Garmin 3 Plus Manual

							The GPS III+ features two different navigation pages: Compass and Highway. The 
Compass  Page  is  first.  This  page  provides  graphic  steering  guidance  to  a  destination 
waypoint, with an emphasis on the bearing to your destination and current direction 
of  travel.  (The  Highway  Page  places  greater  emphasis  on  the  straight-line  desired 
course  and  the  distance  and  direction  you  are  off  course.)  The  middle  of  the  page 
features  a  rotating  ‘compass  ring’  that  shows  your  course  over  ground  (track)  while 
you’re  moving,  and  a  bearing  pointer  that  indicates  the  direction  of  the  destination 
(bearing)  relative  to  the  course  over  ground.  The  compass  ring  and  pointer  arrow 
work  independently  to  show—at  a  glance—the  direction  of  your  movement  and  the 
direction  to  your  destination.  For  instance,  if  the  arrow  points  up,  you  are  going 
directly to the waypoint. If the arrow points any direction other than up, turn toward 
the arrow until it points up—then continue in that direction. 
The  current  speed  and  distance  to  the  destination  waypoint  are  displayed  at 
the  top  of  the  screen.  The  bottom  of  the  page  displays  the  time  to  the  destination 
waypoint  and  the  current  time.  This  page  provides  better  steering  guidance  than 
the  Highway  Page  when  travelling  at  slower  speeds  and/or  when  making  frequent 
directional changes.
If the bearing pointer points 
up, your are going directly 
to your destination. If not, 
turn toward the arrow until 
it points up, then continue in 
that direction.
The ‘Big Numbers’ option 
(available from the Compass 
Page Options) shows a much 
smaller compass display and 
larger data field characters. 
See page 44.
11
GETTING STARTED
Compass Page
Compass Page
Compass Ring
Current Speed 
and Distance to 
Waypoint
Time to Waypoint 
and Current Time
Pointer
(Bearing to
Destination) 
						

							The  GPS  III+’s  Highway  Page  also  provides  graphic  steering  guidance  to  a 
destination waypoint. 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  at  the  bottom  center  of  the  highway  display.  The  line  down  the 
middle  of  the  highway  represents  your  desired  course.  As  you  navigate  toward  a 
waypoint, the highway will actually move—indicating the direction you’re off course. 
To stay on course, simply move toward the center of the highway.
The  top  of  the  page  indicates  speed  and  distance  to  your  destination  (or  the 
next  waypoint  in  a  route),  along  with  a  track  compass  showing  current  direction  of 
travel.    Directly  below  the  distance  reading  is  the  time  required  to  reach  your 
destination  (or  the  next  waypoint  in  a  route),  in  hours/minutes  or  minutes/seconds. 
The  pointer  at  the  bottom  of  the  page  also  shows  the  bearing  to  your  destination, 
relative  to  your  current  track.    If  the  pointer  points  straight  ahead,  you’re  heading 
directly to your destination!
Use  the  Highway  Page  as  your  primary  navigation  page  (in  lieu  of  the  Compass 
Page) when your main concern is following a defined course.
If you move off course the 
highway display will move, 
indicating the direction you 
are off course. To stay on 
course, simply move toward 
the center of the highway.
As you approach your desti-
nation, the graphic highway 
will stop at the destination 
waypoint. You have arrived 
when the waypoint is at the 
bottom center of the display.
12
GETTING STARTED
Highway Page
Highway Page
Highway Display
Distance to 
Destination (or Next 
Route Waypoint)
Pointer
(Bearing to 
Destination)
Track Compass 
						

							  The  GPS  III+’s  Main  Menu  provides  access  to  additional  pages  (submenus)  that 
are  used  to  create  or  edit  waypoints,  create  routes,  list  nearby  waypoints,  review 
trip  information  and  timers  or  make  changes  to  system  settings.  These  six  pages  are 
divided  into  categories  by  function.  The  waypoint  and  route  management  features  of 
the  Main  Menu  are  described  in  more  detail  in  the  Reference  section  of  this  manual. 
Let’s take a quick look at the Main Menu and one of its submenu items.
To view the Main Menu:
           1.  Press the MENU key twice.
To select a submenu item from the Main Menu:
           1.  Highlight the desired item using the rocker keypad, and press ENTER.
           2.  To return to the Main Menu, press QUIT.
The ‘Setup’ option provides a list of choices (presented as a series of ‘file tabs’) to 
perform various configuration settings including system settings, selection of position 
format and units of measure, time display, setting various alarms, enabling the built-in 
simulator feature and interface options with other equipment:
To change units of measure for distance and speed:
           1.  Select the ‘Setup’ option from the Main Menu (as described above), and press ENTER.
           2.  Highlight the ‘Units’ tab with the rocker keypad. The units settings are automatically 
displayed.
           3.  Highlight the ‘Distance & Speed’ field using the rocker keypad, and press ENTER. 
A pop-up menu appears showing the available options.
           4.  Select the desired option using the rocker keypad, and press ENTER.
The Main Menu provides 
access to seven additional 
(submenu) pages.
The ‘Setup’ option provides 
a list of menu choices to 
perform various configuration 
settings, such as changing 
units of measure for distance 
and speed.
13
GETTING STARTED
Main Menu 
						

							GPS  is  really  about  marking  and  going  to  places  called  ‘waypoints’.  Before  we 
can  use  the  GPS  III+  to  guide  us  somewhere,  we  have  to  mark  a  position  as  a 
waypoint. Your GPS III+
 can hold up to 500 waypoints.
To mark your present position:
       
1.  Press and hold the ENTER/MARK key. The Mark Waypoint Page will appear, with a 
default three-digit name for the new waypoint in the upper-left portion of the page.
  To rename the waypoint:
       
1. Use the keypad to highlight the name field, and press ENTER.
           2.  Enter the new waypoint name using the rocker keypad, and press ENTER.
Each waypoint may also be assigned a custom waypoint symbol for easy 
waypoint recognition on the Map Page.
To change the waypoint symbol:
           1.  Highlight the waypoint symbol field (immediately to the left of the waypoint name 
field) and press ENTER.
           2. Select the desired symbol, and press ENTER.
           3. Move the cursor to the ‘DONE?’ prompt, and press ENTER.
The Mark Position Page will be replaced with the page displayed before you 
pressed ENTER/MARK to mark your position. The new waypoint is now stored 
in the GPS III+’s memory.
Each waypoint stored in 
memory is identified by a 
unique name, up to six char-
acters long (letters and/or 
numbers).
Each waypoint may also be 
assigned a custom waypoint 
symbol, making it easy to 
identify the waypoint on the 
Map Page.
14
GETTING STARTED
Marking Waypoint Positions 
						

							 Once you’ve stored a waypoint in memory, you can use the GPS III+ to guide you 
to  it  by  using  the  GOTO  feature.  A  GOTO  is  really  nothing  more  than  a  straight-line 
course  from  your  present  position  to  the  destination  you’ve  selected.  A  GOTO  can 
be  performed  several  ways:  by  specifying  the  destination  from  the  GOTO  Page, 
graphically  from  the  map  display  or  by  highlighting  the  waypoint  name  on  any  page 
(such as from one the 'Nearest' lists).
To select a GOTO destination from the GOTO Page:
           1. Press GOTO. This captures your current position as the starting point for your trip.
            2. Highlight the ‘All’ tab, using the rocker keypad, to list all waypoints currently stored 
in memory.
            3.  Highlight the desired waypoint, using the rocker keypad, and press ENTER.
To select a GOTO destination from the Map Page:
            1. With the Map Page displayed, use the rocker keypad to place the cursor over the 
desired destination waypoint. (If no waypoint exists at the destination location, the GPS 
III+ will automatically create one, named ‘MAP’ in the step below.)
            2. Press GOTO, and then ENTER to navigate to the selected location.
To GOTO a listed point on the Nearest Waypoints, Nearest Cities, Nearest 
Exits, or Nearest Geo Points Lists:
            1. With the Nearest Waypoints, Cities, Exits,  or Geo Points  tab highlighted (see pages 53 
and 55), use the rocker keypad to highlight the desired point.
            2. Press GOTO, and then ENTER to navigate to the selected location.
Once  the  GOTO  destination  is  selected,  use  the  Map  Page,  Compass  Page  and/or 
Highway Page to keep track of your progress as you head toward your destination.  
To select a destination from 
all waypoints stored in memo-
ry, highlight the ‘All’ tab, then 
select the desired waypoint and 
press ENTER.
To GOTO one of the listed 
‘Nearest’ cities, highlight the 
desired city, press GOTO and 
then ENTER. A new waypoint 
will be created using the city 
name. Cities with names lon-
ger than six characters will 
be abbreviated.
15
GETTING STARTED
Going to a Waypoint 
						

							To  cancel  the  current  GOTO  destination,  simply  select  another  destination.    If 
no  destination  is  currently  desired,  or  you  want  to  resume  a  previously  selected 
route, the GOTO operation may be cancelled from the GOTO Options Page.
To cancel the current GOTO destination:
           1. Press GOTO.
           2. Press MENU.
           3. Highlight ‘Cancel GOTO’ and press ENTER.
Active Route Page
The  last  of  the  six  main  pages  is  the  Active  Route  Page.  This  page  shows  the 
GOTO  waypoint  or  each  waypoint  of  a  route,  with  waypoint  name  and  the  course 
along each leg (segment) of the route. When using a route, the current destination is 
marked with an arrow on the left-hand side of the screen. If no destination has been 
specified  using  the  GOTO  key  or  a  route,  no  waypoints  will  be  listed  on  the  page. 
(For more information on using routes, see page 60 in the Reference section.) To cancel the current GOTO 
destination, select ‘Cancel 
GOTO’ from the GOTO 
Options Page.
Use the LEFT/RIGHT keys on 
the rocker keypad to select the 
desired data item. Available 
items include course, distance, 
fuel, and sunrise/sunset times.
16
GETTING STARTED
Cancel GOTO/Active Route
Active Route Page
Waypoint Name
Selectable Field, 
showing Course to 
this Waypoint from 
Previous Waypoint 
(or start of GOTO)Route Name
Field 
						

							The GPS III+ is a powerful navigation system providing detailed mapping informa-
tion in a convenient, compact package.  This simulator tour is designed to show you the 
basic features of your new GPS III+ during a simulated trip. The simulator tour assumes 
that the receiver has been properly initialized as outlined in the Getting Started section 
of this manual, and that you have not changed any of the factory default settings.  If you 
have  changed  any  settings  (position  formats,  units  of  measure,  etc.),  the  descriptions 
and pictures in the tour may not match your configuration.
Once  you’re  familiar  with  the  primary  functions  of  the  GPS  III+,  you’ll  be  ready 
to  use  your  new  receiver  on  a  real  trip  to  a  destination  of  your  choice.    The  Reference 
section  of  this  manual  may  be  consulted  for  any  additional  questions  you  may  have, 
or  to  learn  about  the  more  advanced  features  of  the  GPS  III+.    For  now,  let’s  get 
started on the Simulator Tour!
If the GPS III+ is currently off, we’ll need to start by turning it on.
To turn the GPS III+ on, press and hold the red power key.
The  Welcome  Page  will  be  displayed  while  the  unit  conducts  a  self  test.  Once 
testing  is  complete,  the  Welcome  Page  is  replaced  by  a  warning  page,  then  by  the 
Satellite  Status  Page.  Since  we’ll  be  using  the  simulator  mode,  we  don’t  need  to  wait 
for the receiver to acquire satellites.
WARNING: Keep in mind that the GPS III+ does not track satellites in simulator 
mode and should never be used for actual navigation.  The GPS III+ cannot be turned 
on in simulator mode.  If you forget to change back to normal operation before 
shutting the receiver off, it will automatically return to normal mode the next time 
you use the receiver.
The Welcome Page is displayed 
when the GPS III+ is first turned 
on. After a brief self-test, it is 
replaced by a warning page for 
about 10 seconds. To acknowl-
edge this page, press ENTER.
The Satellite Status Page 
appears next. For simulator 
mode operations, there’s no 
need to wait for the GPS III+ 
to acquire satellites.
17
SIMULATOR TOUR
Selecting Simulator Mode
I 
						

							To select the simulator mode:
           1. Press MENU to list the options for the Satellite Status Page.
           2.  Highlight ‘Start Simulator’ with the rocker keypad, and press ENTER.
           3. Press ENTER again to acknowledge the simulator warning message.
Let’s  look  at  the  sequence  of  pages  again.    The  PAGE  and  QUIT  keys  are  used 
to find your way around on the GPS III+. 
To cycle through the main pages:
           1. Press PAGE to move through each of the main pages in normal fashion. 
           2. Press QUIT to sequence through the main pages in reverse order.
In  normal  mode  operation,  the  GPS  III+  would  automatically  sequence  from 
Satellite Status Page to Map Page once enough satellites were received to determine 
your  position.    At  that  point  the  receiver  is  ready  to  use  for  navigation.  Since 
we’re  in  simulator  we  won’t  see  that  automatic  sequence  of  steps,  but  as  you  cycle 
through  the  main  pages,  notice  that  the  simulator  imitates  satellite  reception  and 
shows that information on the Satellite Status Page.  
The  Position  Page  will  show  the  last  known  position  as  a  starting  location.    If 
you’ve  already  initialized  the  receiver,  as  outlined  in  the  Getting  Started  section, 
the  starting  location  should  be  very  close  to  your  current  position!    We’ll  use  this 
starting  location  from  which  to  begin  our  simulated  trip.    Let’s  move  on  to  the 
Map  Page  to  see  where  we  are,  create  a  destination  and  explore  the  navigation 
features of the GPS III+.
Select ‘Start Simulator’ from 
the Satellite Status Page 
Options to enable the built-in 
simulator.
The simulator imitates satel-
lite reception and shows that 
information on the Satellite 
Status Page. Remember, in 
this mode the GPS III+ is not 
actually tracking satellites.
18
SIMULATOR TOUR
Selecting Simulator Mode 
						

							To select the Map Page, press PAGE repeatedly until it appears.
The GPS III+’s Map Page combines digital charting with a number of user-selectable 
features.  Before  we  select  our  destination  and  begin  navigating  toward  it,  let’s  take  a 
look at some of those features.
The  map  display  shows  your  present  position  using  a  pointer  icon  in  the  center 
of  the  screen.  The  Map  Page  also  shows  any  nearby  lakes,  rivers,  highways  and  towns.  
Use  the  zoom  keys  (IN  and  OUT)  to  adjust  the  map  to  the  desired  scale.  The  current 
scale is indicated in the lower-left corner.
To change the map scale:
           1. Press the IN zoom key to select a smaller scale and display a smaller geographic area.
           2. Press the OUT zoom key to select a larger scale and display a larger geographic area.
The  map  can  be  oriented  with  the  top  of  the  page  always  pointing  north  (‘North 
Up’), oriented along your desired course (‘Course Up’), or it can automatically rotate to 
keep your current direction of travel at the top of the screen (‘Track Up’).
Nearby  waypoints  are  depicted  on  the  map  with  any  one  of  over  70  different 
symbols,  with  the  waypoint  name  displayed  directly  above  the  symbol.  Let’s  create 
a  waypoint  directly  on  the  map  display  to  see  how  that  process  works,  then  we’ll 
navigate to this new waypoint.
In the ‘Track Up’ orientation, 
the map is automatically 
rotated to keep your current 
direction of travel at the top 
of the screen. Note the north 
indicator in upper-left corner.
Use the IN/OUT zoom keys 
to change the map scale. The 
current scale appears in the 
lower-left corner of the map 
display.
19
SIMULATOR TOUR
Using the Map Page
Background Roads 
and Railways
Nearby Waypoints
Present Position 
						

							Select a five mile scale by pressing zoom IN or OUT repeatedly.
Working  from  the  Map  Page  is  a  simple  process  that  centers  around  the  use 
of  a  reference  “arrow”.  Controlled  by  the  rocker  keypad,  the  reference  arrow  is 
an  important  tool  allowing  you  to  pan  to  other  areas  on  the  map  display,  create 
waypoints, view waypoint information and create routes. To get a feel for using the 
Map Page and the arrow, try the following exercise:
            1. Using the rocker keypad to move the arrow, try following a highway (or other fea-
ture) near your position.  Simply press and hold one side of the rocker keypad to 
move more quickly.  Notice how a data field appears above the map, showing the 
bearing and distance from present position to the cursor, along with the latitude/
longitude of the arrow’s position.
            2. Using the rocker keypad, move the arrow in any direction until you find a nearby city 
or town. Once you find a nearby city or town, place the pointer on it to highlight the 
location. Now, press ENTER to create a waypoint at the arrow location and display 
the New Map Waypoint Page.
            3. If the name of the city or town is longer than six characters, the GPS III+ will 
abbreviate the name when it creates the waypoint. (If you select an open location 
on the map, where no city, town or other feature is located, a three-digit number is 
pre-assigned to the new waypoint created at the panning arrow location. To change 
the name, highlight the waypoint name field, press ENTER and use the rocker keypad 
to enter a new name – UP/DOWN to change the first character, RIGHT to move to the 
next character, and repeat. Once the new name is spelled out, press ENTER.)
Use the rocker keypad to pan 
to other areas on the map 
display. When panning an 
on-screen arrow appears for 
reference, along with a data 
field above the map.
Place the panning arrow over 
an on-screen item to display a 
descriptive name.
20
SIMULATOR TOUR
Creating a Waypoint
Waypoint
Symbol Field
Waypoint 
Name Field 
Waypoint Position