[amsat-bb] Re: GPS for dx-expedition

[Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK)]

Hi Zack!

> What is this 'GPSMAP76S'???  If I am understanding correctly, it plots grids
> on the GPS screen?  If so, is this software or a separate GPS receiver?  I
> have a Garmin Venture HC, would it be applicable to it?  It would be a lot
> easier to look down and see what grid you are in on the display rather than
> calculate it using lat/lon.

The Garmin GPSMAP 76S is a discontinued GPS receiver:

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=183

I can make its main display show either my latitude/longitude or a
grid locator.  No need to convert latitude/longitude to grids or vice
versa.  Many Garmin GPS units, and some from other manufacturers,
have this functionality.

In a quick scan of the PDF manual for your Venture HC GPS, the
word "Maidenhead" - the fornal name of the grid-locator system -
did not appear.  It doesn't look like you can make your GPS display
the grid locators directly.  It does have a screen where it shows the
latitude/longitude and accuracy figure, so it could be used if you
took the pictures to document your location on a grid boundary or
4-grid intersection.

73!




Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
http://www.wd9ewk.net/