GPS - GPS advice for elderly ranching father

Author

GPS advice for elderly ranching father

macdougalstreet@comcast.net

2006-06-17, 10:33 pm

My 84 year old father has a *very* remote ranch in Nebraska and is
looking at purchasing more graze land. His sense of direction is no
where near what it once was and needs to spend time on roads not
listed on any state maps we have (geodetic maps would probably have
them). His vision would be very challenged by the very small screens
found on most GPS devices. So .....

What I need is a GPS device with a not small screen and capeable of
showing rural roads. Any advice would be appreciated. There is no
need for PC interface or the ability to store mark information for
later retrieval.

Andy (that I should do so well when I am 84)

Claude J Ortega

2006-06-18, 10:33 am

In article < d6f992d3rkhlju7ivlak
6blqud29ta18tv@4ax.com>,
macdougalstreet@comc
ast.net says...
> My 84 year old father has a *very* remote ranch in Nebraska and is
> looking at purchasing more graze land. His sense of direction is no
> where near what it once was and needs to spend time on roads not
> listed on any state maps we have (geodetic maps would probably have
> them). His vision would be very challenged by the very small screens
> found on most GPS devices. So .....
>
> What I need is a GPS device with a not small screen and capeable of
> showing rural roads. Any advice would be appreciated. There is no
> need for PC interface or the ability to store mark information for
> later retrieval.
>
> Andy (that I should do so well when I am 84)
>

A laptop, with Delorme Topo and an Earthmate GPS?

--
Claude

Wayne R.

2006-06-19, 10:33 pm

Why don't you look on Google Maps to see what's in the databases
regarding his new ranch area? Then you can also go to Garmin's web
site to see if similar detail is available in their map products for
that particular part of the galaxy.

If the available data is adequate - even roughly - then remember that
any usual graphical display on a handheld GPS will also show a
breadcrumb trail of where it's been. A few trips back & forth between
home & whatever will generally stay 'crumbed' so to speak. Add a few
waypoints (HOME, RANCH, crap like that) to keep things ovbious - they
also display on the screen - and Pop will have a magic Etch-A-Sketch
of the neighborhood.

You might have to rig a plastic magnifier over it or whatever. But the
point is that he already knows the area, is a grown up, and only needs
something to help remind him where he is between the different places
he knows so well. The recorded track will show where he was, how he
got where he is and his relaton to anywhere else.

The best part is that even cheap units do this function well. The bad
part is that no one builds little electronics with big screens for
older eyes. Just get a power cord and a dash mount and try it out.
Older (and perfectly good units) are always available on eBay. Worst
case is he won't find it useful and you'll have to sell it off to
someone else...

On Sat, 17 Jun 2006 20:49:58 -0600, macdougalstreet@comc
ast.net wrote
(with clarity & insight):

>My 84 year old father has a *very* remote ranch in Nebraska and is
>looking at purchasing more graze land. His sense of direction is no
>where near what it once was and needs to spend time on roads not
>listed on any state maps we have (geodetic maps would probably have
>them). His vision would be very challenged by the very small screens
>found on most GPS devices. So .....
>
>What I need is a GPS device with a not small screen and capeable of
>showing rural roads. Any advice would be appreciated. There is no
>need for PC interface or the ability to store mark information for
>later retrieval.
>
>Andy (that I should do so well when I am 84)

Bob

2006-06-20, 7:33 am

macdougalstreet@comc
ast.net wrote:
> My 84 year old father has a *very* remote ranch in Nebraska and is
> looking at purchasing more graze land. His sense of direction is no
> where near what it once was and needs to spend time on roads not
> listed on any state maps we have (geodetic maps would probably have
> them). His vision would be very challenged by the very small screens
> found on most GPS devices. So .....
>
> What I need is a GPS device with a not small screen and capeable of
> showing rural roads. Any advice would be appreciated. There is no
> need for PC interface or the ability to store mark information for
> later retrieval.
>
> Andy (that I should do so well when I am 84)

At 84 years of age, he's out looking for new grazing land! Well, I'll
give him lots of credit.

I'd look for a color screen model of GPS receiver. Garmin has quite a
few and there are other manufacturers as well. Color is important
because its far easier to read the screen map than it is with
monochrome.

I don't think that you will find a unit with built in maps adequate for
his needs, topo maps are downloadable. If you go with Garmin, it should
be a unit that accepts Garmin's TOPO USA maps because old rural roads
(including barred and gated roads and trails) are more likely to show
up than with current mapping programs. TOPO USA maps are digitized USGS
survey maps; they haven't been updated for quite a number of years.
You can preview what is on the map at
http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/topo.jsp.
Just be sure that the unit you choose is compatible.

If after buying a unit, the screen size proves to be inadequate, you
could always hook up to a laptop computer, provided the unit purchased
is capable of such.

Bob

Phil Wheeler

2006-06-20, 10:33 am

Bob wrote:
> macdougalstreet@comc
ast.net wrote:
>
>
>
> At 84 years of age, he's out looking for new grazing land!

About time he should be allowed to 'graze' a bit :)

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