GPS reviews, news, tips, tricks and deals
Using an iPhone to submit geocaching field notes
Newer technologies such as smartphone apps have put less emphasis on logs. As a result, many a new geocacher has fallen foul of just putting a dot or a ‘TFTC’ (Thanks For The Cache) for entirety of their log, only to be reminded politely (or in some cases not so politely) by the geocache owner that more detailed logs are ‘encouraged’. read more
Forthcoming Garmin Edge with Bluetooth?
Look what showed up on the FCC website! This appears to be a new Garmin Edge cycling unit, sporting a nice Bluetooth logo on the rear. And while the FCC documentation doesn’t say Edge, it does mention an “Edge External Power Pack.” There is no word on whether or not the wireless is of the Bluetooth Low Energy flavor, but we suspect it is. Since Bluetooth would open the door for wireless data transfer to and from some smartphone and tablets, we may also see an app announcement when it is officially rolled out. read more
Electronic compass display on the Garmin Montana 600
While all GPS receivers can tell where you are, entry-level models have no way of ascertaining which direction you are facing. So you have to start moving and walk a few steps at a good pace before it can accurately point you towards your destination. This is why mid-range and high-end units have an electronic compass — to show the direction you should travel even while standing still. read more
Barometric altimeter screen on the Garmin Montana 600
For folks who hike and bike in mountainous terrain, tracking elevation gain can be as (or even more) important than trail miles. But while GPS is getting very accurate in terms of horizontal positioning, it is surprisingly weak at determining elevation. While it’s a bit of an oversimplification, let’s just say that it’s primarily due to the geometry of the satellite constellation and any GPS receiver involved. Add in mountainous terrain and the situation can get worse. read more
The Magellan eXplorist 510
Screenshots of National Geographic TOPO maps for Magellan handhelds
Earlier this year, Magellan announced a new partnership with National Geographic to bring USGS topo maps to Magellan handhelds. I’m currently testing the eXplorist 510 so I thought this would be a good time to check out the new map downloads. read more
Garmin tempe temperature data shown on Montana 600 screen
The Garmin tempe is an external temperature sensor that is compatible with many Garmin handhelds that have ANT+ wireless data transfer capability, including the Dakota 20, fenix, GPSMAP 62s(t)(c), GPSMAP 78s(c), Montana series and Oregon x50 series. Compatibility has also been promised for the eTrex 30 and Rino 650/655t, but so far we’ve only seen a beta firmware update for the eTrex 30 allowing it. read more
Do you find yourself needing to access your GPX files from multiple computers? If so, here’s a quick tip. Sign up for and install Dropbox (a cloud storage service offering 5GB of space for free) and put your GPX folder inside your Dropbox folder. To make access even easier, follow up by dragging the GPX folder to Favorites in Windows Explorer (or Finder on Macs). Your files are now readily available from any machine you set this up on. read more
I finally got around to posting a Garmin Adventure. It’s a hike I took on the Appalachian Trail last week while testing a couple of units. read more
Just a few quick notes to keep you up to date on discontinued units and new introductions hitting the market…
Garmin has discontinued quite a few handheld models, most notably the eTrex H(C)(x) series, pushed out by the very popular new eTrex 10/20/30 models. Also on the the chopping block, the Astro 220 and Rino 5x0HCx models. Road warriors may bemoan the loss of several diminutive nuvis, the 12xx series and the 2200, as well as the transatlantic 1370T. read more
