Garmin Nuvi 200

[+Freth]

I've been geocaching for a couple years now. My first unit was actually a DeLorme bluetooth unit which I used with my HP pocket PC. That still works fine for geocaching, but I recently decided I wanted to put a low-cost GPS unit in my car that I could take with me out into the field when I geocached. The handheld units are a real turn-off to me because of the way you have to navigate the menus. I wanted touch-screen because it's just so much quicker.

 

The other day I was out with a friend looking around at car GPS units and I saw that Garmin's Nuvi line had the capability of accepting multiple coordinate formats and zooms in to 80 feet. I looked at the units with geocaching in mind first and a car GPS in mind second. I also didn't want to pay over $200 for a GPS unit.

 

Enter the Nuvi 200, the low-end model of the Garmin car GPS line. The unit functions great as an inexpensive car GPS but it also is accurate enough to triangulate a geocache. I have yet to use it to test for pinpoint accuracy, so I'm going by the zoom feature. The only thing I don't like about the unit is the icon representing the current position, which can only be reduced to an arrow. The Li-Ion battery allows for portability and lasts up to 3 hours, which would be nice for a day of caching. In-between it would be charging while I drive.

 

In the coming weeks I will be testing the unit on a geocache or two and will post my findings. As a car GPS I've already gotten out of a few pinches with the unit. Its features are basic, but they are enough to satisfy those with less to spend.

 

I checked on the website and found that there are no updates for my unit. There is a program you can download and run to update firmware, but you can't download anything directly except a cursor pack that consists mostly of cars of different types to use as your vehicle. There are two upgrades you can add via the SD slot which enhance the points of interest for the US and/or Europe respectively. I don't consider these a necessity. If you're spending this low you're not worried about these kinds of features.

 

The only other downsides---the model I purchased is being replaced with a new model so support in the future may be limited. Information in the unit can and will become outdated over time. I am unaware whether a firmware upgrade will update the unit's database as well, but I do know my unit has fairly new streets in it now at firmware version 3.80.

 

More as soon as I get a chance to test it for geocaching.

Edited March 16, 2008 by Freth

[Motorcycle_Mama]

You should download and run Garmin's WebUpdater program in order to be sure that the unit's firmware is updated to the latest.

 

The firmware is a completely separate thing from the map update, but if the unit doesn't have the v2008 maps, you should be able to get a map update from Garmin for free.

 

You can also use Garmin's POI Loader software to load your Pocket Queries as Custom POIs to the unit. And you can load lots of other Custom POIs of your choosing to the unit as well.

 

And there are lots of user designed arrow replacements available on a variety of websites if you want something different from what Garmin offers.

[+jotne]

You can only get free mapupdate from Garmin if the unit was bought after a new map was released from Garmin. If it have NA v8 and Garmin had released v2008 when you bought it, you can get a free upgrade.

If not you have to pay $75 for an upgrade.

[+Freth]

Thanks for the informative posts.

 

I did do the web update this afternoon and it did not find any updates to add. I'm glad you explained the custom POI. I had downloaded it and ran it but did not consider that it would be able to import the POI's from here (awesome to know!) as I had done with my pocket PC. I am also excited to know that I can get more pointers elsewhere. I'll begin searching for some low profile/small pointers for geocaching.

 

Initial tests just walking with the unit around my apartment proved to me that this unit will be able to do geocaching just fine.

[MtnHermit]

And there are lots of user designed arrow replacements available on a variety of websites if you want something different from what Garmin offers.

This comment intrigues me.

 

Can the Position Pointer's shape be changed? I'm not so interested in the cursor, which I can move, rather the satellite position. Currently, I have a large black triangle showing the position on my Venture Cx.

 

Thanks

[Motorcycle_Mama]

Just be careful taking it out into the wild. It's not waterproof, and the nuvi line as a whole tends to be fragile. I wouldn't venture too far from the car with it. It won't survive a drop in the mud or body of water.

[MtnHermit]

The only other downsides---the model I purchased is being replaced with a new model so support in the future may be limited. Information in the unit can and will become outdated over time. I am unaware whether a firmware upgrade will update the unit's database as well, but I do know my unit has fairly new streets in it now at firmware version 3.80.

As far as support is concerned, I doubt you'll have any worries. But, you certainly will not see any new features added.

 

Just today I was on a similiar quest, looking at the low end Nuvi's for their large screens. The Nuvi 200W is currently at $200 and has awesome reviews on Amazon. My interest is a bit different, I like a larger screen for Topo maps when I hike or backpack. My Venture Cx is excellent in all respects except you can't see much of the map. I was considering a Colorado, but too expensive, and its actually heavier than a Nuvi 200W, and has a smaller screen. The new Nuvi 205W is another ounce lighter still. I'd carry both and only use the Nuvi for major map consultation and car navigation.

 

One feature of some Nuvi's is internal screenshots, will your Nuvi 200 capture a screenshot? Not sure how you trigger it but it saves the SS as a bmp file to internal memory. I know a Nuvi 660 will do this.

 

Thanks

[+Hosta Hillbillys]

Yeah, the NUVI 200 I'm playing with will save a screen snapshot but I'm not sure what I'd do with it.

 

Glad the original poster mentioned being able to zoom in to 80' - I hadn't stumbled upon that yet, but just now played and found that. Heck, my ol' eMap only zoomed in to 120' and I've done lotsa caching with that!

 

I recently played with a TomTom v3 and there were some interesting differences. For geocaching, my first preference for the TT3 was that exports from GSAK showed up with cache names instead of the GC#'s that showed up in the N200. Also, the TT3 finds itself waaaaaaay faster upon initial turn-on, and seems to be more accurate, but that's only a 'seem' as only empirical testing was done.

 

The TT3 had more overall ability to customize features, but the N200 will stay zoomed out when asked.

 

I should have started a chart but didn't, drat. I also have not found a way to read lat/long of current position on the N200.

 

Sure be interesting if someone had the time/money/access to put a few of these side-by-side and publish a chart, eh?

 

I noted immediately that both units find themselves waaaaay faster than my older eMap and eTrex Legend, and more importantly, do so indoors (wooden roof, of course) and under snow-covered evergreen trees that all but stop the older units mentioned that I use.

 

Ultimately, we need our DeLorme moving map on a notebook computer to determine which side of the creek to be on, so don't see the automotive nav units becoming the do-all for our caching, mostly rural and backwoods, meaning we'll want to get the 60, 76, or eTrex H series for field use. Compromise is not an option when the creek is too wide to hop, too fast to wade, and the next bridge is way down around and back on the time/fuel meter.

 

Yeah, some of the hand-held units do turn-by-turn nav, but the old eyes cannot (safely) read those screens while driving, and which side of the creek is that cache on anyway heheheh.

 

Happy Trails.

Edited March 17, 2008 by Hosta Hillbillys

[+Freth]

Yes, the current position cursor can be changed. It took me some searching but I was able to find a couple sites with replacement cursors. I wanted a cursor that was small so I could fine-tune my position when searching for a cache. I did find a cursor that meets my needs.

 

The Nuvi 200 does show current lat/long position if you click on the current position cursor. What it does is asks you if you want to save the current position as your favorite position and it brings up the lat/long. It's an easy way to check if you're close to the cache, but really... if you enter the cache lat/long into the unit and set it as a destination or favorite you should be able to find it very easily.

 

I know the Nuvi 200 isn't the ultimate unit for geocaching, but it bridges the gap for both a car unit and geocaching unit for a small price.

[+briansnat]

Reviewing a Nuvi for geocaching would be like reviewing a rifle for fishing. You can use it, but there are far better choices.

[MtnHermit]

Reviewing a Nuvi for geocaching would be like reviewing a rifle for fishing. You can use it, but there are far better choices.

Now theirs a "Holier than Thou Comment"!!!

[+chadlyt]

Reviewing a Nuvi for geocaching would be like reviewing a rifle for fishing. You can use it, but there are far better choices.

 

Well, a rifle for fishing? I'd rather use a shotgun seeing it will go deeper.

 

I just started geocaching (this weekend actually) and used my NUVI 360. It's not perfect, but for those short jaunts, it did the trick. Fragile? Yes. Did it get the job done? Yes. Would i trust it for a long hike? No.

 

I am currently looking at other options. I like the touch screen, but it will stay in my Jeep. the 60CSX is expensive, and while i may do that, i want something i can drop and not have my heart sink when it does.

[+Js HDs]

I've been geocaching for a couple years now. My first unit was actually a DeLorme bluetooth unit which I used with my HP pocket PC. That still works fine for geocaching, but I recently decided I wanted to put a low-cost GPS unit in my car that I could take with me out into the field when I geocached. The handheld units are a real turn-off to me because of the way you have to navigate the menus. I wanted touch-screen because it's just so much quicker.

 

The other day I was out with a friend looking around at car GPS units and I saw that Garmin's Nuvi line had the capability of accepting multiple coordinate formats and zooms in to 80 feet. I looked at the units with geocaching in mind first and a car GPS in mind second. I also didn't want to pay over $200 for a GPS unit.

 

Enter the Nuvi 200, the low-end model of the Garmin car GPS line. The unit functions great as an inexpensive car GPS but it also is accurate enough to triangulate a geocache. I have yet to use it to test for pinpoint accuracy, so I'm going by the zoom feature. The only thing I don't like about the unit is the icon representing the current position, which can only be reduced to an arrow. The Li-Ion battery allows for portability and lasts up to 3 hours, which would be nice for a day of caching. In-between it would be charging while I drive.

 

In the coming weeks I will be testing the unit on a geocache or two and will post my findings. As a car GPS I've already gotten out of a few pinches with the unit. Its features are basic, but they are enough to satisfy those with less to spend.

 

I checked on the website and found that there are no updates for my unit. There is a program you can download and run to update firmware, but you can't download anything directly except a cursor pack that consists mostly of cars of different types to use as your vehicle. There are two upgrades you can add via the SD slot which enhance the points of interest for the US and/or Europe respectively. I don't consider these a necessity. If you're spending this low you're not worried about these kinds of features.

 

The only other downsides---the model I purchased is being replaced with a new model so support in the future may be limited. Information in the unit can and will become outdated over time. I am unaware whether a firmware upgrade will update the unit's database as well, but I do know my unit has fairly new streets in it now at firmware version 3.80.

 

More as soon as I get a chance to test it for geocaching.

 

Try using google and enter "garmin vehicles crosshairs". I found three "vehicles"

that work with my 200. One is a rifle scope that works the best.

 

Js HDs