GPS question

Which GPS device can you recommend for a tour around Africa?
We are not going through the desert, so we just need basic functionality.
What about "Garmin" devices?
Thank you for comments.

On Thu, 09 Oct 2003 07:50:09 +0200, Sigi wrote:

Which GPS device can you recommend for a tour around Africa?
We are not going through the desert, so we just need basic functionality.

Any reasonably rugged receiver will do. 12 channel parallel is
better when coverage is bad although a single channel receiver
would do in a pinch unless you happen to be in a forest or in a
valley and almost all receivers nowadays are 12 channel parallel anyway.
Weight is an important criterion. Backlighting is good because night comes
fast in Africa. Integrated electronic compass is nice but you should have
a compass anyway. City databases and maps are mostly useless in Africa.

What about "Garmin" devices?

Garmin is good. I have had my trusty Garmin GPS12XL for almost seven years
now and I have never had any problem with it despite having hauled it
around close to twenty African countries in less than comfortable
conditions. Functionality is quite basic compared to what is available
nowadays, and it could lose a little weight but it does the job fine and
the serial port is handy because entering waypoints and saving them is
much easier with a PC. If I had to replace it I would certainly get
another Garmin.

"Sigi" wrote:

Which GPS device can you recommend for a tour around Africa?
We are not going through the desert, so we just need basic functionality.
What about "Garmin" devices?

Sigi,

I use a Garmin eMap and a Garmin GPS 12 as a spare for driving
and flying in east Africa. They work very well.

The eMap has the advantage that you can load Garmin's WorldMap,
which has almost all roads and major tracks of Kenya, for
example. But it is rather imprecise, by several hundred meters.
Still better than no map.

If you don't want to buy and use the WorldMap, then any small
GPS will do, like one of the Geko family.

You need a good suction cup holder that you can attach to the
windshield. The RAM devices are good, but there are others that
work as well. I use a mobile phone holder and a piece of foam
rubber to prevent it from banging too hard against the
dashboard. Have the usual little helpers with you, like a piece
of string, sticky tape, perhaps some self-adhesive velcro stuff.

Please have a look at http://www.michna.com/gps.htm for details,
waypoints, tracks in east Africa.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

Hi Group - just wondering about the compatability of GPS's from the north
with us here in the south. Perhaps it is a stupid thing to say but a friend
of mine bought a GPS in the States and it is totally useless here - perhaps
we are both stupid?
Greetings
Koos

Sigi wrote in message
...
Which GPS device can you recommend for a tour around Africa?
We are not going through the desert, so we just need basic functionality.
What about "Garmin" devices?
Thank you for comments.

Koos Greeff wrote:
Hi Group - just wondering about the compatability of GPS's from the north
with us here in the south. Perhaps it is a stupid thing to say but a friend
of mine bought a GPS in the States and it is totally useless here - perhaps
we are both stupid?

Koos, I will certainly not call it stupidity, because GPS can be pretty
complex, but you must be doing something wrong. The GPS is a global
system and any GPS should perform well anywhere on the world as long as
you have coverage by satellites. Maybe you are doing something wrong by
using a different mapping or cordinates system.

Again, any GPS that is not malfunctioning, should work equally well all
over the world. I have used mine over here in Europe, all over southern
Africa and in India. Worked perfectly.

Regards,
Hans

==================================
Hans Martens

Wildlife & Nature Photography
http://www.wildpicture.com
==================================

Hans Martens wrote:

Koos Greeff wrote:
Hi Group - just wondering about the compatability of GPS's from the north
with us here in the south. Perhaps it is a stupid thing to say but a friend
of mine bought a GPS in the States and it is totally useless here - perhaps
we are both stupid?

Koos, I will certainly not call it stupidity, because GPS can be pretty
complex, but you must be doing something wrong. The GPS is a global
system and any GPS should perform well anywhere on the world as long as
you have coverage by satellites. Maybe you are doing something wrong by
using a different mapping or cordinates system.

Again, any GPS that is not malfunctioning, should work equally well all
over the world. I have used mine over here in Europe, all over southern
Africa and in India. Worked perfectly.

It is my experience that you have to tell the GPS very roughly what your
location is. If you don't, it will continue to look for satellites that
aren't there if it thinks it's somewhere in the northern hemnisphere
while in fact your are in Australia or so. There should be a menu for
that.


--
Johan W. Elzenga johanatjohanfoto.nl
Editor / Photographer http://www.johanfoto.nl/

"Koos Greeff" wrote in message ...
Hi Group - just wondering about the compatability of GPS's from the north
with us here in the south. Perhaps it is a stupid thing to say but a friend
of mine bought a GPS in the States and it is totally useless here - perhaps
we are both stupid?
Greetings
Koos

Hi Koos,

Provided they are set to the same map datum which is usually WGS84
they should all give the same position. If it is set to US specific
map datum it might give some very wierd results.

Best Wishes

Alex