Jerque's New [GPS] unit

I recently convinced myself that I had lost my trusty Garmin 60Csx. I was truly upset, but I cleverly leveraged the situation to purchase a fancier Garmin Oregon 550T. And, yes, I found the other unit in a 'hidden' pocket in a new pack I got at GSA in Portland. Sweet! Two units! Why the Oregon 550T? Well, why not? It is pretty sweet. The 450T that I demo'd at REI had a weird matte-like touch screen that I didn't like; whereas the 550T screen was nice and smooth. The 550T also had a camera that could, obviously, geotag any photos that I would take with it. Trust me, I knew that  the camera wouldn't be great, but suspected it could do in a pinch. I was actually pretty skeptical about whether I would like this thing or not. I was fully prepared to exploit the REI 'Return Every Item' policy if I didn't enjoy it (no shame here, have been a member since 1985). Turns out however, that I like it and it quickly supplanted the 60Csx as my unit of choice. My primary concern was the screen brightness issue that I had read about online. I am pretty concerned about this problem as it has resulted in my Panasonic Toughbook field computer sitting on a shelf for the last 2 or 3 years. The Toughbook, despite what Panasonic may tell you, doesn't work worth a crap in the sun...I map in the desert 90% of the time...you do the math. Actually, the screen on the Oregon works fine in the sun if not a little better than it does in filtered light. The touchscreen is far more pleasant to work with than the horribly tired rocker panel approach of the 60Csx. My only continuing complaint is that neither device can recognize a systematic pattern in waypoint naming and thus eliminate the need for multiple character entry. Am I wrong here? By far the best things about the Oregon are:
  1. Map detail. The shaded relief is particularly nice at 100k and larger. 24k base maps looks great as well...either the free ones or the paid ones (I have both, don't ask).
  2. Computer interface is smoother than the 60Csx. Behaves as expected when plugged into USB.
  3. Custom map option is freakin' huge! With a little effort you can upload any map or image you want. Even uses kml....zowie! Learning curve is present.
  4. Forthcoming 'Birdseye' satellite data may very well be the best innovation yet for handheld mapping assistance (at least in the desert). Maybe I will quit breaking out my Blackberry with Google Maps when I am in cell range...
  5. The camera doesn't suck, but it is not good enough to supplant my preferred field camera(s).
  6. I dig the carabiner attachment.
  7. It feels good in your hand.
  8. Works pretty well at a window seat on a commercial airliner...as does the 60Csx (Great time passer. Now more fun with nice base map of US). Planes go fast.

Media_httpgeofrothorg_jvmaa

Things I do not like as much:
  1. Why can't it recognize the systematic pattern in my waypoint naming and save me some time?
  2. Related Basecamp software has potential but needs work.
  3. This thing costs a lot! Try the Dakota or the lower numbered Oregon units to save some dough.
  4. The waypoint averaging is complicated and too involved for practical application. But I did learn about it on a handy new Garmin Blog: http://garmin.blogs.com/my_weblog/outdoorrec/
  5. Battery life seems less than 60Csx. Interestingly, it comes with NiMh bats and a charger.
  6. No Garmin units seem to allow you to use GPS elevation in place of barometric altimeter to get profile data.
Overall, I do really like this unit and will soon test how well my feeble mind can handle the custom map options and report back. So far my experiments worked ok. I will also jump on the satellite imagery option the day it becomes available. Alas, note below that the camera is weak overall...but will do in a pinch. There are other ways to geotag your photos that take only a little more thought. Here is a comparison of photos taken with my field Pentax (top) and the Oregon GPS (same time, same place):
Media_httplh3ggphtcom_srdee
Media_httplh4ggphtcom_tgiws

Google Earth is indispensable for geologic mapping.

I've said it before, and I am sure I will say it again. But this time Google Earth is really making a major difference in my approach to making a geologic map.

My mapping project on the Lower Walker River and the piedmont of the Wassuk Range, NV is taxing my skills as a geologist and as a mapper. It is an extremely complicated setting with active tectonics, catastrophic debris flows, rock avalanches, a wildly fluctuating terminal lake, and a river madly scrambling to keep up with the lake's rapid, historical decline (50 m in ~100 years). Documenting the ancient, historical, and recent shorelines along the lake is a key component of developing a fairly tight chronology of alluvial fans, abandoned delta lobes, and Quaternary fault activity. However, efficiently digesting all of this information is a far more laborious task with the 24k USGS base maps because the relief in the area is too extreme to accommodate small contour intervals. Air photos are certainly nice, and I do have access to some marginally good LiDAR data and scattered high-precision GPS points, but nothing brings the area into full focus as easily and as efficiently as Google Earth. On this project I have explicitly incorporated GE into my mapping and it has worked extremely well.

GE allows me to quickly and repeatedly pan and zoom my map area and evaluate all of these features of interest. With particular reference to the logistics of making a geologic map, I have used GE extensively to quickly trace mappable shorelines, tag key elevations, and decide how (or whether) to group them for mapping purposes. I have also marked some of the more flagrant fault traces to improve the frame of reference for the map. Of course, I have also linked my geotagged set of field photos so that I can get some clear reminders about key areas I am mapping. The map is being compiled in ArcGIS with good imagery (NAIP) and I can simply transfer my interpretations by visual inspection. Of course, I keep turning to GE to check things out in detail because, somehow, the clarity of the imagery far exceeds what I can force out of the NAIP. Likely I will turn the map of this intriguing area into a kml project. Best area yet for that.


Posted via email from Fresh Geologic Froth

New GPS goodness!

Of note to geologists who are beyond 'impressing' their colleagues with field triangulation and traverses on horseback....

Media_http1bpblogspot_jfdno

Today, Garmin announced the upcoming release of the 'Oregon' gps unit. This one, though pricey, looks to be a superior counterpart to the 'Colorado'. Of even greater interest to geoheads is the fact that there is evidence that 24k topomaps are also in the pipeline.

Here is a link to Garmin's mini-site: Oregon Gps Unit