An Easy To Use/Inexpensive GPSr For Younger Children?

[+intolerable]

I cache using my Treo 700p and a bluetooth receiver, which I sometimes let mightyzinn (our 4 year old) use while out on the trail, but its not something I'm really comfortable with, because, well, its $$ and not really at all up to the task of having a 4 year old drop and bang around. That said, he *loves* being the one with the receiver, leading the way, and I love watching him do it.

 

Was hoping to get some recommendations for a cheaper GPSr that is durable and fairly reliable. Honestly, I've never actually used a real receiver before so I don't even know what sort of display they might offer, but I'm hoping to find something that one can simply load coordinates into and it'll point in the direction and report the distance, along the lines of CacheNav (plugin for CacheMate). Not much beyond that would really be required, as that's what my son digs :-)

 

Any help at all would be appreciated as I couldn't really find what I was hoping for searching the forums.

 

Thanks

Chris/intolerable

[+Quiggle]

Moving to GPS forum.

[jmundinger]

Have you considered an eTrex?

[Glenn W]

Take a look at the Garmin Geko

 

http://www.gpsdiscount.com/products/index.html?p=719

 

I've also seen factory refurbs for about $60 on eBay

Edited October 31, 2007 by Glenn W

[+trooperdjb]

I got a Garmin foretrex 101 at Aldis for about $50 for my son to use when we first got started. It's not bad, nice and small gives an arrow and distance. The only 2 real issues we've had with it are: First it's not a high sensetivity receiver so it can loose signal under trees and more importantly it's one character short in the allowable length for cache names. If you try to load 2 chaches that differ only in the last character one dissapears. Other then that it's been good for him.

[+intolerable]

Thanks for the suggestions! Although my son would probably enjoy the Geko for its gecko, I think the eTrex is exactly what I'm looking for. Don't think he'd go for the Foretrex being strapped to his wrist.

 

I think I might get an eTrex for myself :-)

 

Thanks again!

[jmundinger]

Thanks for the suggestions! Although my son would probably enjoy the Geko for its gecko, I think the eTrex is exactly what I'm looking for. Don't think he'd go for the Foretrex being strapped to his wrist.

 

I think I might get an eTrex for myself :-)

 

Thanks again!

 

If you are going to do it, you might as well get an eTrexH...unless you can get a real bargain on the older unit, the costs are similar.

 

One downside to my suggestion is the fact that the eTrex units connect to the computer via a serial port rather than a USB cable. The cable is an extra, not part of the package and if your computer does not have a compatible port, you would also have to purchase an adapter. This is a consideration only if you intend to transfer a lot of data between your computer and the GPSr.

[+intolerable]

If you are going to do it, you might as well get an eTrexH...unless you can get a real bargain on the older unit, the costs are similar.

 

One downside to my suggestion is the fact that the eTrex units connect to the computer via a serial port rather than a USB cable. The cable is an extra, not part of the package and if your computer does not have a compatible port, you would also have to purchase an adapter. This is a consideration only if you intend to transfer a lot of data between your computer and the GPSr.

 

Thanks for pointing that out. I didn't see that on the Gaimin page at all.

[BelchFire]

It all depends on which eTrex unit you get. I have a camo eTrex, and it is indeed, serial, but I also have a Vista HCx, and it connects through USB.

[+Team_Wilson]

I got a Garmin foretrex 101 at Aldis for about $50 for my son to use when we first got started. It's not bad, nice and small gives an arrow and distance. The only 2 real issues we've had with it are: First it's not a high sensetivity receiver so it can loose signal under trees and more importantly it's one character short in the allowable length for cache names. If you try to load 2 chaches that differ only in the last character one dissapears. Other then that it's been good for him.

 

My grandson also uses a foretrex. They are great little units. I bought several at Aldi's for $50.00 each.

Works as well as my VentureCx and you don't have to strap it to your wrist (though I reccomend it for small kids)

 

Mark