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Welcome to this month’s GPS Training podcast, it’s our 30th episode.

1. In this month’s we again have Ian and me Jon, both from GPS Training

So, without further ado let’s get on with today’s podcast ……

It’s the New Year, so today we are going have a slightly different podcast.

Not only have we got new theme music, which I know will make Ian happy, but it is going to be a Podcast of two halves –

• The first part of this month’s podcast we are going look back at some of the key developments, stories and funny antidotes of 2019
• Then the second half we are going to look forward and dream a little in what we would like to see in the world of outdoor GPS navigation

I hope you enjoy the ‘slightly different’ January GPS Training podcast.

I must state I loved putting these months running order together, looking and listening back over the past year of Podcasts and also thinking forward to what we could have in the future in the world of Outdoor GPS navigation.

  — So, first of all its’s time to look back at the past twelve months

The first-ever GPS Training Podcast – September 2017 – you may have heard this story before but back in one of our monthly staff meetings when I raised the idea of a podcast, one month later it happened.

In February 2019 (podcast number 19), which was Ian’s first podcast, Andy’s last one came out on the 31st December, we looked at –

It’s been an interesting year, key products –

• GPSMAP66i – June, podcast 23 – big game changer, more of this to come? What is it, the i
• Casio Pro Trek GPS watch – July, podcast 24. Oli flew up all the way from Southampton to be on the podcast
• Fenix 6 GPS watch, especially the solar charging option – September podcast (number 27) then the solar launch just last month December (Podcast number 29)
• GPSMAP86s and 86i – December (podcast number 29) – these are Outdoor GPS units that are very much aimed at the Sea Kayakers etc.
• Xpedition 2 (from SatMap) – we have not really discussed it on the podcasts, but we do like it

Key guests –

• Andi from Garmin, talking about the 66i – that was a one-story podcast, as it was such a big launch (June, podcast number 23)
• Alex on twice from the AA team (August and October)

Alex and two of his friends Seb and Elliot set off on a 10,000 mile journey through 20 countries in a £600.00 Ford Fiesta and wow what an adventure they had.

• Back in March (podcast number 20) I talked to some of our participants on one of the GPS Training courses we had had the previous month at Mungrisdale, in the Lake District. A cracking group that just ‘got it’.
• Tris, (podcast number 25) about how the 66i had opened the world up to him. He has epilepsy
• Tom, from Garmin, who has been on lots talking about anything I ask him to talk about. A good supporter of us here at GPS training

Fun story –

• Classification of GPS units, submerging GPS units – May, podcast number 22

Funny or memorable things that have happened to you on courses in the past year

• Jon – Oct Peebles, after lunch
• Ian, it must be all the rain you have had over the past year
• Anything else

As a bit of an interlude between looking back at last year and looking forward to this year I want to discuss podcasts with you Ian for the next five minutes –

I want you Ian to pull your phone out of your pocket, or whatever you listen to your podcasts on.

And for you to tell me the top 5 podcasts you listened to,and tell me in one sentence why you listen to each of those podcasts ….

1. The looking forward to this year and beyond what would you like to see in the world of outdoor GPS navigation for handhelds, wrist-based GPS products and two-way satellite communicators

Before I start this piece, I must state I have signed a non-disclosure agreement with Garmin, but purposely I have not asked about any ‘roadmaps’ for next year.

So, we can discuss what we would like, rather than what I know is going to be around the corner.

These are the kind of things we discuss off air

• New Touchscreen GPS unit, are we ready for it?
• Batteries – more unit with built in battery packs?
• Solar powered handheld GPS units?
• New unit from SatMap, do you think SatMap will ever get into GPS watches?
• InReach technology options being built into all Garmin handheld releases, and why just handhelds, why not watches?
• Anything else you would like to see?

Quick Fire round, do you think you would change your GPS unit if it had any of the following features on –

• OS maps on a Garmin GPS Watch?

• Both a touch screen and button, on the same unit, handheld GPS unit from Garmin

• Solar charging – power neutral GPS handheld unit/ GPS watch

• Open Sourced mapping ever showing rights of way, how much cheaper would GPS units be without the OS license?

• Anything I have missed?

And Finally

• Many thanks for listening and let us know anything you would like to be covered in the Podcast please do let us know and if you know of anybody interesting that you would like to hear interviewed in future podcasts please do let us know.
• Give us a call especially if you are thinking of a new GPS unit
• Please do look a look at both our physical GPS courses and also our webinars, just go to GPSTaining.co.uk and click on – GPS Training courses
• Please do tell your friends about the podcast and GPS Training and encourage them to subscribe to it on whichever Podcast app they are using.
• AND don’t forget to give us 5 star rating on iTunes and Overcast users (Android), it is appreciated. If you can also snazzy review on whatever platform you listen to us on it would be appreciated.
• Many thanks for Ian for joining me on this podcast and I hope you get plenty of opportunity to get out and enjoy your walking and all the best for 2020