Garmin Etrex Legend questions and gps coords map?

[sdghsdgj]

where can i find a map of lakes that has gps coords on it? also i have a GARMIN ETrex Legend, it takes like 10 min. to link up and still only gets an accuracy at best to 30 feet with an average of 60 ft. this means theres a 60 ft daimeter circle i could be in right? has anyone else had experience with this unit, when i use it outside on the ice how will the reception be?

[straydog]

my legend is usually acurate within 18 feet, but it does take a while to aquire satelite signal, probobly not 10 min. I did a couple of tests with mine by marking a couple of spots in the woods and going back to them months later, because I thought if you mark a point with 18-22 ft accuracy and went back to it with the same you could really be a long way off, but i was within a foot or so every time.

[Macgyver55]

If you want to simply look up a coordinate go to

www.terraserver-usa.com simply type in the lat/lon and it will give you the choice of aerial or topo maps.

Another very good site to use is www.easygps.com

it is an easy and quick download and can do a multitude of things for your GPS needs.

If you are having trouble locking in go through the procedure to reaquire satellites. This does take a while but will help. Also make sure that the time zone is correct for your location and daylight savings is turned off. These thing will all make a difference in lock in time. It should work the best on a lake with no overhead obstructions.

[sdghsdgj]

i dont know the coords to put in! thats why i need a map to tell me the coords

[Knotwood]

Mapsource CD for roads and recreation. Download this into your computer, move your pointer around and you can get really close to whatever coordinates you like. You may be able to download your basic set-up, too. Any particular place you have in mind? I could get you pretty close... Those Mapsource CD's are around $80.00, but have lots more accurate detail, several choices.

[sdghsdgj]

thanks i thought of that but i dont have enough $ im looking for a map of the coords of Bald Eagle Lake in Ramesy county.

[Macgyver55]

You can also type in the nearest city or intersection (to the lake you want) into the search and it will give you an aerial view.... and as you move your cursor around it will tell you the coordinates.

[Knotwood]

I'm not familiar with the area, but if it is slightly north of White Bear Lake, the approx. center of the lake is N 45 06.553, and W 93 00.957

Plat maps are very helpful, too.

[sdghsdgj]

thanks a bunch but i need to ask u to go a step further and lay out an instruction (page by page if possible) on what to do with this lol. sorry but i have a parental controls on our pc (im 15) and i havta ask my parents to put in the code every page i go to, so i could spend like an hour looking around that site! sorry for all the trouble, and thanks again!!!

[Knotwood]

Up late for New Year's, eh? Our movie was over, so sorry I didn't get back right away. If you want to use the GPS, use the "Find", go to a nearby city, or name one, then on the bottom, click on map. The top left side buttons zoom in or out. Use the "joystick" to manuever your pointer around until the coordinates I sent match where you wind up. On the basic mapset that is included inside the GPS, it does not show "Bald Eagle" as a lake, but on the CD for Mapsource, it does. I just did a quick "mapquest" search for White Bear Lake, and you can see Bald Eagle Lake there, or zoom in and out as the map shows, even print off a copy for future reference. [email protected] if you need more details.

[sdghsdgj]

oops i shouldve said it clearer, i know where the lake is but i need a map of the lake to mark some spots on it, like the ridge north or the bar..., ect. so thats why i need a map of the lake, so i can find the coords where my spots are,

[Knotwood]

Coordinates differ slightly from maps. I just looked at the "terra-server" site, and the numbers are not really even that close. In order you get the numbers you'll need, search around, and since you will use the GPS to re-find your location, when you are out fishing, set up some waypoints or a route so they'll be close next time you get back there. Always best to have a clear view of the sky, when I was on the Canadian border/Quetico Park area junction a couple years ago, there were some waypoints I marked on the ice, so I would know the boundaries for summer use, limits are different, motor use, too... accuracy can get to within 7 feet.

[sdghsdgj]

so what would u suggest to find the spots on the lake?

[Knotwood]

Check out maps and other sites, the aerial view on terra-server is just one of many. You can get close, but use your GPS to record any activity you want, ledges, outcrops, sandbars, flats, that way your coordinates will be consistent. You can label your waypoints and/or routes on the garmin.

[dockehr]

sdghsdgj, you have three ways to access the contour information you want for Bald Eagle Lake. Find someone who has the Garmin Lakemaster ProMap Data either in CD-ROM form or in a pre-programmed data card. The third option is to find someone who has a Navionics HotMaps Premium Data Card (Eagle, Lowrance, Raymarine,etc). Bald Eagle Lake and all its bottom contours are on the aforementioned disk/cards.If you are successful in finding someone with the right card/CD-ROM the two of you can get together and scroll around the map with the cursor marking interesting waypoints. Then write down the co-ordinates of the waypoints and enter them into your unit. Hope this helps.

Dr. Roland Kehr/Lindy Tackle Company.

[Pops']

Another possibility is to call a bait store near the lake you want to see if they have a lake map with gps points located on it. I use a lake map for Clearwater Lake that I bought at the bait store on that lake that has about 2 dozen locations marked on it. I am in Arizona for the winter and don't have the name of the person who puts out those maps but suspect other "local" maps may be available; I use it with my ETrex Legend.