GPS targeted at the RV and/or Senior crowd..... + pre planning tip.

[Freebird]

A good friend's GPS died recently, and he replaced it with a Garmin from Good Sam's/Camping World designed (softwared) specifically for RVers. It has all the RV parks/camping areas noted on the moving map (sounds like). Also, hospitals are marked on the map display, too, plus other things of Sr./RVer interest. He says it is way more intuitive than his Tom-Tom that died a very slow deceiving death. Lol.
I just thought I would pass this along so if/when your on the market for a new one, you could evaluate/weigh this option.
I have not used it, but he is quite tickled with it. About $300.

My Garmin went "whacky" on our trip to Yellowstone caravanning with this friend when his Tom-Tom was whacky, too.
It was entertaining comparing the outrageous routing and crazy times we were both getting. My spousal unit (wife) wasn't ready to give up on our relatively new Garmin, so she downloaded all new software plus current database into our Garmin, and it has been good since (she is the navigator while rolling, and is good with tech stuff).
We (she) routinely uses a smart phone to double check the Garmin after it slowly went wacky before. Also, google maps routing options in the pre planning stage gives me/us a very good mental picture before we start. If it is in an area where cellular data might be iffy, I snap pictures of the relevant maps at different zoom/scale on the iPad, so the px can be referred to independent of any outside links. Works well for us.

 

[Freebird]

One other thing it does. It knows when you are speeding based on its database, and will give a verbal alert of some sort.
I have to assume it can be turned off for when your wife is along and that feature isn't needed/redundant....

 

[craig333]

How does it know I'm speeding when most of the dirt roads don't even have speed limits?

I'd consider one though if were in the market.

 

[Foy]

Sounds nice. But the relict field geologist in me will never turn loose of paper maps and a compass. At least when that gets whacky, it's only operator error, and that situation is 100% avoidable (don't rely on map study done in camp at night while having beers).

I do like the idea of RV-oriented GPS programming, though. With our hardside A-Frame popup behind the old Superduty, we're a shade over 40' from the winch to the back of the trailer. Drive-throughs are treasured and tight spots are to be avoided.

Foy

 

[Smokecreek1]

Sounds nice. But the relict field geologist in me will never turn loose of paper maps and a compass. At least when that gets whacky, it's only operator error, and that situation is 100% avoidable (don't rely on map study done in camp at night while having beers).

2X as an old retired government archaeologist, I will never give up those paper maps! Life is a new map to plan on, then going out and using it . Still though, have my Garmin, Spot2 and star gazing book and I guess only a fool rejects some new mapping aid . Seems to me map/compass training has been overlooked of late with allot on recent graduates because of all the new fun things and we had to train a lot of them how to read a map and use a compass! Like what happens when the batteries go dead or web sites go down ! A beer or two to celebrate a successful map adventure is always almost warranted or at least that's a good as any reason to have a few !

Smoke

 

[Foy]

Seems to me map/compass training has been overlooked of late with allot on recent graduates because of all the new fun things and we had to train a lot of them how to read a map and use a compass!

Smoke

Having been schooled and trained back East, few of us were innately familiar with the Public Land Survey System (PLLS), the Jefferson-era scheme which created our systems of section, township, and range. We delighted in taking trainee field geologists from Eastern schools and sending them on an urgent mission over to "Bobby's drill rig over in the far southwest corner of Section 37". We admonish them to keep in close contact over the radio network used in all of our trucks in order that we'd know what the situation was the moment they arrived at Bobby's rig. Most guys caught on to the ruse pretty quickly, but a few spent hours trying to locate poor Bobby in Section 37.

Foy

 

[ski3pin]

Having been schooled and trained back East, few of us were innately familiar with the Public Land Survey System (PLLS), the Jefferson-era scheme which created our systems of section, township, and range. We delighted in taking trainee field geologists from Eastern schools and sending them on an urgent mission over to "Bobby's drill rig over in the far southwest corner of Section 37". We admonish them to keep in close contact over the radio network used in all of our trucks in order that we'd know what the situation was the moment they arrived at Bobby's rig. Most guys caught on to the ruse pretty quickly, but a few spent hours trying to locate poor Bobby in Section 37.

Foy

As an old school (and new too!) land navigation instructor, I cannot help but keep drilling in the notion that you will only excel with the new gadgets when you have mastered the art of map & compass. For years we had to report our "legal" location while in the field, based on the PLLS. We sure learned to watch ourselves when in section 37.

 

[PaulT]

As a new mechanical draftsman years ago, the mechanical engineer, I worked for sent me down to ask Judy in the supply room for some fallopian tubes for the new project. He said she was the one who had them. Fortunately for me, my Mother was a registered nurse and had done some training on her son. Never forgot the look on his face when I asked if he wanted her personal supply or some preserved ones.

Paul

 

[craig333]

Nothing like finding a k-tag to confirm you're where you think you are. Too bad there are so few anymore.

Box factory was the sawdust pump. Printing plant was the paper stretcher. Not sure why my current plant has nothing similar.

 

[highz]

Can't report a smoke from the fire lookout without giving the legal description down to the quarter section. It's hard to be accurate when you can't see the base of the fire.

As an old school (and new too!) land navigation instructor, I cannot help but keep drilling in the notion that you will only excel with the new gadgets when you have mastered the art of map & compass. For years we had to report our "legal" location while in the field, based on the PLLS. We sure learned to watch ourselves when in section 37.

 

[craig333]

Nothing got the blood pumping more than "likely mountain, smoke report" (or any lookout). Rarely got them to the quarter section. You know its a good one when the other lookouts start giving crosses.

 

[LuckyDan]

Even the Osborne Fire Finder has went hi tech:

http://www.geodesybase.com/Next%20Generation%20Firefinder%20Technology.html