*** Comparison of GPS Units *** Mon Jan 30 04:41:30 1995 Message : #21448022 From: David Fortner Address : fortner@conan Group : Usenet.rec.backcountry Subject : Re: GPS Org. : IDS World Network Internet Access Service, (800)IDS-1680 D.Messerly (Fishcop@cris.com) wrote: : iggy@home.merit.edu (Glenn Wiltse) wrote: : I tested the Eagle Accu Nav and the Trailblazer side by side for several weeks EXTENSIVELY. : I found the Eagle: : Faster to lock on. : Entertaining to watch (lotsa different screens, etc.) : Harder to learn. : Eats more batteries. : Less accurate. : Downloadable waypoints/paths : The Magellan was: : Slower to lock on (though switching to Auto 2D/3D mode helped) : Much more accurate. : Simple to operate. : Less gadgets to play with. : No download :(. : My recommendation for what it's worth: : Buy the Eagle if you like to analyze your movement and need to precisely (+/-250 yards)follow a path, and like to push buttons. : Buy the Magellan if you may need to show your buddy how to use it. I'll argue with you on the accuracy part, the Magellan is a single channel multiplexing receiver. The Eagle uses the 5 channel Rockwell GPS engine that is current one of the best available. The Eagle will track MUCH more accurately under foliage cover and (with S/A active) give about the same in an open sky view. Secondly, I find the Eagle very easy to use. One of my criteria was that anybody one the boat should be able to use it w/o instruction. After I narrowed my choice down to two units (Garmin 75 and the Eagle AccuNav Sport), I took my wife to the Orlando boat show and had her operate both receivers. She could not figure out the Garmin w/o instruction, she easily breezed through all of the primary functions of the Eagle. Lastly, this is a fishing group, the Magellan is not waterproof, the Eagle is. Dave Fortner fortner@conan.ids.net (David Fortner) Mon Jan 16 20:10:53 1995 Message : #20909662 From: Chris Address : hugo@rt66.com Group : Usenet.rec.backcountry Subject : Re: GPS: Have you used one? Org. : Engineering International Inc., Public Internet Access In article <1995Jan13.235854.1@ceri.memst.edu>, rond@ceri.memst.edu wrote: > In article <3f60l7$4gl@newsbf02.news.aol.com>, outdoorny@aol.com (OutdoorNY) writes: > > Hi folks; I am an avid map and compass user. I enjoy using map & compass for off trail navigation, in the Adirondacks and Northeast. I am aware of the controversies about GPS and leaving good map and compass skills at home. I'm looking for people who have used either the Magellan trailblazer GPS or the Garmin GPS. Has anyone used both? I'm interested in ease of use, how long did the batteries last? what kind of condiditons did you use the GPS in? Thanks for any and all of your help. Have a good day. Steve Hi: My name is Chris, and I use a Garmin GPS 45 and/or Magellan trailblazer about 4 times a month for search and rescue work. I personally own the Garmin, and the team has a couple of Magellans. As a member of a mountain rescue team, I have used them both in just about every condition, and they both function just fine as long as you keep them warm enough for the LCD screens to work. I prefer the Garmin to the Magellan. It is smaller, lighter, and has a longer battery life (about a 1/3 longer in my unscientific estimate). They are both easy to use with pretty straight forward menuing systems. The Magellan usually acquires the satellites a little faster if that is important to you. One feature I like about the Garmin is that it attempts to tell you how accurate it is at any given time. In other words, it will say that it believes its location to be accurate withim +/- 78 feet, for both horizontal and vertical measurements. The Magellan attempts to give you this information, but not as clearly, and not at all for the altitude measurements. One comment I would make about any GPS is that they are hard to use while you are traveling along a trail in the woods. Your body will block up to half of the signals, and depending on how the sattelites are oriented at that time, you may not be able to use the GPS unless you carry it on top of your head, or hold it out in front of you as you walk. For this reason, I would say that they are great if you turn them on when needed to call in a helicopter or something, but they are awkward at best to use as a direction finder. Sincerely, Chris Taken from MIND LINK! on Sun Feb 5 07:14:36 1995 Sat Feb 4 20:13:08 1995 Message : #21699031 From: warrenc Address : warrenc@bga.com Group : Usenet.rec.backcountry Subject : Re: GPSex Org. : Your Organization In article , jgauvin@ncr-mpd.FtCollins.NCR.COM (Jeff Gauvin) says: >>>FYI - In general, GPS units designed for Nautical purposes are not suitable for backcountry use, and vice versa (though there may be a few exceptions). Not only are the types of measurements and units different for the two >>>applications, but sattelite availability is different. In a nautical >>>environment, sattelites are never obstructed by trees, mountains, etc. and a receiver often has the luxury of picking from a large number of visible sattelites, both near the horizon and overhead to improve accuracy. In the woods, a receiver must be able to use whatever is available (usually overhead) and track weak signals, even though they may be interrupted periodically. This is why companies like Trimble Navigation manufacture a wide variety of instruments, each targeted at a specific market segment. Well, not exactly. There are two main differences which distinguish models suitable for marine use from those better suited to land use. 1. People using them on the water, particularly saltwater, require a degree of resistance to the elements which people wandering about on the land do not. 2. The software requirements are different. A marine user might typically desire a higher number of waypoints than a land user, since he/she might want to keep their favorite area destinations stored for creating routes. There are other differences, but I shan't elaborate on them - I think the point is clear. I suspect between comparable models in the same line, like the Magellan Meridian and Trailblazer, the receiver sections are identical. Give Trimble a call (800-959-9567). Ask them for a copy of their application note "Selecting a Handheld GPS Receiver for Land Based Applications." This is the source of my information. Get a copy of "GPS - A Guide to the Next Utility" while you're at it (also from Trimble). You are correct in that the GPS receiver core _hardware_ may be common across product lines, with primary differences being in the software. But remember, the S/W not only makes measurements, but also controls the core (which includes tracking sattelites, choosing between available sattelites, switching constellations, reacquiring sattelites after interruptions, etc.) For example: A land GPS unit may never use sattelites near the horizon (even if they are visible) because they are easily obstructed; a marine receiver might purposely pick sattelites low on the horizon to minimize "Geometric Dilution of Precision." Finally, to the user does it matter whether it is the H/W or the S/W that's different between a marine or land GPS unit? My point (and I think you agreed with me) was that marine GPS units are probably not suitable for land use and vice versa There _is_ more to it than a water-proof case and a readout in nautical miles. Jeff Gauvin jgauvin@ncr-mpd.ftcollins.ncr.com voice: 719-573-3563 Wed Feb 15 01:34:43 1995 Message : #22129874 From: Glenn Wiltse Address : iggy@home.merit.edu Group : Usenet.rec.backcountry Subject : Re: GPS Org. : Merit Network, Inc. Yeah, I just looked at that yesterday. I know nothing about that magazine in general, but based on there comments about the Eagle, I'd have to take everything else they said with a grain of salt. I'm not arguing that the Garmin 75 is a bad unit, or even that it's not the best for the money. I do however have a problem with there comments about the Eagle. They essentialy said that because of the size of the patch style antena, it wasn't worth considering. Well I may be biased since I recently purchased the Eagle and I hate to think I could have had a much better unit for not much more money. However I think it's rediculus to rule out the Eagle from any serious consideration becasue of the size of the antena(which by the way is about 2"x2"x.25" and it doubles as a protective sheild for the screen). They gave more information about the Magelen Trail Blazer then they did the Eagle, and I know from experiance that the Eagle is 10 times better then the Trail Blazer. So I'm not sure the Skipper's opion is worth all that much. In article , Don Bartlett wrote: In a previous posting, Dan Sterio (Dan_Sterio@magic.ca) writes: Check the latest Skipper Marine Electronics catalog - they don't think much of the Eagle Accusport. In fact they feel the Garmin 75- The world's best selling GPS, is head and shoulders above most. Dan_Sterio@magic.ca I would second that! Don Bartlett, ae374@freenet.carleton.ca -------------------------------