For a tech writer, I fall behind the times with embarrassing regularity — which at least means that readers will generally have some idea what the hell I’m talking about. Articles I read on the leading tech websites are always talking about tomorrow’s technologies or just-out technologies that cost a fortune, when most people are still trying to get the hang of gadgets that are already a few years old.
That said, I recently joined the GPS set after bidding on, and winning, a Garmin Nuvi 200 at the recent Ken Quon Ride On fundraiser.
(I know, I wrote my last Cybernaut about a mini laptop I got free from my bank, and now I’m writing this week’s about a GPS receiver I got at a silent auction, but summer is a slow time for the tech industry.)
I realize the late purchase of the GPS puts me behind pretty much everybody who bought a mid-price car in the past five years or so, or finally broke down at the electronics store after taking one too many wrong turns. These days a lot of cell phones come equipped with some kind of GPS ability, from basic tracking systems for 911 calls to actual map-based systems that are similar to hand-held GPS devices.
The GPS I purchased is probably best for cars, but there’s nothing stopping me from carrying it around for a few hours while hiking. Or riding around with it on my bike.
The Garmin Nuvi 200 is considered an entry level GPS — the Nuvi 500 is voice-activated and will respond to verbal commands like “take me to the nearest gas station”, but it has all the features I need: up to date maps of North America, a memory card slot for extra maps (such as trail maps), the capability to preset and save destinations ahead of time, an easy to use touch screen that anticipates the street names you’re trying to spell out, and a few extras like a built-in currency converter. It also supplies you with a trip summary that shows you how far you went and how quickly.
Best of all, you don’t need to look at it while driving, as a pleasant voice will tell you where to turn, or let you know it’s recalculating the route when you get off-track.
While the navigation aspect of this device is key — after nine years living in B.C., Vancouver is still a mystery to me — there are lots of other things that you can do with a GPS these days.
For example, my device comes with the ability to add maps, including trail maps, using the solid state SD card slot. Battery life for my model is just five hours, but you can buy solar USB and battery chargers at most outdoor stores so it would be possible to bring it on backcountry hikes and paddles. Just don’t get it wet — the Nuvi 200 is not waterproof.
Some individual trail maps are available free online, while there’s a growing market of specialized GPS trail maps that you can pick up at outdoor stores, campground offices — sometimes preloaded onto an SD card for your convenience. Mountain Equipment Co-op (www.mec.ca) also sells a Canadian Topo CD-Rom for $135 that you can put on your computer and use to load regional maps onto your GPS. The content is updated and includes most parks, portages, trails, campgrounds, scenic lookouts, bodies of water, summits, backroads and other stuff that you can reference any time you have a clear view of the sky.
Another use for your GPS is to track your progress. The model I have is not great for this, but will still help you find your way back out of the woods. If you remember to save waypoints as you go in your favourites folder it will get even easier.
There is also a program called GPS Visualizer (www.gpsvisualizer.com) that will let you import your GPS data into Google Earth. Google Earth also gives you some clues how to combine GPS and mapping data at http://earth.google.com/userguide/v4/ug_gps.html. Google currently supports data from Garmin and Magellan devices.
Another way people are using their GPS these days is to monitor their fuel consumption. Most road GPS units will give you a trip report when asked, which allows you to see how far you traveled. If you also track how much gas you’ve used then you can get a rough idea how much gas you’re burning, or what you’re paying for every kilometre.
Using trip reports, a group of mileage hackers can also try a few things differently to see if they can reduce gas use. For example, the trip report will give you your average speed for a trip, allowing you to compare your cost-per-kilometre at different speeds, different air pressures, etc., to find out what’s more efficient for your vehicle. Coupled with an onboard engine performance monitor or car mileage tracker (do a Google search), and you’ll know exactly what kind of mileage you’re getting.
Probably the biggest way to save gas is by making sure you don’t make wrong turns, or drive around aimlessly looking for your destination.
