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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Dan <zaca1@aol.com>
  • To: msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Compass or GPS?
  • Date: Sat, 23 Jan 2010 20:57:40 -0500

Simple is better, redundant is best.  The advantage of the GPS allows us to update our maps and incorporate social and casual trails not indicated on public maps.  And if you get lost you must be able to self rescue.  

Dan Greely



-----Original Message-----
From: Irvin Lichtenstein <ilichten1@verizon.net>
To: 'Mounted search and rescue' <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Sat, Jan 23, 2010 3:44 pm
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Compass or GPS?

The basic problem is that you are discussing apples and oranges.  Navigation is one function. Documentation is another.  If you feel you need the records keeping and tracking capabilities of some GPS units to convince your IC that you went where you said you did, fine. I can also do that with several other technologies, like a Predator.
If what I am aiming for, quite literally, is to get to a destination the compass is less complicated, does not rely on batteries or satellites and radio waves that can be interfered with and rendered unusable by a cell phone, and I don’t care if it gets stepped on by horses
Read the question, answer the question, if you think of something else open a new thread please.  This is an example of why committees never get anything done.
 
A compass gives you a common reference point.  I don’t have to worry about deviance and variance because all magnetic compasses will be affected the same way in an area, and in Pennsylvania there is a lot of magnetic deviance and variance.  We can reduce errors by not converting back and forth to so-called true north by declaring magnetic to be the standard.  And each time I go to report in I don’t have to run through all the settings to make sure I have not accidentally changed the datum, the time zone, date, or coordinate system origin I am using.  And I can use the several hundred dollars I saved by not buying a GPS for every member for something useful—like a radio maybe, or some paper maps, or something else, like training in how to navigate through the woods. 
 
Everything has a use.  We use GPS tracking to verify the paper maps the county parks issue to visitors.  If the trail is not on the map the visitor can get lost and we have to go find them.  Much more effective, and politically astute according to the tourist bureau, is to have accurate maps and tourists who don’t get lost.  Hate to sound cynical but the state fire commissioner says preventing fires is a good idea but if you prevent all the fires in a given year you don’t get any grant money.
 
Irv Lichtenstein  
 

From: msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:msar-riders-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of E.S.
Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 3:01 PM
To: Mounted search and rescue
Subject: Re: [MSAR] Compass or GPS?
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