Where In The World?

GPS Instruction For Teachers

By: Krissy Vaux & Mark McBride

Tri-Valley H.S.

Downs, IL

STARS April 8, 2005

About The GPS Satellites

• There are 24 different satellites in space

• They orbit the Earth every 12 hours in 6 different planes

http://www.ozebiz.com.au/beacon/etrek.html

About The GPS Satellites• A minimum of 4 satellite signals must be

received by the GPS unit to determine a 3-D position

• GPS units can determine your latitude, longitude and altitude

About The GPS Satellites• Most GPS units have an

accuracy of <15 meters using the 24 satellites

• The Garmin eTrex Legend uses the 24 satellites AND 25 ground stations to increase the accuracy to <3 meters

-This is called the WAAS system (Wide Area Augmentation System)

http://www.garmin.com/aboutGPS/waas.html

How Do GPS Units Work?

• GPS units DO NOT transmit satellite signals. They passively receive them

• They measure the distance between the GPS unit and the satellites

http://tsc.wes.army.mil/gps/dgps.htm

Garmin eTrex Legend

Power and Light Button

• Press and hold the Power Button to turn the unit on/off

• Press and release the Power Button and the light will come on

• You will see this page appear

Page Button

• Press the Page Button several times. You will see the display cycle through the main pages that look like this

Satellite Page Map Page Navigation Page Trip Computer Main Menu

At any time you can press the Page Button and return to one of the Main Pages

Satellite Page• Press the Page Button until you see the Satellite

Page• The Satellite Page provides a visual of the satellites being tracked• The black circles indicate which

satellite signals are being received• The bars at the bottom show

signal strength -Black bars indicate a stronger signal than a grey bar-4 black bars are required for a proper

signal

Satellite Page

• For the best satellite signal you should…

-Be outdoors

-Have a clear view of the sky

-Hold the GPS unit flat and out away from your body

Satellite Page

•The bottom of the Satellite Page also shows your GPS location and elevation (After you have 4 bars)

-The N or S line shows Latitude

-The E or W line shows Longitude

Satellite Page

How many satellites are being used?______

How many bars of signal strength do you have?____

What is the GPS location of the Buzzard Hall? (The building we were all in)

_______________ _______________

What is the elevation?_______________

Map Page

• Press the Page Button 1 time or until you see the Map Page

• The Map Page displays your movements, waypoints, latitude & longitude

• The black arrow shows your location• Press the Up & Down Buttons to

zoom in and out on the map• The numbers in the lower left show how much

area is visible on that map

Map Page

• Zoom in until you are at 3 miles.

• What towns are visible? _____________

__________________________________

• Zoom in until you are at120ft.

• Walk around.

• What happens?_____________________

Navigation Page

•Press the Page Button 1 time or until you see the Navigation Page

•Walk from Buzzard Hall toward the Green House across the street

How fast were you walking?_______________

What direction were you walking?___________

Trip Computer Page

• Press the Page Button 1 time or until you see the Trip Computer page

• Move the Click Stick up/down or left/right until the single sheet of paper in the top right corner is highlighted and press strait in

(Not the picture of several sheets of paper)

Trip Computer Page

• A screen will drop down

• Select Reset and press strait in

• Select Apply and press strait in

• Select OK and press strait in

• This resets your Trip Computer

Trip Computer Page

• Walk around until the Moving Time reads at least 2 minutes

What does the Trip Odometer read?______

What does the Max Speed read?_________

Main Menu Page

• Press the Page Button 1 time or until you see the Main Menu

• Walk to a point you wish to mark as a Waypoint (A Waypoint is a stored location in your GPS unit)

• Move the Click Stick up/down or left/right until the Mark icon is highlighted and press strait in

• The screen will change to the Mark Waypoint Page

Mark Waypoint Page

• This page comes up when you press the Click Stick strait in on the Mark icon

• You have marked this spot as a Waypoint

• A Waypoint is a stored location in your GPS unit

• Move the Click Stick up/down or left/right until the number in the flag is highlighted and press strait in

Mark Waypoint Page

• When you press the click stick strait in an alphabet screen will pop up

• Name your Waypoint by Moving the Click Stick up/down or left/right until the correct letter is highlighted and press strait in

• Do this until you have completed the name

• When you are finished naming your Waypoint click on OK

Mark Waypoint Page• Choose at least 3

other waypoints you would like to mark

• Be sure to mark and name them

• Press the Page button until you are back to the Main Menu Page

• Move the Click Stick up/down or left/right until the Find icon is highlighted and press strait in

• The Find screen will pop up• Select Waypoint• Select By Name

What Waypoints did you list in your GPS?

________________________________________

Main Menu Page:

Main Menu Page:Returning To A Waypoint

• To Return to a Waypoint that you have already entered in your GPS unit repeat the previous page of instructions

• Next use the alphabet page to type the name of the Waypoint that you wish to return to

• Press OK when finished• When your Waypoint is displayed, press Go To• The Navigation Page will appear directing you to

the Waypoint that you selected

Main Menu Page:Go To A Known GPS Location• To go to a GPS location that you have not been

to before use the Page button to return to the Main Menu page

• Select Mark• Use the Click Stick to highlight the Location box

and press the Click Stick strait in• Use the Alphabet page to type in

N 39°____________ W 088°___________• Select OK

Main Menu Page:Go To A Known GPS Location• Use the Click Stick to highlight the

Elevation box and press the Click Stick strait in

• Use the Number page to type in ______ft

• Select OK

Main Menu Page:Go To A Known GPS Location• Use the Click Stick to highlight the Go To box and

press the Click Stick strait in• The Navigation Page will pop up and direct you to

the location• Which location did that GPS coordinate take you

to? (Circle the correct picture)

Old Main Booth Library MLK Student Union

Map Page continued(Measuring Distance)

• Press the Page button until you are back at the Map Page

• Press the up and down buttons on the side of your GPS unit to zoom in close enough on your map to see all your waypoints

Map Page Continued(Measuring Distance)

• Move the Click Stick up/down or left/right until the single sheet of paper in the top right corner is highlighted (Not the picture of several sheets of paper) and press strait in

• A screen will drop down• Choose Measure Distance

Map Page Continued(Measuring Distance)

• Use the Click Stick to move the white Reference Arrow to one of your Waypoints

-When a box appears around the name of your Waypoint, you know you are on the correct spot• Push the Click Stick strait in to select the

Waypoint(Notice that you can see the name and location of your Waypoint and you are 0.0 ft from it)

Map Page Continued (Measuring Distance)

• Now move the Click Stick to a 2nd Waypoint

(Remember that you know when you are in the correct location if a box forms around the name of the Waypoint)

• This time DO NOT press the Click Stick strait in.

(Notice that you can see the name and location of this 2nd Waypoint and its distance and direction from the first Waypoint)

Math Application:Area Calculation

• You can use this feature to calculate Area

**For those of us who don’t want to use our brains to calculate ANYTHING… See the Area Calculation Via the Main Menu page**

Area Calculation Via The Main Menu

• If you want to calculate Area WITHOUT math…– Press the Page button to return

to the Main Menu page– Move the Click Stick up/down or

left/right until the Accessories icon is highlighted and press strait in

– Choose Area Calculator

Area Calculation Via The Main Menu

• It will appear that you have returned to the Map Page, but if you notice it is labeled Area Calculation page

• Walk to one street corner

• Press the Click Stick strait in to Start

• Walk to the next corner and turn

Area Calculation Via The Main Menu

• Continue doing so until you make a complete circle around the block and end up at the same location you began

• Press the Click Stick strait in to Stop

• The area is calculated for you!!!!

• What is the area of the land that block covers? _______________

Main Menu Page

• Press the Page button to return to the Main Menu page

• Move the Click Stick up/down or left/right until the Find icon is highlighted and press strait in

Main Menu Page

• The Find screen will pop up

• Choose Cities

• Choose By Name

• Type in the name of your favorite city

How far is it from here? (Distance)________

What direction?________________

THE END

• Hold the Power button until the GPS turns off

Helpful Hints…

• You can move the Click Stick up/down or left/right until the picture of several sheets of paper in the top right corner is highlighted and press strait in

• This allows you to choose which page you want to go directly to instead of using the Page Button to cycle through all the pages

Helpful Hints…• Go to the Satellite page• Move the Click Stick up/down or left/right until

the single sheet of paper in the top right corner is highlighted and press strait in

• A screen will drop down• Choose Use With GPS Off• This will allow you to use the GPS unit without

getting a signal• THIS SAVES BATTERIES and works great

when you practice using the unit without needing a signal to get actual locations

Helpful Hints…

• Check out www.geochaching.com• Geocaching is a fun way to

practice using your GPS unit.• People all over the world have left

GPS locations for their cache in hopes of you finding them!!!(I live in a town of 1200 people and there are 8 caches within 5 miles of my house)

• Type in your zip code to find a cache that already exists or you can create your own for others to find!!!

Contact Us With Any Questions…

Krissy Vaux kvaux@tri-valley.k12.il.us

Mark McBride mmcbride@tri-valley.k12.il.us

There is a link to this power point on our webpage:

http://www.tri-valley.k12.il.us/hs/classes/kvaux

Feel free to use it and manipulate it

for your own classroom use.