While they may never replace a good old-fashioned map and compass, handheld GPS systems have come a long way technologically and are now a great resource to bring along on all sorts of adventures including hiking, hunting, boating, golfing, biking, geocaching, and more. Depending on your preferred adventure there are a number of things to […]

Coordinate:Set of numbers that describes your location on (or above) the earth. These may be either latitude (N or S) and longitude (E or W), which is the Universal Transverse Mercator system, or UTM coordinates, which measures distance in meters from the equator (N or S) and a prime meridian (E or W). UTM is […]

There are several buttons on the face of most GPS units that, when pressed, route you to various operating options. They may have different names, but they have similar functions. They may allow you to view a navigation screen, status satellite signal availability, review your positions list, or determine your position relative to a selected […]

Different maps have different coordinate systems. The two most common systems, used by the US Geological Service TOPO maps, are:- Latitude (LAT) and longitude (LONG), with units of degrees, minutes and seconds.- The UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) Grid system, with units of meters.LAT/LONG systemLAT/LONG is system of units most of us are familiar with. The […]

The GPS SystemThe Global Positioning System (or GPS) is a collection of satellites owned by the U.S. Government that provides highly accurate, worldwide positioning and navigation information, 24 hours a day. It is made up of twenty-four NAVSTAR GPS satellites which orbit 12,000 miles above the earth, constantly transmitting the precise time and their position […]