GPS question

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tmccray45

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My wife came up with this question and I thought it was worth exploring.

Is there a reasonably priced GPS transmitter that can be carried into the woods that would transmit the location of a hunter in real time?

Let's say a hunter becomes incapacitated while hunting - he breaks his leg. If he had a GPS transmitter and was overdue, rescue parties would find his location (within 3 - 50 feet) with no problem at all.

Lots of companies make GPS receivers, but I don't know of anyone that makes a GPS transmitter. There are some that can be attached to trucks to track deliveries, but seems like they either cost $1,500 or require a nearby cell tower and many want a monthly payment.

So, a real-time transmitter that is reasonably priced and doesn't require a monthly payment. Any such animal?
 
Check out the garmin site. I think they have one to track dogs. I am sure you could also use it. Maybe after your next firearm purchase? It is called the Astro.
 
There are several items designed to locate children. Bracletts, cell phones and emergency two way communicators with GPS tracking that can be tracked from your PC. It won't be long before someone capitalizes on the outdoor sportsman
 
I know there is something out there, what do you mean by reasonably priced? The last set of folks stuck on Mt. Hood in Oregon rented some type of transmiter that allowed for their rescue.

There is also a company that is incorporating reflective wave material into clothing that will help with Avalanche triangulation that could get really spiffy if done right.

The Rhino GPS units also track other Rhino users in the field which my buddies use snowmobiling.
 
I dont know if it was the rhino unit noted above, but I swear I saw something like this at wal-mart a few months ago.

They were selling walkies with build in LCD screens on the front...the screen would show your location (determined by GPS), as well as the locations of all of the other walkies relative to it. I remember them selling for like $150 apiece...struck me that it seemed relatively cheap, even though I dont want to pay $300 for two radios...
 
You could get an Amateur Radio license and then carry a small APRS tracker with you. The benefit of having a system such as the Kenwood D7A is the fact that you also have voice communications capability as well.

My personal tracker is a D7A coupled with a Garmin Foretrex. You do need to be operating within radio range of a digipeater but the APRS network is expanding all the time.
 
The Garmin Rino units are OK if you have others in your party using them and you stay within the limited range that they offer. Unlike APRS they only allow you to transmit to other Rino readios.

For several hundreds of dollars one can also obtain a PRB, or "Personal Rescue Beacon". These work in the same way as the emergency locator beacons in aircraft. Doug Ritter of "Equipped to Survive" swears by them.
 
Thank you

Thank you, one and all.

Each person had a different solution and each was worthy of consideration. Now I have to do the research and see which fits my needs.

Thanks again.
 
Some cell phones have gps tracking as well but you have to have a signal for it to be effective. Also, you can turn it on or off and it will only show your location if you dial 911.

We use Garmin Rino GPS's when we are out in the wasteland of Arizona. One or two wrong turns in the wash's and your all turned around. Easy to get confused out there even if you can see for miles. I use reference points ect but my other hunting pardners aren't so savy out there. ;)
 
From the Garmen site http://www.garmin.com/products/rino530/

No matter where your outdoor activities take you, the Rino® 530 keeps you on track and in touch. Similar to the 520, this rugged, two-way radio with GPS packs a bold color display, 14-mile communication range, and turn-by-turn directions – giving you peace of mind in the great outdoors. Taking it a step further, the Rino 530 adds an electronic compass, barometric altimeter, and NOAA weather receiver, making it a favorite with hikers and climbers

Exclusive position-reporting capability and a host of other unique features, make the 530 one of the best all-in-one two-way radio and GPS receivers around. As with other members of the Rino family, the 530’s patented location-reporting feature allows you to send and receive GPS positions with other Rino users in your group. One call to your partner's Rino, and your location shows up on the map page. You can even poll another Rino user's location in emergency situations.

Additional 530 features include:

Whopping 5 watts of transmit power (GMRS) means you can now call for help from 14 miles away (transmit power limited to 2 watts in Canada with a range up to 8 miles)
Bold color TFT display makes it easy to see and navigate to family or friends with Rinos at an amusement park, lake, or other outdoor group activity
Automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions with alert tones, and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest (when combined with Garmin’s optional MapSource® City Select® software) navigate you safely to your next outdoor adventure
Mini USB and 56 megabytes of internal memory for rapid download and lots of map storage of Garmin’s entire line of outdoor cartography
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery for up to 16 hours of outdoor use
Barometric altimeter provides extremely accurate elevation for hikers and climbers
Electronic compass so you can get a heading when standing still
NOAA weather capability to keep you informed of changes in weather
The Rino 530 comes with a built-in detailed basemap of North and South America. When combined with Garmin’s optional City Select software, it provides automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions with alert tones, and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest. Customize map data for your adventures on land or sea with Garmin’s entire line of optional outdoor cartography including U.S. Topo 24K, U.S. Topo, Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots ™, and BlueChart®.

Rino 530: Two-way radio with GPS keeping you on track and in touch
Click to expand...

Available for $499.95 from http://www.thegpsstore.com/GPS-Radios.asp
 
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