Which Kind Of Gps, Should I Get

[+fantasticwizard]

Hi, am just wondering which GPS, I should by, I only want to spend around 300$ canadian. I am curious if I should get a Magellan or Garmin.

 

I have looked at both and I seem to like the magellan, I am interested in the Magellan explorist 400 or 500, as it has a USB cable and pc interface to download your waypoints.faster.

I was thinking about the explorist 300, but it doesnt have this option.

The 400 or 500, also has Leon rechargeble battery and geocache manager system.

 

Do you think I should get this GPS. or should I pick a garmin, as I am new to this sport only been doing it a month with a freind. Now it is time to get off on my own and get a gps. so any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks . Fantasticwizard

[+briansnat]

They are both good. Personally the fact that the eXplorist doesn't take AAs would rule it out for me, but that might not be an issue for you.

 

Garmins are generally easier to use than Magellans while Magellans give you the flexibility of using memory cards, which could be important to someone who travels a lot.

 

Another good choice wold be the Lowrance iFinders, particularly the H20. Its a bargain as far as GPS's go.

[+DaveA]

Hi, am just wondering which GPS, I should by, I only want to spend around 300$ canadian. I am curious if I should get a Magellan or Garmin.

 

I have looked at both and I seem to like the magellan, I am interested in the Magellan explorist 400 or 500, as it has a USB cable and pc interface to download your waypoints.faster.

I was thinking about the explorist 300, but it doesnt have this option.

The 400 or 500, also has Leon rechargeble battery and geocache manager system.

 

Do you think I should get this GPS. or should I pick a garmin, as I am new to this sport only been doing it a month with a freind. Now it is time to get off on my own and get a gps. so any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks . Fantasticwizard

Agreed, they are both good units. As a 2 time Magellan owner (315, Meridian color) I would personally opt for a 60C from Garmin over an explorist because I do not like the proprietary battery issue and there are annoyances I have had with my units that Magellan hasn't addressed in their newer products. I am sure Garmin has their own annoyances though.

 

Anyway, you will get lots of opinions, but what it really boils down to is both are good units and perfectly serviceable for caching and other pursuits.

 

One thing to keep in mind about Garmin units is that they seem to have a much longer battery life than Magellans. With my Meridian a fully charged set of batteries last me about 6-8 hours of use. The backlight pretty much has to be left on to see the screen well. I think the 60C gets about 30 hours of life from charged batteries. I find myself a tad uncomfortable with the Magellan's battery eating as I frequently will day trip and leave the GPSr on to track where I have been. I spend too much time checking the battery level for my comfort. An example would be when I canoe in a marsh area nearby. It is like a maze and the backtrack feature is really handy, particulary when bad weather threatens and I need to get back to shore ASAP. Your needs may vary.

[+Tahoe Skier5000]

Check out the Lowrance iFinders before you rule out Lowrance like most everyone else does around here...

 

But yeah, any GPS from either Garmin or Magellan is a good choice too. In my opinion though, you should steer clear of any GPS that uses Lithium ion battery packs instead of AA.

[+Team Cotati]

Well let's just put it this way. It is ok to purchase a brand other than Garmin. You'll likely have no problem using it to find all the caches that you desire. I just would advise against mentioning it in here.

Edited July 31, 2005 by Team Cotati

[+Kai Team]

Seconding what BrianSat said - whatever GPSr you get, make sure it uses replaceable (AA) batteries.

 

I cached for over 2 years with an Garmin eTrex Vista and used NiMH rechargable batteries - the battery life wasn't great, but they were easy to swap out in the field and you don't lose your stored data when you swap them. I just carried a couple of extra pairs of batteries with me.

 

I now have Garmin GPSMap 60CS and use the same batteries - the batteries last for 2 to 3 full days of caching. But, when they run down, I can easily swap them in the field (I still carry two extra pairs, even though 1 extra pair is overkill most days).

 

I would not want to be in a situation like DaveA describes (whether on water or in thick woods) and have my non-user replaceable batteries die!

[+Contryguy]

I have used Magellan Color and Platinum units and Garmin 60CS. There are good and not so good things about all the units but over all I like the Color a little more. I use Energizer NiMH rechargeable batteries in all the units so that is not really a problem with me but the Garmin is easier on batteries than either of the Magellan if batteries are an issue for you. If you are going to use them for auto routing I will have to say I prefer the Magellan routing to the Garmin routing although both usually take me to the same place sometimes the Garmin takes me down the wrong (I use mine in the rural a lot) road. In the urban area they both seem to get me there although sometimes both take me a little out of the way because of new roads etc. that are not in their data base. Just my 2 cents worth.

[+Ladycacher]

I have Garmin and love it.

[+PatriotFan]

I just started myself and bought a Garmin E-trex Legend. It is excellent!!

Edited August 1, 2005 by PatriotFan

[+JohnnyVegas]

I have used lots on GPSrs, garmin and magellan both, I started with garmin and then swithed over to a Magelaln Meridan gold, and also a Sport trak color, and a sport track map, Now my nimber one unit is my Explorist 500, I get plenty of battery life with mine I used it most of today and part of yesterdy and I still have about 50% left in the battery and I tend to keep the screen on a bright setting. For geocaching i would not worry about the battery life, most geocahers are not going to be going out for more than a day. The Lithium Ion battery is one of the reasons I bought the 500, as well as the SD card option.

 

I still own and Use my Meridian Gold and my Sport track color, I lost my sport trak map on a trail.

[Zoptrop]

I have a Cobra GPS500 and I absolutely *HATE* it. It's easy to use and set up, but it has a horribly annoying feature (a pop-up message) that makes it practically useless when you get within 75 feet or so while using the "go to" function. It bites. I'll never buy another GPSr without testing it first.

[+badlands]

I have the Explorist 500 and get about 12 hrs on a charge. After the battery went dead on me one day, I bought a PSP car adapter for about $7 and just keep it charged as I go. I much prefer this option than buying batteries all the time. I would agree however that if I were to be away from a vehicle for a day or so this could be an issue and would require the purchase of an additional battery or two.

[+rseeler]

If you're looking for a good GPS you might want to consider a GPS that is WAAS enabled to increase your GPSr's accuracy. For those who don't know, WAAS stands for Wide Area Augmentation System. It's a system of several geostationary satellites that broacast GPS corrections signals for North America. It can help reduce atmospheric induced errors in your GPS signal. It generally improves horizontal GPS coordinate accuracy by about 40%.

[WH]

Should I Get, Magellan, are they good

 

No and no.

[+Cornix]

No and no.

Here's a fish for you: <°)))))))-<

[+mrmnjewel]

For what it is worth, my first GPSr was/is a base-level Magellan Sportrak. Nice little unit, did everything I needed it to do. I bought it because the price was decent. I wanted to get a GPSr initially that I wasn't going to have to spend a lot of $$ on because I wasn't sure if I would really enjoy caching. Well, 286 caches later, I am preparing to upgrade to the Garmin 76c. I will still keep and use the Sportrak as a backup unit.

[-BUBBA-]

With all due respect to the other posters:

 

I do not understand the opposition to the eXplorist > 400 's use of the Li-ion rechargable. For me it was a selling point. Without the colour screen, a charge is supposed to last 17 hours without backlight and 8 hours with backlight on (not tested yet). What the heck are you doing that requires it to be on for that long? All one needs to do is bring their adapters while in transit. Unless you are hunting Sasquatch, it is likely there will be a cigarette lighter or A/C outlet around you at some ponit.

 

Also you can choose not to buy the Magellan "Pierre Cardin" replacement battery and opt for a generic and way cheaper model. Such models can easily be found.

 

Some other quick notes on my choice:

 

- After checking Garmin and Magellan's online mapping preview sites, I liked the look of Magellan's maps better.. more detail especially for my location.

- Magellans accept SD cards in their mid-range mapping models

- Excellent value for the price IMO.

 

[WH]

I like the idea of being able to throw in a replacement set of batteries in the field just in case they run out. With the e-explorist, you have to constantly check your battery life which makes the e-explorist unsuitable for anyone who likes to camp out for days at a time.

 

A rechargeable battery pack like this would be great if the GPS also allowed the use of AA batteries if the main battery died.

[+IVxIV]

As far as I'm concerned, the ONLY valid argument of "AA batteries versus proprietary battery" is...

 

If you're out caching and run out of battery power (shame on you!) AND there's a convenience store or gas station nearby, you can buy more AA batteries at that point and continue forward with your trek..

 

So often I hear "I wouldn't want to be miles from nowhere & run out of proprietary battery life".... Out in the middle of nowhere, WHO CARES if the dead battery is an AA or proprietary, if you don't bring extras,, you're SOL either way!

[WH]

You CAN bring extra AA's. As far as I know, you can't keep an extra battery pack in your bag

[+IVxIV]

Of course you can pack extra battery packs in your bag,, why couldn't you?

 

And especially for the Explorists, people have found non-Magellan proprietary battery packs that are MUCH cheaper than the factory ones. Carry as many extra packs as you want

[WH]

Well, Ive got a free Explorist 400 coming in the mail. Ill do a side by side comparison with my 60CS when it arrives so my opinion is a tad more educated.

[+JanniCash]

I do not understand the opposition to the eXplorist > 400 's use of the Li-ion rechargable.  For me it was a selling point.  Without the colour screen, a charge is supposed to last 17 hours without backlight and 8 hours with backlight on (not tested yet).  What the heck are you doing that requires it to be on for that long?

Ever checked how much of that battery life is left in this sort of weather?

 

 

 

The second image is the wonderfull scenic view from about 10m below the peak. I didn't take out the camera on the peak itself, the water droplets in the wind just hurt on impact, so I didn't stay long.

 

My personal (unscientific) experience taken from the very camera that made these shots is that Li-Ion's at -10C or below drop to half their capacity and worse. So from your 17 hours for a fully charged new battery, I'd expect no more than 8 to last at the best. And you got to be very carefull with such a frozen thing. Although Li-Ion batteries do operate down to -20C (that's -4F for the imperial scouts here), they cannot be charged at that temperature. The high internal resistance of the battery will cause it to rapidly deteriorate. Worst case, a frozen Li-Ion can explode when attempted to charge ... which would take good care of your GPSr if it's done inside the unit. Meaning, the ever so often in these forums made claim "I just plug in the AA-USB-charger" isn't working in this situation. You have to rip out the Li-Ion first.

 

For this sort of activity, NiCd's are better than NiMH's. But you should allways have a pack of non-rechargeble Lithium-photo batteries ($10 at Walmart for a 4pack).

 

Jan

 

Edited for speeling

Edited August 4, 2005 by JanniCash

[-BUBBA-]

For this sort of activity, NiCd's are better than NiMH's. But you should allways have a pack of non-rechargeble Lithium-photo batteries ($10 at Walmart for a 4pack).

Excellent point. However, I'm pleased to declare that I will NEVER be out in that kind of weather for more than 8 hours. I'm Canadian, and I love wilderness but I'm also very urban and I have limits!

 

Nice pics by the way. Looks like my back yard in late fall...

 

[+budd-rdc]

Regarding the battery issue:

 

Li-Ion batteries are great for the first year of use. They lose capacity regardless of charge/drain cycles, much faster than NiMH rechargeables. NiMH batteries will "self-discharge" faster but will revive itself after a cycle or two.

 

It's not an issue if you use it all the time, but if you are a casual Geocacher and only use it once in a while, you'll be in for surprise a year later when the Li-Ion has already lost about 20% of capacity, even without use.

 

So for me, a GPSr should be AAA or AA battery compatible. My eTrex's NiMH battery still lasts as long as last year, even after going through about 250 charge/drain cycles.

 

As for brand (Garmin vs. Magellan) it really doesn't matter. Just focus on the features and peculiarities, which means asking a lot of questions and doing some research.

[+Zen Cooker #1]

I think that the arguments about rechargable batteries vs. non-rechargables is a non-issue. Millions of people are walkiing around with cell phones, using them constantly, and they're all running on rechargables. Very few, if any, of us, need hours and hours of battery time for GPS use, and those that do have enough sense (hopefully) to have backups, whether they're AA, Lithium ion, or AAs to charge the ltihiums in the field.

 

I have used both Magellans and Garmins, and think that the Magellans are slightly more sophisticated. There is a learning curve to utilize all the features. Buy what you need. If all you want is to find a location and create a track, go for the low end. If you need/want color, increased storage, compass, altimeter, etc., they're available for a price.

 

I like gadgets, so I go for the top shelf, but I also use everything on my GPSr. Ask your dealer (even the web folks) and browse the vendor's sites.

 

Good hunting!

[+JohnnyVegas]

Regarding the battery issue:

 

Li-Ion batteries are great for the first year of use. They lose capacity regardless of charge/drain cycles, much faster than NiMH rechargeables. NiMH batteries will "self-discharge" faster but will revive itself after a cycle or two.

 

It's not an issue if you use it all the time, but if you are a casual Geocacher and only use it once in a while, you'll be in for surprise a year later when the Li-Ion has already lost about 20% of capacity, even without use.

 

So for me, a GPSr should be AAA or AA battery compatible. My eTrex's NiMH battery still lasts as long as last year, even after going through about 250 charge/drain cycles.

 

As for brand (Garmin vs. Magellan) it really doesn't matter. Just focus on the features and peculiarities, which means asking a lot of questions and doing some research.

I have been using Lithium Ion batteries for years in two of my ham radios and I have never seen the problem with any of my batteries.

[+JohnnyVegas]

I like the idea of being able to throw in a replacement set of batteries in the field just in case they run out. With the e-explorist, you have to constantly check your battery life which makes the e-explorist unsuitable for anyone who likes to camp out for days at a time.

 

A rechargeable battery pack like this would be great if the GPS also allowed the use of AA batteries if the main battery died.

The OP is looking for a GPS for geocaching. not camping out in the woods for days at a time. Most geocachers are only going to be using there GPS for a few hours so 14 hours of battery life would be more than they would ever need.

 

Lets keep in mind that this is primarly a geocaching forum, not a camping out in the wood for a few days forum. Sure there are cacher that may take a day or two of hiking to do, but these are not the norm.

 

Besides, a good number of your hard core backpackers will not even carry a GPS because of the weight issue, they use a map and compass

 

I have used both Magellan and Garmin, I started with Garmin, The Garmin Topo maps really suck.

[WH]

My last campout was in search of a 5/5 cache on one of the remotest peaks in NH. Even though I put fresh batteries in prior to leaving, they still needed replacing on the trail.

[+JanniCash]

The OP is looking for a GPS for geocaching. not camping out in the woods for days at a time. Most geocachers are only going to be using there GPS for a few hours so 14 hours of battery life would be more than they would ever need.

Point taken.

 

To sum it up, Magellan is for the occasional drive by geocacher. Those who also have some serious use in mind use Garmin or better. I can live with that, I guess.

 

Jan

[+JanniCash]

Nice pics by the way.  Looks like my back yard in late fall...

 

Thanks.

 

It's been over last Christmas in the Adirondack's. I am blessed with a 10 year old stepson who does those 6+ hour winter mountain hikes with a limited amount of complaining. I know kids (and adults) who would raise the "white eagle" after 2 hours.

 

Jan

 

PS: the "white eagle" is a flag, featuring a white eagle on white background. It is not very popular since it is almost allways mistaken for capitulation.

[millerir]

I have a explorist 100 and I just use regular nonrechargeable AAs.

[+Miragee]

Try the rechargeable batteries. Although you have to invest more in the beginning, you don't have to buy batteries again for years, and you aren't constantly adding to the landfill.

 

I have the 15-minute recharger. Boy, is that convienient!

[+badlands]

The OP is looking for a GPS for geocaching. not camping out in the woods for days at a time. Most geocachers are only going to be using there GPS for a few hours so 14 hours of battery life would be more than they would ever need.

Point taken.

 

To sum it up, Magellan is for the occasional drive by geocacher. Those who also have some serious use in mind use Garmin or better. I can live with that, I guess.

 

Jan

That’s a loaded statement…..

[+badlands]

The point may fairly be stated that if you have rechargeable batteries you must plan ahead more than if you use AAA’s.

[+treasure_hunter]

Lowrance, I-Finder Pro. Has all the stuff as those and I really like it I just purchased my own for $199.99 at Bass Pro!

[+JanniCash]

The OP is looking for a GPS for geocaching. not camping out in the woods for days at a time. Most geocachers are only going to be using there GPS for a few hours so 14 hours of battery life would be more than they would ever need.

Point taken.

 

To sum it up, Magellan is for the occasional drive by geocacher. Those who also have some serious use in mind use Garmin or better. I can live with that, I guess.

 

Jan

That’s a loaded statement…..

Oh c'mon ... this isn't loaded. It's trolling to the fullest on purpose

 

Jan

[+JanniCash]

I think that the arguments about rechargable batteries vs. non-rechargables is a non-issue.

Except for emergency backup purposes, nobody was suggesting non-rechargables. The whole thing is about NiMH (and other chemistry) rechargables in AA format vs. Li-Ion rechargables in propietary format.

 

Jan