Waypoints

[FlyingDutchman]

I will install my first GPS (not a plotter) on my boat in the next couple of weeks.
What is the best system to store the waypoints?
Give the a number and make a list / mark them on the chart or give them names using some sort of system?
I would like to build up a logical system but have no experience with this.

Any advice greatly appreciated!

 

[Evadne]

I use names, so that I can find them on the machine without having to go and look anything up, but then I don't habitually use the GPS for navigating. I suppose it depends on how many waypoints you have and how you usually navigate.

 

[boatmike]

If your GPS has the capacity,which it probably will, give them names. I find it easier to find them that way. Your GPS will also probably enable you to number them as well if you want to so if you prefer you can number them and mark the numbers on your chart too. Dont forget however that if you enter a route it will be a sequence of waypoints and if you get plotting software later each new route may re-number your waypoints in that route as 1,2,3 etc which will cause confusion if you have them marked on the chart under other numbers. For this reason I prefer to think of the names as permanent entries and numbers as temporary and never mark numbers on paper charts only positions. Also I find it easier to record only major waypoints that I know I will want to keep. A route will possibly also contain several temporary waypoints that you may never use again. I usually dump these every now and again from the GPS but keep the route itself including temporary waypoints in my computer for possible use later.
With just a GPS and no plotter yet therefore I would only keep the main ones and name them rather than number them.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

If it is of any use: it's a Garmin GPS 152

 

[boatmike]

I am sure this allows you to name waypoints Ok so thats what I would do

 

[Viking]

I have a small hand held GPS which I mount on the cockpit.
I have kept the early numbers 1-6 waypoints for local home positions ei marina - river -harbour entrances etc, and next the ones which I may use regularly.
I have marked them on the charts and I have a hard copy list. I did these in pencil until I checked them 'for real' and adjusted as necessary before the list was finalised. I have about 30.

 

[ashanta]

It's all about personal preferences. I personally prefer to number them and have the details of all my routes and waypoints in a file. I also use the compass rose's on the charts as recorded way point so that I can easily take a bearing and distance on the chart to locate my position rather than having to use the Lat Long method. (only as a back up as I usually have my Yeoman to do for me).
Regards.

Peter.

 

[srm]

My GPS is linked to the DSC for that 'hope it never happens' scenario. Other than that I only use it to obtain a position to put on the chart when out of pilotage waters.

Waypoints ? - I go sailing to enjoy sailing, not play video games. On the rare ocassion that a waypoint might be useful I enter it, but recently sailed halfway around Britain singlehanded in a variety of weather (including fog) without the need for a waypoint. Having said that, I do use radar which I regard as being far more reliable when close to hard stuff, despite its lower accuracy than GPS.

Perhaps I am a Ludite, but when I did my first offshore sailing the only electronic aids were a hand held RDF and an echo sounder. When I first had a steel boat navigation was by log, compass, and echosounder until yacht Decca came along.

As a yachtmaster instructor I used to ask students to point out our position on the chart, no bearings and plotting required, just an awareness of our general location. My students quickly learnt the value of keeping an awareness of location by watching transits and landmarks.

I have used electronic navigation systems at sea in a professional role, and have learnt to always cross check them. (One cruise liner ran aground after 36 hours on dead reconing when it lost its GPS signal without the bridge team being aware of it).

Remember GPS and waypoints are only an aid to navigation, 99.9 % of the time when close to coast and harbour you are much safer looking at the real world around you rather than watching a screen.


Sean

 

[snowleopard]

I find the best bet is to give them all names and write the name on the chart. My garmin has symbols (house, anchor, fish etc) you can add to each waypoint: I give one symbol to waypoints I want to keep and let others have the default symbol. Every so often I can clear out the dross by deleting by symbol.

 

[colvic987]

i have just fitted a garmin152 on tuesday, the waypoints will hold up to 10 characters, so should give you enough scope of being able to input the corresponding name and numbers of the waypoints you are adding, i tend to add the name and maybe miss out a couple of letters, but still be able to recognize the place or point, e.g. port st mary fairway buoy. would be pstmfrwyby.
try to have the waypoints recognised just in the gps and not by using a book. sods law you won't be able to find it when needed...

finally have a gps and repeater which can understand each other and i can finally use the gps without having to look at the manual everytime i need to enter or check waypoints( had a magellen nav1200/ needed to be a university lecturer to understand the thing/ so unlogical, finally had to get rid of it..)

 

[Guest]

If its a Garmin .... then google for G7toWin .... waypoint editing / upload / download program.

For Magellan and other GPS - a google search will bring up something .... GPS waypoints etc.

Joining a group such as the one that now has near 1500 members worldwide would help as we all help each other in simple and complicated things GPS related.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/

Good luck ....

 

[ashanta]

I'm not sure if you were replying to my comments or just generally commenting?
If your responding to my comments then I would say to that you make an assumption that I rely solely on electronics. If you have read other comments I have made on this forum in the past you will see that I have sailed boats for 40 years and in the days when the boats I sailed in didn't even have engines never mind navigation aids.
I rely on taking accurate plots regularly and I confrm when possible by taking bearings. However, if the kit is available I will use it as it's quick and convenient and furthermore it's here to stay and purely down to evolution. But when necessary I am experienced and qualified to do without the modern nav aids.
I also have radar system, as I sail most often single handed and I use it only for the fog.

Regards.

Peter.

 

[graham]

I put names or initials as my handheld only allows 6 letters in the name.eg The East Scarweather Buoy is named in my GPS as E SCAR North One Fathom Buoy is N1F etc.

One feature my Magellan has is that it puts waypoints that are closest to your present position at the top of the list.

I also have a printed out word document with all the waypoints listed with lat and long etc this can be checked against chart corrections and updated as and when.A Copy on the boat is laminated in plastic so cant be corrected .

I have been sailing and navigating for too long and hold a few bits of paper to prove how wonderful I am but I must admit that the GPS is a far better navigator than Me. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

PS I recently was told that with numbers lock on hold down "Alt" then press 2 4 8 one at a time this gives you a degrees sign as in 51°35.654n 006°26.352w Was I the last person in the world to find this out? /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[FlyingSpud]

[ QUOTE ]
PS I recently was told that with numbers lock on hold down "Alt" then press 2 4 8 one at a time this gives you a degrees sign as in 51°35.654n 006°26.352w Was I the last person in the world to find this out?

[/ QUOTE ]

I just tried this and it did not work for me with Word 2000. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[snowleopard]

[ QUOTE ]
the waypoints will hold up to 10 characters

[/ QUOTE ]

My Garmin allows 6 characters in a w/p name. Unfortunately the Raytheon autopilot only allows 4 and if it receives a w/p name from the garmin it displays the last 4 characters. That occasionally gives some amusing results. In practice it means I'm restricted to 4 letter words!

 

[Mariner]

[ QUOTE ]
PS I recently was told that with numbers lock on hold down "Alt" then press 2 4 8 one at a time this gives you a degrees sign as in 51°35.654n 006°26.352w Was I the last person in the world to find this out?

[/ QUOTE ]

I always thought the ° sign was Alt+0176
Others codes may work however

Gary

 

[Guest]

Use the symbols insert function .... saves remembering the ASCII codes - which Alt248 is .....

Get an old DOS book and you'll get the complete listing of ASCII codes .... lets you insert all sorts of crud - French e's, $, #, etc. etc. etc.

 

[roger]

Waypoints; my method

It is as others have said a matter of preference. That said, our problems are probably similar; how to record waypoints, make sure they are error free and provide a method of checking.
I always record waypoints on the chart with name,lat and long. I enter them in the Garmin only as part of a route. That way I get a simple check. Do the directions and distances to adjacent waypoints look plausible? In case of worry I can check the lat and long in the Garmin with the chart value and hopefully resolve the worry. I usually have some hundreds of waypoints by th eend of the sailing season and find the 6 chracter limit on my Garmin 128 leads to unintelligible names. Certainly I use the six characters routinely to help me remember which one is where. I also try to prune waypoints whenever possible but its tedious work and so gets neglected.
Depending on the charts you are using you may have to adjust somewhere for differences in chart datums.

 

[graham]

Alt held down then pressing 248 one at a time does it for me on Windows 98.. I also know it works on Windows xp ,have you checked your numbers lock is on? °°°°

 

[bob_tyler]

Surely you mean 0128? And only on the right hand pad, not the top row on the keyboard.