Search results

  1. D

    WAAS, GLONASS, and Your GPS

    WAAS Most (if not all) newer hand-held GPS units offer a WAAS (for Wide Area Augmentation System) option. Basic GPS signals alone do not meet Federal Aviation Administration accuracy standards, especially for precision flight approaches. As a result, WAAS was developed. WAAS is a network of...
  2. D

    Choosing a GPS

    When it comes to selecting and using a GPS, I take what I imagine might be described as a minimalist approach. If you wish to spend $400 to $600 on a GPS, you are, of course, at liberty to do so, but you certainly don’t have to - a good GPS that sets you back $100 to $150 will do everything a...
  3. D

    A Handy Declination Converter from Decades Past

    In order to carry out good position plotting with map and compass, magnetic bearings taken on identifiable landmarks in the real world must be converted to grid bearings before they can be transferred to the map. This is due to magnetic declination, the difference between magnetic north and true...
  4. D

    Choosing a Backup Compass

    Elkhunter__241: The Cammenga 3H/M27 is, in my opinion, highly underappreciated and under utilized in many circles. It's a great compass; you just have to know how to use it. tipsntails7 I've always been fond of the Silva Expedition 4. It has seen a lot of use by the British Army; another...
  5. D

    Choosing a Backup Compass

    Carrying a backup compass is important for anyone doing serious back country navigation work. I have long recommended three compasses for the back country – the Silva/Brunton Expedition 54, the Cammenga Model 3H or M27 lensatic, or the Francis Barker M73 or M88 prismatic. It would be a simple...
  6. D

    An Outstanding Combination Map Tool

    Rick, I think I know why. Printing out a 1:24,000 map at a percentage of 48% results in a 1:50,000-scale map and a percentage of 96% a 1:25,000, both of which are military standards, as is the Cammenga compass. These are strong indicators of a military background, am I right?
  7. D

    An Outstanding Combination Map Tool

    One thing I really like about this one is that it features corner scales for all the USGS topo maps, including the 1:100,000 scale. (For some reason, there aren't too many out there for that one.) The other is that the degree scale is large, very easy to read, and provides greater precision...
  8. D

    An Outstanding Combination Map Tool

    Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) has, for well over half a century, proven itself the standout map grid system for back country navigation. It’s simple, easy to use, and provides for wonderfully precise position plotting with United States Geological Survey (USGS) topographic maps. Whether...
  9. D

    Buying a Compass on the Internet - Cammenga 3H or M27 Lensatic

    Glad that helped, Elkhunter. I' ve found that when you use the mils and do the math to convert to degrees, it's extremely accurate. The thing I like best about the Cammenga, I think, is that it's damn near bulletproof when it's folded up; very hard to hurt.
  10. D

    Buying a Compass On the Internet - Silva Expedition 54

    In an earlier post titled “Choosing a Compass,” I talked about the three compasses I consider the best choices for the serious back country navigator. In order of expense they are the M-73 or M-88 Francis Barker prismatic, ($350 and up for the M-88 and $450 or more for the M-73), the Silva Model...
  11. D

    Buying a Compass on the Internet - Cammenga 3H or M27 Lensatic

    In an earlier post titled “Choosing a Compass,” I talked about the three compasses I consider the best choices for the serious back country navigator. In order of expense they are the M-73 or M-88 Francis Barker prismatic, ($350 and up for the M-88 and $450 or more for the M-73), the Silva Model...
  12. D

    Buying a Compass on the Internet - Francis Barker M-73 or M-88

    In an earlier post titled “Choosing a Compass,” I talked about the three compasses I consider the best choices for the serious back country navigator. In order of expense they are the M-73 or M-88 Francis Barker prismatic, ($350 and up for the M-88 and $450 or more for the M-73), the Silva Model...
  13. D

    Choosing a Compass

    Elkhunter_241: Thanks for the welcome and the kind comments. Some of the non-critical information on my old Kifaru essay related to websites, etc., is outdated, (Brunton doesn't market the 54 compass anymore - more fools they - and Terrain Navigator / MyTopo situation has changed a lot), but...
  14. D

    Choosing a Compass

    I’m a detective with the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office in Wyoming, and I’ve trained hundreds of fellow law enforcement officers, search and rescue teams, firefighters, and outdoor recreationists - especially hunters - in back country navigation over the course of the last two decades. I’ve...

Latest posts

Featured Video

Stats

Threads
323,224
Messages
3,393,802
Members
75,138
Latest member
zdickz

Latest Articles

Top