Which Gps Units Are Best For Geocaching?

[E-trexer]

The Garmin E-trex series has to be the best GPS models for geocaching. I use the E-trex venture, but the more expensive the model you go with, the more precise your geocaching will become. If you are looking to purchase a GPS for geocaching, avoid the plain yellow E-trex. Try to find a bargain on one of the ones which feature mapping abilities. The E-trex Venture does this in the most basic sense. It has a map which just shows waypoints, routes, and tracks. The E-trex Vista is the premier E-trex model as it has color mapping with city/streets display. Try to go for the nicest unit you can find. Remember, internet auction places like e-bay are the best places to find GPS units. Do not, however, make the mistake of getting a unit which cannot be handheld. Sticking with the Garmin E-trex series is the best way to get going with geocaching! Edited April 20, 2006 by E-trexer

[blod]

[+StarBrand]

In that you have absolutely no idea of the quality of unit the hider was using or quality of signal or diliberate offset (some cachers do that) or use of WAAS - As long as your GPSr gets you with 40 foot or so - that is good enough.

 

In that light - the cheap yellow eTrex is a great unit!

[+CheshireFrog]

Was that a paid advertisement?

 

The more you spend on an etrex the more accurate it will be?

 

[vagabond]

[+MarcoXono]

From looking at your profile, I see you have used your Venture to find South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, and Zambia, but not yet any caches. I can see why you might feel your caching needs to be more precise!

 

Try swapping your Venture for a "plain yellow E-trex" and maybe you won't be so distracted by the pretty colour maps .

[+BadAndy]

I really enjoy the "locate Geocache" feature on my Magellan explorist 600.

 

When you get to within 30 feet or so and place the gps into Locate Mode, it's inuitive interface locates all likely hiding places in the immediate vicinity. The best part is that it learns (sort of like artificial intelligence), making each hunt easier as you go. It remembers past hides and the method of camo used.

 

After just one lamp post micro, it automatically places any lightpost within 30 feet at the top of the list of locations. It can discern a functional sprinkler head from a fake one in an instant. It does have some difficulty with nanocaches, but I usually avoid those anyways.

[+Lil Devil]

the more expensive the model you go with, the more precise your geocaching will become.

You obviously don't know much about GPS units do you?

 

The precision is a function of the GPS signals available to civilians, which is ~10m without WAAS and ~3m with WAAS. Every consumer unit on the market will have the same accuracy. There is, however, differences in antenna technology which will affect sensitivity, but the overall accuracy is still the same.

[+Adrenalynn]

BOGGLE

 

Hi E-trexer, welcome to geocaching!

 

Now, go find a few geocaches and come back and tell us what you think. There's lots of folks here with thousands, even tens-of-thousands of finds (of which I'm not one). You might find their advice valuable...

 

Your advice has some pretty fundamental flaws, but you'll iron those out with your first hundred or so finds...

 

Again, Welcome!

[+Airmapper]

Ummm, have you ever used a higher end unit, Like a Garmin 60 series, Lowrance i-Finders, or Magellan 500- 600? I think you'll find units of that caliber will seriously out perform the E-trex series in features, options, and screen resolution.

 

E-trexes are fine units, but I wouldn't call them the best. I would be hesitant to call any unit "Best." I like the way robertlipe put it best: "All GPS's suck, they just suck in different ways."

[E-trexer]

After using my e-trex venture for a long time and then switching to a Garmin 500 for aeronautical navigation, I would say that there is a difference in the accuracy between models of greater price difference. The most noticeable difference to me, is the ease which the data is accessed. On the E-trex it's on a little 3"x1.5" screen, on the G500 it's on a mini-tv sized screen. The essential data is able to be depicted all on one screen on the G500, where it takes three screens to provide the essential data on the E-trex venture. I can find any of the data I want instantly on the G500 while the e-trex venture takes additional time to find the correct screen. However, I still prefer the e-trex for stuff like geocaching since it's more practical. I was just trying to show that a more advanced unit provides for more precision to the people who need to be able to concentrate on other things.

Edited August 16, 2006 by E-trexer

[+disenchanted]

He never said the more expensive etrex models were more accurate, he said that the more expensive etrex models will make your geocaching more precise....

 

And with color street level maps vs basemaps vs no maps at all, I think the man has a point.

[+pigpen4x4]

Having just switched from a Etrex Vista to a 60Csx, I have to disagree.

The moment I went under anything more than light tree cover, the Vista was as useful in my pocket as in view.

The 60 does a great job even in the rain and tree cover.

Don't get me wrong, the Vista is a great unit, and I'm glad to have it. But if I were to loose my 60, I would order another right away. Or as soon as I saved a few pennies.

C.

Edited August 16, 2006 by pigpen4x4

[+Zzyzx Road]

I think that for some of us, the first one we use is the best one...I have a Magellan 600, and since it was a higher-end unit to begin with, I don't plan on replacing it any time soon (barring dropping it into a porta-john somewhere). I like it, I have learned on it...and so because of that it is the best one...for me

[+CheshireFrog]

After using my e-trex venture for a long time and then switching to a Garmin 500 for aeronautical navigation, I would say that there is a difference in the accuracy between models of greater price difference. The most noticeable difference to me, is the ease which the data is accessed. On the E-trex it's on a little 3"x1.5" screen, on the G500 it's on a mini-tv sized screen. The essential data is able to be depicted all on one screen on the G500, where it takes three screens to provide the essential data on the E-trex venture. I can find any of the data I want instantly on the G500 while the e-trex venture takes additional time to find the correct screen. However, I still prefer the e-trex for stuff like geocaching since it's more practical. I was just trying to show that a more advanced unit provides for more precision to the people who need to be able to concentrate on other things.

 

Why are you comparing a sub-$200 consumer GPS and a $22,000 aeronautical navigation device?

[+sbell111]

After using my e-trex venture for a long time and then switching to a Garmin 500 for aeronautical navigation, I would say that there is a difference in the accuracy between models of greater price difference. The most noticeable difference to me, is the ease which the data is accessed. On the E-trex it's on a little 3"x1.5" screen, on the G500 it's on a mini-tv sized screen. The essential data is able to be depicted all on one screen on the G500, where it takes three screens to provide the essential data on the E-trex venture. I can find any of the data I want instantly on the G500 while the e-trex venture takes additional time to find the correct screen. However, I still prefer the e-trex for stuff like geocaching since it's more practical. I was just trying to show that a more advanced unit provides for more precision to the people who need to be able to concentrate on other things.

I think that you are confusing people by misusing the word 'precision'. The difference in precision that you notice between those two units has to do with the type and placement of the antenna on your aircraft. Plus, you don't get any missed reception due to trees overhead (hopefully).

[+GreyingJay]

After upgrading from my eTrex Legend to the GPSMAP 60csx, my finds have not become any easier... GETTING TO the right area is easier, thanks to mapping, and managing Geocaching waypoints is easier, and certain things are faster (screen redraws, establishing satellite lock) -- but I am no better at finding them than I was before.

 

That said, I love the 60csx and do not regret buying it, even though I could have used that same money to buy 4 months worth of groceries.

[+CheshireFrog]

After upgrading from my eTrex Legend to the GPSMAP 60csx, my finds have not become any easier... GETTING TO the right area is easier, thanks to mapping, and managing Geocaching waypoints is easier, and certain things are faster (screen redraws, establishing satellite lock) -- but I am no better at finding them than I was before.

 

That said, I love the 60csx and do not regret buying it, even though I could have used that same money to buy 4 months worth of groceries.

 

That mirrors my experience exactly.

[+Phillips4]

I've noticed a huge difference in accuracy between cache owners who use different equipment. There is one owner in my area that uses a Lowrance to mark his coordinates, and my yellow eTrex takes me to the spot every time. That's not true of most of the others in the area, even for caches that I know are not intentionally offset.

[PCFrog]

Which Gps Units Are Best For Geocaching?

 

A working one....

 

Did I win something?????

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Which Gps Units Are Best For Geocaching?

 

A working one....

 

Did I win something?????

 

No, but you probably have the most accurate, er... precise, answer!

Edited August 16, 2006 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+RussellM]

My "cheap" yellow etrex has worked just fine for me. I don't want to be walked right to the cache. Kind of kills the whole searching part.

[E-trexer]

I really enjoy the "locate Geocache" feature on my Magellan explorist 600.

 

 

This is just what we want on this forum!

Edited August 17, 2006 by E-trexer

[E-trexer]

"Why are you comparing a sub-$200 consumer GPS and a $22,000 aeronautical navigation device?"

 

If CheshireFrog doesn't consider this a difference in price, I'd love to see his six-digit salary!

Edited August 17, 2006 by E-trexer

[+Airmapper]

I think it's a difference in applications the smiling frog refers to.

 

Compare a Cessna 172 to a Cessna Citation X. Same manufacturer, way different aircraft. Oddly enough the GPS systems in those two planes, and your standard handheld unit, are equally accurate.

Edited August 17, 2006 by Airmapper

[+James Lobb]

i find my yellow etrex to be very good in getting me to GZ, but when your there like any other unit they go psyco and you have to do the searching. anyway i know my GPS can find Geocaches. i want to find them i turn off my gps when i get withen 25feet or so. now dont get me wrong i would not mind a 60cx, also im aware that i have a etrex as my avatar, it does not matter to much what brand you use as there useing the same sattilites.

Edited August 17, 2006 by James Lobb

[E-trexer]

I think it's a difference in applications the smiling frog refers to.

 

Compare a Cessna 172 to a Cessna Citation X. Same manufacturer, way different aircraft. Oddly enough the GPS systems in those two planes, and your standard handheld unit, are equally accurate.

 

7600.

[dunderhead]

I have cached with 3 models simultaneously, Basic Yellow Etrex, Garmin 60 and 60Cs (all mine)...the Basic does FINE

[+Mystic1031]

I went out with a friend the first time he was using a older model garmin and it got us to the cache with out a hitch i went out and picked up a Garmin Etrex Legend and it works wonderfully (al be it a bit hard under thick canapy) and it's helped me get to and back the caches ive done so far

what i would like to know is the pros and cons of models like

 

Magellan explorist 600

Garmin 60csx

 

which is better and why?

 

and i am a self proclaimed noob 7 caches down all of them to go

[+cachew nut]

i find my yellow etrex to be very good in getting me to GZ, but when your there like any other unit they go psyco and you have to do the searching

They don't go psycho. The arrow is supposed to point you to the coordinates, and the coordinates cover a few square feet in most places on the globe. If you are already at the coordinates, which way would you expect the arrow to point? This is why you need to switch from the arrow screen to the coordinates screen once you start getting close. And yes, once you are there you have to do the searching. Unless you have the "locate GPS" thing like BadAndy.

 

When I started geocaching, I remember that some earlier geocachers had already coined a term "loose bearings". Well there really are no "loose bearings", so I assume it's just bad spelling. You know, the "lose" vs "loose" mistake many people make. As you head towards the cache, you try to follow the bearing. The bearing is the direction you need to go, while the heading is the direction you are actually heading. Once you arrive, your bearing is no longer needed, so you lose your bearing, or discard it, it is no longer needed. I think there were some who actually believed that their GPS compasses had loose bearings, literally.

Edited August 19, 2006 by cachew nut

[+SamLowrey]

Still use my Magellan Map 330.

[+nikcap]

... I love the 60csx and do not regret buying it, even though I could have used that same money to buy 4 months worth of groceries.

 

... or a month's worth of gas.

Of all the GPSrs that I've used, the 60CSx seems to be the best for getting to the proper location with confidence. I still need my Geosense (or to literally trip over the ammo-box) to find the cache.

 

Maggies are nice once you've been on site for a while, but I find I walk too fast and the slingshot effect annoying. The eTrax series always seem to have a tendency to go Linda Blair near once you get near the cache site.

 

But all and all, my favorite combinations is using my Garmin Rino or Legend to find a cache that was averaged with a Maggie.

 

I'm sure there are those that would say the best "GPS" for Geocaching, is a Topo Map and Google Earth image.

[+Juicepig]

I really like the Garmin GPS receivers for their software and features. They make a great unit, as long as you can get signals. The unit I currently use is an eTrex Legend 60C with Mapsend Canadian road maps. Good maps for the most part, but some roads do not exist in the real world, and other roads are missing from the maps. This is rare though.

 

I am a sucker for Magellan though. I use an Explorist model 500, which seems to capture satelites great, and hold them. The maps are pretty much the same deal as Garmins, they have some unreal things and lack other real things. Not a problem unless you run into an unexpected lake or major river. The software on Maggies isn't as user friendly as Garmins (I find), but it will easily get the job done.

 

I also have some older models kicking around that I still use on occassion - a Lowrance ifinder pro plus, and an Eagle 60 system. I find that these GPS units will put you in the general area of a geocache, but are often off by a fair distance (40-60 meters).

 

To geocache, any GPS will do though. If it brought you to the right spot every single time there wouldn't be much challenge to finding them. I always turn off my GPS when I get in close, because I can concentrate on the surroundings better. When going for a remote wilderness cache, I use the Garmin as far as it will take me (ie- when it looses signal, which is not that hard to do in a forested area), and then switch to the Maggie.

 

Everyone has their own way of doing it though. Go out and find some, and let us know what you find!

[CoyoteRed]

I've been caching with someone who had a yellow etrex. The only issue he seemed to have was reception in some places. I was very impressed with the speed in which he could enter coordinates.

 

I've also hunted his caches and I've found his coordinates pretty good, better than some folks with more expensive units.