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Saturday, February 23, 2008

Garmin 12XL


I bough Garmin 12XL around 11 years ago, this is one of my favorite vintage GPS. At year 2000, I bough the high end version of 12 series; Garmin 12MAP, its look so “hi tech” at that time, and then I realized that a gps map is not available in my country. However, I still like my 12XL and still used it for backup gps. Even though Garmin has stop the production of 12xl couple years ago, I still find some shops selling this GPS with price ranging from US$ 150 up to US$ 180.

The GPS 12XL is all about performance. It features a 12 parallel channel receiver for fast satellite aquisition and tight satellite lock — even under tree cover. More than just an ultra-reliable receiver, the GPS 12XL is loaded with navigation information including 106 map datums and 7 grid formats, plus advanced orienteering features like user datum/UTM/and user grid formats to define your own map parameters. Store your position as one of 500 waypoints or add it to any of 20 routes. The proximity waypoint feature gives advanced warning of nearby hazards, while the position averaging function helps get the best fix possible.

Packed in a rugged case to handle tough conditions, the GPS 12XL uses an ergonomic rocker keypad for easy one-hand operation and features a user-friendly operating system to keep you on the move instead of pushing buttons. Four AA batteries provide up to 24 hours of use, and a variety of accessories can be added like an external antenna and mounting bracket. With the GPS 12XL, getting there won't be half the battle — it'll be half the fun.

Together with my Garmin 75, Magellan 5000 and Garmin 45xl; 12XL and 12MAP become my vintage GPS collection.

Garmin Etrex Legend



Garmin Etrex Legend is a real GPS Legend manufactured by Garmin, it is not by its sophisticated capability or its huge screen or its precision, Etrex become a real “legend”; because of its compact size, integrated antenna, color screen, and the important thing is cheap price. The line up starting from Etrex Legend with back and screen around 7 years ago (and still in production) and today with full colour screen Legend HCx. With the Legend Cx, Garmin has updated a much-loved device with expandable memory on a microSD card so you can load optional map data for your hiking, hunting, and other outdoor excursions. Add to that a bright, full-color TFT display, automatic routing, and long, 36-hour battery life, and you've got a great companion for your next outdoor or boating adventure.

You can use the Legend Cx's memory card slot with preprogrammed microSD cards from Garmin (sold separately) that provide topographic maps, city streets, and nautical charts. In fact, the unit is compatible with most Garmin MapSource products, including BlueChart, City Navigator, U.S. Topo 24K, and U.S. Topo and Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots. The unit comes preloaded with an Americas autoroute basemap that provides automatic routing capabilities, including highways, exits, and tide data. You can even get turn-by-turn directions when you're driving, and an integrated trip computer provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, max speed, and more.

As on all eTrex units, the primary controls are located on the side of the unit, so you can operate it with one hand. An innovative rocker switch on its face makes inputting data easy, and with it you can scroll through menus or pan the map page. Fast USB connectivity makes loading charts and maps quick and easy, while navigation instructions can be shared with repeaters, plotters, and autopilots using NMEA protocols through the dedicated serial port. Additionally, the case is water resistant to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards (can be submerged in one meter of water for 30 minutes).

Another key feature of the Legend Cx is the 10,000-point automatic track log; 20 saved tracks (500 points each) let you retrace your path in both directions. There's also a large-numbers option for easy viewing, as well as a dual-position display mode. Lastly, the unit includes built-in celestial tables for best times to fish and hunt, plus sun and moon calculations.

If you like the features of the Legend Cx but require an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter, check out the Garmin eTrex Vista Cx

Technical Details

  • Receiver: WAAS enabled, 12-parallel-channel GPS
  • Antenna: Built-in GPS patch
  • Interface: USB
  • Map storage: MicroSD card slot
  • Includes card: Yes, blank 32 MB microSD card
  • Base map: Built-in Americas autoroute base map with automatic routing functions with highways, exits, and tide data
  • Waypoints: 500 user waypoints with names and graphic symbols
  • Routes: 20 reversible routes, 50 points per route
  • Tracks: 10,000-point automatic track log; 20 saved tracks (500 points each)
  • Trip computer: Odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, maximum speed, and more
  • Position format: Latitutde/longitude, UTM, Loran TDs, Maidenhead, MGRS, user grid, and more
  • Display type: 256-color, high-resolution, transflective TFT
  • Display size: 1.3 x 1.7 inches (W x H)
  • Display resolution: 176 x 220 pixels
  • Water-resistant: IEC 60529 IPX7 (submersible 1 meter at 30 minutes)
  • Batteries: 2 AA (not included)
  • Battery life: Up to 36 hours
  • Item width: 2.2 inches
  • Item height: 4.2 inches
  • Item depth: 1.2 inches
  • Item weight: 5.6 ounces with batteries

Sunday, February 10, 2008

BASIC NAVIGATION 1: COMPASS TYPES

Although most of my posting are GPS related, I also want to post a basic navigation knowledge. You can use a full feature in your GPS if you know a basic navigation skill. Map and compass is the part of basic navigation, lets start with compass:

A compass, is a navigational instrument for finding directions on the Earth. It consists of a magnetized pointer free to align itself accurately with Earth's magnetic field, which is of great assistance in navigation. The face of the compass generally highlights the cardinal points of north, south, east and west.

Fundamentally, the classic compass is any magnetically sensitive device able to indicate the direction of the magnetic north of a planet's magnetosphere. Often compasses are built as a stand-alone sealed instrument with a magnetized bar or needle turning freely upon a pivot, or floating in a fluid, thus able to point in a northerly and southerly direction

There are various type of compass available in the market, generally, those can be divide to:
- small pocket compass
- liquid filled lensatic compass
- silva’s models orienteering compass
- military prism compass
- geological compass
- other compass




Both of the above compass are very common use by kids or boy scout for their basic navigation knowledge. The pocket compass is very simple with needle always pointed toward north. The lensatic is more precise and acurate, we can read up to 10 or 5 degree bearing acuracy through its lense.



Silva is a brand name of compass manufacturer, however later become a trade mark of orientering compass. It can be very simple like a rectangle plastic with round compass in the midle, up to a quite complicated orientering compass equipped with mirror, ruler, build in loupe, and sometimes with clinometer. The Prism compass premarily used by the military. This is my favorite compass, we can read less than 5 degree bearing through its prism. The liquid inside make the compass easy to stabilize. The ring is use to your thumb position when you are piping through the prism.

Like as Silva, Brunton’s compass is always associated with geological compass, there is some other monufacture produce geological compas i.e. Tamaya, Suntoo; however Brunton brand is the famous one. Geological compass equipped with: mirror, balance plate (some of them not), horizontal nivo, clinometer with nivo to measure rocks bedding strike and dip. Since I am a professional geologist, I’m very familiar with this type of compass.

Compass Reading Tips
- Hold the compass level
- Read the correct end of the needle (this one need more explaination, its depent of type of compass we use, I’ll write in other post)
- Keep the compass away from metal objects or other object that can influence a compass magnetic needle

Friday, February 8, 2008

Favorite GPS

This is a bit out of date, however still relevant. I quote an article from PC magazines written by Molly K. McLaughlin about the Their Favorite GPS. All of the GPS are good if use in a country that already have a good gps map system, probably for US and Europe market only. For the rest of the world, these GPS describe below, would not become a favorite or first choice.

The GPS market is growing by leaps and bounds, with more and more features available beyond basic navigation. Make sure your device has all the right features you need to stay on track plus pack along a few cool extras for the road.

So what exactly makes a GPS device good these days? To start a modern navigator should have a large readable display, a strong receiver, a variety routing options, built-in maps, and a large points of interest (POI) database. One of our favorite bonus features—text to speech—is sure to please. A unit with a text-to-speech engine is able to pronounce street names in addition to providing directional change instructions. And that's just navigation-wise. Multimedia players are a nice addition as long as they're easy to use and there's ample additional storage for your songs, videos and pictures. Bluetooth capabilities are convenient too for making hands-free calls directly from the POI database. And that's why the following devices are our most recent favorites. Some excel by including innovative features, while others find their strength in providing excellent performance, ease of use or a nice price.

The nĂ¼vi 680, the latest in a long line of high quality GPS devices improves on its predecessors by adding a new and exciting technology: location-based services. Garmin has partnered with MSN Direct to offer a variety of information based on your current location such as Traffic, Weather, Gas Prices, and even Movie times. In addition to this important travel info, the nuvi 680 retains all of the features that we love about the nuvi line. You'll find a bright 4.3-inch screen, SiRF Star III GPS receiver, a Bluetooth speakerphone interface, and an MP3 player.

If you're planning on using your GPS outside of the car, but still would like a few travel tools, games, and multimedia features thrown into the mix, the Mio Digiwalker H610 is a good choice. In addition to a standard automobile profile, it also has pedestrian and bicycle modes. Travelers will also enjoy features such as a world clock and a currency converter. Those in need of entertainment will appreciate the full featured audio and video players, photo viewer and selection of games. All this functionality is packed into a deceptively diminutive package. And since the H610 is based on the latest SiRF Star III receiver, and includes a comprehensive POI database, it will get you where you're going with ease.

In the market for something a bit simpler and perhaps more affordable? The Intellinav One features a 3.5-inch nonreflective touch screen with a 20-channel SiRF Star III receiver, preloaded maps for the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, plus a massive POI database. Its multimedia players, however, are fairly basic. Even so, the Intellinav One boasts two hard to come by talents: multi-segment routing and text–to-speech conversion. The latter is a nice convenience where the device is able to pronounce street names in addition to providing basic "turn right, turn left" directions.

Finally, if you seek a GPS for just direction and don't need fancy multimedia features, the Navman F20 is a truly affordable entry-level system (based on the SiRF Star III GPS receiver). Its menu structure and interface couldn't be simpler, with dedicated buttons for Fuel and Parking. Tapping these buttons allows you to find the nearest gas stations or parking lots—both very common POI searches. And unlike many budget GPS devices, the F20 includes complete maps for the United States as well as a POI database preloaded on a 2GB SD card.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Garmin GPSMAP 478



Product Overview.
Garmin GPSMAP 478 has a same physical dimension with GPSMAP 276. The technical ability is almost similar, the features that make the different are: GPSMAP 478 equipped with XM WX weather & Radio (for US area), pre installed marine charts (covering US coastal area) and voice prompts capability. So, we can use the full function of this GPS if we are living in the USA and also have a boat to traveling with. If you only use the GPS mainly in the road and sometimes go to the water, GPSMAP 276C is a better choice and much cheaper (almost US$ 400 cheaper than GPSMAP 478).

Product Description
Go from box to boat to dash with the portable and versatile WAAS enabled, 12 parallel channel Garmin GPSMAP 478 GPS receiver. This combination color chartplotter and land navigator comes preloaded with United States marine charts utilizing elements of the latest BlueChart g2 technology, in addition to detailed street level mapping. With a 3.8-inch diagonal, 480 x 320, 256-color TFT screen with adjustable LED backlight, this navigation system supplies easy to read information to help chart your boating and driving trips. It also offers optional weather and sonar capabilities and gives you the ability to use plug in data cards, so you can instantly add new maps to your GPSMAP 478 without connecting to your computer. Designed for use both on land and in seawater, the GPSMAP 478 is ready to go, right out of the box--no downloads or computer required.

The GPSMAP 478's built in marine charts use the latest BlueChart g2 technology for a smoother, more fluid presentation on your screen, and feature coverage for all U.S. coastal areas, including Alaska and Hawaii. For road trips, this system comes preloaded with City Navigator NT detailed street maps for North America and offers automatic routing with voice guidance to help get you where you're going quickly and easily. The GPSMAP 478 also includes an industry leading database with more than six million points of interest including hotels, restaurants, gas stations, marinas, attractions and more. This system also tracks 10,000 points and the automatic track log saves up to 15 points. For additional flexibility, an included marine mount and automotive kit make it a snap to transfer the unit from boat to car.

With the GPSMAP 478, weather and audio options travel with your plotter, whether you're navigating on land or sea. In fact, this system can display real-time weather information on the high-resolution 256-color sunlight-readable TFT display. To help make sure you're prepared for whatever comes your way, view NEXRAD radar, storm cells, wind speeds, surface temperatures, forecasts and more than a dozen other weather attributes, so you can spend more time enjoying the water and less time worrying about the weather. And with the GXM 30 antenna, you also have the option of receiving XM Satellite Radio's 150 plus channels of commercial-free music, sports, news, talk and entertainment programming.

Technical Specification
Same as GPSMAP 276C, see my previous posting
.