How to get UTM Grid on Exploris 600

[Jibba]

First of all, hello everybody - im new to this forum and to the whole GPS scene.

So i purchased an exploris 600 and have attained DAST topo as well. This is all well and good and it has been extremely useful so far.

However, my primary goal of using the GPS is to attain my position on the earths surface in the form of UTM grid references. I have software such as ozi, however cant figure it out. I want to get a certain map that i have, somehow put the information from this map into the GPS, and have it tell me where i am in terms of an 8 figure grid reference (UTM i believe?)

So basically, How do i get my gps to tell my position in grid reference format correlating to a particular map?

I understand it has something to do with using ozi to calibrate a map using Lat/Long on the raster image, and then telling where these UTM coords are, right? But how do i get this data into the gps?

Thankyou for ANY help you may be able to provide. Cheers.

[The Explorer]

Hello - you can change the format that the GPS displays coordinates by pressing MENU key, then select MAP UNITS, arrow down to COORD SYSTEM - press ENTER and select UTM from list (by highlighting and pressing ENTER again). The other important thing is to match the Datum the GPS is displaying the coordinates in with the datum of the Map you are using. All new maps in Australia should be GDA94 (MGA in UTM format) - there is no option on Magellans to use GDA94 but WGS84 is (for the purposes of handheld gps units) the same so use that. Other maps may be Aus84 or Aus66 (both called AMG in UTM format). You select what datum you wish to display data on your GPS in same section of MENU as described above ie press MENU, select MAP UNITS, arrow down to MAP DATUM and select desired one.

Cheers
Greg

[Nicko]

Just a note here, the Garmin has a datum listing called GDA, which is in fact GDA94, they must have forgotten to add the year!