Four Digits Vs. Five

[GreenMiler]

I recently received a gift certificate from Amazon.com and was planning to use it to purchase a GPSr. I have heard several times about different receivers that only displayed the minutes in four digits and how they weren't worth the money. How important is this to caching? I know the fifth digit will get you a little closer to your target, but isn't caching about the trill of the hunt. I guess I am asking if my family would be OK with a 4 digit display, we are just getting into caching.

[+Prime Suspect]

I recently received a gift certificate from Amazon.com and was planning to use it to purchase a GPSr. I have heard several times about different receivers that only displayed the minutes in four digits and how they weren't worth the money. How important is this to caching? I know the fifth digit will get you a little closer to your target, but isn't caching about the trill of the hunt. I guess I am asking if my family would be OK with a 4 digit display, we are just getting into caching.

Unless you're buying a used unit, or some obscure brand, it shouldn't be an issue. Pretty much all handheld units today can be set to show xx.xxx minutes, and are usually do so right out of the box.

Edited March 8, 2006 by Prime Suspect

[+AuntieWeasel]

Is there a particular model you have in mind that you'd like feedback on? As Prime Suspect says, it must be something particularly old or obscure to be missing that fifth digit. You can get a low-end but very serviceable unit quite cheaply these days.

[GreenMiler]

Is there a particular model you have in mind that you'd like feedback on? As Prime Suspect says, it must be something particularly old or obscure to be missing that fifth digit. You can get a low-end but very serviceable unit quite cheaply these days.

 

I was looking at a Magellan GPS 315 or a Magellan Blazer 12 @ Amazon.com

[+briansnat]

Is there a particular model you have in mind that you'd like feedback on? As Prime Suspect says, it must be something particularly old or obscure to be missing that fifth digit. You can get a low-end but very serviceable unit quite cheaply these days.

 

I was looking at a Magellan GPS 315 or a Magellan Blazer 12 @ Amazon.com

 

Have we gone back into time and its 1999? I didn't even think they sold these anymore.

 

Seriously, you can do much better than these units in that price range. They are pretty ancient as far as GPS technology goes.

 

If you are looking to spend under $100 for a GPS consider:

 

Garmin eTrex (basic yellow)

Garmin Geko 201

 

Garmin Geko 101

Magellan eXplorist 100

Lowrance iFinder Go

Lowrance iFinder Go2

 

 

Of these, the first two (eTrex and Geko 201) have the capability to hook up to a computer and dowload waypoints, so would be more desirable if you get semi serious about this sport. Though you can find caches just fine with the last 4, you will need to input all waypoints by hand, which can be tedious.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

Is there a particular model you have in mind that you'd like feedback on? As Prime Suspect says, it must be something particularly old or obscure to be missing that fifth digit. You can get a low-end but very serviceable unit quite cheaply these days.

I was looking at a Magellan GPS 315 or a Magellan Blazer 12 @ Amazon.com

 

Have we gone back into time and its 1999? I didn't even think they sold these anymore.

 

Seriously, you can do much better than these units in that price range. They are pretty ancient as far as GPS technology goes.

 

If you are looking to spend under $100 for a GPS consider:

 

Garmin eTrex (basic yellow)

Garmin Geko 201

 

Garmin Geko 101

Magellan eXplorist 100

Lowrance iFinder Go

Lowrance iFinder Go2

 

Of these, the first two (eTrex and Geko 201) have the capability to hook up to a computer and dowload waypoints, so would be more desirable if you get semi serious about this sport. Though you can find caches just fine with the last 4, you will need to input all waypoints by hand, which can be tedious.

 

When I was heading off to India last Fall, we needed a cheap, almost throw-away but very accurate GPSr -- which would work well under forest cover -- for me to take with me so that Sue could keep the SporTrak Pro here with her. We ended up purchasing a new Explorist 100 for under $68. We have been quite pleased with its performance. I have used it in India, in Germany, in Nicaragua, and we use it a lot in the USA, in all kinds of situations, and have no complaints. And, all for under $70 brand new from a GPSr vendor (i.e., not from Ebay.)

 

Frankly, while I like Amazon for some products, such as books, I feel that you can find much better prices on GPSrs at sites other than Amazon. There is no way that I would pay 100 bucks or even 60 bucks (at Amazon or anywhere else) for a 7-year old GPSr such as the Magellan GPS 315 or a Magellan Blazer 12, when really high-quality modern GPSrs are available for well under $100 new.

[+hikergps]

I started with a Magellan GPS 2000 that I got from ebay for $20. Used 4-AA's that would last 4 hours at best. The closest it would get me is 60-120 feet. It wasn't impossible to use but not the best either.

 

Now I have the Geko 101. Gets me within 5-20 feet. I am happy about how it works except it does burn through the batteries pretty quick. Uses 2-AAA's. One set will last me about 6-8 hours of constant use. The price was right so I went with it.

[+FollowMeChaps]

I started with a Magellan GPS 2000 that I got from ebay for $20. Used 4-AA's that would last 4 hours at best. The closest it would get me is 60-120 feet. It wasn't impossible to use but not the best either.

 

Now I have the Geko 101. Gets me within 5-20 feet. I am happy about how it works except it does burn through the batteries pretty quick. Uses 2-AAA's. One set will last me about 6-8 hours of constant use. The price was right so I went with it.

 

I agree and would also support the yellow eTrex - larger display, AA batteries with pc hook-up and around the same price. The knocking of ebay also shows a lack of understanding - if you use an ebay shop, rather than a private bidder, you can get brand new units. Mine came within 3 days in a sealed unit, was the cheapest I could find and nearly half what I'd pay in the UK. It was also WAAS enabled whereas those in the shops here are older non-WAAS models for twice the price.

[+Vinny & Sue Team]

I agree and would also support the yellow eTrex - larger display, AA batteries with pc hook-up and around the same price. The knocking of ebay also shows a lack of understanding - if you use an ebay shop, rather than a private bidder, you can get brand new units. Mine came within 3 days in a sealed unit, was the cheapest I could find and nearly half what I'd pay in the UK. It was also WAAS enabled whereas those in the shops here are older non-WAAS models for twice the price.

 

You are likely referring to my mention of Ebay. My comment was not an attempt to knock Ebay, and, in fact, Sue bought our first GPSr (used) there for me as a birthday present last year and it was a wonderful bargain. And I have bought several new items from Ebay shops in the past year, including a portable radiation detector (a spare detector for use as a loaner to seekers of our Pscyho Urban Cache #9 - Hot Glowing Tribulations (GCTA5E) purchased just two weeks ago from a Russian vendor. In any case, I mentioned Ebay in the context of inexpensive GPSrs only because I wanted to make clear that we had purchased a new (and excellent) GPS for under $70 without the hassles of bidding, etc., that one would encounter if bidding on an item at Ebay. Incidentally, I have personally never noticed any great deals -- in terms of prices -- on new GPSrs at Ebay shops, although I once bought a new copy of Mapsend Topo for a few dollars from an Ebay shop.

[+welch]

I know the fifth digit will get you a little closer to your target, but isn't caching about the trill of the hunt. I guess I am asking if my family would be OK with a 4 digit display, we are just getting into caching.

the third digit means the difference between 1 mark from about 6 foot to 60 foot. Yes you can find caches that way, but you won't know where the coords come out as well, but caches are rarely at where the gps says is Zero anyway.

If you end up with gps like that, you might want to change to using UTM (assuming the gps' format can be changed) so that mark is only 1 meter, a bit better than 60ft. However, as said you can get newer units for under $100, even under $75!

[GreenMiler]

I would like to thank everyone for their input it was most helpful. I have more to consider now with the information that I have gained from you all. Maybe we will see you out on the trails or in the brush on day.

[StarPuller]

Agree with Briansnat. If you want a top notch unit for about $100.00 get the Lowrance i-Finder. Do not buy any GPS without the fifth digit.

 

If you are on a bidget see the Lowrance H2O. I found my very first cache with one in 10 minutes. An additional 6 in the same day - Each search I was getting withing 10 feet of the target - an excellent GPS for the money. I loved it! I loved it so much in a week I upgraded to a Garmin! Money was no object. I was hooked on geocaching.

 

If you want the best all around GPS though, and you don't want to buy ione and then another and then another... spend the money now. Consider the Garmin GPS 60Cx. Available for $369.00 at The TWister Group. Everywhere else it sells for $449.00 and Garmin's MSRP is $482.00. The featrues are awesome.

 

Note: I am not affiliated with The Twister Group. The information provided on this company was done to assit the forum poster in finding a qulity GPS and based upon hours and hours of internet searching for the best price on this Garmin unit, this compnay currently has the best deal. I purchased my Garmin and one for my wife at this website. The Twister Group Website

[StarPuller]

Additional Link on the Garmin MapGPS 60Cx: Garmin - GPS 60Cx