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 Tags >> Outdoor Recreation
Posted by: Shawn Curtis
on Nov 12, 2010
Shawn Curtis joins up with the Iditarod Race support and logistics crew in the wilds of Alaska. It's a rough-and-tumble adventure at every turn. The Nomad is featured prominently in use by the support crew to keep track of where the mushers are on the race course. Shawn employs the new Yuma tablet as the event recorder of choice to document his experiences while on the Iditarod trail.
Posted by: Shawn Curtis
on Nov 08, 2010
As I start my second full day in Alaska, I continue to be impressed with the effort surrounding the Iditarod. People are working non-stop during the day and into the wee hours of the night to enable a successful 2009 race, including setting up tracking solutions. It's always interesting to see how plans come to fruition... or what unexpected surprises await. This year, the Iditarod Trail Committee (ITC) is trying to figure out how to get trail breaking snow machines into the back country. Unlike last year, there are several feet of soft snow. It isn't unreasonable to visualize a snow machine buried in ten feet of soft snow, completely unable to move. The air fleet is able to move, but snow machines are another story.
I started this entry without addressing why I'm in Alaska participating in the Iditarod. For the 2009 race, the Trimble Nomad 800X will be a core component of IonEarth's musher tracking system. For the first time, race officials will know where every musher is on the course. Trimble products enable visual display of IonEarth's data. Because of Nomad's rugged construction and design to support performance down to -30C, it was selected as the handheld computer best suited for the job. I could stop the description there, but I'd be leaving out the meat. Here is what musher tracking means for logistics:
1) Situational Awareness
Check point personnel can stop guessing about when mushers will arrive at their checkpoint. Early on in the race, this isn't an issue. However, the race eventually spreads out. While there is data available to predict approximate arrival time to various check points, actual trail conditions can speed up or slow down the pace of the race. As the race spreads out, check point personnel may need to be available for hours or even days. Knowing where mushers are on the trail can significantly aid checkpoint personnel to get needed rest because they can see how far away the next musher is.
2) Safety
Errors happen when people get tired. People definitely get fatigued in the cold, surrounded in white, while pounding down mile after mile after mile. Alert checkpoint personnel are critical. Being able to see the field also provides a safety blanket for mushers. Should someone veer off track, ITC officials have
Posted by: Guest
on Oct 29, 2010
I decided to head out on a backpacking expedition up the Middle Fork of the Willamette River with the goal of hiking up to the headwaters (start) of the mighty Willamette River.
Although the starting elevation was only around 2000 feet and we were going in the beginning of July, the mosquitos were still really bad!
Posted by: Guest
on Sep 27, 2010
As a precision rifle firearms instructor, as well as a relatively new resident of Colorado, I utilize my Recon 400X for two main tasks, one, using Night Force's Ballistic Targeting Software, and two, locating areas that are safe for shooting, and also provide a diversified environment.
The Night Force Ballistic Targeting software is a straight forward and simple to use program that runs on the Windows Mobile 5 & 6 operating system. It is smooth in its operations and delivers extremely accurate elevation, windage, and lead adjustments, which is based on simple data that the user inputs into the software. The combination of the Recon 400X along with this software has been so successful, that not only do Hunter's in the know use it, but a great amount of US Military Shooters, as well as other Shooters under the NATO umbrella, utilize it as well. This is only one software application that runs seamlessly without locking up.
When I say "locking up," I mean freezing, until rebooting the system. Other types of PDA's were originally manufactured utilizing operating systems that were designed to be nothing more than glorified phone books. The TDS lines of Pocket PC's are different. They are not only water-proof and shock-proof; they have been designed to operate many third party software packages that are ported to run on Windows Mobile 5 & 6.
As I previously mentioned, I am a Precision Shooting Rifle Instructor and although I use my 400X in conjunction with "Night Force's" Ballistic Targeting Software, it has proven to be an invaluable tool when combined with the "Holux GR-271" GPS card. As the batteries in my rugged Recon will burn for up to 15 hours, I use the GPS to track in and out of unfamiliar areas; and have also had great success locating other areas of interest. This is and has been an enormous time saver. The reasons why is because I use my Recon in conjunction with two other desktop mapping software packages that allow me to locate the areas of interest that I want to venture into.
First, I open "Google Earth" and "fly" to the area of interest, tilting, panning and zooming, until I find the right spot. Once there, I take note of the lat long's, launch another software application on my desk-top by TDS called "Terra Guide" which is a mapping software package, then locate and mark the lat long's that I previously acquired in Google Earth, and at times, draw a path in and out of where I want to go. Once I complete those tasks, I connect my Recon to my Desktop computer via a USB cable, and export that information from Terra Guide on my Desk Top, to Terra Guide on my Recon. Later, when I turn on my Recon, and launch the Terra Guide software, the information is there, and the GPS automatically begins working. It is simple and very user friendly.
Venturing out to my areas of interest is fast and easy. Now don't get me wrong... developing mountaineering and map reading skills is an essential skill set that should be learned, however using the software packages that are available from TDS, has saved me months if not years of recon work. Utilizing them on my rugged Recon 400X, has made it easy.
Posted by: Brooks McKee
on Aug 27, 2010
I read the description in the trail guide: Prepare for weather extremes: heat, rain, wind, and snow!  Instantly, I thought this would be a great place to take my Nomad on an outdoor adventure! Yes, here in the soggy Northwest we have access to one of the most active volcanos on the planet....Mt. St. Helens.
Posted by: Guest
on Jul 30, 2010
A friend of mine, an engineering lab director who works at another company in town and an avid mountain climber, borrowed a Nomad prototype to take up the side of Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador last May. Tim had a great trip, but terrible weather and snow conditions. As he put it, "picture a knife edge ridge at 18,000' and
Posted by: Brian
on May 14, 2010
 Now that the Nomad rugged handheld is shipping, we’ve started getting some questions about its integrated GPS. The first thing to know about the GPS is that it’s based on the standard SiRF Star III chipset. As a consumer-grade GPS device, I wouldn’t expect to get mapping or survey-grade results. However, SiRF Start III-based devices have a reputation for tracking accurately in difficult conditions. In order to get user’s feel for the Nomad, I took one on a hike recently to see how it tracks under tree cover. I installed TDS TerraGuide (available for the Nomad) as the mapping application and configured it to connect to COM2 at 9600 baud (the default settings on the Nomad). For my test, I turned the unit on in an open area to get a good initial fix before starting my hike. As with any GPS device, getting a first fix in an open area is always faster and more accurate than getting one under tree cover. I was impressed with the Nomad GPS performance under these difficult conditions. The unit tracked 6 to 7 satellites on a heavily canopied forest road. The map below shows a track updated every second on the mapping program. In most cases, even under trees, the Nomad tracked directly on top of the USGS map.
Posted by: Edward Jones
on May 05, 2010
I am fortunate to work for Trimble. I get to work with interesting technology, use really cool products designed by Trimble employees and work with pretty active folks. Some of the guys do what is called "Adventure" motorcycle riding. It's not your average dirt-bike riding or dual sport riding. This type of riding is in remote areas for days at a time.
Posted by: Rob Davis
on Mar 03, 2010
Tagged in: Yuma , Windows 7 , Utilities , Trimble , Public Safety , Product Support , Outdoor Recreation , Natural Resources , Mining , Military , Geology , Forestry , Federal , Agriculture
The power and dependability of Windows 7, combined with the Yuma rugged tablet, means field workers can take their office to the field. With Windows 7, the Yuma offers faster sleep and resume capabilities, proven data privacy and security, and enhanced networking capabilities.
The versatile Yuma, a fully functional rugged computer with connectivity, brings full office capabilities to the field. It is used
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