Garmin GPS 3 Manual

							The GPS III features a powerful real-time moving map that can do much more
than just plot your course and route. The Map Page also displays background detail,
including geographic names, lakes, rivers, coastlines and highways. An on-screen cur-
sor lets you pan ahead to nearby waypoints, determine the distance and bearing to any
map position, and mark new waypoints while you navigate. The GPS III also features
dedicated zoom keys for instant zooming (see p. 2). The map portion of the page dis-
plays your present position as a pointer icon, with your track and/or route displayed
as small points on the screen (an electronic bread crumb trail, if you will). Nearby way-
points are represented with names and symbols. You may select which features are
shown via the Map Page Options (see pp. 35).
The data window beside (or above when display is vertical) the map displays the
time and distance to next waypoint, plus your current speed (all defaults). A bearing
pointer lets you know if you’re heading toward your destination. (If the pointer points
straight ahead, you’re heading directly to it.) Each data field may be configured to dis-
play any one of twenty-four data options.
Zooming and Panning
There are three main functions you can perform from the Map Page: zooming,
panning, and pointing. The map has 24 map scales (from 120 feet to 500 miles, or 30
meters to 800 km) which are selected by pressing the IN and OUT zoom keys. The
current map scale is indicated in the bottom left corner of the map display.
To change the map scale:
1. Press zoom IN to see a smaller area with more detail.
2. Press zoom OUT to see a larger area with less detail.
The Map Page displays a dig-
ital map, including lakes,
rivers, highways and towns.
Zoom IN to see more detail
for a smaller area. Zoom
OUT to see a larger area.
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Map Page
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							Another function on the Map Page is the pan function, which allows you to move
the map with the keypad in order to view areas beyond the current map.
To activate the pan function:
1. Use the rocker keypad to move the map in any direction, including diagonally.
As you begin to pan on the map, an arrow appears. This arrow will serve as a tar-
get marker for the map. When the arrow is placed on an object, the name of that
object will be highlighted. (If the name wasn’t originally displayed it will appear
when the arrow is placed on the object.) This feature applies to waypoints, roads,
lakes, rivers—pretty much everything displayed except route lines and track log data.
When a waypoint name is highlighted, you can review information about the
waypoint, list waypoint options, or execute a GOTO right from the Map Page.
To select an on-screen waypoint with the panning arrow:
1. Use the rocker keypad to highlight the desired waypoint.
2. Press ENTER to review information for the selected waypoint.
3. To exit the information page, press QUIT.
To GOTO a highlighted waypoint:
1. With the waypoint highlighted, press GOTO, followed by ENTER.
The GOTO function can be used anywhere on the map. If a waypoint is not high-
lighted, a new waypoint (called ‘MAP’) will be created at the arrow location before
the GOTO is initiated.
To cancel the pan function and re-center the map on your position:
1. Press the QUIT key.
Use the rocker keypad to pan
away from your present posi-
tion. Place the arrow on a
waypoint and press ENTER to
see more information.
By placing the panning arrow
over an on-screen waypoint
and pressing GOTO, you
won’t have to manually select
your destination from the
GOTO Page.
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Map Page
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							Many features of the GPS III are menu driven. Each of the main pages has an
options menu, allowing you to custom tailor the corresponding page to your prefer-
ences and/or select special features which specifically relate to that page.
To display the Map Page Options, press MENU (with the Map Page dis-
played).
The following options are available:
Data Fields Off— allows you to select between a full-screen map display or the 
default map display with data window. If the data fields are off, ‘Data Fields On’ 
will appear as an option instead.
To turn the data fields off (or on), highlight ‘Data Fields Off ’ (or ‘Data
Fields On’) and press ENTER.
Change Fields— allows you to choose the data displayed on four user-selectable 
data fields. There are twenty-four available data types, including Average (AVG) 
Speed, Bearing, Distance, ETA to Destination (DEST), Speed, Time to Destination 
(DEST),  Track and a Trip Odometer. See page 85 for descriptions of navigation 
terms.
To change a data field:
1. Highlight ‘Change Fields’ and press ENTER.
2. Highlight the data field you wish to change and press ENTER.
3. Select the type of data you want to appear on this field and press ENTER.
Measure Dist— allows you to measure the bearing and distance between any 
two points on the map display.
A full-screen map, without the
data fields, is available by
selecting the ‘Data Fields Off’
option.
When using the ‘Measure
Dist’ option, the arrow
includes an ‘Enter Reference’
prompt and the arrow posi-
tion appears at the top of the
map display.
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Map Page Options
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							To measure bearing and distance between two points:
1. Highlight ‘Measure Dist’ and press ENTER. An on-screen pointer will appear on the 
map display at your present position.
2. Move the cursor to the desired reference point (the point you want to measure from)
and press ENTER.
3. Move the cursor to the point you want to measure to. The bearing and distance from
the reference point will be displayed at the top of the page.
Restore Defaults— resets all data fields to the factory default settings.
To restore the factory default settings, highlight ‘Restore Defaults’ and
press ENTER.
Setup Map— allows you to configure the map display to your preferences,
including map orientation, automatic zoom, lat/long grid, track and route detail,
background detail and waypoint names. The map setup option uses a ‘file tab’ fea-
ture, making it easier to organize the various settings and easier for you to use. The
following table lists the file tabs and the settings available under each tab:
Map Orientation, AutoZoom, Land Data
Line Track Log, Active Route Lines, Lat/Long Grid
Wpt All Waypoints, Waypoint Text, Active Route Wpts
City Large/Medium/Small Cities and Text
Road Freeway, Nat’l Highway, Local Highway, Local Road
Other States/Prov, Rivers/Lakes, Metro Areas, Railroads
NOTE: Large cities are those with approximate populations greater than 100,000. Medium cities
are those with approximate populations over 5,000.
‘Setup Map’ allows you to
change map orientation,
background map detail, text
size, etc.
The map settings are orga-
nized by a series of ‘file tabs’.
Use the rocker keypad to
select the desired tab, and to
select the desired setting(s).
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Map Page Options
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							To change a map setup feature:
1. Highlight ‘Map Setup’ and press ENTER.
2. To change map orientation, select the ‘Map’ tab (if not already selected) and press 
ENTER. Highlight the ‘Orientation’ field and press ENTER. Select ‘North Up’ to fix the 
top of the map display to a north heading. Select ‘Track Up’ to adjust the top of the 
map display to your current track heading. Select ‘DTK Up’ to fix the top of the map 
display to your desired course. Press ENTER to accept the selected option.
3. To enable/disable automatic zoom, select the ‘Map’ tab (if not already selected) and
press ENTER. Highlight the ‘Auto Zoom’ field and press ENTER. Select ‘On’ or ‘Off to
enable or disable automatic zoom. Press ENTER to accept the selected option. The
automatic zoom feature will automatically adjust the map scale from 80 miles through 
each lower scale, stopping at 800 ft as you approach your destination waypoint.
4. To enable/disable all background map detail, select the ‘Map’ tab (if not already 
selected) and press ENTER. Highlight the ‘Land Data’ field and press ENTER. Select
‘On’ or ‘Off’ to enable or disable all land data. Press ENTER to accept selected option.
5. For active route waypoints, all waypoints, state/provincial boundaries, rivers/lakes
and cities: select the appropriate tab (per the chart on page 36) and press ENTER. 
Highlight the zoom field for the desired feature and press ENTER. Select the maximum 
scale at which the feature should appear on screen, or ‘Off’ to never display, and press 
ENTER. Highlight the text field for the desired feature and press ENTER. Select the text 
size for the desired feature, or ‘None’ to disable text, and press ENTER.
6. For track log data, active route lines, metro areas, railroad lines, highways, roads and 
lat/long grid: select the appropriate tab (per the chart on page 36) and press ENTER. 
Highlight the zoom field for the desired feature and press ENTER. Select the maximum 
scale at which the feature should appear on screen, or select ‘Off’ to never display the 
feature. Press ENTER to accept the settings. 
Select the ‘North Up’ option
to keep the top of the map
display fixed on North. ‘Track
Up’ will cause the map to
rotate so the top of the map is
the direction you’re heading.
The ‘Zoom’ setting allows you
to define the maximum scale
at which the feature will
appear. Once selected, that
feature will appear at the
selected scale and all lower
scale settings.
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Map Page Options
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							Whenever a destination waypoint(s) has been selected, the GPS III’s Compass
Page will guide you to your destination with digital readouts and a graphic com-
pass display, which includes a bearing pointer. Use this page (instead of the
Highway Page) when travelling at slower speeds, when making frequent directional
changes, or where straight line navigation is not possible due to obstructions or
terrain. 
The middle of the page features a rotating ‘compass ring’ that shows your course
over ground (track) while you’re moving. (Your present course over ground is indicat-
ed at the top of the compass ring.) A bearing pointer, in the middle of the compass
ring, 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. 
Along the right side of the page (top, when display is vertical) are four user-
selectable data fields that display current speed, distance and time to next waypoint,
and current time (defaults). Each data field may be configured to display any one of
twenty-five data options.
The bearing pointer indicates
the direction (bearing) to your
destination. If the arrow points
any direction other than up,
turn toward the arrow until it
points up.
If you pass your destination
waypoint, the bearing pointer
will swing around 180º and
the ‘Dist to Next’ waypoint
will increase.
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Compass Page
Compass Ring
Current Speed 
and Distance to
Waypoint
Time to Waypoint
and Current Time
Pointer
(Bearing to
Destination)
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							Many features of the GPS III are menu driven. Each of the main pages has an
options menu, allowing you to custom tailor the corresponding page to your prefer-
ences and/or select special features which specifically relate to that page.
To display the Compass Page Options, press MENU (with the Compass
Page displayed).
The following options are available:
Big Numbers— allows you to select a different Compass Page layout, with a small-
er compass display and two user-selectable, large-character data fields. If ‘Big 
Numbers’ is selected, ‘Big Compass’ will appear as an option instead.
To toggle between Compass Page formats, highlight ‘Big Numbers’ (or
‘Big Compass’) and press ENTER.
Change Fields— allows you to choose the data displayed on four user-selectable 
data fields (two fields for the ‘Big Numbers’ option). There are twenty-five avail-
able data types, including Average (AVG) Speed, Bearing, Distance (DIST) to 
Destination, ETA to Destination (DEST), Speed, Time to Destination (DEST),  
Track, and a Trip Odometer. See page 85 for descriptions of data terms.
To change a data field:
1. Highlight ‘Change Fields’ and press ENTER.
2. Highlight the data field you wish to change and press ENTER.
3. Select the type of data you want to appear on this field and press ENTER.
Restore Defaults— resets all data fields to the factory default settings.
To restore the factory default settings, highlight ‘Restore Defaults’ and
press ENTER.
‘Big Numbers’ provides a
smaller compass display, a
large bearing pointer, and two
user-selectable, large charac-
ter data fields.
The ‘Change Fields’ option
allows you to select from a list
of available data types. Four
different items may be dis-
played on the Compass
Page—two when using the
‘Big Numbers’ option.
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Compass Page Options
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							The GPS III’s Highway Page also provides graphic steering guidance to your des-
tination, by using a graphic highway display. Along the right side of the page (top,
when display is vertical) are four user-selectable data fields that display current speed,
distance and time to next waypoint, and a bearing pointer (defaults). The bearing
pointer always points to the destination waypoint (or the next waypoint when using
a route) relative to the direction you are moving (track). If the bearing pointer points
straight ahead, you are heading directly to your destination. If the bearing pointer
points any direction other than up, turn toward the arrow until it points up—then
continue in that direction. Each data field may be configured to display any one of
twenty-three data options. 
The graphic heading compass at the top of the page indicates the direction you
are moving (track). Directly below the heading compass, the highway display pro-
vides visual guidance to the destination waypoint and keeps you on your intended
course line. Your course is represented by the center line down the middle of the
graphic highway. As you head toward your destination, the highway perspective will
move to indicate your progress to the waypoint and which direction you should steer
to stay on course. If you are navigating a route, the highway display will show each
route waypoint in sequence, with the active leg indicated by the black portion of the
highway. Nearby waypoints not in the route will also be displayed. You can zoom in
or out on the highway display for a smaller or larger view. Five available settings range
from 1/4 to 4 miles, with a default setting of 1 mile.
To zoom in or out on the highway display:
1. Press the IN zoom key to decrease the scale and show a smaller view area.
2. Press the OUT zoom key to increase the scale and show a larger view area.
Your course is represented by
the highway center line. Keep
the center line in the middle
of the display to stay on
course.
When using a route, the
Highway Page will guide you
to each waypoint along the
route.
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Highway Page
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							Many features of the GPS III are menu driven. Each of the main pages has an
options menu, allowing you to custom tailor the corresponding page to your prefer-
ences and/or select special features which specifically relate to that page.
To display the Highway Page Options, press MENU (with the Highway
Page displayed).
The following options are available:
Sign Posts Off— removes the waypoint markers from the highway display. If ‘Sign
Posts Off ’ is selected, ‘Sign Posts On’ will appear as an option instead.
To remove (or display) waypoint markers on the highway, highlight ‘Sign
Posts Off ’ (or ‘Sign Posts On’) and press ENTER.
Change Fields— allows you to choose the data displayed on four user-selectable 
data fields. There are twenty-three available data types, including Average (AVG) 
Speed, Bearing, Distance (DIST) to Destination, ETA to Destination (DEST), 
Speed, Time to Destination (DEST),  Track, a Trip Odometer and a bearing 
Pointer. See page 85 for data type descriptions.
To change a data field:
1. Highlight ‘Change Fields’ and press ENTER.
2. Highlight the data field you wish to change and press ENTER.
3. Select the type of data you want to appear on this field and press ENTER.
Restore Defaults— resets all data fields to the factory default settings.
To restore the factory default settings, highlight ‘Restore Defaults’ and
press ENTER.
The ‘Sign Posts Off’ option
allows you to remove the
waypoint markers from the
highway display.
The ‘Change Fields’ option
allows you to choose the type
of data to display on four
user-selectable data fields.
Select the desired type from
the ‘Change Fields’ list.
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Highway Page Options
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							The ENTER/MARK key
allows you to mark your cur-
rent position as a waypoint.
You can give this waypoint
any name you choose—up to
six characters long.
You can also choose from a
list of symbols used to identify
the user waypoint on the map
display.
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The GPS III stores up to 500 waypoints, with a selectable symbol and comment
available for each waypoint. Waypoints can be created using four methods:
Mark Present Position— your present position can be captured and saved as a
waypoint using the ENTER/MARK key. 
On Map— a new waypoint position can be created directly on the map display
using the panning arrow.
Text Entr y— waypoints can be created by entering position coordinates manu-
ally (from a chart, etc.) or by referencing bearing and distance from a previous-
ly stored waypoint (or present position).
Average Position— position samples can be averaged over time and the result
saved as a waypoint. Averaging reduces the effects of selective availability and
improves the accuracy of the position reading. (See page 31 for more info.)
Marking Present Position
The GPS III’s mark feature lets you quickly capture your present position in
order to create a new waypoint. You must be locked onto satellites, with a valid posi-
tion fix, to mark your present position.
To mark your present position:
1. Press and hold the ENTER/MARK key. The Mark Waypoint Page is automatically 
displayed.
2. To change the waypoint name (a three-digit number is automatically assigned), 
highlight the waypoint name field and press ENTER. Use the rocker keypad to enter
the new waypoint name and press ENTER when finished.
3. To save the waypoint in memory, highlight ‘Done’ and press ENTER. 
Creating Waypoints
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