GPSr bakeoff, 9/30

[Mohamed Ellozy]

Yesterday a concensus seems to have developped that this coming Saturday was the best date for the bakeoff, and I agree. The leaves are rapidly falling, and a very important question is how the various units perform under the leaves.

Let us meet at Depot Camp in Waterville Valley at 9 AM on Saturday. Hike about three miles each way to one of the Greeley Ponds, then download tracks to one or more laptops at trailhead. Followed by optional hike on Mt. Tecumseh with descent by the ski slopes (great views of the foliage). Depending on how we feel we can either go all the way to the Sossman Trail (a couple of miles each way with 2,000 feet elevation gain), or go half way up to the outlook on the slopes after the stream crossing (about half the full hike).

Then we could go to my place and look at the tracks, brag about the performance of our units, and see whether there are any beers in the fridge

 

[DougPaul]

All are welcome. You don't have to bring a GPS. Loran, or just a map and compass (to make sure we don't get lost) will do...

The hike to Greely Ponds is pretty easy--8mi RT and ~800 vert ft.

For those planning on coming:
1. Save any tracks etc that you will want to save. I will be asking everyone to clear their tracklogs at the trailhead. (Waypoints and saved tracks need not be touched.)
2. Make sure you have adequate batteries/spares. (A fresh set to swap in at the trailhead would be good.)
3. If you have an external antenna, please bring it. We may ask you to use it or not.
4. Set the datum to WGS-84. (It makes a difference on the data transferred to the computer on some GPS models.)
5. Run the GPS on the drive to the trailhead. This will make sure that everyone has a fresh ephemeris and almanac.
6. I have Garmin USB and serial cables for the 60/76 series GPSes and a serial cable for the original eTrex line (4 pins in a row). If you need a different computer cable, you will have to bring it. I have Garmin software and NG TOPO!, with the NMEA protocol (over an RS-232 port). Most consumer GPSes have an NMEA communication mode.

At the trailhead, we may ask certain people to carry their GPSes/antennas in a specific way so that we can cover a range of methods.

At the end of the hike (Greely Ponds and back), we will download the tracks to my laptop. All tracks will be made available for anyone. I hope to be able to do some numerical analysis of the tracks to compare the relative accuracies of different GPSes and their antenna configurations.

If you expect to come, would you post/pm me/email me what equipment (GPSes and antennas) you will be bringing. Just like to have an idea of how many variables we will be able to explore.

Doug

 

[Mohamed Ellozy]

If you expect to come, would you post/pm me/email me what equipment (GPSes and antennas) you will be bringing. Just like to have an idea of how many variables we will be able to explore.

I will be bringing a Garmin GPSmap 60 CSX with antenna. Will not be bringing my GPSmap 76 CS as it has decided to stop working (jealous of my newer toy???).

Please post whether you are interested in the optional hike up Tecumseh, down by ski slopes.

 

[DougPaul]

I will be bringing a Garmin GPSmap 60 CSX with antenna. Will not be bringing my GPSmap 76 CS as it has decided to stop working (jealous of my newer toy???).

I just arranged to borrow a friend's 60CS. That plus my 60CS (ext ant) will make a nice minimal pair. Your 60CSx (ext ant) plus Paradox's 60CSx will make another. I'll also bring my eTrex Vista (ext ant) which we can pair with Paradox's dud Vista. (Hopefully someone will bring a good Vista so we can make a good pair.) And then we can look at the comparisons across units with the same antenna configs.

Please post whether you are interested in the optional hike up Tecumseh, down by ski slopes.

Might be. I have some heel bursitis--I'll have to see how it feels.

Doug

 

[Paradox]

I'll be bringing my 60CSx + external antenna
Garmin eTrex basic (yellow) model
Garmin eTrex Vista (no option for ext antenna)
Magellin Platinum (no option for ext antenna)
Heinekin in cans

The Tecumseh hike sounds great, but I would rather look at the data if Doug is not up to it.

 

[DougPaul]

I'll be bringing my 60CSx + external antenna
Garmin eTrex basic (yellow) model
Garmin eTrex Vista (no option for ext antenna)
Magellin Platinum (no option for ext antenna)

Sounds good. We can make a 3-way comparison between the 2 Vistas and the basic. (I believe they use the same basic GPS chipset.)

Heinekin in cans

Internal or external antenna?

The Tecumseh hike sounds great, but I would rather look at the data if Doug is not up to it.

Or we can download the data from the Heinekins while digesting the GPS data...

Doug