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With the low cost of rechargeable batteries, is this really a concern? It may be for a few select people that spend really long periods outdoors with the unit always on and don't want to carry a large number of batteries. But for most users, it is more than enough for a full day of geocaching. Charge the batteries at night and you are good to go. I use the XL and absolutely love the screen size over the 500. I don't care about how many batteries I have to stick in the thing, as long as they last while I'm out for the day.

Just think logically... Does the 200 have any data connection? No. Do the 400 and up? Yes. So there will obviously be a connector. Now, think about charging. Do you think you will have to take the battery out and charge it in an external charger? That would be quite stupid if it were the only mothod, but maybe nice as an option. Since you charge it by plugging in a cable to the unit, why would you not be able to do this in your car?

I don't know if I would trust ANY suction cup to hold my electroncs to a kayak. Why not use mounting tape (double sided foam tape).

You are wrong. Stop hating.

Susan, That is a pretty old unit. You will probably have better luck with a newer unit. There are some pretty inexpensive units that will do you right. Post your location or at least add it to your profile, and maybe someone will go with you to help you find your first cache. You could then see how well your unit does against a newer one.

That appears to be a standard USB cable. Most small USB devices use that same mini USB plug. If it wasn't a standard cable, they probably wouldn't be able to sell it for $15.

The 700 is definitely the unit for people who don't have a PC. And why would BeachBuddies' dad care about not accessing the HDD, as you said, when he doesn't have a PC? Actually, you can interface with the HDD. Go to the store and buy an USB cable that plugs into the cradle of the unit. They also come with some of those cheap card readers at Fry's Electronics, or online I suppose. You would also need to pick up a DC power supply from Radio Shack to use the unit in the house. Unfortunately, those things only come with the 500, because you NEED to hook them up to your PC. With the USB cable, you have access to the HDD. You essentially have an 8 Gig portable HDD. Also, you won't have to send in your unit to update the software. That would be stupid. If you don't own a PC, and want your software updated, I guess you would have to send it in. BeachBuddies, If your dad can't hear beeps, a dedicated vehicle nav is the way to go, because they give actual voice guidance. Your options are Garmin's Streetpilot 3 and 2610, or Magellan's 700 or 500. The SP3 will be the cheapest, as it's an old unit, followed by the 2610, 500, and then the 700. If your dad can't swing the price of a dedicated unit, speak up so people can give more meaninful opinions.

With a target price of $200, this is way out of your range, but I'll throw it out there. This would seem to fit your dad perfectly. The Magellan Roadmate 700. It does not need a computer to set up, as it has the entire US already loaded onto the unit. It is extremely intuitive, and easy to use. It does not have as many advanced features as the 2610, so the techies might not like it as much, but is perfects for Joe 6-Pack. The speaker on the Magellan Roadmate is much better than the 2610, which would be useful if your dad needs all the volume he can get. You might be able to find this unit for $1100, which is only $900 more than you wanted to spend . Go here and click on the picture to see a simple Flash demo. http://www.magellangps.com/en/products/pro....asp?PRODID=955

Alphawolf, Call customer service and let them know that the vent mount doesn't work for you. You will get a suction cup mount sent to you free of charge. Also, you can you get your additional CF card authorized for free. I know those were two big complaints of yours, and now are taken care of. Aaron

Set it to .01 MI. That will give you your most detailed tracks.

Does your friend that gave you the Blazer12 do any geocaching? You should get out and find a couple caches, so you know it is something that you like. You'll probably have a hard time getting a newer GPSr for free from people that don't know you.

Yes, you should definitely put your money towards your schooling. theres->theirs Sorry, couldn't resist.

What does the "lg" column signify?

If you are going to strap the unit to yourself, I don't think you want a unit with a patch antenna, unless you strap it to the top of your head or to of your shoulder. The requirement for being able to record long trips would lead me to suggest a Meridian unit that has an SD card slot and allows you to save your trails to the sd card. That's all for now.

Using the direct route software, you can see the data size for the area that you want to have your Meridian. I stuffed the western half of the US into a 256MB card. I don't think you will have a problem with the larger cards. Get the largest size you want, and if it doesn't work you should be able to return it.

It's a great unit. You could even upgrade the software (for a price) later to give you street routing and guidance capability. Maybe you should identify where you are thinking about buying this unit from, to find out other peoples experiences with this place. You wouldn't want to get shafted.

You definitely do not need to send the unit in to update the firmware. You can update the firmware using a Compact Flash card or USB. And yes, the Magellan Roadmate is designed for vehicle navigation only. It is not meant to be used outside the car. It runs off 12V, and has no batteries. You can store 100 destinations per user, but currently can not transfer them from the PC. If you have any other Magellan Roadmate questions, let me know. Aaron

That's not an SD card, it is a Smart Media card.

The phone system was just replaced this week, so there may be some unresolved issues.

Your track can contain up to 2000 points. At the most detailed setting, .01mi, you can store up to 20 miles. At the next highest setting, .05mi, you can store up to 100 miles. You would definitely be able to store your 30 mile hike at that resolution. The lowest setting records a point about every 50 ft. The next one records one about every 250ft. If 250ft is not an accurate enough for you, you are going to have to use "auto detailed", and check it at some point in your hike. If it doesn't look like you will fit the whole thing, change it to "auto" or .05mi setting.

Neither my Etrex Summit nor my Sportrack Pro have geocache icons.

The title says it all. If there were an icon specifically for Geocaches, what do you think it should look like?