Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2006/05/22
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Unless you're expecting to hike into places off the beaten path, a GPS unit isn't going to get you anything you can't live without easily. Okay, you can get a pretty little pretty little arrow on your mapping software, that says "You are HERE" -- but you can read the street signs at the nearest corner and get the same info without bells, whistles, or a couple hundred bucks in space tech and dead batteries.. Personally, when I'm in the car I don't even hook the GPS* up until there's a line in the directions that starts "At the end of the paved road, ...." Get yourself a good mapping software program with a search function (I use DeLorme TopoUSA and Microsoft Streets&Trips, but they're not not Mac-able; try http://www.macgpspro.com ) and join AAA, who IMO have the best paper maps going (I update about a dozen of mine every year, which pays for the membership by itself.), and I think you'll be good to go. If you really feel the need, spend ten bucks at your favorite parts store and get a compass for the car. * I have a Garmin 76, which is I think about the cheapest unit out there that will take an external antenna, which is IMO NOT an "optional accessory"; it runs about $175. The antenna's another 20 or so from Gilsson, the cables to hook it to the USB port and the cigarette lighter was about $25, I think. It's pretty bare-bones but so far I've not gotten so lost it couldn't find me. On 22 May 2006 at 14:05, Kyle Cassidy wrote: > okay -- for reasons that hopefully i'll be able to talk about in the > weeks ahead in more detail (though those of you who are shrewd will > probably figure it out without too much trouble), i'm driving across > america this summer stopping in various places to do a series of > portraits. i'm thinking that i might want to get a GPS to make > navigating between all these places easier (i'll be stopping in 16 > cities and probably taking two, maybe three portraits in each). -- R. Clayton McKee http://www.rcmckee.com Photojournalist rcmckee@rcmckee.com P O Box 571900 voice/fax 713/783-3502 Houston, TX 77257-1900 cell phone # on request