Page 1 of 4 123 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 47

Thread: GPS setup for Rescue Helicopter

  1. #1
    Join Date
    16th September 2009 - 17:04
    Bike
    Suzuki DR650, Beta Xtrainer with CLAKE
    Location
    Kaiapoi
    Posts
    572

    GPS setup for Rescue Helicopter

    Hi Guys

    I needed to use my GPS on a trail ride to log a waypoint when a trail rider came off his bike and hit a post, the score was post 1 rider 0 as always.

    For interest sake I had a chat with Stu from Westpac Rescue afterwards to make sure we had our ducks in a row as my GPS was set at factory settings and I gave them the Northings and Eastings which they converted for their system to fly too.

    Westpac Rescue will accept whatever coordinates / waypoints you can give them however they have to use a calculator on some systems to convert it into something useful for them, obviously this is not ideal as you can end up with errors which could see the Helicopter going to the wrong spot.

    After speaking with Stu he said their preferred units are Degrees, Minutes, Decimal Minutes as opposed to Degrees, minutes, seconds and True North is preferred as opposed to Magnetic North.
    These are what the icon letters stand for

    h = Hemisphere (North, South, East, or West )
    d = Degree
    m = Minute
    s = Second
    hddd.ddddd is Decimal Degrees Format
    hddd mm.mmm is Degrees, Minutes, Decimal Minutes Format
    hddd mm ss.s is Degrees, Minutes, Seconds Format

    I have a Garmin 62s and have listed the steps below to check your settings.

    From any screen press menu twice in succession, this brings up “setup” page, with the “setup” icon highlighted press enter, “system” should now be highlighted, scroll down to “Position Format” and press enter, “position format” is the top icon, press enter and you will have a list in alphabetical order, scroll down till you highlight hddd° mm.mmm’ and press enter, this is now exactly what Westpac wants.

    Ok step two, press quit to go back one screen, then scroll down to “Heading” icon and press enter, on this page you will see an icon with “North reference”, press enter and scroll up or down to highlight the “True” field and press enter, all done, now press quit to go back to the main screen.

    Obviously different GPS’s will have different menus but the end results are the same hddd° mm.mmm’ and True North.

    It is not something we need to do often which makes it very important to get the GPS set up correctly before you need it as it is not a good time to learn if one of your riding buddies needs help, you will have enough on your mind without trying to learn GPS set up.

    Now you have learned GPS 101 hopefully you never need to use it and ring for a rescue, however if you do need it you are ready to rock.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Click image for larger version. 

Name:	P1110661.JPG 
Views:	68 
Size:	749.4 KB 
ID:	300098   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	P1110662.JPG 
Views:	79 
Size:	489.7 KB 
ID:	300099   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	P1110664.JPG 
Views:	61 
Size:	720.0 KB 
ID:	300100   Click image for larger version. 

Name:	P1110665.JPG 
Views:	129 
Size:	704.2 KB 
ID:	300101  
    Cheers Paul
    Check out our new website www.motomox.co.nz my very own sand pit with lots of cool toys

    My bikes Suzuki DR650 2010, Beta Xtrainer 300 2016, Beta RR498 2014

  2. #2
    Join Date
    31st August 2008 - 20:27
    Bike
    '91 R100GS Supertanker
    Location
    Wellington
    Posts
    1,164
    Useful info. Thanks for posting that. I've checked my GPS & its set up correctly for that
    IT'S JUST BETTER WHEN THERE'S TWINS INVOLVED..
    My GS build thread is here
    My ride photos are here

  3. #3
    Join Date
    16th September 2009 - 17:04
    Bike
    Suzuki DR650, Beta Xtrainer with CLAKE
    Location
    Kaiapoi
    Posts
    572

    Thumbs up

    Quote Originally Posted by Box'a'bits View Post
    Useful info. Thanks for posting that. I've checked my GPS & its set up correctly for that
    Good shit thanks for reading
    Cheers Paul
    Check out our new website www.motomox.co.nz my very own sand pit with lots of cool toys

    My bikes Suzuki DR650 2010, Beta Xtrainer 300 2016, Beta RR498 2014

  4. #4
    Join Date
    15th February 2010 - 13:17
    Bike
    uKTM Tiger 800xc
    Location
    Manawatu
    Posts
    2,036
    Thanks Paul, having been a guest of the Lowe Walker Rescue helicopter, I think it is a great idea to assist them anyway you can. I have played with my Garmin Zumo 550 but it don't seem to have the features as you described - does have location coordinates but none of the formats you mention. Any way I did learn how to find myself if I ever had to and how to load a heap of photos onto it, so if I ever did get lost I'd have a good array of motorbike pics to look at until the chopper or wild pigs got me
    ....wherezz that track go

  5. #5
    Join Date
    29th February 2012 - 17:25
    Bike
    XRV750, DL650, KL250, XR200R
    Location
    Waipukurau
    Posts
    487
    Interesting reading, Even if you can just get a 6 figure grid reference out of your GPS, that's accurate to within 100 metres, Interesting though that they prefer True Nth. Obviously, The more accurate the location Co-ordinates are the quicker and easier the Rescue will be. I reckon if you ride a lot on your own off the main roads then a PLB is impossible to beat, It automatically transmits location data when activated.
    COP, "Ive been waiting to catch you all day"
    BIKER "Sorry officer, I got here as fast as I could"

  6. #6
    Join Date
    2nd March 2004 - 13:00
    Bike
    FransAlp 700
    Location
    Nelson
    Posts
    14,484
    Quote Originally Posted by Waipukbiker View Post
    I reckon if you ride a lot on your own off the main roads then a PLB is impossible to beat, It automatically transmits location data when activated.
    If it's a PLB with GPS built-in.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    6th May 2012 - 10:41
    Bike
    invisibike
    Location
    pulling a sick mono
    Posts
    6,057
    Blog Entries
    4
    as a matter of whoserwhatsit, the new standard is nztm2000 (transmercator) i think, not the old geodatum nzgdm86. Then theres utm and some other shit. All basically interchangable, but
    I think gdm is out because humans have thrown the planet off orbit. (thus the 21+ degrees between mag and grid)

    this should be a setting somewhere. 'units' setting.

    But reading a map, youre not likely to get better that lat. long 'and about half a square...'

  8. #8
    Join Date
    6th May 2012 - 10:41
    Bike
    invisibike
    Location
    pulling a sick mono
    Posts
    6,057
    Blog Entries
    4
    Quote Originally Posted by NordieBoy View Post
    If it's a PLB with GPS built-in.
    do they exist? Probably.
    Most plb just transmit rf distress signal that will be picked up by aircraft.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    25th June 2012 - 11:56
    Bike
    Daelim VL250 Daystar
    Location
    Pyongyang
    Posts
    2,487
    One thing I'd caution is giving too much information to the civvies they have in these call centres these days. Don't go getting too technical with them, just read out what ever set of numbers you've chosen and let the chopper guys do their thing. That's if their not too busy trying to talk over the top of you while your reading out the rego number of an offenders vehicle fleeing the scene....

    This whole situation kinda implies a second person is unharmed and calm enough to pass on these numbers, in which case they can also eyeball the chopper and guide them in with more info. My house is on the flight path and I hear it from km's away in an urban environment.

    Don't forget the classic smoke and mirrors. The crash bike will likely have donated some mirror glass for signalling, and if the bikes toast those tyres will be good for Indian smoke signals

    I try and keep in mind last small town passed through and rough km's, good insurance against GPS numbers being transposed by call centre.

    Just realised I can phone my sat tracker on bike and get lat/long GPS plus google maps link. If calm enough at the time I could also authorise ambos phone number o they could bring it up on their smart phone.
    Govt gives you nothing because it creates nothing - Javier Milei

  10. #10
    Join Date
    25th June 2012 - 11:56
    Bike
    Daelim VL250 Daystar
    Location
    Pyongyang
    Posts
    2,487
    Quote Originally Posted by Akzle View Post
    do they exist? Probably.
    Most plb just transmit rf distress signal that will be picked up by aircraft.
    New ones do, they will have GPS written on box and device, roughly $500NZ. Accurate to within 15m plus they have the secondary homing freq transmit also. Have a GME one, 7 year battery life
    Govt gives you nothing because it creates nothing - Javier Milei

  11. #11
    Join Date
    31st March 2005 - 02:18
    Bike
    CB919, 1090R, R1200GSA
    Location
    East Aucks
    Posts
    10,421
    Blog Entries
    140
    Quote Originally Posted by Akzle View Post
    do they exist? Probably.
    Most plb just transmit rf distress signal that will be picked up by aircraft.
    Yes, I have a GME MT410G I think, that transmits GPS co-ord inside the signal. This drops the accuracy from a couple of hundred metres to 2-5m or so I think. Carry it on all adv rides.

    I must have a look at which options the Zumo 660 has.
    Quote Originally Posted by Jane Omorogbe from UK MSN on the KTM990SM
    It's barking mad and if it doesn't turn you into a complete loon within half an hour of cocking a leg over the lofty 875mm seat height, I'll eat my Arai.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    29th February 2012 - 17:25
    Bike
    XRV750, DL650, KL250, XR200R
    Location
    Waipukurau
    Posts
    487
    You can also register a personal ID when you purchase a PLB now so if its activated it also transmits your name or whatever you have chosen to assign to it to identify the user.
    COP, "Ive been waiting to catch you all day"
    BIKER "Sorry officer, I got here as fast as I could"

  13. #13
    Join Date
    25th June 2012 - 11:56
    Bike
    Daelim VL250 Daystar
    Location
    Pyongyang
    Posts
    2,487
    The other good reason to have a PLB is they don't need a cellphone signal/coverage.
    And once activated the dat goes straight to RCCNZ in Lower Hutt who do nothing else except manage rescues.
    Typically in remote areas they will dispatch a helicopter immediately.
    Contrast this with phoning 111 where your call is in the que with all the other priority 1 jobs like domestic violence etc... And someone has to make the call whether to send chopper or not, sometimes these minutes matter.
    Of course if you have cell coverage you should also make contact that way to confirm/ add more injury info.

    When I did the VHF radio course the fella said if you call 111 the cops don't dispatch coastguard straightaway as they foot the bill for it. He said typically the operator will ask a heap of questions then dispatch a patrol car with binoculars to beach to confirm your dinghy is in flames and sinking... Vital minutes lost....
    Govt gives you nothing because it creates nothing - Javier Milei

  14. #14
    Join Date
    16th September 2009 - 17:04
    Bike
    Suzuki DR650, Beta Xtrainer with CLAKE
    Location
    Kaiapoi
    Posts
    572
    Quote Originally Posted by Night Falcon View Post
    Thanks Paul, having been a guest of the Lowe Walker Rescue helicopter, I think it is a great idea to assist them anyway you can. I have played with my Garmin Zumo 550 but it don't seem to have the features as you described - does have location coordinates but none of the formats you mention. Any way I did learn how to find myself if I ever had to and how to load a heap of photos onto it, so if I ever did get lost I'd have a good array of motorbike pics to look at until the chopper or wild pigs got me
    Yes some GPS's may not even have the prefered information but like Stu said they will accept anything as they can recalculate it and any information is better than no information. Ha like the idea of bike pics, would pass some time anyway
    Cheers Paul
    Check out our new website www.motomox.co.nz my very own sand pit with lots of cool toys

    My bikes Suzuki DR650 2010, Beta Xtrainer 300 2016, Beta RR498 2014

  15. #15
    Join Date
    16th September 2009 - 17:04
    Bike
    Suzuki DR650, Beta Xtrainer with CLAKE
    Location
    Kaiapoi
    Posts
    572
    Quote Originally Posted by Waipukbiker View Post
    Interesting reading, Even if you can just get a 6 figure grid reference out of your GPS, that's accurate to within 100 metres, Interesting though that they prefer True Nth. Obviously, The more accurate the location Co-ordinates are the quicker and easier the Rescue will be. I reckon if you ride a lot on your own off the main roads then a PLB is impossible to beat, It automatically transmits location data when activated.
    Yes any grid reference will see a chopper land within walking distance, not sure why True North other than Magnetic North is constantly moving so I guess True North is a constant, yes any form of PLB is good or Sat phones as they become cheaper to run
    Cheers Paul
    Check out our new website www.motomox.co.nz my very own sand pit with lots of cool toys

    My bikes Suzuki DR650 2010, Beta Xtrainer 300 2016, Beta RR498 2014

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •