DATZ... I carry my GPS (cheap Garmin) just in case I get lost. It provides the basic functions, if I get lost I can get back to where I started. I have been considering upgrading my GPS or carrying my PC with my online TOPOs. I talked with Alan at Bronco One and he convinced me that the GPS would meet or exceed my PC software.

After this weekend (where we were on trails that your GPS did not know), is carrying a PC with the state's TOPO the right option? My PC software tracked the complete route.

Alan still owns bronco one on 32/greenway..... damn, that guy been there for like friggin ever.




GOT ANY BALLS??????????

Yes, he now has his own building about 300 yards south of where he used to be.

A PC might be helpful. My GPS only goes so far in showing trails. Some it shows, others it does not. Sunday, It showed every trail we were on except for the one heading west from the UFO Mine to Buckhorn Creek. Still love my GPS though.. Now that I've mapped it out, the trail is now shown on there.

The USGS maps are the real benefit if you use a PC. The GPS's just cant hold that much data. I plan on supplementing my GPS with a laptop or something eventually so I can run both the GPS map and the USGS data simultaneously.

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"I'm just a bill... on Capitol Hill.."

ahhh, so its not in that old small stripmall anymore....




GOT ANY BALLS??????????

I can understand why you like your GPS.. You knew our location (at-a-glance) for the whole trip. You have a super GPS considering a PC. I have a cheapo GPS with portable PC software.

I do agree, both are needed.

One other thing to consider though is that the GPS is designed to withstand the bumps, heat, and extremes that we wheel in.. the laptop may be iffy out in the heat all day.. and you cant really take it with you when hiking.

Also, if you enjoy hiking a lot, like I'm pretty sure you do, the GPS is very portable, and you can upload any maps you want into it to make it comparable to the PC. If I had the topo maps for AZ, I could have had those in there too, which probably would have shown every trail and point of interest. I just have the road and recreation atlas fir the entire US (one one cd no less), so it isnt nearly as detailed as it could be.

Mine is even designed to be waterproof to 1 meter. For its few shortcomings, this GPS is a marvel and a lifesaver when out in the wilderness.. and with nearly 20 megs of memory, you can put a lot of maps, waypoints, and routes in it.

I have the entire state of AZ road and rec atlas in mine.

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"I'm just a bill... on Capitol Hill.."

let me find something online that may interest you.. found this a while back on the garmin site.

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"I'm just a bill... on Capitol Hill.."

here is an online demo of the Topo software that you can get for the GPS V. Go check out the Mapsource map viewer on the right.. you can zoom in to see all the detail.

http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/topo.html#

I just checked out the area near copperopolis, and this one shows ALL the trails, including the one headed west from UFO Mine.. even smaller ones that I didnt see the other day. It looks like this even shows all the mines.

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"I'm just a bill... on Capitol Hill.."

You have the last valid point.. We do need more interest on this topic. Everybody that hits the outback needs a GPS and needs to know how to use it.

hmmm.. Was just looking at the topo maps on that viewer.. Sunday, we need to go a little further to go see "the box" which is just a quarter mile up the castle creek wash from where we turned off after Briggs.

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"I'm just a bill... on Capitol Hill.."

I have been back there and found nothing more than a dead-end. I favored the right(north) side, I must have missed something. It's short trip and is worth another shot.

yeah it may be a dead end. Its labeled on the topo maps as "The Box", so it must be something worth seeing, even if we have to hike a few minutes to go see it. We drove right around it on the way up the hill after the mine.

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"I'm just a bill... on Capitol Hill.."

john, this is off the topic a little, but do you have the coordinate for the indian wash area off of table mesa rd?? I want to take a buddy of mine where down in the riverbed where the road is really wavey. know where i am talkin bout?? I just want to make sure I take the right road getting in there and getting out too.




GOT ANY BALLS??????????

I've been refining my GPS situation. I think I have it worked out. Here's what I'm running:

Garmin eTrex Vista in a RAM mount connected to an old (read 266Mhz!) Compaq Armada laptop (these things are darn near indestructable..... I know, I've tried. )
I'm running Garmin MapSource TOPO, DeLorme TOPO USA (all states) and Garmin MapSource Metroguide.

I also have a re-radiating antenna which has worked for me even under overpasses and extremely heavy Kentucky tree canopies. I'm getting between 5 ft. and 15 ft. accuracy.

I usually keep the laptop on the passenger seat so it doesn't take a great deal of abuse... There are a few laptop vehicle mounts I'm considering, one is from a local police supply shop that is really robust and helps absorb shock to the laptop. If I get it and install it, I'll let you all know how it works.

Yep, I did all this after seeing John and Mark's cool GPSV's. I couldn't justify spending the money when I had a perfectly good working eTrex already.

Cheers,
JD