Need GPS for ATV & Snowmobiling

[Jimj54]

Hi, I am going to ask Santa for a GPS and need your help. I need one that will be used allmost exclusively in the Bighorn Mtns. of Wyoming for riding ATV's and snowmobiling. I would like one that will track me and then let me go home and download it onto maps that I can then print out. It must be waterproof, have an altimeter, barometer, and preferably run on AA batteries. I think I want a color screen, but will consider a B/W if it has the right features. And of course I want to start geocaching. I know very little about GPS's and would appreciate any recomendations and advice. Thanks!

[+BigLarry]

Hi, I am going to ask Santa for a GPS and need your help. I need one that will be used allmost exclusively in the Bighorn Mtns. of Wyoming for riding ATV's and snowmobiling. I would like one that will track me and then let me go home and download it onto maps that I can then print out. It must be waterproof, have an altimeter, barometer, and preferably run on AA batteries. I think I want a color screen, but will consider a B/W if it has the right features. And of course I want to start geocaching. I know very little about GPS's and would appreciate any recomendations and advice. Thanks!

 

Several units can work.

 

What I'd recommend is the eTrex VistaCx. It has has everything you want and more: nice daylight readable color screen, barometric alitmeter, magnetic compass, expandable memory for maps via microSD card, AA batteries, it's also very rugged and lasted 3 years on my mountain bike through lots of crashes and three frame breaks. It's been tossed hundreds and times and bounced down the road too often, with no effect. The only downside is the weaker receiver. I can briefly loose signal in thick trees on the north side of steep hills. It's not often and then only momentarily. It works well for me.

 

The GPSMAP 60CSx has everything of the eTrex Vista but with the better new SiRFIII receiver. The screen is slightly larger, but the same number of pixels as the VistaCx. I use the 60CSx as a second GPS "safely" wrapped up in my camelbak to get more consistent tracks, with my Vista on the bars for navigation. My biking friends and I have all broken the 60CSx within weeks of it being on the handlebars. The antenna sticks out and breaks off if the GPS gets thrown. I also broke the buttons off my 60CSx while it was wrapped in my pack when I fell down a hill and landed on my back. Garmin replaced it under warranty, even though I said it was my fault. But my Vista on the bars didn't get a scratch, as usual.

 

Garmin's new Edge line is rugged and has the new SiRFIII recevier that can get signal anywhere. It can't store or display maps. It's more of a fancy odometer that can also track your ride, including altitude with a barometric altimeter on the 305. It's more for biking than ATV. It also runs on Li battery rather than AA. I don't like that it only lasts 12 hours. I can get a couple days with rechargeable AAs.

 

All the GPS units can record tracks, even the wrist mounted foretrex and forerunner. One of them even has the new SiRFIII receiver, like a wrist mounted version of the Edge.

 

You can upload your tracks to Motion Based for nice plots of your tracks and mining all sorts of data (ride time, distance, ascent, ...) and plot your track on topo or street or satellite views. It's free for ten uploads stored at a time, and only a small fee for more features and infinite storage. See one of my examples here.

Edited September 17, 2006 by BigLarry

[Jimj54]

Thanks for the great info Larry. I have been looking at the Garmin 60 CSx. Have heard several people say it was a good one, but I am glad you told me about the durability. I have a good GPS holder on my ATV so I don't think it can fall off and I am a pretty slow rider. I'm just an old fart that putts around the woods. I'll bet that a mountain bike really is hard on them. Much more vibration. I worry about a weak receiver though, because when we snowmobile we are often down in canyons or deep in trees or a fast blizzard blows in and you are in zero visability. There are many times we have come home in total whiteouts and I'm still not sure exactly how I found my way home, so I really need one that will get good reception. Thanks for your help. The examples were really cool. I had no idea you could do all that.

[+BigLarry]

Thanks for the great info Larry. I have been looking at the Garmin 60 CSx. Have heard several people say it was a good one, but I am glad you told me about the durability. I have a good GPS holder on my ATV so I don't think it can fall off and I am a pretty slow rider. I'm just an old fart that putts around the woods. I'll bet that a mountain bike really is hard on them. Much more vibration. I worry about a weak receiver though, because when we snowmobile we are often down in canyons or deep in trees or a fast blizzard blows in and you are in zero visability. There are many times we have come home in total whiteouts and I'm still not sure exactly how I found my way home, so I really need one that will get good reception. Thanks for your help. The examples were really cool. I had no idea you could do all that.

 

For help navigation you want something that displays maps and lots of memory to store them, like the 60CSx over the Edge or Forerunner.

 

You'll also need Garmin's Topo maps for the woods. It covers the whole US and costs $75 on Amazon.

 

The 60CSx is fairly rugged for most purposes, and may survive fine if it doesn't get thrown off your ATV. The bigger screen is nicer too.

 

My friend also had bad problems with battery bounce when the 60CSx was on the handlebars, where it powers off from momentary loss of power as the battery bounces around in rough terrain. You'll likely have this issue too. What helps that is using name brand batteries that fit properly (like PowerEx, Sony, or Duracell rechargables); paper behind the back to get a very tight fit; and putting soft flexible foam behind the contacts. I use good PowerEx batteries and haven't had this bounce problem and don't need to do the other things. But I also put the GPSr in my pack with less vibration. My friend with battery bounce was using super cheap store discount store Alkaline batteries from Frys.

Edited September 17, 2006 by BigLarry

[Grasscatcher]

Unless I missed it, everybody above totally missed the most important feature.....the capability for an external antenna .

 

The 60CSx does not need it for reception but YOU need it to be able to have two free hands. Also No GPS that I'm aware of can be operated with snowmobile gloves on, and YOU don't want to ride WITHOUT them on .

You can put a small piece of velcro on your helmet or cap for the antenna ,and keep the unit in your coat pocket. That keeps the unit/batteries warm in extreme cold , your hands free, and the GPSr doesn't get vibrated to pieces. I've got a Map76CS with several thousand miles of mapping both types of trails. Have had "0" problems.

In a good snowmobiling season, I'll ride 2500-3000 miles. And just FYI, groomed trails are just necessary evils to get to the untracked deep and soft play areas! I'm afraid to total up the ATV miles during the rest of the year.

[Jimj54]

Ha Ha ,thanks guys and ditto on the groomed trails.I'm pretty lucky and can ride right from my cabin into backcountry riding. I figured that you would have to carry a GPS in your pocket when riding just to keep it and the batterys warm, but I was wondering about the remote antenna. I think I'd have to try to attach it somewhere on the machine because my buddys would give me too much grief if I put an antenna on my helmet! But seriously, thanks much for the info. I very much appreciate it

[Grasscatcher]

Put up with the grief, because if the antenna is attached to the machine and rider and machine go different ways.....(intentionally or otherwise)....get my drift? Been there, done that ...

Really, if it's on your helmet or cap visor, and the extra cable length in your jacket, you are "self-contained" and don't have to worry about forgetting when you get off to get an obstruction or check your machine.etc.

"They'll " probably just call you "E T" of "phone home" fame

 

Good Riding this season, and keep the rubber side down!