Garmin GPS - What DATA fields are preferred in the MAP screen.

Author

What DATA fields are preferred in the MAP screen.

Winter in Idaho

2007-02-14, 10:33 pm

There are so many choices of data fields to choose from, and being a
newbie at this, I would like some opinions on what are your
preferences are, and for what activities. If anybody are into Caching,
or survey marks, etc. What is you preferred GPS. I have a Garmin
GPSmap76CSx. with a TOPO Micro SD card. I have been lucky floundering
all over the landscape getting use to reading this thing. Has there
been a magic Knowhow Super Pill made yet, to acquire knowledge to
master the use of a GPS? Thank you.

Jack Erbes

2007-02-14, 10:33 pm

Winter in Idaho wrote:
> There are so many choices of data fields to choose from, and being a
> newbie at this, I would like some opinions on what are your
> preferences are, and for what activities. If anybody are into Caching,
> or survey marks, etc. What is you preferred GPS. I have a Garmin
> GPSmap76CSx. with a TOPO Micro SD card. I have been lucky floundering
> all over the landscape getting use to reading this thing. Has there
> been a magic Knowhow Super Pill made yet, to acquire knowledge to
> master the use of a GPS? Thank you.

I have a 76Cx, it is my preferred GPS. I use it on boats, motorcycles,
and in cars. It is the true go anywhere/do anything GPS.

If you need more mapping, and don't mind using a PC, you might look at
buying the packages on DVD (City Navigator, U.S. Topo, 24K Topo,
BlueChart, etc). It is quite a bit cheaper that way. For the price of
less than two of $86 Topo microSD cards, you can own all that data that
is on all 11 of the U.S. microSD cards. Then you buy larger (1 GB or 2
GB cards and upload the mapping you want to use to them.

I've been using GPS receiver quite a while and I was a little taken
aback by all the pages, menus, and setting on the 76Cx. I've turned
about half the pages off and, by beating on the keys and playing with
it, finally come to grips with it pretty well. I don't think there is
an easier way other than using it.

I don't do geocaching or survey marks.

I was so confused that I finally went through every menu and page and
recorded my settings into a text file. I have mine as follows most of
the time if you can make any sense out of it:

GPSMAP 76Cx Settings

Map Page

Data Fields
2 = Dist. to Next, Heading
3 = Above, plus Location (lat/long)
4 = Dist. to Next, Heading
Time to Next, Time of Day

Guidance text =- Show when navigating

Map Setup
General
North Up, change to Track Up if navigating
Auto Zoom: Off
Detail: More
Lock on Road: Off

Tracks
Saved Tracks: Auto
Track Log: 5 mi.
Track Points: 10,000
Go To Line: Course

Points
Map Points: Off
User Waypoints: 0.5 mi.
Street Label: Auto
Land Cover: Auto

Text
Map Points: None
User Waypoints: Small
Street L?????: Med.
Land Cover: Med.

Information
Check wanted maps (Menu to choose all/none/etc.)

Marine
Marine Colors = On
Spot Soundings = On
Light Sectors = Auto
Symbol Set = Int'l

Highway Page

Four Data Fields: Course - Dist. To Next
ETA at Next - ETA at Dest.

Trip Computor Page

Reset
x Reset Trip Data
Reset Odometer
x Reset Max. Speed
Clear Track Leg
Delete Saved Tracks
Delete All Waypoints
Delete All Routes

Small Numbers
Trip Odometer - Max. Speed
Total Time - Overall Avg.
ETA @ Next - ETA @ Dest.
Location
Odometer

Big Numbers
Speed
Time of Day
Dist. to Next

Routes Page

Menu

Off Road Transition
x Auto
Manual (for waypoint selection w/zoom keys)
Distance (set to 0.1 mi.)

With a route selected, data fields are:

Leg Dist. - Dist. to Point

With a route active, route detail page appears between Highway and Map
Pages (can be moved from Page Seq. menu)

Track Page

Setup

x Wrap When Full
Record Method: Distance
Interval = 0.02 mi. (for 200 mile max trip)
0.04 mi. (for 400 mile max trip)
0.05 mi. (for 500 mile max trip)
etc.
0.10 mi. (for 1,000 mile trip, results in 10 points per
mile)

Track Color = yellow

Data Card Setup
x Log Track to Data Card (A must!!)

Setup - Page Sequence

Satellite
Turn Preview (with route active)
Map
Highway
Active Route
Trip Computer
Routes
Tracks

Pages normally off (Menu, Menu to choose them)

Area Calculation
Calculator
Calendar
Compass
Find
Hunt & Fish
Main Menu
Recent Finds
Stopwatch
Sun and Moon

Getting all the pages I rarely use turned off was a major help to me,
and that is not every setting and menu on the 76Cx, just the ones I have
in my notes.

Good luck!

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA (jackerbes at adelphia dot net)
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine dot com)

Jay M Apple

2007-02-15, 10:33 pm

"Jack Erbes" <jackerbes@adelphia.net> wrote in message
news:O5KdnfRjy- dITE7YnZ2dnUVZ_hSdnZ
2d@adelphia.com...
> Winter in Idaho wrote:
>
>
> I was so confused that I finally went through every menu and page and
> recorded my settings into a text file. I have mine as follows most of
> the time if you can make any sense out of it:
>
> GPSMAP 76Cx Settings
>
>
> Getting all the pages I rarely use turned off was a major help to me,
> and that is not every setting and menu on the 76Cx, just the ones I have
> in my notes.
>
> Good luck!
>
> Jack
>
> --
> Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA (jackerbes at adelphia dot net)
> (also receiving email at jacker at midmaine dot com)

Holy cow! Looks like the cheat sheet I set up for something else (a sound
system plus large screen plasma TV). With so many options, no wonder you
created a reference record.

We are about to open a Nuvi 370 (first GPS ever) and hope it is much
simpler. If not, we have our pad and pencil ready.

Jay

Jack Erbes

2007-02-15, 10:33 pm

Jay M Apple wrote:

<snip my drvel>
> Holy cow! Looks like the cheat sheet I set up for something else (a sound
> system plus large screen plasma TV). With so many options, no wonder you
> created a reference record.
>
> We are about to open a Nuvi 370 (first GPS ever) and hope it is much
> simpler. If not, we have our pad and pencil ready.
>
> Jay

The 60/76 handhelds are very versatile and that, and their not having a
touchscreen, is what brings all those menus and settings into play. I
think you'll find nuvi 370 relatively a no brainer to use.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA (jackerbes at adelphia dot net)
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine dot com)

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