gps

[jhettel]

I do a lot of detecting, mostly relic hunting. Just for information I must say that I always bring along a good gps. I use a Garmin GPS mapit 80, which is considered the best on the market for a handheld gps, it also can be used in the car, but instead of talking to you and telling when to turn, it emits beeps, so it is a dual function gps. I use the gps to mark the location of my car. I have been in the woods before and walked straight to my car. Sometimes I will stash things and mark that with a way point. It is also great for marking areas where I find relics. I can always go right back to where I found something and be within a few feet. I also use the National Geographic Map for my state. This map has the complete topographic maps for the whole state. I can find an area, mark it as a way point on my computer map program then download it into my gps and go right there. When I get home I can then download the information stored in my gps right into my map program and it will then show where everything was found plus my trail that I walked. A while back I lost one of the battery packs from my Tejon while in the woods, a problem Tesoro needs to someday address. I used my gps and backtracked the exact trail I walked and found my battery pack. I was starting to get upset knowing that I would have to find a radio shack and buy a new battery holder and batteries, not a monetary problem, but a big problem when in the woods. Radio Shack sells the exact same battery holder that Tesoro uses in the Tejon, looks exactly alike. Good idea to go to Radio Shack and buy yourself an extra pack. One other thing that was suggested to me was a fanny pack. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a fanny pack in public, and I don't. I did go to Bass Pro Shops in St. Charles, Mo. and buy a hunting type fanny pack that has a number of pouches. They hold my extra batteries; pin-pointer; knife; binoculars; used batteries; finds; two cans of frozen iced tea; and a few other things and the weight is almost negligible. Just a few pointers for all the relic hunters

 

[BarberBill]

Good tips. I use my GPS a fair bit too. In my area, I'm often looking for old logging camps or mining camps and many were located on small streams that often don't have signs and can be easy to drive right by. I get on line to one of several map sites, get the Long. and Lat. where the creek crosses or shows up along the forest road and I then know when I'm in the right place. Also save the locations of the camps when I find them. Very useful accessory.

HH
BB