Welcome to this month’s GPS training podcast
1. Today we have Jon, Andy and Henry
2. Jon, managing director Shepherds Walks Ltd who is the parent company of GPS Training.
3. Andy, the reviewer, tech support and all round ‘geek’ (in a nice way) of GPS Training.
4. Henry, is multi-talented. Is one of our trainers at GPS Training, delivering our courses on Fife, Lakes, Northumberland and Sherwood Forest. He is also one of our walking guides for Shepherds Walks Holidays and the practical use of Outdoor GPS units as a ‘professional’ walking guide is why he is our guest on today’s Podcast
Again, we are streaming on Facebook the recording of us all recording the Podcast, so if you want to see what we all look like take a look at our Facebook page –
1. Just search for GPS Training on Facebook and don’t forget to ‘like’ our page.
2. A copy of our live stream is archived on Facebook so you can watch it until the end of time, if you want to!
3. Also in the next few days we will also upload the video feed onto YouTube.
So, without further ado let’s get on with today’s podcast ……
In today’s podcast we are going to look and chat over the following –
1. An in-depth look at the Garmin inReach – Satellite communicator
2. And after a question from one of the listeners of last month’s podcast we are going to look at the differences between the Garmin Topo and Topo active mapping.
3. Christmas GPS offers – Oregon 700 and eTrex Touch 25
4. Top tips – both SatMap and Garmin
5. Look at our weekly video top tips – in our online resource
6. SatMap Active 20 – Battery replacement options
7. The big debate – If you were going to get an outdoor GPS unit this Christmas, which one would it be?
8. And finally, we will have a look at our courses we have coming up over the coming month
1. An in-depth look at Garmin inReach
1. What is the Garmin inReach, it’s not just a GPS unit is it?
• Two-way satellite communicator, using the Iridium satellites, the same as a Sat Phone uses.
• You can send both pre-set and text messages from the unit via satellites.
• It can also be used as a GPS navigator, but I personally think it does not replace a standalone GPS navigational unit.
• SOS button – GEOS Worldwide, LTD is an independent emergency response organization headquartered outside of Houston, Texas. Their high-tech underground facility is the central component in their International Emergency Response Coordination Center (IERCC). That facet of their operation is somewhat self-explanatory. When GEOS receives a distress call, their IERCC department swings into action to coordinate an immediate and appropriate response. Sounds simple enough, but what does that actually mean?
• GEOS also maintains a large network of offices around the globe in Perth, Marrakech, Paris, London, New York, San Jose, and Los Angeles.
• You need a contract to get a Garmin inReach to work (like a mobile phone contract) and these start from £12.99/month but a little more for a more usable contract. I think we pay around £25.00/ month which is a good mid-range contract.
• Contracts vary according to number of Text messages you want to send each months and if your tracking points are included in the contract or not. The interesting thing is that all pre-set messages are unlimited and also the SOS button works on whatever contract you are on
2. Other products in the marketplace
• Sole Walkers – SPOT
3. SPOT – Comes in at £119.99 – What is the SPOT?
– Satellite GPS personal tracker
– You have a number of pre-set messages you can send, you set these up yourself online and you can send to multiple e-mail and text numbers
– Live tracking place – both online and in app
– Contracts are a little cheaper – £17.99 for unlimited everything
– You still get the GEOS SOS support
– Lightweight and stunning battery life
BUT you can only send messages and not receive them
4. inReach – We have already discussed this at length
There are two models –
– inReach SE+ £399.99
– inReach Explorer+ £429.99
5. Henry’s experience of using the inReach.
• Story of Ingleborough situation last year
• How have you found the usability/ ease off use of the inReach
• We keep it on a BackPack tether so it sits on the guides rucksack strap.
Take a look on our website – gpstraining.co.uk – click on GPS store and then on the left-hand side you will see a category – GPS Units – Garmin inReach – Satellite Communicator
2. Topo mapping – We are revisiting this after a great question from one of our Podcasts listeners, he said –
We are revisiting this after a great question from one of our Podcasts listeners, he said –
I’m now slightly confused about the TOPO mapping …. when I bought my 62sc ages ago there was an 62st option with TOPO mapping…I had the impression at the time this was some sort of open source mapping? Has this mapping now been dropped by Garmin and now the word TOPO = OS maps?
3. Christmas GPS offers – Oregon 700 and eTrex Touch 25
Our Q4 promotions we are currently running are – Oregon 700 and eTrex Touch 25, both with full GB map bundles
– Oregon 700 with full GB maps (1:50k) – £399.99 (was £499.99)
– With 1:25k maps (full GB) this comes in at £599.99 + £649.99
– eTrex Touch 25 with full GB maps (1:50k) – £249.99 (was £329.99)
4. Top tips – both SatMap and Garmin
1. Garmin top tip – Battery Setting getting best out of batteries this time of year colder temperatures – correct battery setting, recommend Eneloop or Lithium, Setup Display backlight timeout down, Battery save – swipe down oregon 700 or power button other units reduce backlight, Setup Map – Orientation North Up, leave screen not on map page
2. SatMap top tip – Battery life tips – lower main backlight using button on the side and use Advanced power setting change boost time to no more than 20 seconds – Power control screen turn off down from 3 minutes to 1 minute
Advanced Power Setting – Power saving mode – Advanced (Only North up)
Advanced power – make sure Lipol Rechargeable selected with SatMap battery
or if using emergency aa pack recommend Lithium AA change here talking about this later.
5. Look at our weekly video top tips – in our online resource
– This is something we have introduced in the past few months
– We used to have top tips in our Friday GPS Training newsletter but now we produce video top tips and these we put in the online resource, what is the online resource?
– Both Garmin and SatMap top tips across all the units, we have done things like
– SatMap – Changing map page data box fields, Hibernate mode, Reverse a route in a SatMap Active 20 etc etc
– Garmin – Hiding the pre-loaded geocaches, setting the map page from track up to North up, securing your micro SD card, using the round routing option on the Oregon 700 with TOPO PRO maps etc etc
– You can access it by going to gpstraining.co.uk and click on ‘online’ resource on the top menu bar or click ‘online resource’ top right of our homepage.
Get the online resource free for 1 year if you buy a unit from us or you can pay £25.00/ year
6. SatMap Active 20 – Battery replacement options
The SatMap Active 20 comes with this massive 5000 mAh Lipol battery but a number of people have been enquiring about a backup battery or any other options, there are two options.
– Spare LIPOl batter pack – £40.00
– SatMap Active 20 AA Battery Pack – £20.00
9. The big debate – The big debate – If you were going to wake up on Christmas morning and you could have any outdoor GPS unit under the Christmas Tree (no money ceiling on this) which one would it be?
AND if you are not getting a new GPS and you wanted to wake up to 1 great GPS accessory on Christmas morning, what 1 accessory would that be?
– 1 Garmin and 1 SatMap accessory
7. What GPS Training courses do we have coming up?
We have two new locations for our physical courses for 2018
1. Eyam in Peak District
2. Great Cransley in Northamptonshire
These will complement the physical courses we have in –
1. Cotswolds
2. Fife
3. Lakes
4. New Forest
5. Northumberland
6. Sherwood
7. And South Downs
Webinars
These start again in January.
To find out more about our courses visit – gpstraining.co.uk – and click on – GPS training courses – on the top menu bar
To finish off this our fourth podcast
– Many thanks for listening and let us know anything you would like to be covered in the Podcast
– Give us a call especially if you are thinking of a new GPS unit for Christmas, our last postage date is the Friday before Christmas (Saturday delivery)
– Please do tell your friends about the podcast and GPS Training
– If you have been on one of our courses or bought a GPS from us in the past year you will be getting the GPS training brochure arriving between Christmas and New Year.
This lists all our courses for 2018 and also showcasing some of the exciting things we have coming up, so keep your eyes open for that dropping through your letter box in the next few weeks.
– Don’t forget you can watch us recording the podcast on our facebook page – gpstraininguk – or on our YouTube Channel – GPSTraining
– AND don’t forget please do subscribe and rate this podcast
Many thanks for Andy and Henry for joining me on this, the Saturday episode of our GPS Training podcast.
AND HAVE A GREAT CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR, get out and get a few miles under your belt this Christmas, I know I am going to.