Hampshire: Village Hall, Martyr Worthy, GR SU 517.327
Hertfordshire: YHA Lee Valley, Windmill Lane, Cheshunt GR TL3680/0240
North Lakes: The Village Hall, Mungrisdale (just off the A66, approx. 8 miles east of Keswick) GR 362/ 302
Sherwood Forest: Visitor Centre, Edwinstowe
South Cotswolds: Village Hall, Didmarton
South Lakes: YHA Ambleside at Waterhead on A591 GR NY3770/0305
Yorkshire Dales: Dalesbridge Centre, (just off the A65) Austwick, North Yorkshire GR SD 762/676
Course Fee:
£59 including handouts, tea, coffee, biscuits and use of all equipment. Bring your own sandwiches or lunch is available locally at a reasonable price.
Book this course with any other course(s) and get a 10% discount on all courses booked in the same name. Consecutive dates available
Booking:
Check availability on the by using the button at the top of this page and book direct via our secure Booking Form. Please book early as the course is run with small groups and places are strictly limited.
You should bring:
Boots and outdoor gear and your booking confirmation. A GPS is not needed but please bring your own if you have one. If you do bring your own GPS, please bring a cable to link it to a PC if you have one . Whilst we have cables for most modern GPS, we cannot guarantee to have the one you need. If in doubt, please contact us.
What's the course about? This one day course is an easy-to-understand introduction to using GPS and digital maps. The day is a mixture of classroom activity and practical exercises using GPS with waypoints and routes downloaded from a digital map system. Basic GPS safety techniques will also be considered and you'll learn about Geocaching and GeoTrailingTM.
Is this course right for you? You do not have to own a GPS or have any experience of using one. All the jargon and technical features will be explained as we go along and you'll get handouts to refer to when you get home.
Our courses will cover both Magellan® and Garmin® GPS systems. If you do not already own a GPS, we will have a choice of GPS for you to use on the day. Although most of the learning points of the course are simply transferable to other products and brands, please note that there is usually not enough time to address specific product-related questions that are outside the scope of the course
This is not a basic navigation training course. If you join this course it is assumed that you can use a map and compass for basic navigation. We do run a series of Traditional Navigation Days sponsored by Silva™ that will provide you with a excellent set of basic map and compass skills.
What's the course designed to achieve? The aim of the day is that you will leave the course with the skills to use a GPS confidently and safely at a basic level and understand the advantages in linking it to a digital mapping system.
What will I learn? By the end of the day you should be able to:
recognize what a GPS and a digital map can and cannot do to help you stay safe out on the hills
set up the GPS so it will function properly in the UK
understand the meaning of basic GPS & digital map terms. Eg. waypoint, track, route, goto, TracBack etc.
mark current position and enter a waypoint and a goto into the GPS
appreciate the advantages of using digital maps with your GPS
confidently use a GPS by navigating a simple route to locate real waypoints on the ground.
take appropriate safeguards to ensure your own safety on the fells when using a GPS
Understand the use of a GPS in the new leisure sports of Geocaching and Geotrailing.
What's in the course?
What is a GPS?: how does it work?; how accurate is it? WAAS and EGNOS enabling
Ordnance Survey National Grid and grid references; GPS 10 digit references
GPS - buttons & main pages; battery; power; display; etc.
Setting up the GPS - position format; map datum; north reference; etc.
Finding your position: GPS vs map & compass
Waypoints: mark; manually enter; download
Finding your destination: Navigating using a GPS ; Goto - get 'lost' and find destination exercise
Routes: manually create and delete, navigating a route exercise; creating a tracklog
Digital maps: what's available; what they will do; different map views
Choosing a GPS to fit user needs
Introduction to safety issues when using a GPS
Future trends in GPS & digital maps including their use in Geocaching and Geotrailing.
recognize what a GPS and a digital map can and cannot do to help you stay safe out