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$100 Dollar Units?


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Probably the best one is the yellow eTrex because it is the only one in the price range that has the capability to hook up to a PC. It's about $89 most places. Garmin also has the Geko 101 that I've seen sold for as low as $49, but it doesn't have PC connectivity. Other than that its a good unit.

 

Lowrance makes the Go ($69) and Go2 ($99), but they don't have PC connectivity. They do have rudimentary maps though, but I didn't care for the workmanship of the units and the displays were pretty hard to read with the small fonts and low resolution.=

 

The Magellan eXplorist 100 is also under $100 but again doesn't have PC connectivity.

 

PC connectivity is pretty important if you get even slightly serious about this sport.

 

Also consider the Garmin Legend. Its around $120 if you shop around and it comes with the PC cable. The yellow eTrex is only $89 but the cable is a $30 add on, so if you factor that in, its only a few bucks less than the Legend and the Legend is a mapping unit.

 

Moving this over to the Gps Units and Software Forum

Edited by briansnat
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I'm wanting to get started in geocaching, are these $100 receiver units worth buying?

In a word, NO. Save your quarters and dimes for a better unit. There's a Lowrance iFinder Explorer unit at tigergps for $161.00 that looks like it will serve you very well, check at their www site, http://store.yahoo.com/tigergps/lowranceifinderexplorer.html. Just shop around there are always deals out there from reliable dealers. Don't buy in a panic, there's no need.

Edited by Team Cotati
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I started with a Garmin Geko 101 and it worked great save for the fact I couldn't connect it to my computer.

 

I also use a borrowed eTrex (Yellow) and that performs fantastically. They retail at about $89 at Target, Amazon, etc... and a great way to see if the sport will "stick" in your life.

 

-Ed-

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I have a Garmin e trex legend I bought used for a hundred dollars. It has not failed me yet and is spot on. I bring extra batteries, and reload when needed. I was recently at an REI forum on Geocaching, a rep from National Geographic was there, still using a Garmin Vista. In fact he had two at the forum

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I’m new, too.

 

I lurked for a couple of weeks and read lots of posts trying to figure out which unit to buy. I finally got tired of stalling, went to Wal-Mart, bought a yellow eTrex for $99 and went out and found my first three caches.

 

My intention is to use this one for a while until reports start coming in on the Garmin X models, then I’ll have a little experience and should be able to make a better decision about what I want to do.

 

I’ve noticed in reading the forums that most everybody likes the unit they have, so it seems to me that budget considerations may be more important than brand names or models when it comes to buying a GPSr. Sure, it’s human nature to lust after the top of line, but posts of the “I hate this thing and wish I had bought something different” type are distinctly lacking here.

 

I’m glad I bought one and got to go out hunting ... no buyer’s remorse here. I just wish I had bought it sooner.

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The yellow etrex is your best bet for that price. But you'll want the pc cable to upload the .loc files using GSAK or easyGPS. If you have a pda then look at getting a premium membership here to get .gpx files and use cachemate(palm) or gpxsonar(ppc) to have the hints and logs with you at all times.

 

I went with the Legend due to it can hold 1000 waypoints and had the better display as well as it comes with a pc cable. You can look at walmart's website for bundled deals also. Their gpsr's are cheaper online than in store, but you do have to add tax and shipping.

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I bought the "lowly" Garmin eTrex yellow one at Target and I love it. I found a use cable for $10 or something, but I don't use Pee Cee's and I need to jump through a lot of hoops to get it to work on a Mac (more hardware, which is annoying) USB, so I still just manually enter everything. Works great for me. I only do 1-3 caches at a time, so entering a few sets of coordinates takes a few minutes and is easy. If you're DL'ing tons of coordinates, or if you want to take full advantage of "paperless" caching and/or some of the premium features, you'll want that cable.

 

I wanted the GPS exclusively for Geocaching, so additional features were unnecessary for me.

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I'm wanting to get started in geocaching, are these $100 receiver units worth buying?

sorta.

Theres nothing really wrong with any of the major brands (garmin, magellan, lowerance), they work fine for geocaching. The thing is if your going to spend $100, for an additional $30 or more, you can get a unit with more features. (like a base map and/or ability to upload detailed maps). Of course theres nothing to say you needs maps on the gps, or pc connectivty (but they are very helpful).

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Legend!

 

It is COMPLETELY worth the extra $20-40 for mapping capabilities.

 

Check Amazon for a period of time. Their prices fluctuate. However, if you are patient you can score a new Legend for around $120 with free shipping. I know I did. :anibad:

Edited by A^2
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