Tahoe Skier5000

The ultimate GPSr would be this... Really it couldn't get any better... + 3D Aerial Maps (...even further into the future.. incorporate a 3-D "trail view" into eye glasses/sunglasses - like HUD technology with routes projected visually on the terrain through the glasses) + Enable the user to point at terrain or objects and be able to interact with the GPSr + When the user points at objects, information on object is displayed on the lenses (like elevation, distance, historical significance etc) + Downloadable maps on-the-fly anywhere (pay per month service) + Real-time weather information/forecast + Unlimited battery life (ambient RF energy collection such as what is being developed by Nokia, and or kinetic generator) Theres more I believe, but this would all be a good start

Just got my Oregon 400t yesterday. So far really loving it... Going to test'er out today on a cache/hike.

Ok, I'll bite - this is just my curiousity - if you are totally satisfied with the PN-40, why are you buying the Oregon? I will also be curious to hear your opinion of how they compare. well... Im obsessed with GPSr's, thats the simple reason, haha The PN-40 is a great device however. I'm not leaving it for any reason, I just want to try something else new as well. Honestly, totally satisfied with the PN-40. If you are looking for a comparison between the Iphone and a stand-alone GPS like the PN-40, as I said above, there really is no comparison. The iPhone was not really designed to be a fully functioning GPS. The update rate is one of it's biggest problems, as is the battery life. The update rate for a normal GPS is once every second, and for the iphone it is around 5-10 seconds (didn't time it exactly). It makes navigation difficult and annoying. Battery life, as you know, is already kinda 'meh' with the iphone, and that is while NOT using the GPS full-time. While using the GPS and having the screen up you can expect about 4-5 hours of battery life. And since the iphone is a sealed unit, no replacing batteries on the go... MAJOR negative there. So those are only some of my rants about using the iphone as a GPS. I downloaded the geocaching.com APP on it thinking I could maybe use it for like parking lot caches, but now realize that it was a waste of $10. I use it occasionally for looking up cache info on-the-fly, but never as a GPS. Hope that helps. If you're looking for my opinion on the PN-40 vs Oregon, I'll let you know as soon as I get this sucker, in about 2 hours from now!

I have an iphone 3G and it in no way compares to a real GPS in terms of performance. The update rate is way too slow and the maps require network connectivity which is a deal breaker if you're using it when the phone is out of service. Also, the battery life is terrible and its a SEALED battery which just adds to the pain. It just doesn't cut it. You'll be much happier with a real GPS, trust me. I've got a Delorme PN-40 and am totally satisfied with it. Currently waiting on a new Garmin Oregon 400T though, should be here tomorrow morning.

Yeah that would probably help.... No, you gotta be psychic man!

Topo 7 or 8 is definitely annoying to use, without a doubt. That is my one and only gripe with the PN-40 I have. Aside from that, the Delorme units are really nice. Keep in mind though that they also have a bit higher learning curve than the Garmin lineup. Because the software does things the Garmins don't. Also, keep in mind that the TOPO 8 software is not needed at all for operation of the unit and can belearned as you desire. I have found many useful tools in the TOPO 8 software without much difficulty at all. I should say that it's not necessarily difficult, just unintuitive and clunky. Even simple tasks like loading waypoints require a lot of research to figure out. I don't have a problem with this but can easily see people who are new to gps getting frustrated.

Wow, that is some serious drift! Searching_ut is right though, I' too have noticed more anomalies with my PN-40 (high sensitivity unit) than with my etrex legend as far as tracking goes. The software has come a long way in reducing a lot of the timing/multipathing issues that exist with the higher sensitivity units, but it's still not quite perfect. I would estimate 9/10 of my hikes using the PN-40 are perfectly accurate. One of them usually turns out a little buggy though. A lot of it depends on the terrain and surroundings.

Topo 7 or 8 is definitely annoying to use, without a doubt. That is my one and only gripe with the PN-40 I have. Aside from that, the Delorme units are really nice. Keep in mind though that they also have a bit higher learning curve than the Garmin lineup.

You can still get by pretty well even without the newer high sensitivity chipsets. I still use a the original Garmin Legend from time to time and it has no problems holding a signal. The only times it struggles is when I am in really thick forest (tall pines). Even then, signal acquisition is hit or miss, and as long as I am able to get an update every once and a while I just use a compass alongside to get bearing shots. I find it just as accurate. All in all, I can get along just fine without the newer high sensitivity receivers. The luxury factor with them is nice though, no doubt... you'll get a signal no matter how thick the forest is. However, this can also make it less fun in a way in my opinion. To each his own, but technically speaking you can do just fine without a high sensitivity receiver.

I've got a Delorme PN-40 here. Excellent all-around! Love it. ... eTrex Legend as a backup Oregon 300 on the way though, should arrive next week!

Nick, the Delorme PN series is great. I'd recommend the PN-20 or 30 if you're on a budget, otherwise the PN-40 is where its at! I've owned a ton of GPS's from Garmin, Magellan and Lowrance and so far this PN-40 is my favorite. Very fun to use. Good luck!

Another vote for the PN-30. Great GPS! You won't be dissatisfied.

Personal preference of course, but I really like the Delorme PN-40 I've owned a lot of Garmin's and while any of their GPS's are a solid choice, the Delorme line shouldn't be ignored. The PN-40 has been very solid, accurate and reliable so far for me. The only drawbacks I should warn you about are the learning curve to learn TOPO 7 software and making maps and waypoints transfer back and forth to the GPS successfully. Delorme seems to have a bit of an elitist attitude, and it seems they've made it unnecessarily complicated to get simple tasks done quickly. Topo 7, although packed with features, is slow and unintuitive. Also Delorme's website is not well laid out, so trying to find software/firmware updates is a challenge. Aside from that though (and keep in mind, these are small complaints... once you learn TOPO 7 and the GPS, everything is pretty smooth), the Delorme GPS's are on par if not slightly better than Garmin units. Good luck!

Ok, I got my Tomtom about 2 years ago but only used it solely for directions. Just a week ago I got a new phone (Sony w810i) that allowed me to use bluetooth with my Tomtom. So I set everything up, phone worked fine with it (voice and data). Just for fun, I tried checking the weather for a certain place. It actually worked! So I then got traffic updates... it worked too! What worries me here is that supposedly these are PLUS services, but I am getting them without signing in or anything. I havent even set up an account with Tomtom and the GPS isnt asking for any kind of login. How does this work exactly? Is the traffic and weather feature now free or something? Is this some kind of trial period that Im using without knowing it? Im a little curious and cant find any information regarding why this is happening on their website... thanks in advance

Good god man!! You live in New Jersey! walk about 10 minutes in any direction and youll hit a major highway. anyway, I carry about 2 liters water, cell phone (which doesnt work 80% of the time where I cache), batteries, leatherman, compass, and an emergency blanket.

I wouldnt send it back to garmin to have it reglued. Do it yourself. If garmin does it, theyre just going to put it back the same way it was before and then it will fall apart again in another 6 months. I fixed my legend last year with krazy glue. the nice thing about this stuff is that it will still hold strong even if you didnt do the best job removing the old glue. So far, one year later and it holds like concrete!

etrex's are sorta high maintenence as far as reception goes. you have to hold it a certain way, make sure youre upper left eye lid is in the proper orientation with your forearm and planet jupiter, and have a little bit of luck at the same time. do that and you might get it to work right. i know because im using one for work right now. im in the sierras with 100-150' pines and it only drops my position occasionally. the first thing to go is usually sensitivity. it no longer track my movement every second, but rather take points whenever it can find a clearing large enough to get 3 satellites. this is fine for me because as long as i can get it to take atleast one shot, i can use the compass to give me a bearing. so you gotta work with the etrexes a bit. its true they dont have the best antennas around. but if you dont micromanage your gps too much and dont expect too much from its performance, you can learn to work with it. some tips before you head out: -try and get as many black satellite bars as you can before you start your trip -hold the GPS flat -if youre deep in the woods and reception is spotty, use the compass and find any pockets in the trees where you can get atleast 3 satellites to get a brief position fix on.

i use an explorist 200 for work (forest service surveying) and am pretty impressed with the accuracy of it. for placing and finding points, its more accurate than any garmin or lowrance ive used. ive placed waypoints and have been able to come back later and find it consistently within 1 foot give or take. im thinking about getting a 600 for myself but need to know if magellan (or someone else) has made a AA battery adapter for it instead of the rechargeable crap. wont buy one if thats all it comes with.

for a starter gps, probably something along lines of: etrex legend lowrance ifinder h20 explorist 210 all fine units, each a little different. some like one brand over the other etc, but featurewise, theyre all pretty close. if moneys not an issue, pick one of those and also get that brands topo software as well. whatever you do, atleast get a unit with mapping ability. youll eventually get bored of one that gives you jack for features.

lowrance user here too. im using the old skool ifinder. the biggest reason I like it is that its the only gps Ive owned so far that can handle the dense forests around where I live. the garmin etrexes all fizzled out and whimpered home crying to momma when they tried navigating me around these parts of the woods. all seriousness though.. great gps's. just because 99% of people jump of a bridge doesnt mean you have to too.

does anyone know why it takes the EPE number so long to drop when WAAS corrections are being used by the satellites? I used an etrex legend today and noticed that after about 8 satellites got 'D's, the EPE didnt drop down for about 5 minutes after. (in other words, it stayed at about 20 feet, then 5 minutes later, dropped to about 8 feet). just wondering why there is a delay. is there more to be downloaded from the WAAS satellites even after the D's appear?

Not sure exactly what you mean by that question, but Im going to assume the obvious. Yes you are SUPPOSED to load topo maps via Mapsource. Mapsource is just a slave program that does all the work; Topo maps are the actual data. Mapsource takes that and shoves it into your GPS. What kind of topo maps do you have? Im guessing the Garmin ones...

that sucks... i remember all the threads you created on here looking for advice on a good GPS. Cant help but laugh a little that you got the shaft from magellan. seems a lot of people here like the gps 60's. I think you made a good choice this time. If THAT dies, then its time to get serious and graduate to Lowrance. They never lock up... the toyota of GPS's. Good luck with the new one

to enter a waypoint? just hit enter. and as far as Im concerned, I think lowrance makes a fine manual. just ask yourself what you want to do with the GPS and then look it up. If youve got more time on your hands, then read the thing. way better than garmins manuals... those things put me to sleep.

Take my advice and dont get the Legend. They are known for (and Im using one right now that is..) falling apart after about a year or so (like what falls apart? the common things seem to be: rubber grip, click stick, screen, battery cover, and battery terminals). They also have a really crappy antenna that pulls a mister magoo in the trees. Its just not dependable enough... The lowrance GPS's are very good. I have the ifinder basic in particular and it works far better than my other GPS's in terms of reception and linear operation. These lowrance units have a really strong antenna (above average for consumer GPS's) and are built really well with memory card storage, mapping, WAAS, 10,000 pt track log, and 1000 waypoints for $120. Killer deal if you ask me. Now the ifinder gos are great too if youre starting (or as an alternate GPS). Sure they lack the computer connection, but entering them by hand isnt that bad if you only do a couple caches a week. For the price, they are easily the best receiver out there right now!