Most GPS units are pretty much the same. In order to report data to IHPA the GPS unit needs to be setup in the same NAD as used by IHPA. We use Magellan SporTrak GPS in all our class with great success. The unit needs to have two settings checked. All companies have the same possibilities in setting up the unit correctly.

Part 1 - Special Setup for Magellan SporTrak GPS Units

Things To Check Due to Different Default Settings of Units

Checking the Primary Coordinate System

1. Press PWR & press the ENTER key
2. Press MENU & move down to SETUP
3. Press ENTER & move down to COORD SYSTEM
4. Press ENTER, select PRIMARY & press ENTER
5. Select LAT/LON & press ENTER
6. Move down to DEG/MIN.MMM & press the ENTER key

Checking the Map Datum

7. Now move down to MAP DATUM & press the ENTER key
8. Select PRIMARY & press ENTER
9. Move down & select NAD27
10. Press ENTER & then the QUIT key
11. The unit is now setup correctly for our area.

Locations using a GPS can easily be recorded by using the "mark" function for a GPS unit. To save a landmark that you want to report on, do the following:

Part 2 - Saving the Location Landmarks with a Magellan SporTrak

To collect points, you need to go out and get the actual latitude and longitude of the reference points. To do this, you must SAVE the location of the Landmarks.

The Magellan SporTrak can be used to determine the latitude and longitude of locations where the user is standing. The steps to follow are:

1. Use “PWR” to turn the unit on, and then press the “Enter” key (if the enter key is not pressed, the unit will power off in a short time).
a. Wait for a few seconds until the Status Screen appears (the Status screen appears to be a bull’s eye at the top and a battery life indicator at the bottom).

2. Press the “NAV” button one time to change to the Position Screen (the position screen shows the present latitude and longitude of the current location at the top of the screen).

3. Stand still at the location you want to register the latitude and longitude for a few moments. Note that the longer you stand, the more accurate the location will be. The top of the Position Screen will provide your current location in latitude and longitude.

4. To save this position, press the “MARK” button . The Mark screen will appear, at the top of which is the position’s name (likely something like LMK001, where LMK stands for landmark, and the number is assigned based on the number of landmarks already stored).

a. You SHOULD record the position by hand in a notebook as well as making a note of the landmark. Example of a data sheet: right-click to download.
b. If you want to change the name on the landmark to an actual name, press "Enter" and use the up/down keys to pick a letter, then use the right/left keys to change to the next letter, etc. Press "Enter" to stop. Then use the up/down key to move to "Save LMK" and press "Enter".
c. If you don't want to change the name and just "save" the landmark, just press “MARK” again to store this location in the unit’s list of landmarks.

5. The list of landmarks currently stored in the unit can be viewed by pressing the “MENU” button, select “LANDMARKS”, (use the up/down arrow keys to select it if you need to).

a. Press the “ENTER” button, and select “USER” (using the up/down arrow keys to select it if you need to) and press the "ENTER" button again. A list of landmarks will appear (none may be present if nothing was stored).
b. Use the up/down arrow keys to highlight a particular landmark, and press the “ENTER” key. This will give the details for that landmark (latitude, longitude, date marked, etc.).
c. Unwanted landmarks can be deleted from this list. Press "Menu", select "Landmarks", and then select "User" and press "Enter". In the USER screen, highlight the desired landmark. (use the up/down arrow keys to select it), press the “MENU”button , then use the up/down arrow keys to select “DELETE LMK”, and pressing “ENTER” twice. Doing this repeatedly will eventually empty the list of landmarks.

Import the Data from the Magellan SporTrak

Data (e.g. landmarks and tracks) can be downloaded from the Magellan SporTrak unit using a personal computer with Windows. To do this requires third party software such as Topo!GPS and an accessory cable. The steps to download data using Topo!GPS are explained in detail using the following attachment. It is in a PDF format and shows step by step the proper steps to download and setup the data in excel or a text format. Download the file - Download Landmarks by right-clicking on the link and saving it to your hard drive. Latest version is Ver. 4.0, updated Sept. 19, 2003.

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