Re: How to get distance, heading btwn 2 points?

I have x-posted this to the more common GPS groups -
where the OP might find more specific info regarding what units will provide
what functions...

For the OP - you might describe exactly what you are trying to do.......
as too many times people ask how big a hammer do I need to put a screw into
a board,
without knowing the existence of something called a screwdriver....

"Roger Mills" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> WhatsUp <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Please forgive me if this question is naive. Frankly, I know nothing
>> about GPS devices. But I was talking to someone who is knowledgable,
>> and he indicated that this is not a normal feature.
>>
>> For a very basic training exercise, we want to lay out a compass
>> course.

training for whom ??? sounds like stuff we do in Boy Scouts.

>> It would be great if we could go to point A, click a button to record
>> the location with a GPS device. Then go to point B, click a button to
>> record the location. Then click a button, and the GPS device would
>> display the distance between A and B "as the crow flies", as well as
>> the heading from A to B.

just about any "outdoors" GPS can do that.... not so much the car/auto nav
devices.

>> Ideally, the heading would be based on magnetic north, not true
>> north. If not, of course we could make the adjustment manually.

where are you located - ie, how bad is your magnetic declination ?

>> The distance between A and B is about 50 to 100 yards, typically.
>> Can a GPS device provide those calculations -- straight-line distance
>> and heading -- directly?
>>
>> If not, how would we determine distance and heading from the locations
>> recorded by a GPS device?
>>
>> I'm afraid the answer to the last question gets into spherical
>> geometry. I've forgotten all of it. But I imagine the formulas are
>> "common knowledge" for anyone familiar with convention navigation.
>>

not sure you will notice any "spherical" issues at 50/100 yds
why would you even think that ?

>> Many thanks for any insights. And again, I apologize for the
>> rudimentary nature of the questions.
>
>
> What you want to do is pretty trivial for an hand-held GPS device (but
> less so for a system designed for in-car navigation). You need to do the
> following:
>
> Go to Point A. Press whichever button saves the current location as a
> waypoint. Give the waypoint a name. [This actually requires quite a few
> button presses because you don't normally have a QWERTY keyboard, but have
> to scroll through the alphabet to select each letter].
>
> Go to Point B. Use the same procedure as before to save this as a
> waypoint. [Only necessary if you want to be able to refer back to this
> location later - otherwise, don't bother]
>
> Press the GOTO key, and select whatever you called "Point A" as the
> destination. The GPS will display the distance and bearing of Point A
> relative to your current location. The bearing will be magnetic rather
> than absolute if you if you selected this in the navigational setup menu.
>
> For distances of 100 yards, you don't need to worry too much about
> spherical geometry! Bear in mind, though, that GPS's are only accurate to
> within a few metres.
> --
> Cheers,
> Roger
> ______