Handheld GPS

[B.J.C.Courtney]

(Two topics merged - GG)

GPS Satellite Navigation Systems.

I was thinking about buying and using a GPS Satellite Navigation Systems to us as part of my Dowsing Field work, given that I have commercially started to use Dowsing as healing tool, manly in the aspect of healing land and buildings and all living Souls that may live their?

With a portable GPS System I feel that I will form an almost totally accurate image of the triangulation of the Latitude and Longitude of the lay of the land that I have just dowse, normally I make a site Map then transfer all the collected data, from my Dowsing finding to the location and healing aspects that I ether recommend or actually have used, such Information when given to a client shows in great depth of detail my finding and also perhaps suggestions that I feel will redirect the land and all structure built on to become more positive!

I was thus wondering what others feel about using a Sat Nav Unit as part of a directional aid to Onsite Dowsing?

[Ian Pegler]

I don't see why not.

A hand held GPS has obvious applications to other areas such as archaeology dowsing especially if you make a small find which is removed from the site (e.g. a Roman coin). In such a case you would be required to have some sort of record of the location where it was found. Which of course is why metal detectorists (detectives?) use them.

I seem to remember suggesting a hand-held GPS as a possible item that Malvern might stock.

Didn't Hamish Miller use GPS in New Zeland?

Ian

[Grahame]

I can add an interesting postscript here following the EEG's visit to Brittany this summer. There were a few instances whilst stumbling around the Foret de Paimpont trying to find sites that were inadequately signposted that we tried to find out way using a member's handheld GPS. Sometimes the GPS unit had problems finding itself (although it was an expensive unit), and on these occasions we 'confirmed' the direction of the site by using our L-rods. Three of us tried this and were pretty accurate -at least we found the sites each time.
So I can say that it is good to have GPS, although it's not always as good as it's supposed to be - but in combination with dowsing rods it's a good way to find your way around!

[Ian Pegler]

Hi folks

I'm shopping around for a reasonably cheap hand-held GPS locator.

I've seen good reviews of the Geko 201 and the Garmin e-trex and e-trex H.

Apparently the Geko integrates well with Google Earth. Do any of the others do this?

I'm looking to spend less than 100 quid.

Any information gratefully received.

Ian

[Ian Pegler]

In the end I got the etrex H (an early Xmas present! ) but I also bought a protective leather pouch, MapSource software and a lead to connect the device to my PC via the serial port. Total about 120 UKP excl postage.

It's a robust device, evidenced by the fact that no sooner had it arrived than I managed to drop it on a stone tile floor! There was very little holding it in the box, so if you get something like this, be careful how you open the box! Best to open it over a soft surface.

So anyway, it survived its first trial without so much as a scratch. This is quite impressive of itself but buying the protective cover is a good idea.

The 'H' in 'etrex H' stands for High sensitivity, which according to Garmin means that you can get a good signal virtually anywhere. Certainly I've had no problems so far, and I can get a signal inside a house.

It's a pretty simple device to use but all the same, it's probably a good idea to have some practice with it before you go out into the wilderness!!

If you have the MapSource software (cost 20 UKP) you can have loads of fun finding waypoints (using Google Maps, multimap etc), plugging them into the software and then downloading them all in one go to the device. All this is relatively painless.

Be warned that some of the latitude/longitude info on some websites isn't entirely spot on. I go to the Megalithic Portal, search for an ancient site, & click on the OS map reference link. This brings up Multimap, showing the location on the map. The latitude/longitude info is underneath the map image. I just copy-paste this into the MapSource software's "new waypoint" window.

Doing it this way, multimap will show the O.S. map which has much more info regards old sites, but it only shows the O.S. map at certain magnifications. If you zoom in or out too far you lose it.

Overall I'm pretty impressed so far, I'll let you know how I get on!

Ian

[Grahame]

Sound like a good buy, Ian. I've been toying with the idea of one myself ever since the Brittany trip in the summer, where new member Jiro Olcott was impressing us all with his extremely hi-tech GPS device. He had the French IGN maps (equivalent to our OS) loaded onto it so it showed all the sites.
We still had to resort to dowsing the location of some sites when in the forest though, as it wasn't always very clear on the most appropriate route to take.

[Ian Pegler]

Some more random thoughts, for anyone who is thinking of buying one of these gizmos...

It definitely pays to shop around, as I saw quite a range of price-tags for the same model. Also it's cheaper to buy online although a seller who specialises in GPS stuff may prove less problematic and more likely to have what you want in stock (i.e. really have it in stock) than a seller who doesn't.

Watch out also, as some sellers advertise the prices excluding VAT.

If you ask me, this is definitely the kind of thing where you could end up spending much more than you originally intended, because there are so many accessories which frankly I would deem as necessary. If you order stuff from different sellers then courier delivery might also begin to mount up.

The cost of leads, generally speaking, is a bit of a rip-off and there are complaints on the web that the Garmin lead connects to the "old fashioned" serial-port and not to the USB. Personally I have no problem with this. There are USB adaptors available (which means yet more cost again) and it wasn't clear to me which was compatible with my model, so I avoided this route.

Battery life is an issue, because if you're using it to "track" where you're going, you'll need to have it switched on the whole time you're walking. Take some spares with you! The etrex H has the ability to allow you to retrace your steps along the path you've been travelling - I imagine that could be very useful!

The ideal hand-held GPS should be light (so that it hits the ground with less force when you drop it) robust (so that it will be less likely to break when you drop it) water-proof (so that it won't get full of water straight away, when you drop it) and painted in a garish colour (so that you can see where you've dropped it, when you drop it). Can you see a pattern here?...

Happy Solstice btw...

Ian

[Ian Pegler]

I used my etrex for the first time "in anger" yesterday.

I went out to a stone circle called Mitchell's Fold in Shropshire just on the border with Wales.

Finding the place was a bit of a hassle. I drove to Newtown, then along to Churchstoke then I turned onto some minor country roads. Eventually I came to a T-junction where there was a bit of space to pull over, so I got out and tried using the etrex to locate Mitchell's Fold.

It told me I was about half a metre away from the stone circle, even though it was nowhere in sight!

Eventually I found the place after asking directions and took a new waypoint at the centre of the circle.

The old waypoint I'd got from Multimap via Megalithic Portal. The new waypoint from the etrex H was more than 210 metres away from the Multimap one (and up a hill)

etrex H: N52.57869 W3.02818
Multimap: N52.57717 W3.03004

The next time I visit this circle I'll stop in the same place and see how good the new waypoint is! That will be the real test...

So the moral is, don't expect latitude/longitude info on the web to be 100% accurate.

Mitchell's Fold is quite a nice circle, but it's a pity there are so many walkers passing through. Don't expect much peace to dowse...

Ian

[Grahame]

I noticed in Brittany that many of the Megalithic Portal locations were wildly inaccurate, but then most of the locations are posted by users of the site, so it's up to people like yourself who visit the places with GPS units to update the details on there with more accurate information.
Glad you're having fun with it though!

[Ian Pegler]

Hi Grahame

What I did was find the page for Mitchell's Fold on Megalithic Portal, I then clicked the Map Ref link which brings it up on Multimap, which actually displays an O.S. map. Very useful when you're looking for ancient sites.

These are the coordinates Multimap now gives for Mitchell's fold:

N52.57804 W3.02853 !!!

This is different from the coordinates I had stored in my Garmin MapSource project !!!

How this happened I don't know. The above coordinates are closer to my etrex coordinates but still out by about 77 metres.

As you point out, sometimes the coordinates given on the Megalithic Portal pages aren't entirely accurate, which is why I always click the link to the Multimap page.

Once I'm happy that my coordinates are better than the Megalithic Portal ones, I'll let them know.

Ian

[Ian Pegler]

Once I'm happy that my coordinates are better than the Megalithic Portal ones, I'll let them know.

I went back to Mitchell's Fold over the weekend and I'm pleased to say that the coordinates I took on my etrex H, i.e.

etrex H: N52.57869 W3.02818

are good. Accurate to within four feet.

I tried out my aurameter, which behaved quite well inspite of the breeze.

I also walked out Corndon Hill and took a few waypoints there, including one massive cairn, biggest I've seen.

Nice view from the top of Corndon, but a stiff walk.

Ian

[Ian Pegler]

For the first time I had problems with weak signals yesterday. This was within Hereford Cathedral, although I did manage eventually. A lot depends on where you stand, of course.

Hereford Cathedral (etrex H): N52.05425 W2.71554

Inside All Saints Church I had no problem.

All Saints (etrex H): N52.05648 W2.71747

At least I now know the limits of the device! You need at least some view of the sky to stand any sort of chance.

Ian

[Ian Pegler]

I am currently investigating a piece of free software called GPS Babel.

The makers of this utility claim it can translate between a number of GPS file-formats including KML, the file-format used by Google Maps and Google Earth.

This is what you do:

1) Transfer your waypoints, routes etc. to your PC using the software you bought with your GPS (I use MapSource, because I'm using a Garmin).
2) Save the file.
3) Use GPS Babel to translate it into a KML file.
4) Put the KML file on your website
5) Go into Google Maps and type the URL of the KML file into the Search box

I haven't yet figured out how to save it to one of my own maps yet, but basically it works.

Ian

[simonwheeler]

We have just bought a Garmin Etrex H & would find it useful to have the ability to up/download waypoints and POIs etc. There seem to be two "front runners" for software- GPS Utility and EasyGPS. Has anyone here knowledge/experience of using either of these and would like to recommend....or not...either? Or, indeed, a different software package.
Thanks.

[Ian Pegler]

Hi Simon

I have a Garmin etrex H too.

I believe I've mentioned GPSBabel which is freeware.

I've used it successfully, converting a file produced by MapSource, which is a cheap piece of software (20 UKP or thereabouts) produced by Garmin which can be used with the etrex H for storing waypoints, tracks routes etc. as project-files.

GPSBabel missed out a couple of waypoints from the MapSource project-file but there's been a newer release of the software since then which may fix this bug so it's definitely worth a try.

I've uploaded KML files produced by GPSBabel successfully to Google Maps.

Do you have the links to the softwares you mentioned ?

All the best

Ian