Help with Garmin GPS

You could start at home, make a waypoint outside your front door, buy a map NZ topo50 of your home area, see if the waypoint coordiantes approximately match your house coordinates on the map,then go for a walk and see how it tracks your walk, you can make another way point outside your home go for a walk stop make a waypoint, then try the back track feature to get back to your home. there should be full length user manual on the garmin site which you could save on a PC or print out, GPS's usually provide an abbrevated manual, if you are geocaching, they use degrees/minutes North East, otherwise you use the grid references on the topo maps.

In saying the above does any one know if you can transfer waypoints from the old yellow etrex to their newer models etrex 10,20,30.

easygps, dnrgarmin or maptoaster will upload points from one and download back to the other. Don't know about other software but can;t see why not - so long as the same program supports both models of gps you have.

OK - will try that and see how i gpo, thanks

Hi this site might give you some information http://www.squidoo.com/GPS-basics-background it is an american site

When I first got a GPS 2 years ago I spent hours just wandering around streets figuring out how to use it, then pouring over the data back on my computer. Reading the manual is one thing, but actually understanding *how* it works and how to use it both at home and in the field is completely different. It really pays to understand the technical details of the GPX data format, and get a feel for how your GPS behaves and routes you in different circumstances, when to figure out the compass needs recalibrating, how best to plot your waypoints to give you the best wayfinding without being too sparse or too crowded, even how to name your waypoints (particularly useful on non-mapping GPS) so you can figure out what is what and where. I'm still learning.

Agree, I can to grips with my GPS by using it on my walk to work and back. That's how I discovered it was set to the Grid Bearing rather than the Magnetic Bearing, for example. Here in Christchurch with our grid-designed streets following the cardinal points, it was very helpful.

Erica I'm in the wrong part of the country to give you a hand but I just worked thru the "quick reference guide" that came with the unit when I got my Garmin. (I also bought Map Toaster maps SI at the same time) Just use it & you should get the hang of it fairly quickly. I've never had any formal instruction and can do what I need to for work & recreational use. Sometimes I wonder if there are better ways to edit & manage the files than how I do it though. Do we have any Garmin/Map Toaster experts as members here?

Erica, I see the original post was February - how is it going with the GPS? all worked out? what model do you have? FYI, I use a GPS (Garmin Colorado 300) in the following manner (note that any serious tramping will always include a map and compass) : 1. Plan the tramp - consult maps on the PC (using OziExplorer and/or Basecamp) 2. Construct a track and add significant waypoints (and waypoints of summits, etc) 3. Export to the GPS (and confirm they are loaded and useable) 4a. During the tramp, I'll use the GPS to provide current location co-ordinates (which locate me on the map), distance and rate of travel, distance to waypoints. 4b. If desirable, I'll record part or all of the tramp (marking any significant points along the way) 5. After the tramp, upload the track and waypoint data to the PC and edit as appropriate. Then save the result for future use (well, that's the plan :) If you are struggling with any of that, just ask.