New to GPS help me...

So I do not have any gps at this time. I have used one traveling before so i know how they work. I am looking at purchasing one in the near future and want to know if there is anything that fits what i am looking for.

Basicly i would like to walk my future sugar bush (tapping this year)and log each tree then overlay that data onto a map so i can see where best to run my lines.

I'm not sure if this is feasible. We recently had some oil surveyors on your property and they basicly did this to all our logging roads. The went from corner to corner and "shot" a point then made a map that looked like a connect-the-dot game.

I know the oil surveyors have allot more loot than i do so maybe they have huge money into there gps systems.

Any help would be appreciated.
Jason

There is a thread on here about GPS use. If you click on the one My mainelines via Delorme PN-20 you will see a map that I had done. My neighbor had the software and GPS. I walked the lines and then got together with him and went over it to name lines. For about $100 of syrup products and $25 for each map I have something I use alot with customers. i can't be of much help but to say that it can be done. Know there are some on here offering there services to help some one do it. It would not be pratical to do each tree or even each lateral but mainlines look neat.

Dale

See i don't have a mainline currently. The secition i am vacing first is reatlivly flat so i would like to map all the tappable trees then figure where i want to run my main line most efficiently.

Jason

My personal GPS is the Garmin Rhino 530HcX. However that has a built in 2-way radio. I would suggest staying with the Garmin line. Make sure you get one that is WASS enabled. Most of the Garmins now have upgraded receivers so they work well in heavy tree cover. You have to remember that your best accuracy will be +/-15' or so overall... you can stay under $300 for sure, and possibly even under $200.
Garmin units come with software called Mapsource. you download your GPS point to it and they come on the screen with a basemap, usually a USGS one.

I have not tried what you are asking but I can speak from my gps usage though.

Most of the consumer handheld gps that are out there now are good to maybe 10-15' The longer you stand still and let the gps settle the more accurate the waypoint will be.

The biggest problem you will run into is finding a map of your land that is of high enough resolution that you can show trees that may be 40' apart and with any detail to be able to layout a tubbing system. I feel you can't get high enough resolution from a USGS quad map to even work so not sure where you would find one that would work.

Just my 2cents.

I have a GPS that must be 10 yrs old and I hope they have come a long way to do what you want. Mine will only get me within about 30'+/-. I used it in hunting when tracking. It does very poorly unless you can see the sky fairly well and the faster you move the more accurate it is. To stand at a tree and mark the location mine sure would not do it. On the other hand it would likely give you a basic guide line. You might also want to get a 3D map with a pair of stereo scopes and you should be able to mark that with the info even if it is fairly flat. If totally flat or way too small of an area that would not work either. My suggestion would to get a hand level, some collored ribbon and a sketch pad. Mark each tappable and nearly tapable tree with a robbon and draw a rough sketch of the land, trying to mark each tree and if flat mark each at the same level, then based on the height of the ribbon you can plot your mainline. I used this idea and it worked well in my first bush but I could see the slopes, which were only about 6' rise on the mainline in 400'. From there the laterals at the far end had to be strung and tapped with ladders, with the worst being as high as 13' from the ground. Definately not ideal. If I ever get vac in this bush the taps will be lower and some sap ladders would be in order. This bush is only 180 taps so vac will ba a while. Once I get an RO, vac will then be worth it because I have likely another 200+ taps possible, mostly reds but some silvers. I now only tap about 50 reds that are higher up in elevation. The rest of the reds and silvers would need sap ladders too.

THe Garmin mapsource software allows you to add additional basemaps to it. standard is 1:100k but I purchased better reso at 1:24k which is standard for most basemapping out there.

The MapSource/MapTech software is pretty good and easy to use. I use an older (~10 yr old) Garmin 12 and a newer Garmin 76Map and download onto my laptop, so I'm biased towards Garmin. Most all gps units have functions for plotting a single spot (like a tree), tracking a route (mianlines), and finding area (acres, etc.). The 76Map uses mutliple menus, and it took me a little while to get used to navigating through the menus to get to the function I wanted. But, that only lasted a couple of weeks of use. It's just a function of going out and messing around with it. Some people have complained about the button placement on the 76Map units. I'm ok with them.

You can do exactly what you stated in your original post with an off-the-shelf consumer gps unit, but it won't be to the precision of those oil guys. Plotting each tree in a well stocked sugarbush will probably result in a map cluttered with overlapping dots until you zoom in. Mapping software like MapTech allows you to change the size of the dots on your map, so it's work-able. But it may still look like you splattered ink on your map when you zoom out to see the whole sugarbush. Don't let that stop you from getting into gps mapping, though. GPS use can be like sugaring: the more you do it, the more you want. It's a slippery slope of more accurate units, better software, etc. If you can, go to someplace like LL Bean, REI, EMS, or Cabela's where they have units on display to play with and demo.

I have had a Magellan Crossover GPS for a couple years and really like it. I bought it because it has 3 modes, vehicle, marine and outdoor mode. You can use it in a car, boat or walking around. At the time I bought it, it was the only one with all 3 modes, not sure if it is still the only one or not now. Having 3 modes made it seem easier to spend $300 on the purchase, compared to having only one mode.

It has always worked real well in the trees as far as keeping a lock on 3 or more satelites. I have heard a lot of other units have had trouble with that. I think most units are better at this now. I have trees with deer stands marked on mine so I know how close I might be getting to any other hunters. I haven't used it for maple sap purposes, not yet anyway.

I used a Garmin Colorado to map my bush. The software that comes with it allows you to even overlay it with Google earth. I was able to see better with the combination where the best runs were and also came pretty close on calculating how much line to buy.

I recently bought a Garmin 60csx. It comes with basemaps, but I bought the 1:24,000 CD for the Northeast. Great little unit. I can plot out my bush, then come home and dowload it to my laptop. Works great.

I have same GPS with with topo software of the entire US and I only download to it whatever state I am hunting in as I bought it strickly for hunting. Topo software is great here as elevation runs from 1500 to 3000 feet with drastic changes.