Re: Garmin 60CS, saving tracks

From: William Wood (spamthisbastard_at_biteit.com)
Date: 11/30/04 

Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2004 21:19:22 -0600

"H.W. Stockman" <stockman3@earth-REMOVE_THIS-link.net> wrote in message
news:ylRqd.3631$u81.2032@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> >
> OK, I'm still a little puzzled. You have a number of options for number
> of
> points saved for a log, from pure "per seconds" recording, to allowing the
> GPS to figure out how many points should be saved for a time interval (and
> it tries, through averaging, to preen away points with little additional
> information, while keeping a lot of points to define parts of the track
> with
> lots of turns). I use an intermediate "automatic" setting, and generally
> have no more than 2500 points in the active log after a convoluted, 9-hour
> hike.
>
> I would think that in downhill skiing, you would have fairly long periods
> of
> few dramatic turns (the small turns will probably just be eaten up in the
> noise), and the track might be well-defined with an automatic setting.
> Your
> main "problem" will be the big discontinuities when you get on the lift.
>
>

I think you are probably right. Based on what I have seen of the automatic
setting (which I've used so far only driving around town), it should do a
good job.

I had only considered the manual (per second) mode to remove any doubt as to
whether there will be enough points. At the end of the day, I can just
upload to the PC and clear the GPSr memory. It seems to me that in skiing,
as opposed to hiking, there can be very rapid speed changes at intervals
that also vary. If one of my main goals is to be able to see speeds at
different points on certain pistes, my rationale is to have a relatively
rapid data aquisition rate.

 What do you mean about the discontinuities on the lifts? I am not
following you there. I originally planned to just leave the GPSr in
every-5-sec mode while on the lifts. The tracks will overlap at the lifts
and the speeds will stay constant. Alternatively, I could switch track
logging off while riding the lifts, but the idea of whipping the device out
all the time doesn't turn me on much.

I welcome your thoughts as this helps me to think it through.

BTW I just received the Gilsson MCX / OSX antenna which seems to work great.
My plan is to somehow fasten this antenna to my shoulder on the inside of my
coat.

-William Wood