GPS For Dummies (Paperback)

by Joel McNamara (Author) "This chapter introduces you to the fundamentals of digital maps..." (more)
Key Phrases: topographic map programs, commercial mapping programs, battery saver mode, United States, Street Atlas, Terrain Navigator (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"at over 350 pages you can be sure to find the answers to most of your questions!" (Boat Mart, July 2007)

Product Description

• Offers down-to-earth guidance for hikers, cross-country skiers, ATVers, and other outdoor enthusiasts who own or are thinking of buying a GPS receiver, as well as people interested in digital map-making
• GPS (global positioning system) receivers draw on satellite signals to precisely determine a person's geographic position; as prices for these devices have gone down-entry-level models now sell for $100-sales have risen dramatically
• Provides coverage of the increasingly popular sport of "geocaching," in which people hunt for a canister hidden at precise geographic coordinates
• Explains how to turn cell phones and PDAs into GPS receivers and what hardware is required for connecting a GPS receiver to a PC
• Shows how to use popular, inexpensive software packages to create topographic, aerial photographs, and three-dimensional maps, and discusses free Web-hosted map services
• The author's diverse background in archeology, outdoor rescue, adventure racing navigation, and dis aster response set him apart from other people writing about this topic

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies (June 4, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764569333
• ISBN-13: 978-0764569333
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #295,886 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

66 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for 1st time GPS users, experts can also learn!, August 24, 2004

By	Catherine F. (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews

I got a Magellan Meridian Color GPS for my birthday and was frankly at a loss for where to begin so I bought this book. The book had a ton of good information to get me started with using a GPS, all the different functions like display and output, finding coordinates and setting waypoints. It was also very helpful with the initial configuration and settings, which I was really struggling with. The pleasant surprise about this book was what I got above and beyond the parts about just using a GPS receiver. The book is packed with great information on free mapping sites and how to integrate maps and GPS. It also had a section on using my GPS with my computer and my handheld, both of which I have done now since buying the book. The book is absolutly just loaded with so much helpful information on GPS, digital and online maps that I have now done several cool things I was totally unaware of before. My friends and I are getting ready to take a road trip and I used the book to map out the trip and set different waypoints that we plan to visit along the way. One of my favorite parts is the geocaching chapter which inspired me to try geoaching - it looks like the same author has written a Geocaching For Dummies book which I plan to order.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but..., February 3, 2007

By	John Kohout (Defiance, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book because I had recently purchased a GPS and was frustrated by the techno speak in the manual. I was looking for something to help me through the jargon.

Only about 1/3 of the book is specificallly about your GPS. A small section is about cartography and the rest deals with "digital mapping" (more jargon for computer software dealing with maps). All of the information is at least loosely tied to a GPS. There is no glossary section but the author does embed many clarifications of technical terms that are helpful for dummies like me.

The GPS sections are an improvement over my manual but still only partially sucessful. Priorities in choosing and mastering a GPS are miniscule. The cartography portion has information that is both interesting and helpful and does not bog the reader down with irrelevant information. These two topics are discussed in the first seven chapters.

The book then turned to digital mapping and I almost gave up on the book. I had no interest in mapping and I wasn't totally satisfied with the previous sections. Luckily I continued on. The mapping chapters are almost exclusively about mapping software (and little utility programs that help). The software information includes commercial, shareware and freeware programs. It discusses programs for the beginner on up to some heady stuff. You may want to take up the subject as a hobby even if you never were interested before. If I had the time I would be tempted to just play with this stuff because it is so cool.

If you buy the book, I would first just skim this "software" portion of the book when you go through it the first time. I think there are 14 chapters. It is amazing what is available but also sometimes redundant. I would use it only as a reference and study only the sections you need at that moment. Reading it word by word might be wasteful.

I do wish that the author had separated the utility software into a separate chapter so that those jewels could be returned to easily. I found them very useful.

The book is a mixed bag. The software chapters are the best part. The GPS info is not going to thrill you. The reading is pretty easy for a technical book.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for beginners and advanced users, August 30, 2005

By	M. Perez Garbi "laiguana2004" (CCS, Venezuela) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Tons of good information to get started with using a GPS, goes beyond the basics. Really a very good starter book. Once you get this book, I would also recomend "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Geocaching" and the Owing's "GPS Mapping". With GPS for Dummies and my Garmins 60CS manual, I was able to hit the trail in a few hours. With the other books as complement, I have become very accurate locating waypoints when I do horse riding or 4x4 trips.