 You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
ok, been looking at things like Garmin Dakota/Garmin Etrex kinds of things. Now if you buy them with the Garmin Discoverer OS stuff they work out much more expensive. Can they be used as a navigation tool without the official Discoverer software if you upload routes from websites like Bikehike etc?. If you can will it give you real time navigation?
If you can will it give you real time navigation?
what do you mean by this? Sat nav 'turn left, turn right' style instructions? if so then you'll be disappointed.
A GPS should only really be used as a navigation aid which suppliments a paper map and compass. as such you really don't need to spend a fortune on digital maps.
Get the cheapest device you can find, get a map and compass and, more importantly, the knowledge on how to use them properly then get out and enjoy the wilderness.
I navigate entirely from my gps and only use maps as backup.
I use the Garmin edge 800 on the bars and a Garmin 60csx backup in the pack.
I can read maps but its a faff getting them out and checking all the time.
Sorry was a bad description of what i meant. What i mean is if i upload a route to the unit from a website like bikehike (if it doesnt also have the GB Discoverer maps) will it continuously update my location on the map/route. Not like a car sat nav 🙂
a gps will drop a 'breadcrumb' trail as you walk when turned on to an accuracy beyond what can be read/draw on a paper map. if you upload a GPX of your route it will display this on the screen and if you have the maps installed you'll be able to see it in real-time where you are and where you need to go.
Dakota 20 user...
The built-in maps are barely usable off-road. However, if you download a GPX file as a route and go in to Compass mode, it will point you in roughly the right direction.
Or - in map mode you will see a line which you then need to follow.
Either way, on a bike you can easily and quickly end up .off-route and have to double back on yourself.
The OS 1:50k mapping makes it all so much easier. I believe that it is possible to download other, free, mapping but the accuracy and completeness of this is nowhere near as good as the OS.
But - as has already been stated, make sure you carry, and can use, a paper map too.
Thanks people. Yes i am able to use paper maps. So as i understand it i can use the units without the OS 1:50 loaded but the route/mapping will be pretty vague. The official map packs make it more useable and accurate. Am i correct?
Not accurate but easier to know where you are.
The built in base maps have no detail at all. Only major roads and rivers and thats about it.
You will only see your plotted path as a line in a large blob of green.
If you have the maps you will be able to check where you are in relation to land features and most bridleways are plotted on them.
With or without the maps the gps will be very accurate if you want to use it to reference off paper maps.
I use GPS as backup and always have maps or at very least extremely good local knowledge (either mine or a friend)
Sounds like you've nailed it. It's worth looking into the other (free) mapping options too, but you will need space to store them so consider a unit with an SD card.bigbloke - Member
Thanks people. Yes i am able to use paper maps. So as i understand it i can use the units without the OS 1:50 loaded but the route/mapping will be pretty vague. The official map packs make it more useable and accurate. Am i correct?
It's worth saying that I used a Geko 301 (i.e. no mapping) for years without major problems.
If you are anywhere near Central Scotland, I'd be happy to let you have a play with my Dakota 20.
I'm looking at getting a similar unit myself and so have been asking all the same questions...
Models like the Dakota and newer eTrex have base maps installed, with limited detail, which you can plot your route on. But there are free alternatives to the costly Garmin Discoverer maps available. I'm not sure how good they are and if they show rights of way (which would be useful), but I do know they exist. I'm sure someone else can elaborate.
The issue with (some of?) the free maps is that they are based on OpenStreetMap, and that is only as good as the data which users have uploaded into it. You are therefore likely to find huge blank areas, missing paths, woods, lakes, rivers etc.
would the etrex screen be a little small for cycling use?
Thanks for the offer Druid but i am a bit far south by about 6 hrs 🙂
Use "Mobile Atlas Creator" for making your own maps, including OS 50k and 25k.
As others have said, it will make no difference to the accuracy, only the usability. The OS data tends to be very comprehensive and accurate, the Openstreetmap stuff less so but can sometimes be more up to date.
Why not just go to Openstreetmap.org and see what the map looks likes where you want to go? If you log in and go into edit mode you can sometimes see more data than gets displayed on the web map.
Then, if you want to use the Openstreetmap data, go to www.openmtbmap.org and download a map from there. Get the ones with the contour lines integrated as that is possibly the most useful thing to have on when the map is short of other features.