GPS Reference
Waypoints
Download the TigerTag waypoints from the downloads page. If you have the Garmin MapSource program, update it to the latest version and you can use that to load the waypoints into your Garmin GPS. An alternative is to download the g7towin application and use that to upload waypoints and download tracks. Another very slow option is to manually enter the waypoints directly into your GPS from the list of waypoints on the download page. Make sure you enter them correctly : these are the waypoints you see on the GPS, but the scoring program uses the master list to check that you tagged a waypoint. Any difference in corrdinates will mean that you think you tagged a waypoint, but you really missed it.
Before you load the Tiger Tag waypoints it would be best if you completely delete all waypoints from your GPS. This will remove confusion when you are trying to determine which waypoint to go to next and avoid tagging waypoints that are not in the TagerTag competition.
Tiger Tag waypoints are named like TLK-6K for the waypoint at the lookout on the North ridge of Tiger mountain. The airspace ceiling in that area is 6000ft.
It would be a good idea to get to know where the waypoints are around the Tiger area so that you do not need to look for the nearest waypoints using your GPS in flight.
GPS Settings
Read your manual, get to know your GPS. There are so many different GPS's on the market that very few people know how to operate all of them. Strive to become the expert on your particular GPS. The settings listed here are general GPS settings, required for any competition, not just for TigerTag.
Set the GPS datum to WGS84. This is usually the default. This will ensure that your GPS and the scoring program both use the same "grid". Different datums can result in positions as much as 500ft off, causing you to miss waypoints.
Set the track log options to store enough points for the whole flight and not to overwrite points at the beginning if the GPS runs out of storage space :
- Set the track log to record trackpoints every time interval.
- For a modern GPS with storage for 10,000 or more tracklog points, you can set the time interval to as short as 1 second. An older GPS with less storage might require an interval of 15 or 20 seconds.
- IMPORTANT: Set the track log to "Stop when full", DEFINITELY NOT "Off" or "Wrap when full". If you have a really long flight, "Stop when full" will give you the best score the GPS can manage, you will loose the last part of the flight but still get scored for the part in the GPS (the track log setting will change to "Off", so make sure before your next flight to change it back to "Stop when full". If the tracklog "Wraps", you will lose the start of the task and get ZERO points.
- Set other GPS settings to provide assistance to you in flight: Change the displayed fields to tell you the distance to the next waypoint (you need to be within .25 miles of it).
- If your GPS has an "approaching waypoint" alarm, set it to 0.25mi so that you will receive a visible and maybe audible alarm to tell you that you have tagged a waypoint.
GPS In flight
Before EVERY flight :
- Clear the track log.
- Make sure the track log setting is "Stop when full".
- Make sure your GPS has satellite lock before you launch.
Either use your GPS map page to aim towards your selected waypoint or use "Goto waypoint" and use the compass and screen fields to guide you to within 0.25mi of the waypoint. There is no need to go directly over the waypoint.
Remember that your GPS is recording tracklog points once every "interval" seconds. The only way to know for sure that your GPS has logged a trackpoint within the waypoint cylinder is to remain within the cylinder for the number of seconds that you have set the interval to. If you set the interval for 10 seconds, make sure you spend at leat 10 seconds within 0.25 miles of the waypoint.
Determine the most effective way to quickly tag waypoints and not get stuck anywhere.
Having a second backup GPS is recommended for competitions. Batteries can fail, your main GPS might lockup. Flying a task and not getting scored because the GPS does't say that you flew the task is frustrating. If you have a second GPS, but because it is an older (cheaper) model that has less memory you might have to set the recording interval to be longer than you main GPS. This longer time interval is the time that you have to stay within the waypoint cylinder in order to guarantee a waypoint with the cylinder.
After The flight
Turn your GPS off as soon as you land. If your GPS is set to "Wrap when full" and you don't turn it off it will happily go on recording a tracklog of your trip home, overwriting your flight and ensuring you get zero points.
In paragliding competitions, you finish as soon as you cross into the finish waypoint cylinder and extra tracklog points are ignored (but have to be downloaded and that takes time!).
