In Afghanistan we used fairly cheap digital cameras that recorded the GPA location when the photograph is taken. Can't remember the makes or models, but I seem to recall that they were <$200. We needed to photograph objects built with donor funding and "prove" that they were where they were supposed to be and this was accurate enough for that. Greg On Fri, Aug 7, 2015 at 8:42 AM, Dennis Lee Bieber via <tmg@rootsweb.com> wrote: > At 01:26 PM 8/6/2015, you wrote: > >Good morning, > > > >Sorry for being OT, but I looking for some input from the list from > >those people who GPS to identify location coordinates for their > >genealogy. I currently have a unit that serves me well for general > >travel to locations but once I get there I cannot get the exact GPS > >coordinates of the destination. I would like to get a second one > >that I could use for the purpose of getting destination GPS coordinates. > > Unfortunately the manuals available on-line are so > simplified I can't even tell what features remain in the units. > > It sounds like you have a "car navigation" unit which are > pretty much worthless without their built-in street maps (to which > they "snap" to nearest street when there are satellite accuracy errors). > > The cheapest units I'm familiar with suited for off-road use > were the Garmin eTrex units, but the current set (10, 20, 30) share a > manual that has simplified operations so much that to create > waypoints (I know, the opposite of what you want to do, but still of > import) requires doing "mark waypoint" (make CURRENT location a > waypoint) and THEN editing the coordinates. I can't find information > on map datums or coordinate systems supported. (But it does add > GLONASS satellites with the GPS satellites). Heck, even the GPSMAP 78 > manual has been simplified so much I don't know what it does. > > My units are obsolete (they still have BUTTONS, no touch > screen) but had much more detailed stuff (the GPSMAP 76CSx even has a > program for various parachute jumping options taking into account > winds at altitudes and high vs low opening of the chute). > > Don't know if the same units are available in Canada -- the > eTrex 10 is listed at US$ 110, and the GPSMAP 78 at US$ 200 (same as > the eTrex 20x). After those entry-level units, you rapidly hit the > US$300 to 500 range. GPSMAP 64 (GLONASS capable, quadrifilar helix > antenna*) US$ 250. > > > Main thing is that you are looking for a hiking/geocaching > type unit -- though best to check in stores to see how difficult it > is to retrieve location information. Even if it doesn't have a live > coordinate display, you should be able to get the coordinates out of > the saved waypoint edit feature. > > > * quadrifilar helix antennas can be identified by an ~4 inch rod > sticking out of the unit. They work best with satellites that are > toward the horizon and are somewhat dead to birds overhead. However, > position accuracy is better when the satellites are diversely spaced. > Most units use a patch antenna instead, which is better at picking up > overhead birds but makes for a smaller unit. > > -- > bieber.genealogy@earthlink.net Dennis Lee Bieber > HTTP://home.earthlink.net/~bieber.genealogy/ > > The TMG archive is found here: > http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index/TMG/ > Instructions on how to subscribe to TMG: > http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/other/Software/TMG.html > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > TMG-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes > in the subject and the body of the message >