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What is GPS and what can you do with it? Global Positioning System (GPS) is a navigation tool created by (you guessed it) that terrible US government and your tax dollars. Essentially, a bunch of satellites are parked in the sky that continuously broadcast their known locations. A GPS receiver gathers this information and calculates its position on the ground or in the sky or on the water. Sort of electronic celestial navigation.
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The eTrex series including the Legend can be used to know where you are, know where you've been and share your trip data with others.
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 You can use the Garmin Nuvi 350 to tell you where you are, find where you want to go, and have it give you audio directions as you drive. You can find an address, a restaurant, a hotel and more. Last February I went to Florida for a few weeks. When I was near Florence SC I decided to stop. I found a hotel, called the number on the display for a reservation, then pressed "Go!" and it took me there.
Last year we bought a GPS. Until then I really did not think they were very useful. I could not seem to anything with the old ones that a good map wouldn't do. Moreover, you had to load the maps for wherever you were going. Man, have things changed.
Go here to see my review of the top-rated (Consumer Reports) Garmin Nuvi 350. I have found the unit extremely helpful in both finding the place to go biking and in the ride itself.
To find the begining of the ride is usually pretty simple: enter the address or the institution where the parking lot is. (Yes, the included map base has schools and other typical parking places.)
On the ride itself you can discover where you are, data about the ride (speeds, etc), and your way back. Last fall my son and I went for a ride. I turned on the GPS, put it in my rear bag, and forgot about it. After the ride we found our distance, average speed, and that our top speed was over 30mph.
Here are the POIs for some Maryland Destinations:
What's a POI and why do I want them?
Garmin CSV Format Download
GPX Format Download (Can convert to anything with POI Edit)
Garmin Nuvi 350
Garmin eTrex Legend
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