Need help setting up etrex 30

[Tortoise]

I finally decided on an Etrex 30, and would love to USE it on my walk starting tomorrow
Searched here, searched and searched Garmin website, round and round in circles

could anyone help me with:
How to set the data type.
I got main menu/set up/ position format/ selected Aus Geod 66 to match my map, heard the appropriate beep by clicking to select while that was highlighted, but when I try to use it, it's still displaying degrees and minutes, not grid refs.

If i keep clicking, it just toggles between my selection, Aus Geod 66 (versus deg / mins and 'Map spheroid Australian Natl), and my selection, Aus Geod 66 (versus Aus Geod '84 and a whole long list of other countries)

When i go back to try to change it again, it's still set to degrees/mins.

Many thanks for any help

[sthughes]

For most Tasmaps:
Set the Position Format to UTM UPS
Set the Map Datum to Aus Geod' 66

For the new Tasmaps
Set the Position Format to UTM UPS
Set the Map Datum to GDA 94 (or WGS 84)

Hope that helps?

[Tortoise]

Thank you very much for following up
(Edit)

Set the Position Format to UTM UPS

This was the crucial missing bit. It worked.

[neilmny]

I can only offer what I've done with my Etrex Vista Hcx.
I have set up UTM as the format. It makes sense when comparing where your GPS tells you are to a map grid reference.
I set the datum to match the paper map I'm using. Some of mine are GDA and some are AGD66.
If I take a UTM location reading with the GPS and use the appropriate map scale on my compass to get the most accurate check
I find I am within some metres of the position on the map that the GPS tells me I am.

Being experimentally minded I did compare my position with the wrong datum set ie. AGD66 map with GPS set to GDA and as expected I was a couple of hundered metres out.

The Garmin help people are probably referring to their own maps in the actual GPS as being fixed datum.

I use the Aus/NZ topo V3 from Garmin and it's not bad but definitely not 100%.

I hope this helps and makes sense.

[Tortoise]

Thanks, Neil. Most of it makes sense - I'll process the rest later.

edit

[PeterJ]

I would guess that the Etrex has "profiles" and you set these to whatever you want. For example one for AGD66 another for GDA94 to match the map your using.


Profiles are super handy.

[neilmny]

Interesting idea Peter.
My etrex Vista Hcx doesn't have profiles but it is not difficult to change the datum via the setup/units option.

[Redtail]

You will find a most awesomely excellent resource for all things GPS-y here http://www.gpsaustralia.net/

HTH

(no affilitation, just a happy forum-ite and Garmin owner)

[Tortoise]

Thanks for the input, folks. Will follow up your suggestions