Magellan GPS - Novice questions

Author

Novice questions - Explorist 210

teamgig@yahoo.com

2006-06-18, 10:33 pm

Greetings,

I'm a complete novice with GPS devices, so please excuse my dumb
questions. I just received an Explorist 210 bundled with MapSend Topo
3D USA software. In a couple of weeks, I'll be heading to Acadia
National Park for several days of trail hiking -- which I figure will
be a good opportunity to play with it. Some very basic questions:

- The brief documentation refers to "track" and "route" files without
ever defining them. Can someone please explain the difference?

- I gather that the Topo 3D includes some road maps, but not trails.
Is that right? Is there a place I can purchase trail maps? Any
recommendations

- Any particular functions that I should focus on learning first?

Any other suggestions or best practices that would shorten my learning
curve would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

S. Cargo

2006-06-18, 10:33 pm

teamgig@yahoo.com wrote:

> Greetings,
>
> I'm a complete novice with GPS devices, so please excuse my dumb
> questions. I just received an Explorist 210 bundled with MapSend Topo
> 3D USA software. In a couple of weeks, I'll be heading to Acadia
> National Park for several days of trail hiking -- which I figure will
> be a good opportunity to play with it. Some very basic questions:
>
> - The brief documentation refers to "track" and "route" files without
> ever defining them. Can someone please explain the difference?

A track is a record of where you have been.

By default the 210 leaves a trail behind the marker. This is your
track. Think of walking on the beach. If you look behind you, you'll
see footprints in the sand. Those are the tracks you left.

There are some things you can do with this record the GPS keeps
of where you've been.

You can activate a "back track" that will allow you to retrace
the path you took (one time only) to get back to where you came from.
You can also convert a track to a route. You would then save the route
and use it in the future if you wanted to duplicate your trip.

A route is a planned course that you intend to follow in order to
get to a destination.

> - I gather that the Topo 3D includes some road maps, but not trails.
> Is that right? Is there a place I can purchase trail maps? Any
> recommendations

Can't help you there.

> - Any particular functions that I should focus on learning first?

When I get an electronic gadget that requires a fair bit of learning,
I go through the menu and actually DO everything you can do. You
probably won't gain total familiarity at the time, but you'll have most
of the functions in the back of your mind. It will help when you go to
learn a function in detail.

What I found the most handy was setting up the map and compass screens
using the 'customize page'.

Ron Hunter

2006-06-19, 4:33 am

S. Cargo wrote:
> teamgig@yahoo.com wrote:
>
>
> A track is a record of where you have been.
>
> By default the 210 leaves a trail behind the marker. This is your
> track. Think of walking on the beach. If you look behind you, you'll
> see footprints in the sand. Those are the tracks you left.
>
> There are some things you can do with this record the GPS keeps
> of where you've been.
>
> You can activate a "back track" that will allow you to retrace
> the path you took (one time only) to get back to where you came from.
> You can also convert a track to a route. You would then save the route
> and use it in the future if you wanted to duplicate your trip.
>
> A route is a planned course that you intend to follow in order to
> get to a destination.
>
>
> Can't help you there.
>
>
> When I get an electronic gadget that requires a fair bit of learning,
> I go through the menu and actually DO everything you can do. You
> probably won't gain total familiarity at the time, but you'll have most
> of the functions in the back of your mind. It will help when you go to
> learn a function in detail.
>
> What I found the most handy was setting up the map and compass screens
> using the 'customize page'.
>
>
>
I suggest going through the manual, trying everything you can, and then
USE the GPS for everything. Going to the grocery store, use the
basemap, or the Topo map detail. Become familiar with the controls so
you don't have to look at them, and learn how the GPS does things.
Sometimes the thing will get confused, and this could be a problem under
certain conditions, so learn its quirks.
After you use it a while, re-read the manual and you will find things
sink in better.
You also might investigate 'geocaching' if you have time, and are
physically able. Just Google for it if you don't know what it is.

LinkBot