Which GPS should I buy...GeoCaching Noob question sorry

[thankukorea]

I have 3 choices of GPS I can get in Korea.

Are these any good for Geocaching?

Which is best?

 

Garmin eTrex Legend Mapping Handheld GPS

 

Magellan triton 200

 

Magellan eXplorist 400

 

Thanks for any help and advice you can give

[gallet]

Is that the blue Legend with the monochrome screen or the Legend HCx?

[A.B.E.L.]

My best advice for new geocachers;

 

I bought a used Garmin eTrex Venture off Craigslist for $35 when I first started... I had to manually enter all caches by hand because I didn't get a data cable with it. But it still gave me a feel of what geocaching was all about. I would highly recommend picking up a cheap used Garmin eTrex series first, if you like the hobby then let the little ones use it, or if you don't have little ones sell it and invest in a better unit (HCx/60Csx/400t). if at the worst case scenario you don't like the hobby you can simply sell the cheap gps you bought on Craigslist without losing a ton of cash.

Edited April 24, 2008 by Aberrix

[+XopherN71]

They'll all work, Garmin is usually the easiest.

[+Miragee]

I would recommend getting a Garmin GPSr as opposed to a Magellan simply because Garmin has a much better record for Customer Service, should you need it.

 

The newer Garmin GPS units with 'H' in the name are the best ones to look for. There are several models. The best, least-expensive model is the Legend HCx.

Edited April 24, 2008 by Miragee

[Dustin Clays]

Anyone have any thoughts about the New Garmin Colorado?? Pretty spendy unit- just wondering if their worth it or not---

[+XopherN71]

Worth it?

 

Depends.

 

I have one (400t), and I absolutely love it... it amazes me every day. For Geocaching it can't be beat, I also plan on using it for biking this summer and purchased the wireless heart rate monitor for it.

 

For maps I have the entire City Navigator NT 2008 on the unit itself, plus the whole US Inland Lakes on an SD card.

[thankukorea]

thanks guys for all your help.

in Korea everyone uses road navigation systems but personal gps are near impossible to get.

So I have no opportunity to see them in action

[+TrailGators]

My best advice for new geocachers;

 

I bought a used Garmin eTrex Venture off Craigslist for $35 when I first started... I had to manually enter all caches by hand because I didn't get a data cable with it. But it still gave me a feel of what geocaching was all about. I would highly recommend picking up a cheap used Garmin eTrex series first, if you like the hobby then let the little ones use it, or if you don't have little ones sell it and invest in a better unit (HCx/60Csx/400t). if at the worst case scenario you don't like the hobby you can simply sell the cheap gps you bought on Craigslist without losing a ton of cash.

This is a good idea. Plus if you like caching and upgrade then you'll have a sparr GPS.

[+Chuy!]

To reiterate what Miragee said about customer support.

 

I went to the Magellan website to look up the discontinued Explorist 400 and can't find it anywhere - only in news releases. At Garmin, they have a webpage of discontinued models with the lastest firmware releases.

Even though the 400 has more desirable features, if you get an older model, you will have to search elsewhere for firmware updates.

If you come across an eMap, for example, that was discontinued many moons ago, you can still download the last firmware update - back in 2003! Garmin has a USB driver update on the eMap webpage dated March 2007. These examples should tell you which company is more dedicated to customer support.

[mikey_b]

I mentioned in another thread that the eXplorist 400 is a good unit, but it's discontinued. Magellan has an odd distinction between "discontinued" and "unsupported" as there are still some outstanding issues with the eXplorists that need to be resolved (such as lack of WAAS corrections) and the maps are quite out-of-date, but Mother Maggie isn't interested in fixing them. That being said, my eXplorist 500 is about the easiest thing to use, excellent interface and features.

 

The Triton 200 I wouldn't really recommend, I prefer the more expandable units (SD card compatible) which means the Triton 400 would be my "low end". Problem is, Magellan is relying on folks buying the National Geographic maps for the Tritons. They are awesome maps! But they only cover the US. Tritons are compatible with the older, discontinued MapSend DirectRoute and Topo packages, but while they are compatible, they are not supported, and there are some issues that need to be resolved there as well with respect to the firmware.

 

From the Garmin camp, my recommendation would be the Legend HCx for first time. It has a lot of features and is well-supported by Garmin. If you have a real need for the electronic compass (as opposed to the GPS compass in the Legend) and a barometric altimeter, then there is the Vista HCx, but I would probably jump from the Legend HCx to the 60CSx, myself. Garmin has a better track record with customer service and their devices are much better supported.

Edited April 25, 2008 by mikey_b