New Cacher - Gps Q's

[+Marshvet]

I have read many of the posts and as is so often the case, there are lots of different opinions. I am considering either one of the Garmin 60 series, or the Magellan explorist 5 or 6. My Q's are:

1- Any other brand I should look at with similar capability

2- When do they tend to release new models - ie. Beginning of year? Does one wait for improvements? ie. How often do they come?

3- I have read that either a separate compass or one built in is important, yet I always thought the idea of having a GPS is so you don't have to rely on one most of the time?

4- Benefit of built in (linked with GPS) or separate compass?

5- Importance of Quad helix antenna?

6- Which would be better for using topo maps?

7- The Garmin has 56 meg but no ability for external memory. The explorist the opposite. Which feature would serve geocaching better?

 

I better stop here or you will all kill me for asking too much at once. In any case, thanks in advance for any input.

 

Marshvet

[+Miragee]

I have the Garmin Vista C. Because I don't travel frequently, the 24 MB of memory for maps is plenty for me. If I take a trip, I can change the mapset quickly because of the USB connection.

 

I like the Altimeter and Compass, but if you live where it is flat, the Altimeter wouldn't be used very much. You should always have a regular compass just in case your batteries die, and your spare batteries are dead also.

 

My Vista C gets just as good reception, if not better than my friend's GPS Map60CS.

 

The GPS Map60C holds 1000 waypoints, more than enough for any Geocaching adventure.

[+Blaidd-Drwg]

OK, here goes my opinion. Your questions are all valid. As for what brand, it's your choice between Garmin or Magellan. Both have their advocates. As for other brands, due to limited mapping software, I would avoid them. If there is a local geocacher group, I would visit with them and ask to compare what everyone else is using. You will probably find one model which has a screen layout which is more pleasing for you. As for memory, I use the Garmin 60CS and the internal memory is sufficient for my needs. I have a large part of Oklahoma and part of Texas loaded currently. If I traveled to the far reaches more often, then the extermal memory might be nice, but I'm not sure. I like the built in compass. When I get to a cache site, I can set the GPSr down and the compass will more consistently point to the cache, even though I'm not moving. There are folks who will swear that a quad helix is better. I believe this is true for the Garmin line, but I have no experience with the magellan line. An important point to remember is that once you've chosen a line and started to purchase mapping software, you will probably forever be locked into that line, just because of the expense of the software. I've got several hundred dollars in mapping software for my Garmin line and just can't imagin changing.

Again, try to look at other folks GPSrs and see which one you like.

[+briansnat]

 

1- Any other brand I should look at with similar capability

 

Lowrance also makes very good units and they are often a better buy than Gargellan units.

2- When do they tend to release new models - ie. Beginning of year? Does one wait for improvements? ie. How often do they come?

 

I've never noticed a pattern. Often new electronic devices are released in time for the Christmas buying season.

 

3- I have read that either a separate compass or one built in is important, yet I always thought the idea of having a GPS is so you don't have to rely on one most of the time?

 

Having a compass is useful and important if you are in the woods. You should always have a "manual" compass in case your GPS's batteries die, or you break the thing.

There are also some caches that require the use of a compass.

 

4- Benefit of built in (linked with GPS) or separate compass?

 

All handheld units have a built in compass. Some have an electronic, magnetic one, while others rely on the sats to determine direction. The higher end units usually have the former. The advantage of the magnetic compass is that you don't have to be moving for the GPS to determine direction. With the other units, you have to be moving, usually at a brisk pace for them to be accurate.

 

The disadvantage of the magnetic compass is that they have to be calibrated after every battery change and sometimes while in use. Not a difficult process, but it takes about a minute. Also, in areas with high iron content in the ground you can get strange results. A non magnetic compass won't be affected by this.

 

5- Importance of Quad helix antenna?

Not important at all. They do a slightly better job of receiving from sats that are lower on the horizon, while patch antennas are stronger with the sats directly overhead. Both are fine and some units with patch antennas actually out perform units with quad helix antennas.

 

6- Which would be better for using topo maps?

 

Any mapping unit will be fine for use with topo maps.

 

 

7- The Garmin has 56 meg but no ability for external memory. The explorist the opposite. Which feature would serve geocaching better?

 

The 56 megs in the 60C series is pretty ample for most uses. If you are just using topo maps on the unit, you can probably cover nearly 1/4 of the US. If you are using City Select with autorouting, your coverage will be considerably less, but still significnat. You can also use both Topo and City Select on the unit. If you do plan to travel out of your coverage area, it takes all of 2-3 minutes to load new maps.

 

If you do travel widely and frequently and don't have a laptop available, then the expandable memory in the eXplorist can be helpful.

 

The 60C series stores 1,000 waypoints, while the number of waypoints you can have in the eXplorist is only limited by the number of SD cards you have. While this might sound attractive, the eXplorist's geocache manager only allows for 200 geocaches, so you could only put 200 on each card (the rest will have to be regular waypoints). Then you have to deal with managing all the cards and making sure you have the right one along.

Edited November 8, 2005 by briansnat

[+embra]

The 60C series stores 1,000 waypoints, while the number of waypoints you can have in the eXplorist is only limited by the number of SD cards you have. While this might sound attractive, the eXplorist's geocache manager only allows for 200 geocaches, so you could only put 200 on each card (the rest will have to be regular waypoints). Then you have to deal with managing all the cards and making sure you have the right one along.

Let me revise just this bit of Brian's otherwise excellent appraisal. One can have multiple files on a single card, so the practical limitation is the size of the card rather than the number of cards one has available. Since POI files don't use much memory, even a relatively small card will likely have ample POI storage capacity.

[+didge23]

So, I just got an eXplorist 500 as a birthday gift. I was pretty happy with it (am still, I guess) until I read a lot of posts and external reviews of the Garmin 60c/s.

 

I also spent awhile last night reading something like 5 pages of bugs and how Magellan is ignoring customers.

 

I must say, although I've been impressed with how close the eX500 has gotten me to caches (within inches on all 6 I've found), I'm definately going to have to purchase the 60cs. Fortunately, I have the receipt for the Magellan.

 

A sincere thank you to all of you, not just in this thread but in all of the threads regarding this topic. The information provided has been invaluable.

[+GOT GPS?]

Im an outdoors person in warmer weather, and I prefer a unit with alot of capability, and an excellent Trip Computer screen, with lots of info that is not lost, when you power OFF then back on. I have used GPS units in the past where I needed to use the stopwatch on my wrist to keep track of my Jogging or hiking times, that the GPS could not provide.

 

Garmin and Magellan do slightly overlap in capabilities, but not by much.

 

I prefer the Garmin 60C over the Meridian Platinum, due to what I mentioned above.

 

Explorist units are good for storing tons of POI files, Tracklog files, Routes, Direct Route Maps, and also Topo 3D maps, and the Explorist acts like a giant filing cabinet, when you have a 1 gig card in the Explorist unit.

 

Garmin 60C and Legend C GPS units are very good on batteries(20 to 36hrs), but are poor on amount of memory. Whenever you upload new maps that overwrites the previous maps, but the unit can take multiple types of mapping in one session, and you can setup mapsource to upload waypoints, saved tracks, routes and the MAPS in a single session on the PC.

 

I had a Meridian Platinum, but sold it in 2004, due to the fact at the time, there was no easy way to port the waypoint, and tracklogs straight from the SD memory card to a mapping program, but now I think there might be software that can do that now.

 

25 Digital Screen captures VIA the USB connection of the Map60C

[+ssphoto]

I have the 60CS and it rocks! I primarily use it for Geocaching, but also for general road navigation.

 

1. The magnetic compass in the CS version is a real plus; this way, you don't have to be moving to register a bearing on the compass.

 

2. It also facilitates the geocaching process, where you can search Geocaching waypoints, not all waypoints, by name, nearest, etc. When you find the cache, you can hit "found" and it logs the find in your calendar. After a long days caching, it's convenient not to have to remember all the points you visited.

 

3. Regarding memory, unless you are a heavy traveller, I don't see the need for different memory cards like the Magellan has. I simply load the other maps; it takes onl y a few minutes.

 

Hope this helps.

[+Right Wing Wacko]

7- The Garmin has 56 meg but no ability for external memory. The explorist the opposite. Which feature would serve geocaching better?

Details have recently leaked out about a new Garmin 60csX but no firm actual release date.

 

In addition to a more sensitive receiver it will have a memory slot! Having not seen one yet I cant comment about how much better receiver it will have..... but I'm already salivating over it []

 

Garmin 60csx

[+Quoddy]

I've been using the 60cs for about 20 months now to find over 600 caches. Great unit, but you should be made aware that the 60CSx will be out "sometime" in the near future. It will have external chip capabilities as well as an improved reception system. The best of all worlds in today's marketplace.