Christmas Presents (GPS Receivers)

[Michael Thomason <thomason@spot.colorado.edu>]

The new Garmin III has built-in maps of the entire North American
Continent.  It is capable of receiving twelve satellites and includes a
connector for external antennas.  It has a built in mount like a
camera's except smaller and they sell a mount for mounting it on a
bicycle so I don't have to make one.  It's tiny enough to actually take
backpacking or bicycling.

It's the first GPS I "had to have".  They are hard to find so far -
the stores that carry it have customers waiting for every one they can 
get before the little items arrive.  You would probably have to go to a
specialty store of some kind.  Eastern Mountain Sports says they aren't
going to stock it.  It is probably too expensive (~$400).  The maps
include streets only down to feeder street level; they don't include most
residential streets or "Forest Service roads" (for those of you who have
any forests left).

I haven't gotten to use mine enough to tell you how well it actually
performs yet.  But many of the handheld units are only capable of
receiving six satellites or so, reducing the chances for good reception of 
three.

Merry Christmas.

O, by the way, don't bother trying to use any GPS as a lecture 
demonstration without an outside antenna or at least a big outside window
adjacent to the receiver.

Michael Thomason, Director of Physics Learning Laboratories
University of Colorado, Dept of Physics, Box 390, Boulder CO 80309-0390
MWF 303 -492-7117   TTh 303 492-8313   thomason@spot.colorado.edu
http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/

On Wed, 3 Dec 1997, Karl Trappe wrote:

> OK, you guys/gals in the know.  Which brand of GPS is worth buying? How
> much?  Where?  Karl
>
> Dr. Karl I. Trappe                              Desk Phone:  (512) 471-4152
> Physics Dept, Mail Stop C-1600                  Demo Office: (512) 471-5411
> The University of Texas at Austin               Home Phone:  (512) 264-1616
> Austin, Texas 78712-1081