Plz help me find a cheap but effective gps.

[Kwes1993]

Can anybody help me find find a cheap but effective GPS unit.

[+Miragee]

How cheap? How effective?

 

You can get a GPS unit very cheap, but it won't connect to your computer, so that wouldn't be very effective. Or you could get one that connects with the Serial Port, but then you need to get an adapter cable because your new laptop doesn't have a Serial Port.

 

Check out Garmin's website and their Comparison Page. They have several new models with 'H' in the model name. Those have the High Sensitivity Receivers. The best, least-expensive of those is the Legend HCx. It connects with USB, but some of the other models with fewer features also connect with USB.

[Kwes1993]

Thanks for the tip I'll be sure to check that out.

[+Chuy!]

Stick to the Garmin line in this order:

 

Etrex H; Venture HC; Summit HC; Legend HCx; Vista HCx; GPSMap 60Cx; GPSMap 60CSx.

 

Pick the one that suits your price range, from $90 to $305.

[+Bilder]

You can find Venture HC for around $130 on Amazon.

 

Ebay has some Megallan Explorist package deals as well. Cables, carry case, basemap CD and such for $120 or so.

 

Or if you want to go old school, you can usually find an older garmin etrex in the $50-100 range on Ebay or your local pawn shop. May not be as fancy with the monochrome screen and all, but they will get you to the cache.

[+SimbaJamey]

After I bought mine at REI in April...I noticed there's a GPSr Garage Sale topic on this message board where people buy and sell used ones.

I've been thinking about going that route to get ones to give to my friends and relatives that keep asking me, "When can we go out geocaching again?" after I take them along for a walk in the woods.

[gitarmac]

I got a venture for a reasonable price, it includes the usb cable. The local sporting goods store had the etrex on sale but did not include the cable. I did a search and found that the price of the etrex including the cable would be as much or more as the venture HC (on sale).

 

It doesn't have anything but a base map but I like it a lot. I had an older one without the HC antenna, reciever, whatever, and the new one has made a world of difference.

 

I'm not really a power cacher though, I enjoy it when I do it but I am happy just to get a couple a week. I origionally got a gps for marking spots for hiking and hunting and a basic model met my needs just fine.