Truth in Advertising

[+Capt. Salty]

Common guys, lets tell the people what is the right GPS for Geocaching. I bo0ught a TOm TOm One XLS and don't get me wrong, this is a great unit to drive to the corner store or across the country but it will only take yo to the nearest point on a road to a geocache. What you need is a unit that will take you to a coordinate (not on a highway). I owned the Tomtom ONe for a week then bought a Gaarmin Legend eTrex Hcx. These come under the category of handheld "trail" units. If you click the websight there are a number of advertised units that are totally useless for Geocaching (though very good for their own use). Why are they on this sight?????

 

How about rating the different "geocaching" units so that we know what to buy,

 

signed

Owner of two units (one too many)

[+joranda]

I'm a believer in the Garmin 60 CSX.

[+x_Marks_the_spot]

There isn't a single "best" unit for geocaching. Sorry. I know that makes it tough to choose.

 

If you want a budget unit that will point you to a set of coordinates, maybe with mapping capabilities, you can go with the "Yellow" eTrex or the eTrex Legend from Garmin, or the Magellan eXplorist 100 or 200. Any of these for well less than $200. Or you can go for an older unit, which will do about the same things as any of these. I have a Magellan MAP 330, which you can find all day long on eBay for under $50. Garmin III and V units are also still out there being used.

 

If you want a mid-range GPS with a few bells and whistles, maybe with a color screen, auto-routing, yadda yadda, you can get a Garmin Vista or a Magellan eXplorist 500 or 600 for the $200 - $400 price range.

 

Of you can go higher end, for units with color screen, barometric altimeter, electronic compass, etc. and so forth. Lowrance iFinder Expedition, Garmin GPS 60, Garmin Colorado, Magellan Triton, etc.; $300 - $500 or so for these.

 

You can go still higher, and get GIS and surveying units, particularly from Trimble. They aren't built specifically for geocaching, but they can certainly be used in that way, and they'll give you God-a'mighty accurate readings (subfoot accuracy). You'll also spend several thousand dollars on them.

 

But no, the automotive GPS units (TomTom, RoadMate, nuvi, etc.) won't do for geocaching. They're meant to stay on the road and in the car, and not on the trail.

[+kraushad]

For my money the Vista HCX was the way to go. It's main competition in my mind was the 60CSX.

It was NOT an easy decision for me, as I am really picky about electronic stuff, and both these units were so similar.

 

I picked Vista HCX (a newer model) for these reasons (in order of importance to me):

* clearer (higher resolution and brighter) screen, even though it is noticably smaller when compared side by side

* more tactile feedback of the buttons and click stick (found the 60CSX rocker pad to be to ambiguous, and spongey in touch feedback)

* Both products have almost identical features, yet I found the Vista HCX is about 20-25% cheaper

* Both products have very similar user ratings based on reception, yet I found the Vista HCX is about 20-25% cheaper (the price difference answer may lie in the fact that the Vista HCX does not use a SiRFIII chipset, but a MediaTek - one informal review/comparison of both can be found HERE and seems to indicate what I found over and over again - that reception is very similar, so why pay more?

* longer advertised battery life (probably mostly due to the smaller screen area)

* smaller profile (no quad helix antenna sticking up)

* The Vista HCX comes with no microSD card, and since I was planning to upgrade to a larger chip anyway, any extra money I would have paid for the small card that comes with the 60CSX would have been wasted.

 

It is safe to say that in large part the decision is based on preference of design/features rather than quality of performance. Therefore, in my mind there is no "right" answer that applies to everyone.

 

Based on my own research and experience, I definitely think that the new Media Tek chips found in the Garmin "H" series receivers are worthy products, and that this newer non-SiRF technology is saving people some money, and could just be as a result of a reduction of technology cost which occurs naturally in the tech sector. HERE is a link to MediaTek's homepage for anyone interested in researching them.

 

Just my thoughts - as you can see I really try to do my research before making a purchase

Edited January 16, 2008 by kraushad

[+briansnat]

Common guys, lets tell the people what is the right GPS for Geocaching. I bo0ught a TOm TOm One XLS and don't get me wrong, this is a great unit to drive to the corner store or across the country but it will only take yo to the nearest point on a road to a geocache. What you need is a unit that will take you to a coordinate (not on a highway). I owned the Tomtom ONe for a week then bought a Gaarmin Legend eTrex Hcx. These come under the category of handheld "trail" units. If you click the websight there are a number of advertised units that are totally useless for Geocaching (though very good for their own use). Why are they on this sight?????

 

How about rating the different "geocaching" units so that we know what to buy,

 

signed

Owner of two units (one too many)

 

Generally speaking most handhelds work nicely for geocaching and most units designed for vehicle use are designed for vehicle use.

 

One of the most common questions in this forum is "Is my Nuvi...Tom Tom...Streetpilot....Maestro...etc.. a good unit for geocaching?" The answer is usually no.

[+x_Marks_the_spot]

 

One of the most common questions in this forum is "Is my Nuvi...Tom Tom...Streetpilot....Maestro...etc.. a good unit for geocaching?" The answer is usually no.

 

I hasten to add that both Magellan and Lowrance now have "crossover" GPS units, which have the auto-routing and street-level maps of an automotive GPS, with the rugged case and straight-line navigation features of a handheld outdoor GPS.

[+Miragee]

Common guys, lets tell the people what is the right GPS for Geocaching.

 

<snip>

There is no "Best" because people have their own personal preferences. It can be a discussion similar to "Which car is best."

 

I prefer the Garmin eTrex line of GPS units. Other people like the larger, bulkier 60Cx/CSx or 76Cx/CSx.

 

The Garmin Vista HCx is the "right GPS for Geocaching" . . . for me.

[+StarBrand]

As with most things we all want to buy, the first real question is "what are you going to do with it?"

 

I think the answer is rarely Geocaching only for a GPS. So different units for different features and uses. Some need terrain maps, some road maps. Some need USB, some are fine with serial. For example, I find the compass and altimeter features of the Vista to be useless to me - So unlike Miragee, I will tell you that the Legend HCx is the best unit out there. However, I have ordered a new Garmin Colorado and I may find that to be the "best".

[+JohnnyVegas]

As far as "Truth in Advertising" there is notning on Tom Toms web site about the TOm TOm one xls being recomended for off road use.

 

We should also keep in mind the most GPS companies are focused on the Automobile, Boat and Aircraft market-that is were the money is. Geocaching and hiking is a very small part of the GPS market.

[+HopsMaltYeast]

This all reminds me of "running shoes" especially in the days that that sport was expanding.

 

There is no best unit or best running shoe. It is what is best for you. I used to spend a bunch of money for a pair Nike shoes and a day later I would take a razor blade knife and cut a slit in the toe box of my brand new shoes. My foot was much broader at the toe end and my big toe much larger than what the Nike lasts were designed for. I was one happy camper (runner) when I found the New Balance brand because it came in widths and had a tall toe box. No more razor cuts to new shoes.

 

Then New Balance ticked me off because because when I went back to buy new shoes 6 months later I found than the model I loved was discontinued. Then I had to guess from BS marketing yadda yadda yadda which "new" model was the one I wanted.

 

Then I had to figure out if I was an over-pronater or an under-pronater or if I needed stability or cushioning or torsion-control and I had no idea what any of those things were.

 

At least GPSr units last longer than shoes.

 

I have an almost 10 year old Garmin GPS12 that works pretty dang good for GEOCaching (it has no mapping). I am thinking of going paperless. Except that I have no cable to connect my PC to the GPS 12. I can buy a cable for about $50.00. Or I can buy a new Garmin model something for about $100.00 that has mapping and comes with the $50.00 cable, is half the size and weight of my GPS 12 and runs twice as long on 1/2 the batteries.

 

Again the marketing gurus that put out 10 new models a year make life difficult for me and others. I have a lot of trouble reading recommendations for model something HCx and matching it to models at Garmin or other stores. The names are so dang similar and so confusingly different. Is a Legend eTrex the same as a eTrex Legend and is that the same as a Legend Vista HCx?

 

But there are sites that let us compare units head to head that really help. But first we need to learn if we are over-pronaters or stability or air-cushion ride.

 

In the past week or two I have decided on at least 3 "best models" based upon info from here and the comparison charts and right now I can't remember which one I want.

 

I would give you a recommendation except I don't know how big your great toe is and I don't want you to have to use a razor blade on your new GPS because of something I recommended.

 

All that said - I think I will upgrade to some kind of a new Garmin for between $100 and $200 with basic maps and a cable included to usb to my pc. I don't care about color maps (probably don't need maps at all) and don't care about electronic compass or altimeter. (I have a fine $15 compass or I can walk to get the GPS compass).

[+briansnat]

 

One of the most common questions in this forum is "Is my Nuvi...Tom Tom...Streetpilot....Maestro...etc.. a good unit for geocaching?" The answer is usually no.

 

I hasten to add that both Magellan and Lowrance now have "crossover" GPS units, which have the auto-routing and street-level maps of an automotive GPS, with the rugged case and straight-line navigation features of a handheld outdoor GPS.

 

So does Garmin

Edited January 16, 2008 by briansnat

[+Bunganator]

I use what is cheap. I found several using my girlfriend's dad's Garmin Geko before using a Garmin Etrex Legend. I know many will disagree, nut my experience has been that if you trust a reciever with good reception, you could get a much more consistent WRONG ground zero because of the GPSr used to place the cache. For me, the arrow gets me to the general area, and I trust my brain to find the cache, not a chunk of metal and plastic. I know i find caches with an $80 GPSr that others find with $400 units. But hey, sometimes people like looking at bright colored screens and high definition arrows.

[zulutime]

Common guys. . . If you click the websight there are a number of advertised units that are totally useless for Geocaching (though very good for their own use). Why are they on this sight?????

 

 

What websight?

[+Miragee]

I use what is cheap. I found several using my girlfriend's dad's Garmin Geko before using a Garmin Etrex Legend. I know many will disagree, nut my experience has been that if you trust a reciever with good reception, you could get a much more consistent WRONG ground zero because of the GPSr used to place the cache. For me, the arrow gets me to the general area, and I trust my brain to find the cache, not a chunk of metal and plastic. I know i find caches with an $80 GPSr that others find with $400 units. But hey, sometimes people like looking at bright colored screens and high definition arrows.

I had a "cheap" GPS unit when I started, but gas isn't cheap, and when I saw how useful, and gas-saving, the auto-routing maps were, I upgraded to a newer GPS unit, but it wasn't because of "bright colored screens and high definition arrows."

 

If you only cache in an area you know very well, and you never travel to unfamiliar areas, having a basic, "cheap" GPS unit is just fine.

[+Rattlebars]

 

One of the most common questions in this forum is "Is my Nuvi...Tom Tom...Streetpilot....Maestro...etc.. a good unit for geocaching?" The answer is usually no.

 

I hasten to add that both Magellan and Lowrance now have "crossover" GPS units, which have the auto-routing and street-level maps of an automotive GPS, with the rugged case and straight-line navigation features of a handheld outdoor GPS.

 

True of Magellan, but the Magellen Crossover will STOP updating once you "arrive" at your destination (within 30 feet of the waypoint). What brainless fool did this to a GPSr that's supposed to be designed for GeoCaching needs his brain to be archived.

 

Also, the transition from TURN BY TURN on the road to a POINTER and TOPO for off road is by no means seamless.

 

NOTE: I don't know if the Crossover is firmware upgradeable, but those two drawbacks is what kept me from purchasing one.

[+cotontop3]

I use the 60csx. I like the features that it comes with. I keep a topo card in mine all the time and that is one thing that is important to me. I use mine for alot more than just caching. I like the buttons at the bottom rather than the top like the 76 is. Waterproof is a must also. But this is what works for me and that is not what works for other people.

[+patty556]

I like the Lowrance H2Oc. This unit seems to work well for me, and its waterproof!

Patty556

[+briansnat]

I use what is cheap. I found several using my girlfriend's dad's Garmin Geko before using a Garmin Etrex Legend. I know many will disagree, nut my experience has been that if you trust a reciever with good reception, you could get a much more consistent WRONG ground zero because of the GPSr used to place the cache. For me, the arrow gets me to the general area, and I trust my brain to find the cache, not a chunk of metal and plastic. I know i find caches with an $80 GPSr that others find with $400 units. But hey, sometimes people like looking at bright colored screens and high definition arrows.

 

It's not just a high definition color screen that is the attraction with high end units. Features such as turn by turn driving directions, maps, expandable map memory, virtually unlimited waypoint capacity, fast USB connections, better reception, expanded waypoint names, note fields that can contain cache name, hints and other info are all features that are attractive to geocachers. Yeah, the color screen is nice too.

[+JohnnyVegas]

Common guys. . . If you click the websight there are a number of advertised units that are totally useless for Geocaching (though very good for their own use). Why are they on this sight?????

 

 

What websight?

If you mean the geocaching site, my guess is that they are there because the GPS companies have paid for those adds. If you have a problem with a non geocaching GPS being advertised on a geocaching site contact the GPS company with your issues.

Groundspeak is a bussiness, those adds keep the cost of mambership to the cachers down. Without those adds how much would you pay to use this site.

[+xshooter]

I use a Garmin GPSMAP 60c. Got it refurbished from edgegps.com for $159. A while back I was at an event with temp caches and was caching with a guy that had a 60csx. Both of our units led us to exactly the same spot. Same accuracy readout. All the caches that I have found the 60c has led me right to them. I don't believe that if I would have spent the extra $200 to get a 60csx I would do any better at getting to GZ. As for navigateing on roads I have a Garmin 2610 that I bought mainly to use on my motorcycle (also refurbished and from edgegps.com). Cost me $195. Much nicer having a British gal tell me where to turn than having to listen for a beep and look at a screen. These two combined give me the best of both worlds for approximately the same money as one of the higher end units.

 

My 2 cents. Your mileage may vary.

 

xshooter

[+Cedar Grove Seekers]

For my money the Vista HCX was the way to go. It's main competition in my mind was the 60CSX.

It was NOT an easy decision for me, as I am really picky about electronic stuff, and both these units were so similar.

 

I picked Vista HCX (a newer model) for these reasons (in order of importance to me):

* clearer (higher resolution and brighter) screen, even though it is noticably smaller when compared side by side

* more tactile feedback of the buttons and click stick (found the 60CSX rocker pad to be to ambiguous, and spongey in touch feedback)

* Both products have almost identical features, yet I found the Vista HCX is about 20-25% cheaper

* Both products have very similar user ratings based on reception, yet I found the Vista HCX is about 20-25% cheaper (the price difference answer may lie in the fact that the Vista HCX does not use a SiRFIII chipset, but a MediaTek - one informal review/comparison of both can be found HERE and seems to indicate what I found over and over again - that reception is very similar, so why pay more?

* longer advertised battery life (probably mostly due to the smaller screen area)

* smaller profile (no quad helix antenna sticking up)

* The Vista HCX comes with no microSD card, and since I was planning to upgrade to a larger chip anyway, any extra money I would have paid for the small card that comes with the 60CSX would have been wasted.

 

It is safe to say that in large part the decision is based on preference of design/features rather than quality of performance. Therefore, in my mind there is no "right" answer that applies to everyone.

 

Based on my own research and experience, I definitely think that the new Media Tek chips found in the Garmin "H" series receivers are worthy products, and that this newer non-SiRF technology is saving people some money, and could just be as a result of a reduction of technology cost which occurs naturally in the tech sector. HERE is a link to MediaTek's homepage for anyone interested in researching them.

 

Just my thoughts - as you can see I really try to do my research before making a purchase

 

Wow kraushad, you certainly did your research and made an informed purchase. I bought the 60CSX for all the opposite reasons you bought the HCX.

* bigger screen on 60CSX

* front panel buttons (used to have an etrex - didn't like side buttons)

* SiRFIII (slightly better than MediaTek...I think )

 

* shorter battery life, but bigger screen worth it

* external antennae - just looks cooler

* micro SD card included (no need to upgrade size)

 

Was going for performance and coolness of design.

 

Just goes to show that there are many good units, and it comes down to personal preference.

[+kraushad]

Yeah Cedar, I am pretty anal about electronics purchases. I am a teacher and my wife stays home with our little one, so spending money has to be done as thoughtfully as possible!

 

But as long as you got the unit you like and I got the one I like, we are both right!

[Geohobby]

spam deleted by mod

Edited January 18, 2008 by briansnat

[elenaluna]

There isn't a single "best" unit for geocaching. Sorry. I know that makes it tough to choose.

 

If you want a budget unit that will point you to a set of coordinates, maybe with mapping capabilities, you can go with the "Yellow" eTrex or the eTrex Legend from Garmin, or the Magellan eXplorist 100 or 200. Any of these for well less than $200. Or you can go for an older unit, which will do about the same things as any of these. I have a Magellan MAP 330, which you can find all day long on eBay for under $50. Garmin III and V units are also still out there being used.

 

If you want a mid-range GPS with a few bells and whistles, maybe with a color screen, auto-routing, yadda yadda, you can get a Garmin Vista or a Magellan eXplorist 500 or 600 for the $200 - $400 price range.

 

Of you can go higher end, for units with color screen, barometric altimeter, electronic compass, etc. and so forth. Lowrance iFinder Expedition, Garmin GPS 60, Garmin Colorado, Magellan Triton, etc.; $300 - $500 or so for these.

 

You can go still higher, and get GIS and surveying units, particularly from Trimble. They aren't built specifically for geocaching, but they can certainly be used in that way, and they'll give you God-a'mighty accurate readings (subfoot accuracy). You'll also spend several thousand dollars on them.

 

But no, the automotive GPS units (TomTom, RoadMate, nuvi, etc.) won't do for geocaching. They're meant to stay on the road and in the car, and not on the trail.

 

Hello - I am new to this forum and not sure about how to post a question. I was interested in what you had to say about GPS units and wondered if you have one to recommend that doubles for out of car geocaching as well as traveling in the car just generally. And the lower the cost the better. Thanks.

[+Cedar Grove Seekers]

Yeah Cedar, I am pretty anal about electronics purchases. I am a teacher and my wife stays home with our little one, so spending money has to be done as thoughtfully as possible!

 

But as long as you got the unit you like and I got the one I like, we are both right!

Yup! Do your research and get the right one for yourself.

[+fegan]

Common guys, lets tell the people what is the right GPS for Geocaching. I bo0ught a TOm TOm One XLS and don't get me wrong, this is a great unit to drive to the corner store or across the country but it will only take yo to the nearest point on a road to a geocache. What you need is a unit that will take you to a coordinate (not on a highway). I owned the Tomtom ONe for a week then bought a Gaarmin Legend eTrex Hcx. These come under the category of handheld "trail" units.

I don't know about that...I got a Garmin nuvi 200W for Christmas and I've already logged 13 finds with it, only had a couple of DNFs, so I'm pretty happy with it. I can even download the GC#### and coordinates directly from the geocaching website...they show up under my Favorites. You use what you got 'til you can afford to spend the $$$ on something better.

 

I will say, one major downside is they're not waterproof...and let's not forget the short battery life. But I get driving directions to get me close, then I switch to Pedestrian mode. Most of the caches I've found have been with-in 5-10ft of where the nuvi directed me.

Edited January 20, 2008 by fegan