wtb cheap gps for son

[night2u]

We are looking for a basic gps in working condition for our 4 year old son. He is responsible but I still have misgivings letting him "lead the way" with our 60 CSX. We don't expect somebody to give us a gps but I don't plan on spending alot on something.

Thanks for Reading.

[+XopherN71]

Not sure if it will help, but I picked up a brand new Geko 201 for about $50 on ebay for our 5 year old, it's a great little device!

 

Easy to use, small, bright colored (easy to find if dropped), waterproof and it works great. I also have a good eBay source for a usb cable for it (Geko is serial, but this cable plugs into a usb port, very nice).

Edited April 18, 2008 by XopherN71

[QuigleyJones]

I too would recommend a geko, best place to buy would be ebay.

[night2u]

Thanks, I looked at ebay at the "$36.00" gekos. Problem is they are charginging $46.00 for shipping to Canada and then I would have Duty and Taxes on top. Makes them a little expensive.

[QuigleyJones]

If you have an item marked as a gift and under $50cnd taxes arnt applied.

 

As for shipping you could try asking for a lower price, or wait till for a reasonable listing.

[+Moosiegirl]

We are looking for a basic gps in working condition for our 4 year old son. He is responsible but I still have misgivings letting him "lead the way" with our 60 CSX. We don't expect somebody to give us a gps but I don't plan on spending alot on something.

Thanks for Reading.

 

I would like to ask you to give your son all the rein he'll take! Four-year-olds can be amazingly responsible and resourceful. I know he already has toys that cost $50 or more at home, right? And has it drummed into him how expensive they were! LOL Look for a good used Garmin eTrex (or the Gecko) and let him have at it.

 

I teach geocaching classes for families through Texas Parks and Wildlife, and one of my absolute favorite memories is the 4-year-old girl who INSISTED on having her own GPSr at a class (and we had enough units for her to have one). She had already learned to read words, and her parents offered numerous times to help her as we did the two waypoints I was making them input manually, but we spelled the waypoint names for her, and she did it all herself. When we set out to find the 7 caches, once she figured out the button-push sequence for getting the next waypoint (by the second cache location), she was off and running and found nearly all the caches by herself. We were using yellow Garmin eTrex's (regular and H). I have put her parents on my "prayer list" for when she becomes a teenager!

 

My only suggestions would be to teach him how to change the batteries himself, make certain he has a neck lanyard for it and uses it most of the time, and the rest of the time he puts it in a pocket that's deep enough it can't fall out (I still need these 2 things for myself! LOL). After he goes crashing through the tall snake-infested grass, the thorns, the loose rocks on the cliff, etc. to get there first, and pulls the cache out of a place you never suspected, or a hole you would NEVER put your hand in without checking it with a stick first, let HIM sign the log ... and THEN go over those safety rules again! LOL

 

I hope you'll write me "after the fact" and let me know how he's doing with it. I'm sure he'll make you proud.

 

Happy Trails,

Candy