48 Summits GPS Waypoints?

[spaddock]

Is there a place on the web where you can download the waypoints for the summits of the 48?

I've googled it and searched on this site but haven't found anything.


Thanks,
Shayne

 

[bobandgeri]

There is a spreadsheet on Mohamed's site that has coordinates of the NEHH peaks that SherpaK put together.

http://home.earthlink.net/~ellozy/xcel/GPS.xls

 

[spaddock]

Thanks for the quick reply!

On the same subject... Does anybody know where I can buy the "Northeast" version of National Geographic Topo software in the White Mountains area?

I'll be in the area over the next couple of days and would love to pickup a copy while I'm there. When NG ships to Canada they charge an outrageous amount for international shipping + duty, etc.

I see there is an EMS in North Conway... any other outdoor stores that would carry it in case EMS is sold out?

In case it isn't blazingly obvious I haven't been around the area too much, been focussing on the ADK's, but I'm looking forward to my trip!


Kindest regards,
Shayne

 

[bobandgeri]

If you are going to be at EMS or in the area, consider ordering it online with the Quick Pickup option to ensure you get a copy.

 

[DougPaul]

On the same subject... Does anybody know where I can buy the "Northeast" version of National Geographic Topo software in the White Mountains area?

EMS and REI carry it. There is a good chance that IME or Ragged Mtn also have it. And other outdoor shops, particularly if they carry GPSes, would be worth checking.

Doug

 

[Whiteman]

Topo Maps from ebay

ebay can be a great place for stuff like this too. It's where I got my set.

 

[spaddock]

Thanks guys,

The waypoints came in super handy for our hike on Saturday.

I was able to pickup the software at the EMS in North Conway. That was the fanciest store front for an EMS store I've ever seen.

Happy New Year.


-Shayne

 

[GlennS]

Be aware that the Topo software does not support USB connections out of the box. I have a Garmin Vista C and found that I had to purchase the Streets and 3D Views expansion pack to enable USB support.

 

[MichaelJ]

There is a spreadsheet on Mohamed's site that has coordinates of the NEHH peaks that SherpaK put together.

I *think* this list is in NAD83 datum, since if I enter one of these points using the '27 datum they look wrong, and with '83 they look right. As always, confirm your points on a PC first using mapping software before sticking them into a GPS.

The Owl's Head point is for the geographic feature at the southern end of that mountain, not the summit or the supposed summit or anything like that.

 

[DougPaul]

I *think* this list is in NAD83 datum, since if I enter one of these points using the '27 datum they look wrong, and with '83 they look right.

GPS runs on WGS84, which I suspect is more likely. But no problem for hikers--WGS84 and NAD83 differ by about a meter. (IIRC, NAD83 is primarily used for nautical purposes.)

OTOH, WSG84 differs from NAD27 by ~230 meters in the Whites.

General info: older USGS topos are NAD27 (North American Datum 1927), some of the newer ones are WGS84 (World Geodetic System 1984).

All sets of coordinates should include a datum...

Doug

 

[spaddock]

GPS runs on WGS84, which I suspect is more likely. But no problem for hikers--WGS84 and NAD83 differ by about a meter.

I used those waypoints last Saturday and they were pretty accurate. My GPS was set to WGS84. I guess they could have been a meter off though, I don't even use WAAS.


-Shayne

 

[DougPaul]

I used those waypoints last Saturday and they were pretty accurate. My GPS was set to WGS84. I guess they could have been a meter off though, I don't even use WAAS.

WAAS only reduces the EPE to ~5 meters. Not enough to resolve the meter difference. (IMO, WAAS isn't of much use for hikers.)

Doug

 

[spaddock]

WAAS only reduces the EPE to ~5 meters. Not enough to resolve the meter difference. (IMO, WAAS isn't of much use for hikers.)

I find it's only of use for hikers who like to go through more batteries!

Plus isn't the WAAS system land based, and the mountains don't handle that well?


-Shayne

 

[SAR-EMT40]

IPlus isn't the WAAS system land based, and the mountains don't handle that well?-Shayne

Not exactly. Signals from the satellites are received at precisely surveyed land sites and any error is corrected and uploaded from the sites to the satellites. The corrections are then broadcast with the GPS signal from the satellite.

Keith

 

[DougPaul]

Plus isn't the WAAS system land based, and the mountains don't handle that well?

Not exactly.

WAAS = Wide area augmentation service

GPS satellite signals are received at a number of CORS (continuously operating reference stations) and errors in the signals are determined. Corrections for these errors are uplinked to several geostationary satellites and then rebroadcast as WAAS signals. Your GPS receiver uses this correction info to compute a more accurate location.

(For the technically inclined, it is a form of DGPS.)

The WAAS system was designed to help aircraft determine the reliability of GPS signals and to provide more accuracy for landing approaches.

Problems for mountain use:
1. You must be able to receive a WAAS satellite. They are over the equator and thus low on the southern horizon. (One US WAAS satellite is over the Atlantic, the other is over the Pacific.) In the hills and vegetation, the signals are likely to be blocked.
2. WAAS corrections do not cover multipath errors--a major problem in the hills.
3. Improved accuracy from 10 meters EPE to 5 meters EPS is rarely important to a hiker.
4. Decreased battery life.

WAAS requires one to be relatively close to one of the CORS stations for the corrections to be of any use. Thus it is only helpful over or near land. (The CORS stations are (surprise!) only located on land.) Boats and aircraft generally have good satellite visibility with minimal multipath so it is useful to them.

More info at http://www.gpsinformation.net/waasgps.htm

Doug

 

[SAR-EMT40]

(For the technically inclined, it is a form of DGPS.)Doug

Well, kind of, but not to be confused with the original DGPS system which is a land based correction scheme that uses a land based transmitter to send the corrections to an attached DGPS receiver that is then attached to the GPS and feeds it corrections. These land based units transmit at around 150Khz IIRC.

Keith

 

[DougPaul]

Well, kind of, but not to be confused with the original DGPS system which is a land based correction scheme that uses a land based transmitter to send the corrections to an attached DGPS receiver that is then attached to the GPS and feeds it corrections. These land based units transmit at around 150Khz IIRC.

DGPS (differential GPS) is both a generic term and a proper noun.

The proper noun version is a specific instance of the generic term.

WAAS is exactly a DGPS (generic term).

DGPS (generic term) is routinely used for high (cm) accuracy surveying and for automatic control of farm equipment.

To do generic DGPS only requires a fixed reference GPS, a data link, and a DGPS enabled movable GPS. Absolute location of the movable GPS will be no better than the location of the reference GPS, but relative location of the movable GPS will be more accurate than without DGPS.

DGPS (generic term) can also be used for ship, aircraft and, spacecraft attitude measurement by measuring the difference between signals received by antennas on different parts of the craft.

One can also do DGPS (generic term) over the internet, not necessarily in real time.

There are also a number of commercial DGPS systems.

DGPS (the proper noun) was aimed at nautical uses, as in the Coast Guard Maritime Differential GPS Service.

Doug

 

[hikeritz]

This thread also has some useful info.

 

[slowpoke]

summitpost is a good source of info

I like summitpost as a good source of links. It also has coordinates for each mountain, just click on the mountain name and look at the top
http://www.summitpost.org/show/mountain_query.pl?continent=Continent&country=Country&state=New+Hampshire&keyword=Key+Word&sort_by=Alphabetical&x=17&y=13

 

[SherpaKroto]

The spreadsheet I put together is in WGS84. When I created it I was fairly naive and thought I didn't need to note that.

Note that there is an obvious error for Hamlin Peak. Here is the corrected coordinate (in the format of dd MM.mm where dd is degrees, MM is minutes, mm is fractions of a minute): 45 55.45N 68 55.7

The rest of them were good enough for me when I was chasing the 100 highest, so hopefully they will come in handy for you also!