Which unit exclusively for caching?

[+oprystar]

Of the vast array of new units currently avaialable, which unit would be best suited if ONLY used for geocaching?

 

Data link would be nice, but do people really use it? Extreme accuaracy is a must, especially in trees, but also for finding caches and for putting out new ones. Battery life? Size and portability? Realiability? Customer Service support if needed?

 

-oprystar

[+BlueDeuce]

You forgot auto-routing to the park and topos.

 

Sounds like a Garmin 60cx.

[+Tharagleb]

60CSx

[+Quoddy]

Garmin 60CSx

[+Fhantazm]

Another count for the Garmin 60csx.

[+Train_Man]

I'd say 60csx, i have it and its GREAT

[+oprystar]

Exclusive recommendations for the Garmin 60CSx. From what I understand, the Garmin 60CSx is the "bells and whistles" version of Garmin line. Surely all of those bells and whistles are not needed for geocaching? Or are they? What specifically esculates this unit to such a high recommnedation for geocaching. In contrast why prevents the other units from being best suited for geocaching?

 

I know this is alot, but I am trying to make the best purchase for my needs. Thanks for any help.

[+Fhantazm]

Well for starters the 60csx has the highly acclaimed and highly sensitive SiRF III receiver, which is wonderful for tree/canyon cover. It also has an electronic compass that can maintain heading while standing still. This is a great option to have for Geocaching as there are times you are standing in one spot for several seconds. It also has a barometric altimeter, which is less useful for Geocaching and more useful for hiking, but still a good feature. Also the csx has a larger screen and faster processor than most of the other GPSr's. Those benifits pretty much explain themselves. It is a bells and whistles model, but in this case, the bells and whistles are very useful for GC.

Edited August 22, 2006 by Fhantazm

[+oprystar]

Is the the 60csx the only receiver with the highly acclaimed and highly sensitive SiRF III receiver? What other units have this feature. I do agree on the benefits of better satellite lock, especially under tree coverage. I also agree on the larger screen (personally, the eTrex line and the explorist 100 - 600 line, most all seem just way too small), and I respect the need of a faster processor to make faster and more accurate algorithum calculations for closer real time location accuracy.

 

Where would someone order a the 60csx for the very best price?

[+Red90]

It is just because of the sensitivity. Otherwise anything would work fine for caching. I suspect if you wait a while the lower priced units will get the same level of sensitivity,

 

The 60Cx is just as good as the Csx. The compass is not very usefull for a few reasons.

 

- The 60Cx updates position quickly so any small movement aligns the navigation arrow accurately.

- The compass needs the unit to be held very flat. When held flat the accuracy degrades noticably so anything you have gained with the directional information is lost in the accuracy. Generally using the GPS for direction and holding vertically works the best with thes units.

[+gpsblake]

Since you only are going to use it for geocaching, don't spend an extra $200 on a 60 series with all the bells and whistles you don't need. All units do well geocaching from the cheapest to the most expensive.

 

Get a unit that can communicate with your computer. Explorist 210 prob the best one out there now for the price.

 

If you don't mind entering every geocache by hand, get the Explorist 100, Etrex yellow, or the low end Lowrance.

[+Fhantazm]

As it stands, the 60/76cx and 60/76csx units are the only handhelds with this receiver. I'm sure there will be more on the way, but right now thats your only choice. There is a current thread running right now outlining where the best deal on a 60csx is. I think one person found a 60csx for $360 -$50 mail in rebate from garmin.

 

Is the the 60csx the only receiver with the highly acclaimed and highly sensitive SiRF III receiver? What other units have this feature. I do agree on the benefits of better satellite lock, especially under tree coverage. I also agree on the larger screen (personally, the eTrex line and the explorist 100 - 600 line, most all seem just way too small), and I respect the need of a faster processor to make faster and more accurate algorithum calculations for closer real time location accuracy.

 

Where would someone order a the 60csx for the very best price?

[ntobroken]

I own and use a 60cx now but I previously owned a Magellan Explorist 400 which was every bit as accurate as the 60cx at 1/3rd the price. (I upgraded to the 60cx for the bells and whistles

 

I think gpsblake gave some good advise on the 210 or any Explorist for that matter. With the price of a Magellan so low who needs customer service on the off chance that something should happen, just throw the thing away and buy another one.

[+TheBeast]

As it stands, the 60/76cx and 60/76csx units are the only handhelds with this receiver.

There are four different smartphones that have the SiRF III reciever and theya re roughly the same price as the stand alone GPSr and you'll have a PDA and a phone, but you will get arguments about the appropriateness and durability of anything other than a stand alone GPSr and I have no experience with that so you'll have to make that choice on your own!

[+Fhantazm]

As I said "The 60/76cx and 60/76csx units are the only HANDHELDS with this receiver"

 

As it stands, the 60/76cx and 60/76csx units are the only handhelds with this receiver.

There are four different smartphones that have the SiRF III reciever and theya re roughly the same price as the stand alone GPSr and you'll have a PDA and a phone, but you will get arguments about the appropriateness and durability of anything other than a stand alone GPSr and I have no experience with that so you'll have to make that choice on your own!

Edited August 22, 2006 by Fhantazm

[+TheBeast]

Right, and as I said "There are four different SMARTPHONES that have the SiRF III reciever"

 

As I said "The 60/76cx and 60/76csx units are the only HANDHELDS with this receiver"

 

As it stands, the 60/76cx and 60/76csx units are the only handhelds with this receiver.

There are four different smartphones that have the SiRF III reciever and theya re roughly the same price as the stand alone GPSr and you'll have a PDA and a phone, but you will get arguments about the appropriateness and durability of anything other than a stand alone GPSr and I have no experience with that so you'll have to make that choice on your own!

[+briansnat]

The 60CSX and 76CSX are good choices, but I might add the Lowrance iFinder H20 Plus. It doesn't do autorouting, but offers outstanding reception.

 

It also has a big advantage over the Garmins in that you can store thousands of cache waypoints on the memory card.

 

I still can't believe Garmin added a memory card to their units but don't have a file management feature to store waypoints on the card. That was a major disappointment to me when the X units were released.

 

I understand that they allow you to load caches as POIs but that's not quite the same thing.

 

If you have the money to shell out for the unit and maps, the 60 and 76 X units are outstanding choices, but if you only have $200 to spend its hard to beat the iFinder H20 Plus for geocaching.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

I am enclosing my standard reply........for a little over $100 you will never beat the Magellan Platinum ( I'm not sure you can beat it at all )

 

From what I have read I am convinced the Magellan Platinum is superior to the newer units. I have used them for years and currently have 4 , 2 of which I got on ebay. They have a 3 axis compass, sd card slot, sunken-large screen, wonderfull operating buttons, quad-helix antenna all of which the new ones lack ( some have some features, but not all) The Mapsend software works great with these.....I'm including a list which may be of use to you......it was posted by a couple of us on our states website. You can get these on EBAY with extras.

 

LIST OF USUFULL GEOCACHING ITEMS

I can’t say that mine is better than any other because I have only used 1 other. But my Magellan Meridian Color with Mapsend Software gets the job done. I can carry the whole Southeast US on my 500 mb sd card and have plenty of room for more. That includes dirt and gravel roads. Last summer, I lead a column of cars carrying 19 people across the Florida countryside in the middle of the night for 4 hours, and I did it from the rear of the column via CB radio. Missing signs were not a problem. That’s real-time mapping capability in a practical application. Superior signal stability under harsh conditions, etc, etc. So Watcha, what kind of Magellan are you using? And what did you do to provoke it?

 

Doggy is right.......again.

Bamette and I each use a Meridian Platinum ( Magellan) with Directroute Software and I have a Platinum for a spare. With the SD card capability you can store maps, lists of caches, etc. ( an immense amount) and you also have an electronic compass, big screen, easy to use buttons, and maintain a lock under heavy canopy for hours. I also have two Garmins but the Platinums are the way to go.

Grab you a couple of Palms on ebay, download spinner and plucker, and you're good to go. On a cross country trip you could load dozens of spinner files ( one for each city?) on your Magellans SD card and use plucker to put each one on your Palm, charge your batteries, and you're ready for weeks of caching ( you can also get the Platinum GPS on ebay w/ lots of extras for about $150.).

 

A convenient holster will give you a place to carry and protect your gpsr. A PDA holster will do the same for your PDA. An adaptor for your cig lighter will stretch your batteries life. A probe will help you avoid biting varmints. A mirror with an intense pocket flashlight will get you past those out-of-sighters. I like to use a lensatic compass for precision. I also use a wrist compass clipped to my watchband for qlance orientation. That’s just on the weekends of course. I like it so much that I’m looking for 2 more, one for my dress watch and the other for my son. I guess they’re out of season? If you are really loaded for bear, bring along a metal detector. If the cache has a coin in it or is made of metal, it will give you the edge. I guess that’s about it. I’m not saying I do that. It’s an interesting thought though

 

To add to the geocache tool list you must buy a top of the line MAHA battery charger ( I use three) and a supply of MAHA POWERX Ni MH batteries .....these are the best made ( don't take my word for it, look it up ) then you will have plenty of batteries for your digital camera ( my wife and I each carry one), GPS unit, flashlights etc.

For a small , powerfull flashlight you can't beat a Surefire L4 Digital Lumamax ( 5 blinding watts of LED driven by two 3 volt lithium batteries.....the batteries are $15 for a box of twelve and have a 10 year shelf life....kind of pricy but well worth it...will light up the woods.

I don't know if the most important thing was mentioned....a good walking stick. Local cachers and special guests can get one free at the View Carre' cache.......don't leave your car without your stick.

Also a small pocket screwdriver for digging out micro logs and other probing.

AND DON’T FORGET TO BRING A PENCIL.

LIST From Above :

 

1. Magellan Meridian Platinum GPS Unit + Belt Holster (EBAY- If you will have a regular partner , get two )

2. Palm M500 PDA and case ( ebay- buy an extra for backup )

3. 12” metal probe for searching tree cavities etc. for micro caches

4. 2 “ or 3” extension mirror

5. Small, intense flashlight ( Surefire L4 Digital Lumamax )

6. Pencil

7. Sharpie ( Fine Point)

8. Cotton Gloves

9. Pocket Screwdriver

10. Walking stick

11. Plastimo Iris 50 Hand Bearing Compass ( Great for offset caches)

12. C401FSDC MAHA NiMH Battery Charger

13. Maha 2500 mAh NiMH PowerX AA Batteries (GPS,camera,flashlights,etc. )

14. Digital Camera

15. Access to computer w/ internet connection ( premium membership in geocaching.com is best )

 

INFORMATION ON PAPERLESS CACHING

 

I got started with step by step info. I got from the Florida Geocaching website and I keep copies here at my View Carre' cache to hand out to others. I am not hi tech and can't quite use my cell phone but this guide is can't miss. If you can't find it email me and I can fax it to you.

 

http://www.floridageocaching.com/paperless.htm = step by step instructions.

[+QuesterMark]

I did as much research as I could without actually trying out anything. Then a friend (kaon) got a GPSmap 60CSx and loaned me his Meridian Platinum. After using the Meridian and watching him with his 60CSx, I opted for a 60Cx (w/out the compass and altimeter) and a separate, manual, non-electronic compass.

 

I do NOT regret the decision.

 

The compass is too picky and has to be calibrated too much (IMHO). Let's not even get into the altimeter--I just don't need that in my GPSr.

 

I use the 60Cx for geocaching and Waymarking. Recently I bought the Garmin City Navigator software so -now- I use it for driving directions...but that's just an added bonus.

 

And something to think about: The devices that have GPS in them that are NOT just GPS receivers may not be water resistant. But then I got caught Waymarking when the rain came yesterday...

[+LadyBee4T]

I will also put in a plug for the Lowrance Ifinder H20. I have the color model and it is great. Lowrance doesn't advertise it having the sirfIII chip but the specs indicate it does. I have never lost sat lock even in dense tree cover we have here in Michigan when others in my group can. I can also get a lock indoors 30 ft away from a window. I did the research and felt that the lowrance models give the most bang for the buck. It has a very large screen that is great for my old eyes. LOL The sd card is great and I have a couple thousand waypoints in different databases I can change to on the card along with most of Michigan Indiana and Illinois maps.

 

I don't regret my decision in getting this unit and it deserves a consideration. Although it doesn't give turn by turn autorouting I have no problem following the maps to get to the cache site parking.

[+Fhantazm]

After reading BAMBOOZLE's mini-review/guide, which was very thorough by the way, I have a couple things to add/subtract.

 

First of all, while im more than sure the MeriPlat is a fine GPSr, I wouldnt go so far as to tell a new user, looking for a first time GPSr to buy a unit that is no longer manufactured and will, more than likely, end up having to buy used. Also ALL of the features you listed ARE available on newer units. The 76/60csx comes to mind. I think the only feature lacking is the 3 axis compass which really makes very little difference vs the csx 2 axis compass. However, that being said there is a large price difference between the two due to the MeriPlat not being manufactured anymore. So if you dont mind used, then you may get a great deal!

 

Now onto this flashlight. Man I gotta tell ya, I, personally, would NOT want to spend $165 on a flashlight, much less one that only allows for 2.5hrs(+/-) of light! But I guess to each their own, if your happy with it, thats what matters.

 

Everything else, in my opinion, that was listed makes for a WONDERFUL guide and should probably be stickied for those new to GC.

Edited August 23, 2006 by Fhantazm