit and not have to keep switching hands. Of course it's what I got use to from the begining so it might not matter to you. ANother point to keep in mind is the Vista has 24 megs of memory vs. 8 for the 120 for loading more maps, Vista is physically smaller, etc. Of course the Rino has a radio built in that might be important to you rather than having separate radio s and GPS's Your call. Good luck Alan Quote Link to comment
MojoCacher Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 Got a good compass $15, Got a compass on my Meriplat, both say the same thing give or take a degree. I will not go in the woods without a compass, unless I have been to a particular section many times many times. I have been saved by the "Panic Azimuth" the direction one needs to walk to reach safety if one gets lost. This happens even to the most experienced and 2 days in the woods will kill your batteries and maybe an extra set, DO NOT RELIE ONLY on your electronic GPS. The compass is a good option but I sugest a compass for adventuring in strange woods. Mojocacher Quote Link to comment
+Cymbaline Posted January 2, 2003 Share Posted January 2, 2003 Get what you feel comfortable with. Or what you feel you need/want. Or can afford. Barometer/Altimeter? Um. No. I have a watch (casio) that will do that, but I don't use it for geocaching normally. For geocaching, I *do* own a Rino 110, but I also carry a $20 Silva compass. I occasionally wear the casio, but only to make fun of it. Doesn't really matter IMHO when you're caching. Bottom line: don't spend outside your means, but get what you are looking for. For basic geocaching all you really need is A) GPS unit that locks on to more than 3 sat's and a compass. And by "basic" I mean "find at least 75% of the caches in your area", not counting terrain. Cost: $50-200, including compass. Did I mention BUY A COMPASS? Yeah. Spend $10-20 and be glad you did. Quote Link to comment
+Stunod Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 I have a Meriplat with the electronic compass, but I think I will be picking up an "old school" compass soon. Was caching a couple of days ago too close to overhead powerlines and the electronic compass didn't help at all... "Just because I don't care doesn't mean I don't understand." Quote Link to comment
+TeamJiffy Posted January 3, 2003 Share Posted January 3, 2003 I love the electronic compass on our Vista, but having said that, I would never consider relying on just that. If I need a compass where I am going, I bring a "real" compass along with me. I'll use the Vista, but I just won't allow myself to be without the real thing. I was about to write "You'll never find me in the woods without my compass" but I realized how silly that read... Quote Link to comment
DARC Posted January 4, 2003 Share Posted January 4, 2003 While caching, I always enable the compas. It means one less thing to hold in my hand or hang around my neck. The baro I have no use for. The new GPS calculated altitude seems more effective then the preasure reading and doesn't involve calibration from known sources. Quote Link to comment
+Alan2 Posted January 6, 2003 Share Posted January 6, 2003 I'm not an expert at this but I seem to recall jfitzpat saying he uses this on hiking and camping when out for extended periods. Since the reading is barometric, it can forewarn approaching storms which could be life saving in the mountains especially where the weather can change very rapidly. ALan Quote Link to comment
+apersson850 Posted January 7, 2003 Share Posted January 7, 2003 I like the altimeter for the elevation profile it can plot. That could be done with the GPS altitude as well, but I don't think the units that don't have a barometric altimeter has this function. The magnetic compass is great when you are looking for a certain position, like when searching for a cache. Let the unit lie down on a rock or something, and just watch where it's pointing over a few minutes. Tends to even out errors in positioning a little, so it may give you an idea of where the cache really is. I usually let the Vista stay put like this, while I go looking at possible places, returning now and then to see if the distance and bearing is consistent. Anders Quote Link to comment
+Poindexter Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Stunod:I have a Meriplat with the electronic compass, but I think I will be picking up an "old school" compass soon. Was caching a couple of days ago too close to overhead powerlines and the electronic compass didn't help at all... Being too close to ferrous metals as well as power lines will cause the same deviation in your "old school" compass just as it does in your electronic compass. This is caused by distortion of the local magnetic flux lines, not from interference to your electronic compass. Still a good idea to have an "old school" compass with you though. Poindexter Quote Link to comment
+evergreenhiker! Posted January 8, 2003 Share Posted January 8, 2003 Mine is the etrex Summit. I'm an avid hiker so I use the altimeter a lot. It's quite accurate if you calibrate at known elevations. The compass is useful, but I still prefer to use my regular compass as it's easier to get a bearing with that. The altimeter is nice if you lose the trail in snow like we did one year hiking to Merrit Lake off Highway 2 just past Stevens Pass a few miles. We had a good map and knew the lake's elevation which is 5003 by the way. My hiking partner's Suunto Altimeter watch and my gps's altimeter were within a few feet of each other and we were able to determine the direction we needed to go. Quote Link to comment
+apersson850 Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 quote:Originally posted by evergreenhiker!:The altimeter is nice if you lose the trail in snow like we did one year hiking to Merrit Lake off Highway 2 just past Stevens Pass a few miles. We had a good map and knew the lake's elevation which is 5003 by the way. My hiking partner's Suunto Altimeter watch and my gps's altimeter were within a few feet of each other and we were able to determine the direction we needed to go. This is something I can't understand. Why do you have to rely on altimeter information to figure out where you are, when the altimeter is built into a GPS unit, which - as I'm sure you know - will tell you where you are?? The GPS will even tell you in which direction to go, assuming that you know your target. If you don't, well, you're like Alice in the Wonderland. Anders Quote Link to comment
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