Compass Vs Electronic Compass

[+circa76]

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the compass in a GPSr and the electronic compass? For instance. When I look at the manual for the Magellan eXplorist 500 it shows a compass, however I know it does not have the electronic compass that the 600 does or so I have been lead to believe. This seems like a silly question to me. But I can't find anything on it.

 

Thanks,

Phill

[+Alan2]

GPS's without electronic compasses compute the direction by your movement. It knows where you just were and where you are now so it calculates the direction to the cache.

 

GPS's with on-board compasses know while you are standing still because it's sensing magnetic north like a regular compass.

 

Edit: I'm refering to GPS's in general. I don't know anything about the Explorist in particular or the differences betwen the 500 and 600..

Edited April 13, 2005 by Alan2

[+circa76]

Thanks a lot. I didnt know if there was a compass in there but it was a different technology to display it or if it was just a mistake in the book. But it is good to know it tracks you that way. Still have yet to make my purchase, Looking at the Garmin GPSMAP 60C. Multi-use will use it in car for turn-by-turn and some Geocaching. I can't wait.

[+Xangxa]

Some of the Magellans have "NorthFinder" for their compasses. I don't know about the explorists, but the lower end Meridians use this. It shows a picture of the sun and an icon of the GOTO outside the rose. You rotate the GPS until the sun icon is pointing to the sun, and now North is pointing north, and the GOTO icon shows the bearing to your destination. At night it will be a moon icon. At dusk it shows nothing (grrrr) I wish it would let me decide when it's too dark!

 

I recommend that you always take a physical compass with you. I got funny looks from the Wal-Mart cashier when I was buying 4 of them but I'd found some nice Silva Guides for only $6 and now the whole family has their own.

 

Besides the contingency benefit, a physical compass is less obtrusive in a muggle filled area. I slip the GPS into my cargo shorts pockets and use the compass to follow the bearing. Of course the new Explorists are pretty small, so that moot for you, but I've got a gigantic Meridian Gold that I can't even pretend is a cell phone

[+geospyder]

I don't have to pretend it's a phone, I talk to my Magellan Meridian Platinum all the time. Can't repeat what I say at times because of mixed audiences One of these days I'm going to read the manual.

 

On the serious side, I love the electronic compass in my Magellan, but as a backup I do keep an old fashion compass clipped to my geopack.

Edited April 25, 2005 by Spyder13

[+Greenjeens]

Concerning the Garmin 60cs, which I love and not being the most frequent or sophisticated GPSr user...

 

I had the compass set on without knowing and took it out for a 20 mile trek, without the manual. Tried everything to turn the compass off, since the batteries would be drained before the end of my trip. Well, after getting back home I found the solution...hold down the "PAGE" button. Not an intuitive UI manipulation and not easy to guess.

 

Another mistake I made was getting all these wierd compass readings. Finally realized the electronic compass needs to be held level. Apparently a later software update (I don't remember seeing this when brand new) has added "HOLD" and "LEVEL" to the compass screen.

 

I'mnot a real expert with either so I usually carry both...

A manual compass won't run out of batteries or crash, though it can crush. A standard compass is also handy for using on a paper map. Map and compass is a reliable backup to a GPSr.

Getting the paper map aligned properly with the real world features is very helpful to those of us who have trouble picturing the world 3 dimesionaly within our minds eye.

 

A huge paper map aligned accurately with true/Mag North, gives a much better "Big Picture" representation of ones course, position and surrounding elevations than smaller GPSr screens, IMO.

 

A lensatic type compass is a cheap, small and handy device for sighting a distant point of reference and shooting a bearing. Also usueful for that final 50-100 feet to the cache where overhead trees may block a GPS signal, especially helpful when the cache distance and direction is taken from several different approaches. One can site a point where GPSr several bearings converge at some feature on the ground.

 

FYI: I also use the battery saver mode. Forgot the potential limitaions that might be created, but seems to work fine and sure makes the batteries last a long time.

 

-

Greenjeens

Edited April 25, 2005 by Greenjeens