Outdoors GPS fun

Ok so not strictly a radio topic, but I recently purchased a hand held GPS unit for when I am out & about playing radio or just having a day camp in the woods. I did my research and decided a Garmin eTrex 30 would be the one I would go for. 

The only issue I foresaw was the cost of getting the OS maps on top of the purchase cost of the unit. So I’ve ended up not using OS maps but instead I’ve gone down the Open Source mapping community (openstreetmap.org) . So far so good. 

The maps are clear, accurate and above all FREE ! the maps are great – as depending on your  activity the maps change. So for instance I’m walking most of the time and being able to see public footpaths and Bridleways is awesome.
A couple of other great features include its amazing battery life (2 AA’s for 20hours)  The ability to see Maidenhead locators, and its seamless Geo Caching integration.  I went out with the family yesterday with my Youngest looking after the eTrex for the days treasure hunt. We had a blast finding 7 Caches in total.


And the little GPS unit was a delight to use. Its now a key part of the radio Go Pack.
Dan Trudgian, MØTGN, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Wiltshire, England. He's a radio nut, IT guru, general good guy and an all round good egg. Contact him him here.

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