To answer the e-mail about the GPS Systems I use on my snowmobiles.
First of all I started using a GPS for snowmobiling in 1997 with a
hand held Lowrance Global Map 12. It had a map overlay with 16 megs of
memory and I used a cradle mount on the dash, shown right.
After a crash a few years back that destroyed the front end and dash, show left,
I found this hand held GPS still working in the snow and debris.
A lot of you have asked me what brand I recommend. Well I still use that hand held for hiking,
canoeing and in many extreme conditions. I now own 4 Lowrance units from full color
for my boat, to the Global Map 2400 that I now use on my touring snowmobile.
What to consider when choosing the right GPS.
Your Sled:
If you have a electric start on you sled you have no problem powering
a full size unit direct to the sleds battery.
It's always on when the sled is running. My Hand held Unit will work
fine from 9 to 32 volts AC or DC so voltage regulation was not a problem.
Check the specs of your GPS and snowmobile to insure proper voltage range of operation.
You can forget the power cord and just use the batteries in a hand held unit.
But if you do you have a limited amount of time. If you just want to carry one
to check now and then a hand held carried in an inside pocket is fine.
Make sure you have room to mount the unit
you buy on the dash first of all. A tall windshield is a big plus as you
want to keep them out of the wind chill.
Also remember the power and antenna plugs may stick out the back a bit further and the
mounting bracket will raise it. I will get into installation
in detail a bit later.
If space or power is a problem a hand held is recommended.
A cradle mount, or if there is no room, velcro works well for most hand held units.
I know a guy that straps his on the handle bar of his sled. Just make sure it is easy to see and not
out where it may get hit buy you as you ride.
Mapping:Make sure your GPS has map overlay. Check what kind
of mapping data bases it will handle. Can you add memory and how much.
I use 128 meg flash chip that can be used and shared with all my GPS's
and home computer. You can buy them anywhere and it gives you plenty of extra space to
store trails. As far as getting snowmobile trail maps for them, do not
count on that. I have been storing the trails I have been riding over the past
two years. At some point I hope to have a complete set. As I ride I mark in all the
stop signs and intersections also. That way it is easy for me to see what is coming
up even in the worst blizzard. I can load these trails on to my computer
and save them and put them on one chip. They can be shared with any other
Lowrance using Map Create 6 and I may put them up for downloading at some point.
This system allows you to load the map data you need from your computer and
set up your trip data on your PC. If I found good fishing spots on the boat during the summer
I can transfer that info for ice fishing on the sled, 4 wheeler or the hand held.
This gives you lots of versatility for the use of 1 or more GPS units in any sport.
I use the same GPS on my ATV and truck.
Next, Installation Tips==>
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35mph to 0 in 0.0 seconds
DMG, M.I. Editor
Night Blizzard
