[OSM-newbies] Garmin eTrex 20/30 - is altimeter important for recording GPS data for mapping?

[Dudley Ibbett]

I don't have the etrex but I do have a garmin 62s with the compass and barometer altimeter.  I have never used either for mapping.   There is contour data available in the UK so there doesn't appear to be the need for elevation data.

There are other reasons you might want them.  Traditionally  barometric altimeters were also used to give you an idea of changing weather conditions.  I guess you could use the compass to take bearings of an object you wanted to map but could't get to but a Silva type compass would probably be easier to do this with.

Regards

Dudley




Sent from my iPad

On 30 Jan 2013, at 21:35, "Sebastian Arcus" <shop at open-t.co.uk> wrote:

> I was looking at the eTrex series from Garmin to use for mapping on OSM, as they seem to be robust, compact and have specially long battery life (25 hours on 2 AA batteries). The main difference between 20 and 30 seems to be that 30 has altimeter and compass, while 20 doesn't have them. Is this important when recording GPS tracks to use for mapping on OSM? Doesn't compass and altitude data come from GPS satellites anyway? Or an internal altimeter and compass are more accurate?
> 
> If anybody here has either of the above GPS units and uses them for mapping, it would be useful to hear a first hand opinion.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Sebastian
> 
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