geotagging and mapping photos

Getting to know the GARMIN GPS personal navigator

The GARMIN GPS device is quite small, about the size of the rapidly obsolescing cell phone seen below.

We chose this model because it is relatively inexpensive, is easy to use, and if you are using a Mac, the device behaves like any other drag-and-drop USB storage device when connected via USB cord. One drawback is that firmware upgrades are only available using a PC.

It uses two AAA batteries. Be sure to load those batteries before use. To load the batteries, turn the GPS over.

Then twist the metal loop on the backside of the GPS counter-clockwise. Lift the back off. After you've loaded the batteries, place the back on again, and turn the metal loop clockwise until you hear a click.

There are six buttons on the device.

The Power and Quit/Page keys on the right side of the device:

Press and hold the power button to turn the power on and off. Press the button with an "X" on it, the quit/page key, to cycle through pages once you have the GPS powered on. You can also press and hold the quit/page key to turn the compass on and off.

And you'll see the Zoom and Menu/Find keys on the left side of the device:

Push down the two arrow zoom keys to maximize or minimize your map, or to scroll up or down a list. Press and release the menu/find key (with the notebook icon) to view the "Options Menu" for a page, or press and hold the menu/find key to display the "Find Menu." 

You'll also see the Enter/Rocker key on the front of the GPS device, to the left of the eTrex logo:

The enter/rocker key is like a joystick, and by pressing in and releasing it, you can move through lists; highlight fields, buttons or icons; enter data; or move the map panning arrow. Press in and hold this key to mark a location as a waypoint. For the purposes of our project, we won't need to keep track of waypoints.

Using the Device

Press and hold the power button to turn it on.

The GPS will take a second to acquire satellites. When the screen shows a map of where you are, that means it has established a link. If for some reason the map isn't showing up right away, try powering the device on and off, or try a fresh set of batteries. In other GPS devices, we have found that after using the device for several hours spread out over a few days, we had to change the batteries even though the battery icon did not begin flashing. A full day's use may be enough to drain the battery. Rechargeable batteries may be a good investment if you plan to use the device often.