GPS For Dummies

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 408 pages
• Published by: For Dummies June 4, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0764569333
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0764569333
• Book Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Weighs: 1.4 pounds

Product Review
"at over 350 pages you can be sure to find the answers to most of your questions!" (Boat Mart, July 2007)

Product Description
GPS For Dummies gives new meaning to finding yourself. In fact, with a GPS (global positioning system) receiver, you can determine precisely where you are anywhere on this planet. If you’re are planning on buying a GPS receiver or if you have one and want to get your money’s worth, this guide tells you what you need to know, including:

Basic GPS principles and concepts such as waypoints, routes, tracks, and coordinate systems

• Recommended features for GPS receivers to be used in various types of activities, including hiking, mountain biking, cross country skiing, geocaching, hunting, ATVing, mapping, and more
• How to do digital mapping on your computer, including software packages you can use to work with aerial photos, topographic maps, and road maps
• The main providers of digital map data for the U.S. and their Web sites
• The scoop on geocaching—a high-tech treasure hunt

Written by Joel McNamara, avid outdoorsman, adventure racer, search and rescue team member, and author of Secrets of Computer Espionage, GPS for Dummies is ideal for both ordinary travelers and exotic explorers. It covers a world of GPS info such as:

• Choosing features for a GPS receiver, including the screen, an alarm, built-in maps, an electric compass, an altimeter, antennas, interface modes, and more
• Systems for traveling on the main roads and systems for exploring off the beaten path
• Using GPS with a PDA (personal digital assistant)
• Computer requirements for different mapping choices
• Topographic map software from Maptech, DeLorme, and National Geographic that’s for off-road use
• Using Web-hosted mapping services, including street maps, topographic maps, aerial photos, and U.S. government-produced maps
• Incorporating GPS receivers into outdoor workouts, with tips for specific sports including cycling, golf, rowing, and more

A companion Web site has links to all kinds of free maps and resources. So explore on your computer and then explore for real! With GPS for Dummies, you’ll find yourself having adventures!

Reader Reviews
I got a Magellan Meridian Color GPS for my birthday and was frankly at a loss for where to begin so I bought this book. The book had a ton of good information to get me started with using a GPS, all the different functions like display and output, finding coordinates and setting waypoints. It was also very helpful with the initial configuration and settings, which I was really struggling with. The pleasant surprise about this book was what I got above and beyond the parts about just using a GPS receiver. The book is packed with great information on free mapping sites and how to integrate maps and GPS. It also had a section on using my GPS with my computer and my handheld, both of which I have done now since buying the book. The book is absolutly just loaded with so much helpful information on GPS, digital and online maps that I have now done several cool things I was totally unaware of before. My friends and I are getting ready to take a road trip and I used the book to map out the trip and set different waypoints that we plan to visit along the way. One of my favorite parts is the geocaching chapter which inspired me to try geoaching - it looks like the same author has written a Geocaching For Dummies book which I plan to order. Comment | | (Report this)