Garmin GPS with your Mac

Ben Sinclair has an article on how to use your Garmin GPS system with a Mac computer, things he reivews are:

• Connect your Mac and GPS
• Transfer waypoints, tracks, and routes
• Get MapSource running on your Mac
• View your data and plan your next trip
• Share your trip data and maps

Read his article here.

Garmin’s Astro GPS Dog Tracking System

A system that will allow you to track your dog...mostly for hunters.

The system will be unveiled in conjunction at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week.

The Astro also has a map page to illustrate where a dog is and where it has been -- in relation to the hunter -- and allows hunters to determine if they have covered nearby ground. For even more detail, hunters can download their waypoints and tracks -- as well as their dogs' tracks -- to MapSource(R) or Motionbased.com(TM) for analysis on topo maps or Google Earth after the hunt.

In flat, unobstructed terrain, the Astro transmitter and receiver have an effective range of up to five miles. Battery life is 17 hours on the rechargeable collar and greater than 20 hours on the receiver, which is powered by two AA batteries.

For those who enjoy keeping track of bird flushes, Garmin invented the Covey Counter. Now hunters can mark the precise location, time of day, and elevation where they encountered their quarry. In addition, users can easily note the number of birds flushed and how many were taken. The Astro also comes packed with new hunting-specific icons, to easily mark and identify bird flushes, food plots, tree stands, cover, ATVs, and other outdoor-related features.

Besides being a state-of-the-art dog tracking device, the Astro is also a full-featured handheld GPS based on the GPSMAP 60CSx -- Garmin's flagship outdoor navigator with a sunlight-readable color display and a highly sensitive GPS receiver that works even under a thick tree canopy or in deep canyons. So when the hunting season is over, the Astro can pull double-duty for hiking, boating, or car trips.

The Astro has a card slot that allows users to insert optional pre- programmed topo maps or road maps, which can be invaluable in an unfamiliar area. Topo maps give hunters an idea of the most productive areas to hunt, while road maps feature the same basic functions as an automotive GPS navigation unit -- even in rural areas. The optional road map data can also give directions to motels, gas stations, restaurants, and even veterinarians.

The Astro also calculates area, which is ideal for determining the acreage of a piece of property or the exact size of a food plot. The unit has location-specific sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset tables (ideal for determining legal hunting hours) and a hunting and fishing calendar that suggests the best times to be out in the field.

The Astro GPS Dog Tracking System includes a DC 20 transmitter, Astro 220 receiver, harness, user's manual, power/data cables, Trip & Waypoint Manager CD, and a carrying case. The Astro is expected to be available in June 2007 for a suggested retail price of US$650. Additional transmitters and receivers are sold separately.

http://www.garmin.com/astro/Garmin Video site

http://zinzi.us/?q=node/465

Welcome to my Garmin Blog

In this blog I will discuss the many (as the title says) hacks, mods, tips & tricks for your Garmin GPS unit. I currently own a Garmin 60CSX, and I LOVE IT! This blog will help you get more use out of your GPS unit, as GPS units get more popular with this day and age.

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