[Suggestion from experienced cachers for a GPS unit??]

Ok, since we are offering suggestions, I'll say that what I have is a SporTrak Pro, and it has worked really well for me, and I like the compact size vs the Meridian. Only tradeoff is the Meridian has expandable memory, and a slightly larger screen. Both have the same antenna and receiver circuitry. If you travel all over the US and needs LOTS of maps onboard, go for the Meridian and a 128mb SD card. A SporTrrak Pro holds the Streets & Topo for my entire state, though, with about 6mb left over, so for me it is wasn't worth the extra weight & bulk.

 

Also, even with the smaller patch antennas the eTrex line works ok in the pine woods we have in the south. (Don't get me wrong -- it's not as good as a Quad Helix, but good enough.) There's probably a greater difference in denser cover, like the Pacific Northwest, though.

[which gps dilemma]

My experience is limited, but I think the real patch antenna issue most people percieve is really due to the small size of the eTrex patch antenna. While I haven't seen or used an eMap, I suspect that the antenna is larger.

 

Also, to be honest, most people don't realize you need to hold them correctly. A helix antenna should be vertical, and a patch antenna horizontal. That means holding a SporTrak or 315 vertical with the antenna pointed up, and an eTrex almost flat, with the flat surface above the display horizontal. Most people I see go wandering around with their units at a 45 degree angle, which is not optimum for either type.

 

Also it depends on the tree cover or other obstructions.

 

A helix is also more sensitive to being near large metal objects, or to your body, when a patch is less affected by that sort of interference.

[Research for New GPS Receiver, Continued...]

SmartMedia is cheap, and thin, but is limited to 128MB. Also the controller circuitry is in the hosting unit, not the card, so even if larger sizes are created/defined they wouldn't work in a unit designed prior to their release. (The controller circuit in the unit has to know the details of how to fully address the card, and with smartmedia that changes as the size increases.)

[Research for New GPS Receiver, Continued...]

SmartMedia is cheap, and thin, but is limited to 128MB. Also the controller circuitry is in the hosting unit, not the card, so even if larger sizes are created/defined they wouldn't work in a unit designed prior to their release. (The controller circuit in the unit has to know the details of how to fully address the card, and with smartmedia that changes as the size increases.)