FIELD PRACTISE: USE OF A GARMIN GPS 12

RECEIVER

1. Introduction: Object
The goal of this field practise is to acquaint you with the basic features of a GPS receiver, its features and
limitations as a positioning and navigation instrument.

2. Previous work: Read the manual

Performing this field practise requires a previous reading of the Garmin GPS 12 manual and comparison
with the instructions given in this document. No detailed instructions on how to perform the filed practise
are given in this document, so the student is advised to go over this document before the field practise and
check in the appropriate sections of the manual to see the necessary details about the operation of the GPS
receiver. Reading the manual will allow you to complete the field practise within the allotted time (1
hour and 30 min).

3. Getting familiar with the GPS. Power on

Go to terrace in front of A3 building and turn on the GPS receiver. You should position yourself in a spot
with few obstructions from buildings, so that the receiver may have direct sight to a maximum number of
satellites. You should also avoid blocking the GPS with your own body. In these conditions, write down
the time the receiver takes to determine its position.

INITIAL AQUISITION TIME=

Follow the Getting Started section of the manual (pages 8-11).

Turn off the receiver, go to the Parking at the entrance of the D3 building and turn on the receiver again.
Write down the time the receiver takes to determine the new position.

AQUISITION TIME=

COMMENTS=

4. GPS receiver set up

Run the GPS in simulation mode. This mode allows setting up the receiver while inhibiting the reception
of GPS signals, so that battery power is saved. To return to the normal mode, you may either turn off and
on the receiver or go to the System Setup menu (pg. 42 of the manual).

Once in simulation mode, enter waypoints D1, D2D3,D6,A6,A2 and RECT as indicated in Fig. 1.
Coordinates in that figure are in WGS-84 (use this type of coordinates throughout the whole field
practise).

After introducing these waypoints, enter the two routes below:

Route1: A2 →A6→RECT
Route 2: A2→A6→D6→D1

1
Set up the receiver to work in metric units.

300 m

D1
D2D3 D6
N41º23.340’ N41º23.429'
E002º06.684’ E002º06.750'

200 m

A2
A6
N41º23.284’
E002º06.726’

RECT
317º N N41º23.341’
E002º06.952’

PRK
227º 47º

137º

Fig. 1: UPC North Campus map indicating the waypoints proposed for this field practise.

5. GPS receiver use

5.1 Determining the coordinates of static points

Determine the WGS-84 coordinates of the entrance and exit barriers of the parking for faculty and
administration at UPC North Campus. Determine the distance and azimuth between barriers.

COORDINATES ENTRANCE BARRIER =

COORDINATES EXIT BARRIER =

DISTANCE AND ACIMUTH BETWEEN BARRIERS=

COMMENTS=

2
5.2 GOTO AND Trackback functions

Position yourself at waypoint D1 and walk towards D6 using the GOTO function. Observe the effect of
turning around on the compass page of the receiver. Upon arriving at D6, activate the GOTO function to
waypoint A2 and go towards that waypoint while observing the changes in the GPS compass page as you
go around corners.
Once at waypoint A2 (in front of the building’s central door), select the map page, clear the track log and
go to waypoints A6 and PRK, as indicated in Fig. 1. Once at point PRK, activate the Trackback function
and go back to A2 while observing the map and the compass page.
Once at A2, and before proceeding further, erase waypoints T001, T002, etc. created by the Trackback
function.

5.3 Distance and azimuth to waypoints

From A2, determine the distance and azimuth to the following waypoints:

DISTANCE AND AZIMUTH TO D1=

DISTANCE AND AZIMUTH TO D6=

DISTANCE AND AZIMUTH TO A6=

DISTANCE AND AZIMUTH TO RECT=

5.4 EPE and satellite visibility

Compare the Expected Position Error (EPE) at the following points, having various degrees of visibility:

EPE-A2=

EPE- at midpoint in the narrow lane between C2 and C3=

EPE-Crossway C2-C3-D2-D3=

EPE- at midpoint in the narrow lane between D2 and D3=

You should stay steady for a minute before making the readout of EPE.

5.5 EPE and satellite visibility

Activate route 1 and go from waypoint A2 to waypoint RECT using the compass page. Upon arrival to
RECT (at the centre of the square in front of the rectorate building), invert the route in the GPS and go
back to A2.

Once in A2, clear your track log in the GPS, reset the GPS odometer and follow Route 2. Return the
receiver to your instructor, without turning it off, and showing the map page showing your track alonr
Route 2. Write down the reading of the odometer in meters.

ODOMETER ROUTE 2 (m)=