Under The Trees

[+Crooked Crow]

I will be moving to the northwest (Seattle area) and am wondering if I will need a GPS with extra antanea reception. Any unit suggestions? Any northwest cachers with advice?

 

Thanks!

[+culp686]

we are down here in rainier OR. we use a merrigold and it works just fine in heavy cover. we just received 2 rino 120s but we haven't had much time to test them.

[+TotemLake]

Just about any GPS will work fine just so long as you remember to hold the unit correctly for the type of antenna you use for the best reception.

[+Tahoe Skier5000]

Check out the Lowrance iFinder. holds a lock in the trees like no other GPS out there! It also maps, has waas, a 10,000 pt track log, and takes memory cards. $119 for all of that... unbelievable.

 

Just DONT get an etrex!

Edited July 28, 2005 by Tahoe Skier5000

[+WeightMan]

I am in the Seattle area. I use a GPSMap60c with the quad helix antenna. I used to use an eTrex yellow with the patch antenna. The quad helix works much better in the trees.

 

Welcome to our beautiful city. Be sure to check out the NW forum.

[+hogrod]

i would agree, the meridian gold is really good under tree cover. this is why i would have a hardtime getting a differant GPS without trying it/getting allot of user input

[+briansnat]

I agree with Totem Lake. Nearly any GPS will work under trees as long as you hold it the right way. The eTrex has often been maligned for reception under trees, yet I and thousands of others use them under heavy tree cover all the time without problems.

 

That being said, the best reception I've ever seen under trees was from a Lowrance iFinder H20. The thing is amazing. It was getting 8 & 9 sats while the Magellan and Garmin I was carrying were only getting 3 and 4.

Edited July 28, 2005 by briansnat

[+GOT GPS?]

Get a GPS, that can use an External antenna, for when your in a car, driving down a tree-lined street. That becomes trouble for my GPS units, so I need to get the external antenna, for use in the car.

[tossedsalad]

My two cents... a friend has the inexpensive yellow eTrex and I got a Merigold. I walk in 20 foot circles under trees while he walks in 100 foot circles. Often neither of us find the cache because the cache maker was walking in 200 foot circles.

[+Crooked Crow]

Thanks for all the input. Looking forward to Washington.

[+deimos444]

I am in complete agreement that the orientation of the device makes all the difference,.

I also use a PCMobile reradiator which appears to lock the signal in a lot faster than the stock setup and retains it under most cover.

An added attraction is that if you wear it on your hat with the wires wound around your neck and torso it might keep the muggles at bay.