LinXG

I plan to only use maps that cover my territory using a program like Oziexplorer and maps that I can either scan myself, or find on the internet. Natural Resources Canada has made all of the 1:50000 and 1:250000 topo maps available free of charge so you should have no trouble getting maps for Oziexplorer. However these type of maps are not compatible with any handheld GPSrs that I am familiar with. You can certainly download waypoints and tracklogs (or upload them to your GPS) with Ozie but you can't load the maps into your GPS. To use a mapping GPS you are going to have to buy the software. Lowrance has the Mapcreate Canada topo which covers all of Canada and costs around $130.00. I've used it and would rate the detail and accuracy on par with the topo maps. I am sure that Garmin has a similar product for the Etrex. Both units appear to be close in price and features. By the way I had a GlobalNav 200. But once you try a mapping GPS it hard to go back.

Hi; My response is based on the assumption that you will be entering the points manually. Otherwise, post a reply and I will see what I can come up with. - Make sure the datums in both GPSrs match. - Move to the Map page and press the Exit key. This will bring up a moveable cursor on the map. It doesn't really matter where the cursor is because you are creating an arbitrary waypoint. - Press the Enter key. (Move the cursor if there is already a waypoint at this location) - You will be prompted to create a waypoint. Arrow down to Cursor Position and press Enter - This highlights Create. Press Enter again. - This will bring up a Waypoint Information screen - Use the Edit Name option to rename the point to match the ones on your Garmin. Enter when done. - Use the Edit Position option to change the co-ordinates to match the one on your Garmin. Enter when done. - Scroll through the other options and select any that you wish to modify. - Press Exit to return to the cursored map screen. This process is repeated until you have entered all the points. You can then begin to use them with your NauticPath USA 108-129 chip. The points you've entered are not actually saved to your chip, they are stored in the H2O's memory until you use the System Setup --> Transfer my Data menu selections to move data to the chip. You may never have a reason to save these points to the data card. They will stay in the H2O just like they did in your Garmin. Check to see if there is a small locking tab on the chip itself. It may in some way be locked/protected to prevent you from over writing the data on the chip.

Hi seronac ...it thinks I am about 100 feet east of my actual position, as compared to a number of other sources, like Google Earth, topo maps, etc. (North/South position is just about perfect.) If it is consistently off by 100ft then the first thing to do would be check the DATUM setting. Also be careful juggling information sources, Google Earth uses WGS84 as its datum and topo maps are typically NAD27 or NAD83. So you can't directly compare the two without doing a conversion first.

Can anyone tell me if these are handy for caching? --> Yes. I have found all the caches I've searched for. as far as reception and creating waypoints as you go --> Lowrance units should lock on as fast as any other comparable gps. You can store 1000 waypoints in the gps and with SD memory card in the iFinder you can store lots more. Is Lowrance a good brand with at least decent phone customer support? --> As far as I'm concerned they are a great brand. Very good value for the money. Phone support is good. I think i can get a new in box explorer for about $130, is this a good/average value? --> I assume that you are in the USA and I'm not so I really can't comment. How would it compare to a $75 iFinder GO 2, besides screen size? --> It incudes an electronic compass and barometer and has the SD/MMC card. It has 3" vs 2" diagonal display size. White LED backlight vs amber. The white LED is very bright if you are doing any night work. - i see one has 12-channel and one has 16-channel - will i notice a difference in reception? --> I doubt very much that you would notice any significant difference. The Lowrance website has an iFinder H2O (very similar to the Explorer) emulator which you can download and play with. It's a full working model which should give you a very good idea of the capabilities of Lowrance GPSrs.

Hi Tony Since you've narrowed it down to either a 60Csx or Vista HCx you can't be all that confused. Garmin makes great handheld GPS's. The things that are important to me before a purchase are: Warranty: What is the standard warranty, can it be extended. What is the reputation of the manufacturer for after sales service and support. Will my GPS still be supported 2, 5 or 7 years from now. How much will it cost me to use the GPS: How many doodads, brackets, clips, cables, cases, antennas and extra mapping software will I have to buy to actually use it for my application. Try before you buy: The extra premium you pay the local dealer to hold the GPS in your hand for an afternoon has something going for it that internet sales can't match.

one of these has to be considered the most accurate.? This is a a very odd statement. All three of the co-ordinates you listed point to exactly the same location. Accuarcy is not an issue at all here! The format simply presents the same information in three different ways. Which one is the best? The longest? =) Geocaching.com posts all locations using degree, decimal minute or UTM. Use either one and you should do fine.

Hi Indotguy; Maybe you could share something with me. I just upgraded from an iFinder Phd to the Expedition C. It's basically the same as yours. Like you I really like this GPS. It's a major step forward in ease of use and the color display is awesome. On the downside this color display awesomeness only occurs in very low light conditions like dark overcast days or at night. At night I have to turn the brightness way down, it's that bright. However in regular daylight conditions I would characterize the display as almost unuseable even with the brightness and contrast maxed. Did I get a dud unit or are all color displays difficult to view in direct sunlight. A penny for your thoughts.

Hi Daniel; I have spent a fair amount of time in the bush. Your point about needing accurate and timely weather information in mountaineous areas is well taken. I live in a very flat area where I can see the weather coming in from miles away and hadn't really given that much thought to the needs of others. What really irked me about the Bushnell unit is the quality of the satellite imagery. Perhaps in areas where high resolution satellite photos are available this won't be a problem. However for a significant portion of North America this is going to be a huge issue. You can register at the Bushnell website and check the imagery quality for yourself. The sat photos is turn lead to an only harsh view of the XM radio feature. Please post a mini user review of the GPS when you get it. I'd like to hear how you like it.

Based on the satellite photos I saw on the Bushnell website, I'm not even going to ask for a demo at the local store. The first GPS manufacturer to provide software that allows you to calibrate and upload your own sat/aerial photos will mostly likely capture the market these guys are looking at. I'm not sure what the point of having a 100 channel satellite radio is. Look at the sky, check the barometer on your regular GPS and if you can't tell that it's raining, snowing, windy or sunny then ..... I'm starting to laugh and can't continue this line of thought.