+BevCrusherMD Posted February 10, 2004 Share Posted February 10, 2004 I live in the USA and I am going to Australia at the beginning of March. I'd like to do some caching while I'm there, but I'm not sure how to set up my GPSr. I have a Magellan 320. Do I keep it set at magnetic North? When I get there, do I initalize it and will it then be set for using Southern Coordinates? Quote Link to comment
Neo_Geo Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 (edited) How truly exciting!!! Sounds like a lot of fun. The magnetic variation in Australia ranges from between 0° and 13° East. Sydney's variation is 12.3° East, and Perth is 0.6° East. It's difficult to find much specific information about Australia's magnetic variation. My advice: set it for True North - unless you'll be doing any activities tradionally requiring compass navigation (flying, sailing, etc.). If you will be doing any such activities, then the specific magnetic variation information should be available where the equipment is rented. Have a great trip! Edited February 11, 2004 by Neo_Geo Quote Link to comment
Neo_Geo Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 After you get there, when you first turn it on, you may need to tell it that you've moved to a new location. This requires reinitialization of the unit. Page 4 of the manual (page 8 of 78 in Adobe Acrobat's page counter) shows you how. You can download the manual HERE. If you've got a window seat, and you fly on an airline that allows its use, then you could leave it on and track your flight. This would eliminate the need to reinitialize. The list of airlines which allow/do not allow their use is HERE. Quote Link to comment
+BevCrusherMD Posted February 11, 2004 Author Share Posted February 11, 2004 Thanks! I appreciate the information. I can't wait to get there. Its going to be a blast. Add geocaching to the mix and I'm going to be one happy camper. Quote Link to comment
+tjej Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 What a timely thread. I will be going to Oz mid-April thru Jun. Be utilizing a light aircraft most of time, hiking, caching, birding and on and on. My question is using the GPS with a laptop for moving mapping. Any suggestions/recommendation for software (i.e. OZExplorer, ???) and map sources (hopefully for free as in usaphotomaps and the like) Thanks in advance for all input from this very resourceful and helpful group. Quote Link to comment
Neo_Geo Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 I dunno... Microsoft's Terraserver only covers the US. It's gonna be hard to find anything for free. You could get Garmin's MetroGuide Australia as a last resort. If you have access to a scanner, you could scan your own maps into OziExplorer, or GPS TrackMaker. Quote Link to comment
wildman billy Posted February 11, 2004 Share Posted February 11, 2004 You are pretty much out of luck with the free maps. The one option is the Auslig web site which has 1/250,000 images for download. geoscience australia These guys can help also Australian cachers As for setting your GPSr, I would think a quick chat to Wessley would sort it all out. mick Quote Link to comment
Kerry. Posted February 12, 2004 Share Posted February 12, 2004 Nothing to do apart from re-initialize it. Same re-initialize process as if the reciever is re-located more than a few hundred mile. Mapping, now that's certainly going to be different. Connection to a laptop etc, several mapping systems can handle that. Stuff like Oziexplorer works fine and complete 1:250,000 mapping covering all of Oz is around the A$90 mark. If using Oziexplorer then all the map indexing for the 250 thou sheets (~500+ odd map sheets) is already done. Cheers, Kerry. Quote Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.