Garmin GPS II PLUS User Manual

Software Version 3.0 or above
© 1998 GARMINCorporation, 1200 E. 151st Street, Olathe, Kansas 66062 USA
Tel: [phone] or 800-800-1020 Fax: [phone]

GARMIN (Europe) Ltd., Unit 5, The Quadrangle, Abbey Park, Romsey, Hampshire SO51 9AQ UK
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

Web Site Address: www.garmin.com

All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means includ-

ing photocopying and recording, for any purpose without the express written permission of GARMIN.

Information in this document is subject to change without notice. GARMIN reserves the right to change or improve

its products and to make changes in the content without obligation to notify any person or organization of such changes.

GARMIN, GPS II+, Personal Navigator, AutoLocate, TracBack, and PhaseTrac12 are all trademarks of GARMIN

Corporation and may not be used without the expressed permission of GARMIN.

February 1998 Part # 190-00130-10 Rev. A Printed in Taiwan.

Thank You!

Thank you for choosing the GARMIN GPS II
II+represents GARMIN’s continuing commitment to provide quality navigation information in a versatile and user­friendly flexible design you’ll enjoy for years. To get the most from your new GPS, take the time to read through the
owner’s manual in order to understand the operating features of the GPS II
tions for your convenience:

Section One takes you through step-by-step instructions to initialize the receiver for first-time use.

Section Two (Getting Started Tour) introduces you to the basic features of the unit and provides a quick-start

orientation to the GPS II+.

Section Three (Reference) provides details about the advanced features and operations of the GPS II

Before getting started with your GPS, check to see that your GARMIN GPS II+package includes the following items.
If you are missing any parts, please contact your dealer immediately.

Standard Package:

• GPS II+Unit

• Wrist Strap

• GPS II+Owner’s Manual

• Velcro Mount

+

—the smallest, easiest-to-use GPS navigator for outdoor use! The GPS

+

. This manual is organized into three sec-

+

by topic.

i

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is operated by the government of the United States, which is

solely responsible for its accuracy and maintenance. The system is subject to changes which could affect

!

the accuracy and performance of all GPS equipment. Although the GPS II

+

is a precision electronic

NAVigation AID (NAVAID), any NAVAID can be misused or misinterpreted and, therefore, become unsafe.

For vehicular applications, it’s the sole responsibility of the owner/operator of the GPS II

+

to secure the
GPS unit so that it will not cause damage or personal injury in the event of an accident. Do not mount the
GPS II+over airbag panels or in a place where the driver or passengers are likely to have an impact with it

!

in an accident or collision. The mounting hardware provided by GARMIN is not warranted against collision
damage or the consequences thereof.

For vehicular operations, it is the sole responsibility of the operator of the vehicle to operate his or her
vehicle in a safe manner, maintain full surveillance of all driving conditions at all times, and never become
distracted by the GPS II+to the exclusion of safe operating practices. It is unsafe to operate the GPS II

!

you are driving. Failure by the operator of a vehicle equipped with a GPS II

+

to pay full attention to operat-

+

while

ing the vehicle and road conditions while the vehicle is in motion could result in an accident or collision with
property damage and personal injury.

ii

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC limits for Class B digital devices. This equipment generates, uses,
and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications.

There is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause
harmful interference to other equipment, which can be determined by turning the affected equipment off and on, the
user is encouraged to try and correct the interference by relocating the equipment or connecting the equipment to a
different circuit than the affected equipment.

Consult an authorized dealer or other qualified service technician for additional help if these remedies do not cor­rect the problem. Operation is subject to the following conditions: (1) This device cannot cause harmful interference,
and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

The GPS II+does not contain any user-serviceable parts. Repairs should only be made by an authorized GARMIN
service center. Unauthorized repairs or modifications could void your warranty and your authority to operate this
device under Part 15 regulations.

iii

SECTION ONE

What is GPS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Satellite Acquisition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Battery Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Unit Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Keypad Usage/Operating Terms . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Screen Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Initializing the Receiver/Power On . . . . . . . .7-8

Initializing the Receiver/Troubleshooting . . . . .9

Page Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Getting Started Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11-19

SECTION TWO Reference

Satellite Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20-25

Position Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26-28

Marking a Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29-30

Creating and Using Waypoints . . . . . . . . .31-39

iv

GOTO and MOB Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40-41

TracBack Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42-45

Creating and Using Routes . . . . . . . . . . . .46-53

Compass and Highway Page . . . . . . . . . . .54-59

Map Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60-70

Menu Page and Auxiliary Functions . . . . .71-82

Simulator Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86

Appendix A—Dashboard Mounting . . . . . . . .87

Appendix B—Specifications and Wiring . .88-91

Appendix C—External Antenna . . . . . . . . . . .92

Appendix D—Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93-94

Appendix E—Map Datums . . . . . . . . . . . .95-98

Appendix F—Time Offset Chart . . . . . . . . . . .99

Appendix G—Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100-102

Appendix H—Navigation Diagram . . . . . . . .103

Appendix I—Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

What is GPS?

GPS is a system of 24 satellites which circle the earth twice a day in a very pre­cise orbit and transmit information to earth. The GPS II

+

must continuously “see” at

least three of these satellites to calculate your position and track your movement.

By using an almanac (a timetable of satellite numbers and their orbits) stored in
the receiver’s memory, the GPS II+can determine the distance and position of any
GPS satellite and use this information to compute your position.

Your GPS receiver can only see satellites above the horizon, so it needs to know
what satellites to look for at any given time. To use this almanac data, your GPS
needs to either be told its general location or given the opportunity to find itself, or
“initialize.” Once you initialize the unit to a position, it will usually compute a fix
within a few minutes. We’ll show you how to initialize your new GPS on p. 7.

Initialization is only necessary under the following conditions:

• The first time you use your receiver (from the factory).

• After the receiver has been moved over 500 miles from the last time you
used it (with the power off).

• If the receiver’s memory has been cleared and all stored data has been lost.

1

To prevent accidental battery
power loss, the GPS II+will
automatically shut off 10 min­utes after the last keystroke if
the unit is not tracking at least
one satellite and has not
acquired a position fix.

2

Satellite Acquisition

Because the GPS II+relies on satellite signals to provide you with navigation
guidance, the receiver needs to have an unobstructed, clear view of the sky for best
performance. In a nutshell, the GPS receiver’s view of the sky will generally deter­mine how fast you get a position fix—or if you get a fix at all. GPSsignals are rela­tively weak and do not travel through rocks, buildings, people, metal, or heavy tree
cover, so remember to keep a clear view of the sky at all times for best performance.

Once the GPS II+has calculated a position fix, you’ll usually have anywhere from
four to twelve satellites in view. The receiver will then continuously select the best
satellites in view to update your position. If some of the satellites in view get blocked
or “shaded,” the receiver can simply use an alternate satellite to maintain the position
fix. Although a GPS receiver needs four satellites to provide a three-dimensional (3D)
fix, it can maintain a two-dimensional (2D) fix with only three satellites. A three­dimensional fix means the unit knows its latitude, longitude, and altitude, while a
two-dimensional fix means the unit knows only its latitude and longitude.

Battery Installation

The GPS II+operates on 4 AA batteries (not included), which are installed at the

base of the unit. These batteries provide up to 24 hours of use.

To install the batteries:

1. Flip up the metal ring at the base of the unit, and turn the ring 90˚ counter clockwise.

2. Install the batteries (Fig. 3), and close the battery compartment door.

3. Lock the door in the closed position by rotating the metal ring 90˚ clockwise.

Battery life varies due to a variety of factors, including temperature and
backlighting. You may find that the battery life varies in different conditions and
that lithium batteries provide longer life in colder conditions.

When replacing the GPS II+’s batteries, observe the polarity markings
engraved in the plastic case. An internal 10-year lithium battery will retain your
data while you’re changing batteries.

Polarity

Markings

Fig. 3

3

To change the screen

orientation, press and

hold the page key.

4

Antenna

Function Keys

Power Key (red)

Rocker Keypad

LCD Display

Battery Door

(POWER)— Red key turns the unit on and off, and
controls three levels of screen backlighting intensity.

(PAGE)— Scrolls main pages in sequence and returns
display from a submenu page to a main page. Press and
hold this key to change screen orientation.

(MARK)— Captures your present position and dis­plays the mark position window.

(GOTO)— Displays the GOTO waypoint window,
allowing you to select the destination waypoint.

(ENTER)— Activates highlighted fields and confirms
menu options and data entry.

(QUIT)— Returns the display to a previous page or
restores a data field’s previous value.

(IN and OUT)— Provides 18 adjustable fields by
selecting either the in or out keys from the Map Page.

(KEYPAD)— Controls the movement of the cursor
and is used to select options and positions, and to
enter data.

CURSOR— A solid black bar which can be moved
up, down, left, and right with the keypad to select indi­vidual fields.

DEFAULT— A system-selected format, built into a
software program or the unit’s memory, that will be fol­lowed unless the user chooses a different setting.

FIELD— The location on a page where a group of
characters or option is entered and displayed (Fig. 5).

HIGHLIGHT— The act of using the cursor to select a
field for the purpose of entering data.

SCROLL— The act of moving through characters or
options from a selected field.

‘Mode’

Field

Fig. 5

5

Screen Orientation

The GPS II+has a unique screen orientation feature for switching from a hori­zontal mounting position in a vehicle or on a bike to a vertical orientation for hand­held outdoor use, such as hunting or hiking. The GPS
II+’s rocker keypad and single-use keys are designed
to function identically, no matter if you’re using the
unit vertically (Fig. 6a) or horizontally (Fig. 6b).

HORIZONTAL

up

left right

To change the screen orientation:

Fig. 6a

1. Press and hold PAGE.

Data Entry

The arrow keypad is used for all data entry. Use

down

VERTICAL

up

the UP and DOWN keys to select letters, numbers,
and menu options; use the LEFT and RIGHT keys to

left

right

move the cursor forward or backward along the line
(Fig. 6c). Press ENTER to confirm your entry.

6

Fig. 6b

down

Fig. 6c

Initializing Your GPS II

+

To initialize the GPS II+, take the receiver outside and find an open area where
the antenna has a clear view of the sky. You may either hold the receiver at a com­fortable height with the external antenna pointing up (Fig. 7a), or mount the receiv­er on the dash of a vehicle (Appendix A) or on a bike. (Likewise, when you use your
GPS II+in a vehicle, make sure the antenna is pointing up.)

To turn the GPS II+on, press and hold the red power key.

The Welcome and Database Info pages will be displayed while the unit conducts
a self test. Once testing is complete, the Welcome Page will be replaced by the
Satellite Page. You’ll see the EZinit prompt, which asks you to choose an initialization
method. Note: If the EZinit prompt has not automatically appeared, press ENTER.

To initialize your unit:

1. Press ENTER (Fig. 7b). (The word ‘COUNTRY’ in the first prompt will already be high­lighted.)

2. Use the rocker keypad to scroll up or down through the list of countries to select your
country/state/region. If the country you’re in isn’t listed, select the closest country to
your present position, and press ENTER.

Fig. 7a

Fig. 7b

7

Check the Satellite Page for
‘2D nav’ or ‘3D nav’ to verify a
position fix.

Fig. 8c

8

Fig. 8a Fig. 8b

This usually provides a position fix in 1 minute. You’ll know you have a fix
when the unit automatically transitions from the Satellite Page to the Position Page
(Figs. 8a-8b). Your receiver is now ready to use!

To turn the unit off:

1. Press and hold the red power key for three seconds (Fig. 8c).

If you have trouble initializing or getting a position fix, check the following:

• Does the receiver have a clear view of the sky?

If there are large buildings or mountains, or if there is heavy tree cover, the receiver may not be
receiving enough satellite signals to calculate a fix. Also, if you’re using the GPS II

+

on a car
dash, make sure the unit is placed so that it has the clearest possible view of the sky. Your GPS
will only be able to detect satellites that it can “see” through your vehicle’s windshield.
Depending on the slope of your dash or the overall surface area of the window, it may be nec­essary to mount an external antenna on your vehicle’s roof or trunk in order to give the unit a
better view of the sky. (Contact your local GARMIN dealer and inquire about the GA 26 low­profile remote antenna, part number 010-10052-02.)

• Have you selected the right country/state/region from the EZinit list?

Check for the correct approximate lat/lon on the Position Page, or reselect the appropriate
country from the list to restart the initialization.

• Have you moved more than 500 miles from the last calculated position with the

receiver off?

Reinitialize the receiver by selecting the country/state/region of your new location from the
EZinit list.

9

Scrolling Through the Main Pages

Satellite Page

Position Page

Map Page

Fig. 10

Navigation Page

Menu Page

To turn the GPS II+back on, press and hold the power key.

The GPS II+features five main pages which are linked together in a chain (Fig. 10).
You can quickly scroll through the pages in either direction using the PAGE or QUIT
keys. Let’s briefly tour each of these pages in order to give you some insight into how
they help you navigate. We’ll go over all of them in more detail in the reference section.

This tour assumes that you have only initialized the receiver and have not changed
any of the factory settings (units of measure, user-selectable fields, etc.). If you have
changed any of the default settings, the pictures and descriptions in the tour may not
match your unit. Also, make sure your unit’s screen is orientated horizontally by press-

10

ing and holding down the PAGE key.

Satellite Page

Fig. 11

Let’s start with the Satellite Page, which is the page you’ll view while your unit is
getting a position fix. If you’re not already on this page, press PAGE or QUIT until it
appears. The Satellite Page shows you status information that helps you understand
what the receiver is doing at any given time, and it’s a page that you’ll want to occa­sionally refer back to as you use your unit. It features a sky view of available satel­lites, corresponding signal strength bars, the status of your current position fix

The signal strength bars give
you an indication of what
satellites are visible to the
receiver, whether or not they’r e
being used to calculate a posi­tion fix, and the signal quality.

(acquiring, 2D, 3D, etc.), and your estimated position error (EPE). You can also tell
how much battery power is remaining (Fig. 11), and you can adjust the screen con­trast by pressing the rocker keypad.

11

Position Page

The Position Page (Fig. 12a) shows you where you are, what direction you’re
heading, and how fast you’re going—and it’s the page you’ll want to use when you
don’t have an active destination selected.

A graphic compass display at the top of the page shows your direction of travel
while you’re moving, while five data fields below display your track and speed, a trip

Fig. 12a

odometer, and your position and altitude. The ‘trip’ and ‘altitude’ fields are user­selectable, which means you can change them to display other navigation informa­tion. We’ll cover those fields more in the reference section.

Marking a Position

GPS is really about marking and going to places called waypoints. Before we can
use our GPS II+to guide us somewhere, we have to mark a position as a waypoint.
(Your GPS II+can hold up to 500 waypoints.)

To mark your present position:

Fig. 12b

12

1. Press the MARK key. The mark position page will appear, with a default three-digit
name for the new waypoint in the upper-left portion of the page (Fig. 12b).

To rename the waypoint:

1. Use the keypad to highlight the name field, and press ENTER.

2. Enter the waypoint name ‘HOME’ (Fig. 13a), and press ENTER. (See p. 6 for data entry.)
The ‘waypoint symbol’ field will become highlighted.

Each waypoint may also be assigned a custom waypoint symbol for easy way-

point recognition on the map page.

To change the waypoint symbol:

1. Highlight the waypoint symbol field (Fig. 13b), and press ENTER.

2. Select the house symbol, and press ENTER.

3. Move the cursor to the ‘DONE?’ prompt, and press ENTER.

4. Press ENTER to confirm the ‘SAVE?’ prompt.

The mark position page will be replaced by the Position Page (the page dis-

played before pressing MARK). The ‘HOME’ waypoint is now stored in the GPS II

+

’s

memory.

Fig. 13a

Fig. 13b

13

You can even time yourself
with the GPS II+’s on-screen
clock.

14

Using the Position Page

Now that you’ve marked a position, it’s time to take a brisk walk using the
Position and Map Pages to watch your every move. You should still be on the
Position Page.

To get the most from this tutorial, walk in a straight line for 3-4 minutes at a fast
pace and watch the Position Page. (Because the GPS system typically has a margin of
error of approximately 15 meters, you’ll need to walk this long to ensure that you
travel far enough to register useful information. You’ll also get a better indication of
how the GPS II+’s steering guidance and mapping features work to guide you.)

You’ll see that the direction you are moving (track), your speed, and how far
you’ve gone displayed in the middle of the screen, just below the graphic compass
display. The latitude, longitude and approximate altitude of your position are dis­played at the bottom of the page, with the time of day displayed below.

To continue the tour, let’s move on to the next page:

1. Press PAGE.

Map Page

The GPS II+’s next page, the Map Page, shows your movement as a real-time
track log (an electronic breadcrumb trail that “flashes” at a map scale of less than 5
miles), and your present position as a diamond icon in the center of the map. Use
the zoom keys (IN and OUT) to change the map scale until you see the waypoint
you just created (‘HOME’). We’ll cover more about this page in the reference section.

1. Now turn approximately 90º to your right and continue walking at a fast pace for
another 2-3 minutes. Notice how the display changes, always keeping the direction
you are moving at the top of the map (Fig. 15b).

Fig. 15a

Fig. 15b

15

Going To a Waypoint

Once you’ve stored a waypoint in memory, you can use the GPS II+to guide you
to it by performing a simple GOTO. A GOTO is really nothing more than a straight­line course from your present position to the destination you’ve selected. To see how
it works, let’s try navigating back to our starting position, the HOME waypoint.

Fig. 16a

To select a GOTO destination:

1. Press GOTO.

2. Highlight the ‘HOME’ waypoint (Fig. 16a), and press ENTER.

You’ll notice that you’ll automatically return to the Map Page, and a straight line
will connect your current position to the position of the GOTO waypoint (16b).

To continue the tour, let’s move on to the next page:

1. Press PAGE.

Fig. 16b

16

Compass Page

Whenever you select a destination waypoint, the GPS II

+

provides graphic steer­ing guidance with the Compass Page (the default navigation page). The ‘compass
ring’ in the middle of the page shows your direction of travel while you’re moving
(indicated by the top of the ring), and the pointer arrow points to your destination
(selected waypoint). As you move toward ‘HOME’, notice how the compass ring and
the pointer arrow provide a clear picture of the direction you’re moving and the
direction of ‘HOME.’

The bearing and distance to a waypoint are displayed at the top of the screen,
and your current track and speed are shown below. The default ‘ETE’ field, at the
bottom of the screen between the ‘track’ and ‘speed’ fields (Fig. 17a), is a user-selec­table field that can provide a variety of navigation information. We’ll cover more
about that field in the reference section (see page 55).

As you get close to ‘HOME’, you’ll be alerted to press PAGE. The GPS II

+

will
give you the message “Approaching HOME” (Fig. 17b). Once you’ve arrived, you’ll
notice the distance field will read 0.00.

Fig. 17a

Fig. 17b

17

Menu Page

You’ve already seen the first four pages in action by acquiring satellites, marking
a position, and navigating to a destination. The last page available from the main
page sequence is the Menu Page (Fig. 18a), which provides access to the GPS II

+

’s

waypoint management, route, setup, and city locator features.

To view the Menu Page:

Fig. 18a

1. Press PAGE.

To select a menu option:

1. Highlight the desired field, and press ENTER (18b).

To return to the Menu Page:

1. Press QUIT.

Fig. 18b

18

Clearing the Track Log

After you’ve practiced and used the GPSII+for a few trips, you may find that
your map display has become cluttered with track plots. To get a feel for how the
map and track features work, let’s clear the track log (the plot points left on the Map
Page) we’ve just created during the Getting Started tour.

To clear the track log:

1. Scroll to the Map Page, and press ENTER.

2. Highlight the ‘track setup’ field, and press ENTER.

3. Highlight the ‘clear log?’ field (Fig. 19a), and press ENTER.

4. Highlight ‘Yes?’, and press ENTER.

Congratulations! You’ve just completed the Getting Started Tour! You now know
enough about the GPS II+to go out and have some fun with it. We strongly recom­mend that you read on and explore the Reference section, which contains a closer
look at all of the exciting features of the GPS II

+

.

To turn your GPS II+off:

1. Press and hold the red power key (Fig. 19b). The unit will count down for three seconds
and then turn off.

Fig. 19a

Fig. 19b

19

Satellite Page

The GPS II+’s Satellite Page provides a visual reference of satellite acquisition and
position. As the receiver locks onto satellites, a signal strength bar will appear for
each satellite in view, with the appropriate satellite number (1-32) underneath each
bar. The progress of satellite acquisition is shown in three stages:

• No signal strength bars— the receiver is looking for the satellites indicated.

Fig. 20a

• Hollow signal strength bars— the receiver has found the satellite(s) and is
collecting data (Fig. 20a).

• Solid signal strength bars— the receiverhas collected the necessary data
and the satellite(s) is ready for use.

Each satellite has a 30-second data transmission that must be collected (hollow
bar status) before that satellite may be used for navigation (solid bar status). Once a
fix has been calculated, the GPS II+will then update your position, track, and speed
by selecting and using the best satellites in view. You can also access the GPS II

+

’s

contrast feature from this page (see p. 75).

Fig. 20b

20

To adjust the screen contrast:

1. Press the rocker keypad, adjust the level of contrast (Fig. 20b), and press ENTER.

Sky View and Signal Strength Bars

The sky view and signal strength bars give you an indication of what satellites
are visible to the receiver, whether or not they are being used to calculate a position
fix, and the signal quality. The satellite sky view shows a bird’s-eye view of the posi­tion of each available satellite relative to the unit’s last known position. The outer cir­cle represents the horizon (north up); the inner circle 45º above the horizon; and the
center point directly overhead. You can use the sky view to help determine if any
satellites are being blocked, and whether you have a current position fix (indicated
by a ‘2D NAV’ or ‘3D NAV’ in the status field) (Fig. 21b). You can also set the sky
view to a track up configuration by changing the “orientation” option on the Map
Page. (See p. 67 for setup instructions.)

When the receiver is looking for a particular satellite, the corresponding signal
strength bar will be blank and the sky view indicator will be highlighted. Once the
receiver has found the satellite, a hollow signal strength bar will appear, indicating
that the satellite has been found and the receiver is collecting data from it (Fig. 21a).
The satellite number in the sky view will no longer appear highlighted. As soon as
the GPS II+has collected the necessary data to calculate a fix, the status field will
indicate a 2D or 3D status.

Fig. 21a

Fig. 21b

21

Receiver Status and EPE

Receiver status is indicated at the top left of the page, with the current horizontal
accuracy (estimated position error, in feet or meters) at the top right. The status will
be shown as one of the following conditions:

Searching— the GPS II+is looking for any available satellites in view (Fig. 22a).

AutoLocate— the GPS II+is initializing and collecting new almanac data. This

Fig. 22a

process can take 5 minutes, depending on the satellites currently in view.

Acquiring— the receiver is collecting data from available satellites, but has not

collected enough data to calculate a 2D fix.

2D Navigation— at least three satellites with good geometry have been locked

onto and a 2-dimensional position fix (latitude and longitude) is being calculat-

ed. ‘2D Diff’ will appear when you are receiving DGPS corrections in 2D mode.

3D Navigation— at least four satellites with good geometry have been locked

onto, and your position is now being calculated in latitude, longitude and alti-

tude. ‘3D Diff’ will appear when you are receiving DGPS corrections in 3D mode.

Fig. 22b

22

Poor GPS Coverage— the receiver i s n ’t tracking enough satellites for a 2D or

3D fix due to bad satellite geometry (Fig. 22b).

Not Usable— the receiver is unusable, possibly due to incorrect initialization or
abnormal satellite conditions. Turn the unit off and back on to reset, and reini­tialize the receiver if necessary.

Simulator— the receiver is in simulator mode (Fig. 23a).

EZinit Option Prompt

The Satellite Page also provides access to the EZinit prompt whenever a position
fix has not been calculated (Fig. 23b). (The unit must be in searching, AutoLocate,
acquiring, simulator, or poor coverage mode.) This allows you to reinitialize the unit
(see p. 7), and is useful if you have traveled over 500 miles with the receiver off and
must initialize your new position. (The EZinit prompt will automatically appear if the
receiver needs to be initialized. The prompt may also appear during normal use if
the antenna is shaded or the unit is indoors.)

Fig. 23a

Fig. 23b

23

Battery Level Indicator

The Satellite Page also features a battery level indicator, located to the left of the sky view, which
displays the strength of the unit’s batteries (Fig. 24). The battery indicator will not appear if the
receiver is operating off external power.

Fig. 24

The battery level indicator is calibrated for alkaline batteries. Ni-Cad and lithium batteries
will display the battery level differently due to voltage differences. No other receiver

!

functions are affected.

The GPS II+features an internal 10-year lithium battery that will maintain the unit’s memory
when the receiver is not running off batteries or external power.

24

Screen Backlighting

The GPS II+’s backlight feature illuminates the screen display for a user-defined
interval (the default is 15 seconds) after every keystroke. There are three stages of
backlighting. When backlighting is on, a bulb icon will appear at the bottom left of the
sky view (Fig. 25). To adjust the duration of the screen backlighting, refer to the opera­tion setup section (see p. 75).

To turn the screen backlighting on:

1. Cycle through the three levels of backlight by pressing the red power key.

To turn the screen backlighting off:

1. Press the red power key.

Whenever the GPS II+’s backlighting is off, the bulb icon disappears from the
Satellite Page.

Note: Using the screen back­lighting can greatly re d u c e
b a t t e ry life. If you’re using
your GPS primarily in day­light hours, you should keep
the backlight timeout at the
default 15-second setting.

Fig. 25

25

The graphic compass display is
designed to show your current
track and doesn’t serve as a
true magnetic compass while
you’re standing still.

26

Position Page

The second page in the GPS II+’s main page sequence is the Position Page. This
page shows you where you are, what direction you’re heading, and how fast you’re
going, and it’s most useful when you are traveling without an active destination way­point. The graphic heading display at the top of the page indicates the direction
you’re heading (only while you’re moving).

Directly below this display are the track, speed, and trip odometer fields
(default). Track is the compass direction representing your course over the ground,
and speed is how fast you’re moving. The lower left-hand corner of the page shows
your current latitude and longitude in degrees and minutes. The GPS II

+

uses this
basic information to mark exact positions as waypoints, which help guide you from
one place to another. The lower right-hand corner of the page contains the altitude
field (default). Below that field is a 12- or 24-hour clock.

Both the trip odometer and the altitude fields are user selectable, and both offer
a trip odometer, trip timer, and elapsed time. This way, you can always be sure of
viewing this information regardless of the option you’ve selected to view in the other
user-selectable field.

The following user-selectable options are available on the Position Page:

Trip Odometer (TRIP)— total distance traveled since last reset.
Trip Timer (TTIME)— total (cumulative) time in which a ground speed

has been maintained since last reset.

Elapsed Time (ELPSD)— hours and minutes since last reset.
Average Speed (AVSPD)— average speed traveled.
Maximum Speed (MXSPD)— maximum speed traveled since last reset.
Altitude (ALT)— vertical distance above sea level.

To reset a timer, speed measurement, or odometer:

1. Highlight the user-selectable field, and press ENTER.

2. Press ENTER to confirm the ‘RESET?’ prompt, or QUIT to exit.

The trip odometer, trip timer, and average speed fields are linked, so resetting

one of these options in one user-selectable field will automatically reset the corre-

The position format and units
of measure for speed, distance,
position, and altitude are all
u s e r-selectable through the
navigation setup page (see p.

76). The 12/24 hour clock and
time offset options are avail­able from the system setup
page (see p. 73).

sponding data in the other. This allows the information provided in these fields to
always be relative to your current trip.

27

Maximum Speed Field

To obtain the most accurate reading of average speed, keep in mind that due to
the sensitivity of the GPS II+’s antenna, your maximum speed value may include the
effects of rapid movement, such as swinging your arm while holding the unit.

To reset the maximum speed field:

Fig. 28a

1. Highlight the ‘maximum speed’ field, and press ENTER.

2. Press ENTER to confirm the ‘RESET?’ prompt (Fig. 28a).

Altitude Field

When the GPS II+is acquiring satellites or navigating in the 2D mode, the last
known altitude will be used to compute your position. If the altitude shown is off by
several hundred feet, you can manually enter your altitude for greater accuracy. In
cases where the GPS II+has only 2D coverage, entering your approximate altitude
will enable the receiver to determine a 3D fix.

To enter an altitude:

Fig. 28b

28

1. Highlight the ‘alt’ field, and press ENTER (Fig. 28b).

2. Enter a value, and press ENTER.

Marking a Position

The GPS II+allows you to mark, store, and use up to 500 positions as way­points. Waypoints serve as electronic markers that let you keep track of starting
points, destinations, navaids, etc. A waypoint position can be entered by taking an
instant electronic fix, by manually entering coordinates (see p. 34), or by referencing
a bearing and distance to a known position (see p. 35).

To mark your present position:

1. Press MARK. The mark Position Page will appear, showing the captured position and a
default three-digit waypoint name (Fig. 29).

2. To save a default name and symbol, press ENTER to confirm the ‘SAVE?’ prompt.

Position Averaging Function

Position Averaging provides more accurate saved positions by reducing position

error when marking waypoints.

1. After pressing MARK, highlight the ‘AVERAGE?’ field, and press ENTER. The Figure of
Merit (FOM) field will display a value reflecting estimated accuracy of the averaged
position.

Note: As the II+ calculates the
FOM, it will rapidly change
and then begin to stabilize
over time.

Fig. 29

29

2. The unit will continue averaging until you have highlighted ‘SAVE?’ and pressed ENTER.

To enter a different waypoint name:

1. Highlight the waypoint name field, and press ENTER (Fig. 30a).

2. Make the appropriate changes, and press ENTER.

Fig. 30a

3. Highlight ‘SAVE?’, and press ENTER.

Note: To enter a different waypoint symbol or comment, see pp. 36-37.

To add this waypoint to a route:

1. Highlight the ‘add to route number’ field (Fig. 30b), and press ENTER.

2. Enter a route number, press ENTER to confirm the route number, and ENTER again to
save the waypoint.

Fig. 30b

30

Waypoint Pages

Fig 31a

The GPS II+has three waypoint pages that let you quickly manage up to 500
waypoints. These pages—nearest waypoints, waypoint list, and waypoint defini­tion—can be accessed through the Menu Page (Fi. 31a).

To select a waypoint page:

1. Access the Menu Page, and highlight a waypoint page option (Fig. 31b).

2. Press ENTER.

Fig. 31b

Use the function prompts on
the left side of the waypoint
definition page to re v i e w,
rename, or delete stored way­points and to create new way­points manually.

31

Nearest Waypoints Page

The nearest waypoints page shows the nine nearest waypoints that are within
100 miles of your present position, with the bearing and distance noted for each
waypoint (Fig. 32a). This page will also let you retrieve a waypoint definition page
or GOTO a selected waypoint right from the list.

To review the waypoint definition page of a selected waypoint:

Fig. 32a

1. Highlight the desired waypoint.

2. Press ENTER.

To return to the nearest waypoint page:

1. Highlight ‘DONE?’ (Fig. 32b).

2. Press ENTER.

To GOTO a highlighted list waypoint:

1. Highlight the desired waypoint, and press GOTO.

Fig. 32b

32

2. Press ENTER.

Waypoint List Page

The waypoint list page provides a complete list of all waypoints currently stored in
the GPS II+and their respective waypoint symbols. The total number of empty and
used waypoints is also indicated. From the waypoint list page, you can retrieve a way­point definition page, delete all user-defined waypoints, delete waypoints by symbol, or
review and perform a GOTO to a selected waypoint (see p. 32).

To delete all user-defined waypoints:

1. Highlight ‘DELETE WPTS?’ (Fig. 33a), and press ENTER.

Fig. 33a

An options page will appear, asking if you want to delete all user-defined way­points or if you want to delete waypoints by symbol type.

1. Highlight either ‘ALL’ or ‘SYMBOL’ (Fig. 33b), and press ENTER.

If you highlight ‘SYMBOL,’ you’ll be asked to select a symbol.

1. Select the symbol to be deleted, and press ENTER.

2. Press ENTER to confirm the ‘DONE’ prompt, highlight the ‘YES?’ prompt, and press ENTER.

Note: This feature is handy for deleting temporary waypoints created by the

Fig. 33b

TrackBack function.

33

Waypoint Definition Page

The waypoint definition page lets you create new waypoints manually or review
and edit an existing waypoint’s coordinates, symbols, and comments. It is also used
to delete an individual waypoint from memory (see p. 38). To create a new waypoint
manually, you’ll need to know its position coordinates or its approximate distance
and bearing from an existing waypoint.

Fig. 34a

Fig. 34b

34

To create a waypoint by entering coordinates:

1. From the waypoint definition page, highlight ‘NEW?’ (Fig. 34a), and press ENTER.

2. Enter a waypoint name, and press ENTER.

3. Press ENTER to select a waypoint symbol, make your selection, and press ENTER.

4. Highlight the ‘DONE?’ prompt, and press ENTER to return to the waypoint page.

5. Highlight the ‘position’ field, enter your position (Fig. 34b), and press ENTER.

6. Press ENTER to confirm the ‘DONE’ prompt.

Reference Waypoints

To create a new waypoint manually without knowing its position coordinates,
you’ll need to enter its bearing and distance from an existing waypoint or your pre­sent position.

To create a new waypoint by referencing a stored waypoint:

1. From the waypoint definition page, highlight ‘NEW?’, and press ENTER.

2. Enter a waypoint name, and press ENTER.

3. Highlight the ‘reference’ field (Fig. 35a), and press ENTER.

4. Enter a reference waypoint name (Fig. 35b) (or leave the field blank to use your present
position), and press ENTER.

5. Enter the bearing and distance of your new waypoint fromthe reference waypoint.

6. Press ENTER to confirm the ‘DONE?’ prompt.

Fig. 35a

Fig. 35b

35

Waypoint Symbols

The GPS II+allows you to select one of 16 symbols for each waypoint for easy
recognition on the map display. From the symbol page, you may also select how the
waypoint appears on the map.

To select a waypoint symbol:

Fig. 36a

1. Highlight the symbol field (Fig. 36a), and press ENTER.

2. Use the arrow keypad to select the desired symbol, and press ENTER.

3. The cursor will move to the display field, where you can select which waypoint infor­mation is displayed on the map.

4. Press ENTER, and select one of the following display options: ‘name with symbol,’ ‘sym­bol only,’ or ‘comment with symbol’ (Fig. 36b).

5. Press ENTER to confirm your selection, and ENTER again to confirm the ‘done’ prompt.

Fig. 36b

36

Waypoint Comments

Each waypoint stored in the GPS II+has a user-defined 16-character comment
field. The default comment is the UTC (or Greenwich Mean Time) date and time of
the waypoint’s creation.

To change or add a comment:

1. Highlight the ‘comment’ field.

2. Press ENTER (Fig. 37a).

Note: You can clear the ‘comment’ field by pressing the left side of the rocker
keypad.

3. Enter the desired comment (Fig. 37b).

4. Press ENTER.

Fig. 37a

Fig. 37b

37

Renaming and Deleting Waypoints

The rename and delete function fields are located along the right side of the

waypoint definition page.

To rename a stored waypoint:

1. Highlight ‘RENAME?’ (Fig. 38a), and press ENTER.

Fig. 38a

2. Enter the new waypoint name (Fig. 38b), and press ENTER.

3. Press ENTER to confirm the ‘Yes?’ prompt.

To delete a stored waypoint:

1. Highlight ‘DELETE?’, and press ENTER.

2. Highlight the ‘Yes’ prompt, and press ENTER.

Note: To delete a waypoint that’s part of a route, first remove the waypoint from
the route (see p. 52), and then delete it. If you attempt to delete a waypoint that’s
part of a route, you’ll be given a “Route Waypoint Can’t be Deleted” message.

Fig. 38b

38

Scanning Waypoints

As you manually enter a waypoint’s name, the GPSII

+

’s waypoint scanning fea­ture will automatically display the first numerical or alphabetical match of the char­acter you have entered to that point. This helps eliminate the need to always enter a
waypoint’s complete name.

To scan waypoints from a waypoint field:

1. Highlight the waypoint name field, and press ENTER.

2. Press the left side of the keypad to clear the name field.

3. Scroll through the waypoints.

Note: The GPS II+’s waypoint scanning feature will offer the first waypoint that
matches the character or characters you have entered up to that point. If you have
more than one waypoint that begins with the same letter or number, move to the
next character position as needed.

4. When you find the desired waypoint, press ENTER.

The waypoint scanning feature
will offer the first waypoint
that matches the character or
characters you have entered to
that point. If you have more
than one waypoint that begins
with the same letter or num­ber, move to the next character
position as needed.

39

Selecting a GOTO Destination

The GPS II+provides five ways to navigate to a destination: GOTO, MOB,
TracBack, route, and find city navigation (see pp. 71-72). The most basic method of
selecting a destination is the GOTO function, which lets you choose any stored way­point as the destination and quickly sets a direct course from your present position.

To activate the GOTO function:

Fig. 40a

1. Press GOTO.

2. Select the waypoint you want to navigate to (Fig. 40a), and press ENTER.

Once a GOTOwaypoint has been activated, the Compass Page or Highway Page
will provide steering guidance to the destination until either the GOTO is cancelled
or the unit has resumed navigating the active route (see p 53).

To cancel an active GOTO:

1. Press the GOTO key.

Fig. 40b

40

2. Highlight ‘CANCELGOTO?’ (Fig. 40b), and press ENTER.

Man Overboard Function

The GPS II+’s man overboard function (MOB) lets you simultaneously mark and

set a course to a position for quick response to passing positions.

To activate the MOB mode:

1. Press GOTO twice. The GOTO waypoint page will appear with ‘MOB’ selected (Fig. 41a).
2 Press ENTER to begin MOB navigation (Fig. 41b).

The GPS II+will now guide you to the MOB waypoint until the MOBGOTOis
cancelled. If you want to save the MOB waypoint, be sure to rename it (Fig. 41c)
because it will be overwritten the next time a MOB is activated.

Fig. 41a

Fig. 41c

Fig. 41b

41

TracBack Navigation

GARMIN’s patented TracBack feature allows you to quickly retrace your path
using the track log automatically stored in the receiver. This feature eliminates the
need to mark waypoints along the way and manually create and activate a route back

to where you began your trip. You may select one of three track recording options:

Off—no plot will be recorded.

Fig. 42a

Fill—a track plot will be recorded until track memory is full.
Searching—a track plot will be continuously recorded, wrapping through the

available memory (replacing the oldest data with new data).

To select a track log option:

1. Highlight the ‘record’ field (Fig. 42a), press ENTER, select an option, and press ENTER.

Once a TracBack route is activated, it will lead you back to the oldest track log
point stored in memory, so it’s usually a good idea to clear the existing track log at
the start of each trip.

Fig. 42b

42

To clear the track log and define a starting point for a TracBack route:

1. From the Map Page, press ENTER, highlight the ‘track setup’ option, and press ENTER.

2. Highlight ‘CLEARLOG?’ (Fig. 42b), press ENTER, highlight ‘Yes?’, and press ENTER.

To activate a TracBack route:

1. Press GOTO, highlight ‘TRACBACK?’ (Fig. 43a), and press ENTER.

Fig. 43a

Once the TracBack function has been activated, the GPS II

+

will take the track
log currently stored in memory and divide it into segments called legs (Fig. 43b). Up
to 30 temporary waypoints will be created to mark the most significant features of
the track log in order to duplicate your exact path as closely as possible. These
points will be indicated by a ‘T001’ number on the waypoint list, and by a “T” sym­bol on the Map Page (Fig. 43c).

The active route page will appear, showing a route from your present position to
the oldest track log point in memory. Steering guidance to each waypoint will be pro­vided back to the starting point of your track log. Note: You may delete a TrackBack
waypoint from a route, but only if the route is not active.

Fig. 43b

Fig. 43c

43

Tips on Creating and Using the TracBack Feature

To get the most out of the TracBack feature, remember the following tips:

• Always clear your track log at the exact point that you want to go back to (trail head,
truck, dock, etc.).

• The ‘record’ option on the track log setup page can be set to either the ‘wrap’ or ‘fill’

positions (see p. 42).

• There must be at least two track log points stored in memory to create a TracBack
route.

• If there are not enough available waypoints in memory to create a TracBack route, you

will be alerted with a ‘waypoint memory full’ message, and the receiver will use any
available waypoints to create a TracBack route with an emphasis on the track log closest
to the destination (the oldest track log point in memory).

• If the ‘method’ option on the track log setup page is set to a time interval, the TracBack

route may not follow your exact path. (Keeping the criteria set to automatic will always
provide the most detailed TracBack route.)

44

TracBack Tips (cont.)

• If the receiver is turned off or you lose satellite coverage during your trip, the TracBack
route will simply draw a straight line between any point where coverage was lost and
where it resumed.

• If the changes in direction and distance of your track log are very complex, 30 waypoints
may not be enough to accurately mark your exact path. The receiver will then assign the
30 waypoints to the most significant points of your track, and simplify segments with
fewer changes in direction.

• If you want to save a TracBack route, copy route 0 to an open storage route before acti­vating another TracBack. Activating another TracBack or storage route will overwrite the
existing TracBack route.

• Whenever a TracBack route is activated, the receiver will automatically erase any tempo­rary waypoints that are not contained in routes 1-19. If there are temporary waypoints
stored in routes 1-19, the receiver will create any new temporary waypoints using the
first three-digit number available. (You can also quickly delete all temporary TracBack
waypoints in memory by using the ‘delete by symbol’ method described on p. 33.)

45

Route Definition Page

The last form of navigating to a destination with the GPS II

+

is by creating a user-defined

route. The GPS II+lets you create and store up to 20 routes of 30 waypoints each.

B

A

Fig. 46

C

D

The route navigation feature lets you plan and navigate a course from one place to anoth­er using a set of pre-defined waypoints. Routes are often used when it’s not practical, safe, or
possible to navigate a direct course to a particular destination (e.g., through a body of water

46

or impassable terrain) (Fig. 46).

Route Definition Page (cont.)

The right side of the route definition page features several ‘function’ fields which
let you copy, clear, invert, or activate the displayed route. Routes 1-19 are used as
storage routes, with route 0 always serving as the active route you are navigating. If
you want to save a route that’s currently in route 0, be sure to copy it to another
open route, as it will be overwritten by the next route activation.

Routes can be copied, cleared, inverted, and activated (Fig. 47a) through the
route definition page.

To select the route definition page:

1. Highlight ‘ROUTES’ from the Menu Page, and press ENTER.

The ‘route number’ field is displayed at the top of the page (Fig. 47b), with a 16­character ‘user comment’ field to the right. If no user comment is entered, the field
displays the first and last waypoint in the route. The waypoint list on the left side of
the page accepts up to 30 waypoints for each route, with fields for desired track and
distance between legs. The total route distance is indicated below the waypoint list.

Fig. 47a

Fig. 47b

47

Creating and Navigating Routes

To create a route from the route definition page:

1. Highlight the ‘route number’ field, and press ENTER.

2. Enter a route number, and press ENTER. (Only open routes will be available.)

3. Press ENTER to begin entry of a route comment, if desired (Fig. 48a).

Fig. 48a

4. Enter your comment, and press the ENTER key.

5. Enter the first waypoint of your route, and press ENTER. As you continue entering the
rest of your waypoints, the list will automatically scroll down as needed (Fig. 48b).

Just like the TracBack feature, routes are broken down and navigated in smaller
segments called ‘legs’. The waypoint you’re going to in a leg is called the ‘active to’
waypoint, and the waypoint immediately behind you is called the ‘active from’ way­point. The line between these two is called the ‘active leg’.

Whenever you activate a route, it will automatically select the route leg closest to

Fig. 48b

48

your position as the active leg. As you pass each waypoint in the route, the receiver
will automatically sequence and select the next waypoint as the active to waypoint.

Activating and Inverting Routes

After a route has been entered, it can be either activated in sequence or inverted
from the route definition page. The process of activating or inverting a stored route
takes a storage route (routes 1-19) and copies it into the active route (route 0) for
navigation. The storage route is now no longer needed and will be retained in its
original format under its existing route number.

This system allows you to have an active route that you may edit during naviga­tion and save as an entirely new route from the original. You will have to copy the
active route to an unused storage route to save it, since new route or TracBack activa­tion overwrites route 0.

To activate a route:

1. From the route definition page, highlight the ‘route number’ field.

2. Enter the route number to be activated, and press ENTER.

3. Highlight ‘ACT?’ (Fig. 49a), and press ENTER.

To activate a route in inverted order:

1. Follow the steps above, but select ‘INV?’ (Fig. 49b), and press ENTER.

Fig. 49a

Fig. 49b

49

Active Route Page

Once a route has been activated, the active route page will display the waypoint
sequence of your route with the estimated time enroute (ETE) at your present speed
and the distance to each waypoint (Fig. 50a). As long as you are navigating an active
route, the active route page will become part of the main page sequence of the unit.
The active route page will also allow you to change the ‘ete’ field to display desired
track (DTK) or estimated time of arrival (ETA) for each leg. You can also clear or

Fig. 50a

invert the active route.

To display DTK or ETA for each leg:

1. Highlight ‘ETE’, and press ENTER (Fig. 50b).

2. Select ‘DTK’ or ‘ETA’, and press ENTER.

The active route page also allows you to clear (stop navigating) or invert the
active route without using the route definition page.

To invert a route from the active route page:

Fig. 50b

50

1. Highlight ‘INV?’, and press ENTER.

To clear the active route and stop route navigation:

1. Select ‘CLR?’, and press ENTER.

Copying and Clearing Routes

The route definition page is also used to copy a route to another route number.
This feature is useful when you make changes to the active (or TracBack) route and
want to save the route in its modified form for future use.

To copy a route:

1. Highlight the ‘route number’ field, and press ENTER (Fig. 51a).

2. Enter the route number to be copied, and press ENTER.

3. Highlight the ‘copyto’ field, and press ENTER.

4. Scroll through the available routes and select a destination route number. (Only open
routes will be available.) Press ENTER to copy the route.

To clear a route from memory:

1. Highlight the ‘route number’ field, and press ENTER.

2. Enter the route number, and press ENTER.

3. Select ‘CLR?’ (Fig. 51b), and press ENTER.

4. Highlight ‘Yes?’, and press ENTER.

Fig. 51a

Fig. 51b

51

Editing Routes

Once a route has been created and stored, it can be edited at any time.

To edit a route from the active route page or the route definition page:

1. Select the waypoint you want to edit, and press ENTER (Fig. 52a).

An on-screen menu of editing choices will appear, with options for reviewing,

Fig. 52a

inserting, deleting, or changing the waypoint field highlighted (Fig. 52b). This field

contains the following options:

• Review?— reviews the waypoint’s definition page

• Insert?— adds a new waypoint that precedes the selected waypoint

• Remove?— deletes a selected waypoint

• Change?— replaces the selected waypoint with a new waypoint

You may delete a waypoint from a route, but only if the route is not active. If
you add, delete, or change the first or last waypoint of a route, the default comment
(first and last waypoint) will automatically be updated after your changes. Note:

Fig. 52b

Editing the original storage route will not affect route 0. If you want to save an edit­ed version of route 0, save it to an open storage route.

52

On-Route GOTOs

At the beginning of this section, we mentioned that the GPS II

+

will automatical­ly select the route leg closest to your position as the active leg. This will give you
steering guidance to the desired track of the active leg. Note that the first waypoint
selected as the destination waypoint will be of the route leg closest to your present
position. This may mean you’re not navigating to the first waypoint in the active
route—you may be navigating to the last. If you prefer to navigate a route out of
sequence, you can perform an ‘on-route GOTO’ from the active route page.

To perform an ‘on-route GOTO’ from the active route page:

1. Highlight the desired route waypoint, and press GOTO.

2. Once the GOTO waypoint page appears with the waypoint highlighted (Fig. 53a), press
ENTER.

Note that after you reach the on-route GOTO waypoint, the GPS II

+

will auto­matically resume navigating the rest of the route in sequence using the page you
were on before performing a GOTO (Fig. 53b).

Fig. 53a

Fig. 53b

53

Selecting a User-Defined Navigation Page

Once you’ve selected a GOTO destination or activated a TracBack, MOB, or
route, the GPS II+will provide graphic steering guidance to the destination with one
of two navigation pages:

•The Compass Page (default) provides a directional pointer to the destination,
with a rotating compass display to show your direction of travel (Fig. 54a). The

Fig. 54a

compass page provides better steering guidance for car travel, hiking, or biking,
where straight-line navigation usually is not possible.

•The Highway Page provides a graphic highway that shows your movement
relative to the desired course, with an emphasis on your crosstrack error (the
distance and direction you are off course) (Fig. 54b). This page also features a
course deviation indicator (CDI) (see p. 78). The Highway Page is well-suited
for water or off-road recreation where straight-line navigation is possible.

Both pages provide a digital display of the bearing and distance to the destina-

tion, and your current speed and track over the ground. You can switch to either

Fig. 54b

Navigation Page at any time.

To select either Navigation Page:

54

1. Press ENTER from the existing Navigation Page, and ENTER again to change the page.

Selecting a User-Defined Navigation Page (cont.)

The ‘ETE’ field, located in the middle of the bottom of both pages, is a user-selectable field that allows you to

display a variety of navigation values for your trip.

To access the user-selectable field:

1. Highlight ‘ETE’, and press ENTER.

2. Use the keypad to scroll through the possible options.

The following data options are available from the Navigation Pages (see Appendix H):

Estimated Time Enroute (ETE)— the time left to your destination based on your present speed and track.
Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA)— the time of day of your arrival at a destination, based on current

ground speed and track.
Course to Steer (CTS)— the bearing which will give you the most efficient way to stay on course to your

destination.
Crosstrack Error (XTK)— the distance you are off the desired course in either direction. This field will give

you a digital representation of the CDI scale.

Velocity Made Good (VMG)— the speed you are traveling toward the destination.
Turn (TRN)— the amount of correction in degrees needed to travel directly to the destination.

55

Using the Compass Page

The GPS II+’s Compass Page (Fig. 56 and p. 57) provides graphic steering guid-

ance to a destination waypoint.

The middle of the page features a rotating ‘compass
ring’ that shows your course over ground while you’re moving (track up), and a pointer
a rrow that indicates the direction of the destination relative to the direction you’re mov­ing. The compass ring and pointer arrow work independently to show—at a glance—the
d i rection of your movement and the direction to your destination. For instance, if the

a rrow points up, you are going directly to the waypoint. If the arrow points any dire c t i o n
other than up, turn toward the arrow until it points up—then continue in that dire c t i o n .

Fig. 56

The bearing and distance to a waypoint are displayed at the top of the screen, and

your current track and speed are shown below.

This page provides better steering guidance than the Highway Page for travel at

slower speeds and for travel with many directional changes.

When you are one minute

away from the destination (based on your current speed and track over the ground), the

GPS II+will alert you with a flashing on-screen message box.

56

Bearing to

Waypoint

Destination

Waypoint

Distance to

Waypoint

Pointer to
Waypoint

Track Over

Ground

Graphic

Compass Ring

Speed Over

Ground

Estimated Time Enro u t e

( U s e r-Selectable Field)

57

Using the Highway Page

The GPS II+’s Highway Page (Fig. 58 and p. 59) also provides graphic steering
guidance to a destination waypoint, with a greater emphasis on the straight-line
desired course and the distance and direction you are off course. As you head toward
your destination, the middle of the screen provides visual guidance to your waypoint
on a moving graphic “highway.”

Your present position is represented by the diamond in the center of the course
deviation scale. The line down the middle of the highway represents your desired
track. As you navigate toward a waypoint, the highway will actually move—indicat-

Fig. 58

ing the direction you’re off course—relative to the position diamond on the CDI
scale. To stay on course, simply move toward the center of the highway.

If you do get off the desired course by more than 1/5th of the selected CDI
range, the exact distance you are off course will be displayed where the CDIscale
setting normally appears. If you get too far off course (the highway has disappeared),
a message box will appear to indicate what course to steer to get back on course.
(For information on how to set this scale, see p. 78.) As you approach a waypoint, a
horizontal “finish line” will move toward the bottom of the highway.

When the finish

line reaches the CDI scale, you’ve arrived at your destination.

58

Bearing to
Waypoint

Destination

Waypoint

Distance to

Waypoint

CDI
Scale

Track Over

Ground

Graphic

Highway

Speed Over

Ground

Estimated Time Enro u t e

( U s e r-Selectable Field)

59

Map Page

The GPS II+features a powerful real-time map (Fig. 60 and p. 61) that can do
much more than just plot your course and route. The Map Page also provides you
with a target cursor that will let you pan ahead to nearby waypoints, determine the
distance and bearing to any map position, and mark new waypoints while you navi­gate. The GPS II+also features dedicated zoom keys for instant zooming (see p. 62).
The map portion of the page displays your present position as a diamond icon, with
your track and/or route displayed as small points (electronic breadcrumb trail that
“flashes” at a map scale of less than 5 miles.). Nearby waypoints are represented with

Fig. 60

names, symbols, or comments. You may select which features are shown through the
waypoint definition page (see pp. 64-65).

The four corners of the Map Page are used to display various navigation data,
including the bearing and distance to a destination waypoint and your current track
and speed over the ground. The two fields at the top corners of the map show your
bearing and distance to one of three selectable destinations: an active destination
waypoint; a highlighted on-screen waypoint; or the panning target crosshair. If you
are not navigating to a waypoint or using the panning function, the top data fields
will not be displayed. Your current track and speed are shown at the bottom corners

60

of the display.

Bearing to
Waypoint

Track Log

Route Line

Distance to

Waypoint

Track Over

Ground

Present

Position

Panning

Cursor

Speed Over

Ground

61

Zooming and Panning

There are three main functions you can perform from the Map Page: zooming,
panning, and pointing. The map has 18 map scales (from 0.2 to 00 miles, or 0.3 to
800 km) which are selected by pressing the IN and OUT zoom keys. These ranges
are measured vertically, from the bottom of the screen to the top.

To use the zoom keys:

Fig. 62a

1. From the Map Page, press either IN or OUT (Fig. 62a).

2. To see the current map scale, press and hold either button down. A pop-up window will
display the current scale (Fig. 62b).

The second function on the Map Page is the pan function, which allows you to

move the map with the keypad in order to view areas outside the current map.

To activate the pan function:

1. Use the keypad to move the map in any direction, including diagonally.

Fig. 62b

62

Zooming and Panning (cont.)

As you begin to move the map, a crosshair appears (Fig. 63a). This crosshair will
serve as a target marker for the map. The distance and bearing to a destination will be
replaced by the distance and bearing from your present position to the target crosshair.

Fig. 63c

Fig. 63a Fig. 63b

When you pan around the map, you’ll notice the target crosshair will “snap to’ on­screen waypoints and highlight the waypoint name (Fig. 63b). Once a waypoint name
is highlighted, you can either review its waypoint definition page (Fig. 63c) or way­point display options, or execute a GOTO function right from the Map Page (Fig. 63d).

Fig. 63d

63

To review the waypoint definition page for a highlighted waypoint:

1. Press ENTER while the waypoint is highlighted.

Fig. 64a

Fig. 64c

From the waypoint definition page, you can also define how each individual way­point is displayed on the map. The GPS II+displays waypoints as a name with a cor­responding symbol (e.g., “fuel” and a gas pump symbol) (Fig. 64a), a symbol only
(e.g., a fish symbol) (Fig. 64b), or a 16-character comment and corresponding symbol
(e.g., “great view” and the camp site symbol) (Fig. 64c). The waypoint name has a six
character limit while the ‘comment’ field has a 16-character limit, and there are 16

Fig. 64b

64

individual waypoint symbols available.

To select a waypoint display option:

1. Highlight the symbol field (to the right of the name field), and press ENTER.

2. Move the cursor to the ‘display’ field (Fig. 65a), and press ENTER.

3. Select a display option, and press ENTER to select one of the following display options:
‘name with symbol,’ ‘symbol only,’ (Fig. 65b) or ‘comment with symbol.’

4. Press ENTER to confirm the ‘DONE?’ prompt.

5. Press ENTER again (on the waypoint definition page) to return to the Map Page.

The last function you can perform with a waypoint highlighted on the Map Page

is to perform a GOTO directly to the waypoint.

To GOTO a waypoint highlighted on the Map Page:

1. Press GOTO.

2. Press ENTER to confirm the GOTOwaypoint page.

Fig. 65a

Fig. 65b

65

Using the Cursor to Mark and GOTO Waypoints

During panning, the crosshair represents a target position right on the Map Page,
with the range and bearing to the target displayed at the top corners of the screen.
You can also use the target crosshair to mark a new waypoint position or as a GOTO
destination right from the map field.

To mark the target crosshair position as a new waypoint:

Fig. 66a

1. Press MARK (Fig. 66a).

2. Enter a name and/or route number, and press ENTER.

You can also use the target crosshair as an instant GOTO destination. This fea­ture is similar to the MOB mode, and will allow you to mark and instantly set a
course for a new waypoint called ‘MAP’.

To GOTO the target crosshair:

1. Press GOTO, and press ENTER (Fig. 66b).

To save the MAP waypoint, be sure to rename it because it will be overwritten

Fig. 66b

the next time a map GOTO is executed.

To stop the panning function:

66

1. Press QUIT.

Accessing the Map Pages

You can access four additional pages—the map setup page, the track setup page,
the find city page, and the city setup page—by pressing ENTER while on the Map
Page (Fig. 67a).

To select one of these options:

1. Highlight the desired field, and press ENTER.

Map Setup Page and Orientation

The map setup page lets you select Map Page and satellite sky view (see p. 21)
orientation, as well as specify what items are displayed. The Map and Satellite Pages
may be oriented to ‘NORTH UP,’ ‘TRACK UP’ (the direction of current travel), or
‘DTK UP’ (desired track up, or the direction of travel to stay on course). The default
setting is track up.

To change the map orientation:

1. Highlight the ‘map’ field, and press ENTER (Fig. 67b).

2. Select the desired orientation, and press ENTER.

Note: Selecting the ‘DTK UP’ option will set the satellite sky view to track up.

Fig. 67a

Fig. 67b

67

Fig. 68

O n - s c reen range rings help
you estimate distances relative
to your present position. The
value of each ring is deter­mined by the current zoom
scale. The distance value of
each ring is equal to 1/5 of the
current zoom range, with the
i n t e rval of each ring noted
below the first range ring.

68

The rest of the map setup page lets you specify what items are displayed or plotted
on the Map Page by selecting ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ in the appropriate field.

• ’Rings’— displays the three present position range rings on the map (Fig 68).

• ’Route’— plots the straight leg lines between waypoints of an active route and displays
all route waypoint names.

• ’Nearest’— shows the nine nearest waypoints to your present position (not to the target

cursor) on the map.

• ’Names’— displays the waypoint name for the nine nearest waypoints.

• ’Track Log’— displays and plots track points on the map.

To turn a map item on or off:

1. Highlight ‘YES’ or ‘NO’ for the specific map item, and press ENTER.

Track Setup Page

The track setup page lets you manage the GPS II

+

’s track log data. From this

page, you can select whether to record a track log and define how it is recorded.

To turn the track log on or off:

1. Highlight the ‘record’ field, and press ENTER.

2. Select ‘YES’ or ‘NO’, and press ENTER. (Note: Turning the track recording off will dis­able the TracBack feature.)

Track Method

The stored track method determines how often positions are stored in the track
log. The default setting is automatic, which will store a track based on resolution.
This setting gives you the most efficient use of track memory and provides the most
accurate TracBack route.

To change the method to record points based on a specific time interval:

1. Highlight the ‘method’ field, and press ENTER.

2. Select ‘TIME INTERVAL’ (Fig. 69a), and press ENTER twice (Fig. 69b).

3. Enter a value in hours, minutes, and seconds, and press ENTER.

Fig. 69a

Fig. 69b

69

Track Log Display

The track log option sets the number of points the unit will attempt to display
on the Map Page. The default setting of 250 points provides good resolution with
minimal screen clutter. The maximum setting is 1024 points. Once you’ve reached
the maximum number of track points, the older points will be lost as new points are
added. Note that adjusting the track points displayed will not affect whether the

Fig. 70a

receiver records a track log or the ability to create a TracBack route.

Managing and Clearing the Track Log

The rest of the track setup window displays the percentage of available memory
currently used to store track log data, as well as function fields to clear the track log
memory and activate the TracBack feature.

To clear the track log:

1. Highlight ‘CLEAR LOG?’ (Fig. 70a), and press ENTER.

2. Highlight ‘Yes?’ (Fig. 70b), and press ENTER.

Fig. 70b

Note: It’s a good idea to clear the track log at the end of the trail head, etc., in
order to make the best use of the TracBack feature.

70

Find City Page

The Find City page lets you search the built-in city database for a city.

To search for a city by name:

1. Highlight ‘FIND CITY’ (Fig. 71a), and press ENTER.

2. Enter the city name, and press ENTER.

Note: If the city name includes a space, you will need to select a blank in the

appropriate place while spelling the name.

The latitiude and longitude of the city location will be displayed along with a

bearing and distance from either the current GPS position or a reference waypoint.

To view the city location on the map:

1. Highlight ‘SHOW MAP’ (71b), and press ENTER.

The Map Page will display the city you selected at the crosshair on the map.
Note: The city location may not be visible if the map is zoomed to a large scale.

To view the city location, lower the map zoom scale.

To return the map to the current GPS location:

1. Press the QUIT key.

Fig. 71a

Fig. 71b

71

Find City Page (cont.)

To GOTO the city location from the map:

1. Press GOTO, and then press the ENTER key to activate the GOTO.

To GOTO the city location from the find city page:

1. Highlight ‘GOTO’ at the bottom of the find city page (72a), and press ENTER twice to

Fig. 72a

confirm.

If you GOTO a city location from the map or find city page, a user waypoint will

be created and added to the user waypoint list.

City Setup Page

The city setup page lets you select the zoom range visible on the map. Cities are
divided into three categories: small, medium, and large. Note: Small cities may not
be visible on the map at high zoom settings.

To set the visible range:

Fig. 72b

72

1. Highlight ‘CITY SETUP’, and press ENTER (72b).

2. Select the city size, and press ENTER.

3. Change to the desired range, and press ENTER.

Menu Page

The GPS II+’s Menu Page provides access to additional pages (submenus) that are
used to select and customize operation and navigation setup (Fig. 73a). These seven
pages are divided into categories by function. We’ve already gone over the waypoint
and route management pages in their respective sections. Let’s review the rest of
these pages in the order they appear on the Menu Page.

Fig. 73a

To select a submenu page from the Menu Page:

1. Highlight the page name (Fig. 73b), and press ENTER (Fig. 73c).

2. To return to the Menu Page, press QUIT.

Fig. 73b

Fig. 73c

73

Distance and Sun Calculations

The distance and sun calculation page will give you the distance and bearing
between any two waypoints or between your present position and a waypoint. It will
also calculate the sunrise and sunset (in local time) for a particular date at either
your present position or any stored waypoint.

To perform a distance and sun calculation:

Fig. 74a

1. Highlight the ‘from’ field, enter the desired waypoint (Fig. 74a), and press ENTER.

2. Highlight the ‘to’ field, enter the destination waypoint, and press ENTER.

3. The ‘date’ field will become highlighted (Fig. 74b). Enter the date you’ll arrive at your
destination, and press ENTER.

If you haven’t marked your present position as a waypoint or you leave the ‘to’

field blank, the sunrise and sunset at your present position will be shown.

Fig. 74b

74

System Menu

The setup menu page allows the user to access the unit’s system, navigation,

alarm, and interface submenu pages.

System Submenu

The system submenu page (Fig. 75a) is used to select the operating mode, time

offset, and screen preferences. The GPS II+has two operating modes:

• Normal Mode operates the unit at maximum performance, and provides bat­tery life of up to 24 hours on alkaline batteries.

• Simulator Mode allows you to operate the unit without acquiring satellites,
and is ideal for practicing or entering waypoints and routes while at home.

To select an operating mode:

1. Highlight the ‘mode’ field, and press ENTER.

2. Select a mode (Fig. 75b), and press ENTER.

Fig. 75a

Fig. 75b

75

Date and Time Setup

The date and time is located directly below the mode field. Note: Date and time
information is derived from the GPS satellites and cannot be changed by the user.
Because the time shown is UTC (Greenwich mean time) time, you will need to enter
a time offset to display the correct local time for your area. To determine the time
offset for your area, note your position and refer to the chart in Appendix F.

Fig. 76a

To enter the time offset:

1. Highlight the ‘offset’ field (Fig. 76a), and press ENTER.

2. Enter the time offset, and press ENTER.

Note: Move the cursor to the left to change the plus or minus sign.

Time Format

The time display shown on the system setup and Position Pages may be set to
display the time in a 12- or 24-hour format.

Fig 76b

76

To select the time format:

1. Highlight the ‘hours’ field (Fig. 76b), and press ENTER.

2. Select 12- or 24-hour display, and press ENTER.

Screen Contrast

The GPS II+has adjustable screen contrast controlled by an on-screen bar scale.

To set the screen contrast:

1. Highlight the ‘contrast’ field, and press ENTER.

2. Adjust the bar scale to the desired contrast, and press ENTER.

Note: The screen contrast can also be adjusted by pressing the rocker keypad

while on the Satellite Page (see p. 20).

Screen Backlighting

The screen backlight timer is adjustable for 0, 15, 30, 60, 120, and 240 seconds.
The ‘0’ setting will keep backlighting on continuously. Whenever backlighting is on,
a bulb icon will appear on the Satellite Page.

To set the backlight timer:

1. Highlight the ‘light timeout’ field, and press ENTER (Fig. 77).

2. Select the desired setting, and press ENTER.

3. To turn lighting on and off, press the red power key briefly.

Note: Battery life will be sig­nificantly affected by the
amount of time you have the
backlight on. To ensure the
longest battery life, keep the
s c reen backlighting at the
default 15-second option.

Fig. 77

77

Navigation Submenu

The navigation setup submenu page (Fig. 78a) is used to select units of measure-

ment for position formats, map datums, CDI scale, units, and heading information.

Position Formats

The default position format for the GPS II+is latitude and longitude in degrees

and minutes (hdddºmm.mmm’). You may also select degrees, minutes and seconds

Fig. 78a

(hdddºmm’ss.s’’); degrees only (hddd.dddddº); UTM/UPS coordinates; or British,
German, Irish, Maidenhead, Swedish, Swiss, or Taiwan, or User grid formats.

To select a position format:

1. Highlight the ‘posn’ field, and press ENTER (Fig. 78b). Select the desired setting, and
press ENTER.

User Grid Option

The user grid option lets you create a user-defined position format by establishing

factors such as longitude of origin, scale, and false Easting or Northing.

Fig 78b

78

To define a user grid:

1. Select ‘User Grid’, and press ENTER. Enter values for longitude origin, scale, and false
Easting and Northing, and press ENTER. Highlight ‘SAVE?’, and press ENTER.

Map Datums

The ‘datum’ field is located just below the ‘position’ field and comes with a WGS
84 default setting. Although 106 total map datums are available for use (see
Appendix E for map datums), you should only change the datum if you are using
maps or charts that specify a different datum than WGS 84.

To select a map datum:

1. Highlight the ‘datum’ field, and press ENTER.

2. Select the desired setting, and press ENTER.

To define a user datum:

1. Highlight the ‘datum’ field, and press ENTER.

2. Scroll through the map datum options until ‘User’ appears (Fig. 79), and press ENTER.

3. Enter values for ‘DX’, ‘DY’, ‘DZ’, ‘DA’, and ‘DF’ using the rocker keypad, and press
ENTER.

4. Highlight ‘SAVE?’, and press ENTER. The setup menu will reappear.

Warning: The user datum
function is recommended
only for individuals trained
in creating map/chart
datums. Incorrect entries
may result in substantial
position errors.

Fig 79

79

CDIScale Settings

The course deviation indicator (CDI) definition field lets you select the +/- range
of the CDI bar scale on the Highway Page. Three scales are available: +/- 0.25
(default), 1.25, and 5.0 miles or kilometers. Note: This CDI value represents the full
deflection of scale to either side.

To enter a CDI scale setting:

Fig. 80a

1. Highlight the ‘cdiscale’ field (Fig. 80a), and press ENTER.

2. Select the desired setting, and press ENTER.

Units of Measure

The GPS II+lets you select statute (default), nautical, or metric units of measure
for all ‘speed’ and ‘distance’ fields.

To change the unit of measure:

1. Highlight the ‘units’ field (Fig. 80b), and press ENTER.

Fig 80b

80

2. Select the desired unit of measure, and press ENTER.

Magnetic Heading Reference

The GPS II+’s heading information can be displayed referencing magnetic north
(automatic or user-defined), true north, or calculated grid headings. The default setting
is automatic magnetic north, which is suitable for most applications.

To select a heading reference:

1. Highlight the ‘heading’ field (Fig. 81a), and press ENTER.

2. Select the desired heading preference, and press ENTER.

Fig. 81a

To enter a user-defined magnetic heading:

. 1. Select ‘User Mag’ and press ENTER (Fig. 81b).

2. Enter the degrees and direction of magnetic variation, and press ENTER.

Fig. 81b

81

Fig. 82a

Fig. 82b

Note: The arrival and

CDI alarms may be set

from 0.0 to 9.9 units.

82

Alarms Submenu

The alarms setup page is used to set the two alarms available: arrival and CDI.
The arrival alarm will alert you when you are approaching a waypoint and have
reached the user-defined distance. The CDI alarm will alert you when your track
varies from the shortest distance to a waypoint by the defined range.

Setting the alarm to off, on, or auto:

1. Highlight ‘ALARMS’, and press ENTER.

2. Highlight the ‘off/on/auto’ field (82a) for the desired alarm, and press ENTER.

3. Change to the desiredsetting, and press ENTER.

Off— No alarm will occur.

On— The alarm will occur at the user-specified distance from the destination

waypoint.

Auto— The alarm will occur at one minute away (based on current speed, dis-

tance, and track) from each waypoint in a route or GOTO destination.

To set the alarms:

1. Repeat step 1 above, select the desired alarm distance field, and press ENTER (82b).

2. Enter the distance for the alarm, and press ENTER.

Interface Submenu

The GPS II+’s interface page lets you specify the formats for connecting external
devices. There are six options: GRMN/GRMN, None/None, RTCM/None,
RTCM/NMEA

, NMEA/NMEA, and None/NMEA. Each option lists the input format

first, followed by the output format.

To select I/O format:

1. Highlight the ‘I/O’ field, and press ENTER.

2. Select the desired setting, and press ENTER.

The GRMN/GRMN setting is a proprietary format that lets you exchange informa­tion such as waypoints, routes, and track logs between two GARMIN GPS units or a
GARMIN GPS and a PC. There are eight data transfer options: send alm, send wpt,

During data transfer, the num­ber of packets being exchanged
will be displayed on screen.

send trk, send rte, request alm, request wpt, request trk, request rte.

To select a transfer option:

1. Highlight ‘HOST’ (Fig. 83), and press ENTER.

2. Select a desired setting, and press ENTER.

To disable all interfacing capabilities, select the None/None setting. If you want to
output NMEA data without any differential input capability, select ‘None/NMEA.’

Fig. 83

83

DGPS Interface

The last two format settings allow the differential-ready GPS II

+

to accept RTCM
DGPS corrections in RTCM 104 version 2.0 format. Using DGPS corrections will
improve receiver accuracy to 1-5 meters, regardless of errors induced by the govern­ment’s Selective Availability (SA) program. Two RTCM options are available:
RTCM/NONE (84a), which allows connection to a beacon receiver with no output
capability; and RTCM/NMEA (84b), which allows DGPS input and NMEA output.

Fig. 84a

Once a RTCM setting has been selected, the GPS II

+

will either automatically try
to tune the last frequency and bit rate you selected or will switch to the default fre­quency of 304.0 kHz with a bit rate of 100 bps if no previous beacon has been
tuned. You may also enter your own frequency and bit rate if desired.

To enter a DGPS beacon frequency:

1. Highlight the ‘freq’ field, and press ENTER.

2. Enter the desired frequency, and press ENTER.

Fig. 84b

84

3. Highlight the ‘rate’ field, and press ENTER.

4. Select the desired transmission rate, and press ENTER.

When the GPS II+is receiving DGPS corrections from the GBR 21, the ‘beacon receiver’ sec­tion of the I/O setup page will display the beacon frequency and signal strength, as well as the
distance from the transmitter to the beacon receiver. At the bottom of the beacon receiver field,
a status message will keep you informed of DGPS activity:

• A ‘tuning’ message will be displayed while a beacon signal is being tuned.

• Once the beacon signal has been tuned, a ‘receiving’ message will be displayed.

• If a beacon signal is tuned and no corrections are being received, a ‘no data’ message will
be displayed.

• If a beacon signal cannot be tuned, a ‘no status’ message will be displayed.

The message page will alert you to any problems relating to DGPS operation. You may also

monitor the DGPS status from the status field on the interface page. The GPSII

+

will display

one of three alert messages concerning DGPS operation:

No DGPS Position— there is not enough data available to compute a DGPS position.
No RTCM Input— the beacon receiver is not properly connected or the baud rates do not

match.
RTCM Input Failed— DGPS data was being received but has been lost.

85

Navigation Simulator

The GPS II+’s simulator mode lets you practice all aspects of its operation without
active satellite acquisition. You can plan and practice trips, enter new waypoints and
routes, and save them for use during normal operation.

To activate the simulator:

Fig. 86a

1. From the Menu Page, highlight ‘SYSTEMSETUP’ (Fig. 86a), and press ENTER.

2. Highlight the ‘mode’ field, and press ENTER.

3. Select ‘Simulator?’ (Fig. 86b), and press ENTER.desire (from the Position Page).

Once the simulator mode has been activated, use the Position, Compass, or
Highway Page to set your speed and track by highlighting the appropriate field, enter­ing the desired value, and pressing ENTER. You may also enter a new position if you
desire (from the Position Page).

The GPS II+does not track satellites in simulator mode. Although you can

Fig. 86b

!

create and save waypoints and routes while using the simulator mode,
never attempt to use the simulator mode for actual navigation.

86

Dashboard Mounting

The GPS II+can be mounted on the dashboard of an automobile or to another convenient surface using the

two Velcro™strips provided with the unit.

To mount the GPS II+using the Velcro strips:

1. Select a location for the unit that provides a clear and unob­structed view of the sky.

2. Remove the paper strip liners from both pieces of Velcro.

3. Make sure the surface to which you’re adhering the Velcro
is clean and dry. Place the adhesive side of the rough piece
of Velcro on the desired mounting surface, and press into
place.

4. Place the adhesive side of the smooth piece of Velcro on the
bottom of the unit (between the rubber anti-skid bumps), and
press into place.

5. Mount the unit, placing one piece of Velcro on top of the
other.

87

Specifications

The GPS II+is constructed of high-quality materials and should not require user maintenance. If your unit ever
needs repair, please take it to an authorized GARMIN service center. The GPSII
Never attempt any repairs yourself. To protect your GPS II

+

, keep it in its carrying case (optional accessory) when

+

has no user-serviceable parts.

not in use, and never allow gasoline or other solvents to come into contact with the case. To clean the case and
lens, use a soft cloth and a household window cleaner.

PHYSICAL

Case: Fully-gasketed, high-impact plastic alloy, waterproof

to IPX7 standards

Size: 6.15”H x 2”W x 1.23”D (15.6 x 5.1 x 1.23 cm)

Weight: Approx. 9 ounces (255g) w/ batteries

Temperature Range: 5 to 158ºF (-15º to 70ºC)

Memory Back Up: Internal Lithium Battery

88

PERFORMANCE

Receiver: Differential-ready PhaseTrac12
Acquisition Time: Approx. 15 seconds (warm start)

Approx. 45 seconds (EZinit/cold start)
Approx. 5 minutes (AutoLocate™)

Update Rate: 1/second, continuous

™

Specifications (cont.)

Position Accuracy: 1-5 meters (3-15 ft.) with DGPS

corrections*

15 meters (49 ft.) RMS**

Velocity Accuracy: 0.1 knot RMSsteady state
Dynamics: Performs to specification to 6g’s
Interfaces: NMEA 183, and RS-232 DGPS correction
Antenna: Detachable with standard BNC connector

Specifications subject to change without notice.
* With optional GARMINGBR 21 Beacon Receiver Input.

** Subject to accuracy degradation to 100m 2DRMS under the U.S. DoD-imposed Selective Availability Program.

POWER

Input: Four 1.5-volt AA batteries or 10-32v DC
Power Consumption: 0.75 watts max.
Battery Life†: Up to 24 hours

†Note: Alkaline batteries lose a significant amount of their capacity

as temperature decreases. Use lithium batteries when operat­ing the GPS II+in below-freezing conditions. Extensive use
of screen backlighting will significantly reduce battery life.

89

Specifications and Wiring (cont.)

Three optional cables are available to connect the GPSII

another unit or PC:

+

to an external power source or interface with

• Power/Data Cable—
Allows connection to DC power source and
Input/Output devices.

• Cigarette Lighter Adapter—
Allows connection to a 12-volt DC cigarette
lighter plug.

• Data Cross-Load Cable—
Allows data transfer between other GARMIN
GPS units.

• PC Kit Data Cable—
PC interface cable with 9-pin ‘D’ serial data
connector.

90

R

R

Receive Data In

T

Transmit Data Out

-

T

+

+

10-32vDC In

-

Ground Connection

Specifications and Wiring (cont.)

The NMEA 0183 version 2.0 interface format is sup­ported by the GPS II+and enables the unit to drive up to
three NMEA devices:

NMEA 0183 version 2.0

Approved sentences:

GPGGA, GPGLL, GPGSA, GPGSV, GPRMB,
GPRMC, GPRTE, GPWPL, GPBOD

Proprietary sentences:

PGRME (estimated error), PGRMM (map datum),
PGRMZ (altitude), PSLIB (beacon receiver control)

DGPScorrections are accepted on RTCM-104 v. 2.0
format. The GARMINGBR 21 is the recommended
beacon receiver for use with the GPS II+. Other
receivers with the correct RTCM format may be used
but may not correctly display status or allow tuning
control.

91

Remote Antenna Installation

The GPS II+’s antenna may be removed to allow attachment of an optional remote-mount GPS antenna

for certain applications.

To remove the attached antenna:

1. Rotate the antenna toward the rear of the unit as shown.

Note: The antenna can only be removed or installed
in this position.

2. Pull the antenna gently away from the unit.

3. To install the optional external antenna, mate the

BNC connector notches with the mounting posts
and turn the knurled knob one-quarter turn clockwise.

92

Messages

The GPS II+uses a flashing on-screen message indicator to alert you to important information. Whenever
the message indicator appears, press PAGE to view the message page. There are two types of messages: tem­porary alerts and condition alerts. Temporary alerts can be cleared from the message page, while condition
alerts remain until the condition has been resolved. For your safety, pay careful attention to all messages.

Active WPT Can’t be Deleted—You have attempted to
change the ‘active to’ or ‘active from’ waypoint. Clear the
active route or GOTO before making your changes.

Accuracy has been Degraded—The unit’s accuracy has been
degraded beyond 500 meters due to poor satellite geometry or
data quality. Check other navigational sources to verify the
position indicated.

Already Exists—The name you are entering already exists in
the GPS II+’s memory.
Approaching—You are one minute away from reaching a des-

tination waypoint.

Arrival at—You have reached your destination waypoint.
Battery Power is Low—Thebatteries should be replaced.

CDI Alarm—You are left or right of course beyond the limits

set on the alarms submenu.
Leg not Smoothed—The upcoming route leg is too short for

smooth waypoint transitions.
Memory Battery is Low—The battery that sustains user

memory is low and should be replaced by an authorized ser­vice center as soon as possible. Failure to do so may result in
loss of stored data, including all user waypoints and routes.

Need 2D Altitude—The unit needs altitude input in order to
start and/or continue 2D navigation.

Need to Select Init Method—You must select an initializa­tion method so the unit can locate satellites and obtain a fix.

No DGPSPosition—Not enough data is available to com­pute a DGPS position.

93

Messages (cont.)
No Position—The unit has not obtained a position fix and

cannot mark a position.
No RTCM Input—Beacon receiver is improperly connected or

baud rates do not match.
Poor GPS Coverage—The unit cannot acquire the necessary

number of satellites to compute a position. Try another loca­tion with a clearer view of the sky.

Power Down and Re-init—The GPSII+cannot calculate a
position due to abnormal satellite conditions. Turn the unit off,
and use other means to verify the last position shown. Try the
unit again later, possibly in a different location.

Real Time Clock Failed—The unit’s internal clock has failed.
Take your unit to an authorized GARMIN dealer for repairs.

Read Only Mem has Failed—The permanent memory has
failed and the unit is not operable. Take your unit to an autho­rized GARMIN dealer for repairs.

Received an Invalid WPT—A waypoint was received during
upload transfer that has an invalid identifier.

94

Receiver has Failed—A failure in receiver hardware has been

detected. If this message persists, do not use the unit and take
it to an authorized dealer for repair.

Route is Full—You have attempted to add more than 30 way­points to a route.

RTCM Input has Failed—DGPS data being received has been
lost. You are no longer receiving the beacon signal.

Searching the Sky—The GPS II+is in searching the sky for
almanac data or the unit is in AutoLocate mode.

Stored Data was Lost—All waypoints, routes, time, and
almanac data have been lost due to battery failure, or the
receiver’s memory has been cleared.

Track Memory is Full—You have used all 1024 track log
points in the GPS II+. Delete unwanted track points to make

room for new entries.
Transfer has been Completed—The unit is done uploading

or downloading information to the connected device.
WPT Memory is Full—You have used all 500 waypoints in
the GPS II+. Delete unwanted waypoints to make room for

new entries.