How to Use the Garmin Handheld GPS 72 Navigator on Land or Water

Courtesy of Garmin.com

The Garmin Handheld GPS 72 Navigator is compact, easy to carry and easy to use on both land and sea. When larger GPS units don't provide the versatility needed to travel through all of your adventures, this can be a useful tool to have.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Canoe or kayak
Canoe or kayak

Step 1

Turn on the unit by holding the power button. A welcome and warning page will be displayed. Navigate through them by using the Page key. The GPS information page will now be displayed.

Step 2

Use the Page key to cycle through the five major pages of the system, which are the map page, pointer page, highway page, active route page and GPS information page. You can move backward through the pages using the Quit key.

Step 3

Set up a map. Press the Menu key, then use the rocker key to scroll down to the option "Set Up Map."

Step 4

Mark your starting point and way points along your trip. Press and hold the Enter/Mark key. The spot will be marked with a square and the OK key will be highlighted. Press Enter to mark the point. Once the point is marked, you can use the symbol function to mark it as a scenic area and give it a name.

Step 5

Use the pointer page to hold your compass heading and frequently mark way points along your path to record your journey. When you have completed your trip, go to the track page and choose to save your trip. This will result in your path being saved into the memory until it can be downloaded to your computer or a website.

Tips & Warnings

You must allow your GPS unit to register before beginning your trip. This will happen when the unit is turned on and should not take more than 5 minutes.

GPS units are great for recording a trip but are not always reliable as a sole means of navigation. The pointer page must be moving to be accurate. If you are standing still, the compass bearing may be incorrect.

Article Written By Mati Bishop

Mati Bishop has been a freelance writer since 1999. He has been published in "Hawaii Skin Diver Magazine," the "Hawaii Wellness Directory," "Kailua-Kaneohe Sunpress" and a collection of Web sites. Bishop studied journalism at Windward Community College on Oahu, Hawaii.

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