How too Navigate with our GPS

[Out Door Lovers]

We have the Garmin Vista and it has the WAAS on.

so when we look for a Cache do we turn it off?

what numbers do we use?

example

Use waypoint GC3EC1

or convert too nad27 or utm?

or go by the long number (wgs-84)?

[+Hawk-eye]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Out Door Lovers:

We have the Garmin Vista and it has the WAAS on.

so when we look for a Cache do we turn it off?

---

Not necessarily ... WAAS ... can give you that extra accuracy (depending on some variables), but it does consume more juice. Choice is up to you. I usually just leave mine on.

quote:

---

what numbers do we use?

example

Use waypoint GC3EC1

or convert too nad27 or utm?

or go by the long number (wgs-84)?

---

 

Simple answer ... set GPS to WGS-84 and input the coordinates directly from the cache page ... the waypoint number is a site based reference number. What you need to work with is the Long/Lat. number and it is listed on the page in WGS-84 ... you can convert it to NAD27 on the page ... but make sure your GPS is set to that as well. You will need to make sure in the setup page that your GPS is set to XX degrees XX.xxx Minutes (Decimal minutes) ... just for ease of use.

 

Hope this helps and welcome to the "adventure"

 

[+Hawk-eye]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Out Door Lovers:

We have the Garmin Vista and it has the WAAS on.

so when we look for a Cache do we turn it off?

---

Not necessarily ... WAAS ... can give you that extra accuracy (depending on some variables), but it does consume more juice. Choice is up to you. I usually just leave mine on.

quote:

---

what numbers do we use?

example

Use waypoint GC3EC1

or convert too nad27 or utm?

or go by the long number (wgs-84)?

---

 

Simple answer ... set GPS to WGS-84 and input the coordinates directly from the cache page ... the waypoint number is a site based reference number. What you need to work with is the Long/Lat. number and it is listed on the page in WGS-84 ... you can convert it to NAD27 on the page ... but make sure your GPS is set to that as well. You will need to make sure in the setup page that your GPS is set to XX degrees XX.xxx Minutes (Decimal minutes) ... just for ease of use.

 

Hope this helps and welcome to the "adventure"

 

[+jeremyp]

Think of WGS84, NAD27 etc as being coordinate systems (officially they are "datums"). WGS84 is a World Wide standard for where the prime meridian is (0 longitude), where the equator is and what shape the Earth is. All of the positions in Geocaching are given with respect to WGS84. However, if you are using a map it might use a different datum for historical reasons. For example, here in the UK, the best hiking maps are issued by the Ordnance Survey and they use a datum called OSGB36. In order for the coordinates of a position on the map to correspond to the coordinates as shown by the GPS, I have to change the GPS's datum to OSGB36 and it will make the necessary corrections.

 

There is an in depth discussion of all this here:

 

http://www.gps.gov.uk/guidecontents.asp

 

It's well worth reading.

 

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jeremyp

We're going to need a bigger boat!