Do I need two GPS units?

[+jeepcacher]

I was looking for a geocaching/street GPS in the $300 range. In my research it looks at though I will be better off to get two separate GPS units, hopefully for not too much over $300, or $400 max. For on road city trips I am thinking about a Garmin Nuvi 350 or 260. Are they out-of-the-box ready for a road trip? Which is better, or is there a better one for less than $200?

 

For geocaching I am thinking about buying a Garmin Legend or Vista HCX. It looks as though the only difference is the electronic barometer/compass. Are they out-of-the-box ready for geocaching?

 

Is it necessary to have topo or other ad-on maps? Is there an option that would allow me to buy just one GPS keeping the price in the same range or lower. I live in rural Central Pennsylvania and plan to only use the geocaching GPS in a handful of counties and the street one in a handful of states.

[+Team Benhamtroll]

I was looking for a geocaching/street GPS in the $300 range. In my research it looks at though I will be better off to get two separate GPS units, hopefully for not too much over $300, or $400 max. For on road city trips I am thinking about a Garmin Nuvi 350 or 260. Are they out-of-the-box ready for a road trip? Which is better, or is there a better one for less than $200?

 

For geocaching I am thinking about buying a Garmin Legend or Vista HCX. It looks as though the only difference is the electronic barometer/compass. Are they out-of-the-box ready for geocaching?

 

Is it necessary to have topo or other ad-on maps? Is there an option that would allow me to buy just one GPS keeping the price in the same range or lower. I live in rural Central Pennsylvania and plan to only use the geocaching GPS in a handful of counties and the street one in a handful of states.

 

I can't speak for the handhelds you mentioned, but I've been please with my Nuvi 200W, which I got at Best Buy for about $189. For the purposes you mention, it's probably about as good as the others, and cheaper. I'm actually using it as my primary caching rig, since my car has built in nav, and my GPS315 died.

 

It's a little flimsy, and not waterproof, but I'm hoping to get a case to help with that.

[+Miragee]

I have a Vista HCx loaded with the City Navigator maps and Topo maps. If I did a lot of traveling, I might want to get a Nuvi since the screen is much larger and there are voice prompts, compared to the "beeps" the Vista HCx gives.

 

If you get a Nuvi and a handheld, you can get the older Topo maps for the handheld on eBay for less money than the newest Topo maps. Having the Topo maps is better than no maps at all . . .

[+embra]

I endorse the concept of two GPS models, one for each purpose. You will probably be happier with the specialized functions of each respective device, rather than the compromise one usually has to make with a single device.

 

The possible exception is using the Nuvi--what I presume to be a fine auto gps--for caching. The interest in the paperless Nuvi caching thread suggests that it may be satisfactory for caching (I confess I've not read the entire thing since I don't own a Nuvi).

[+busternfruss]

I endorse the concept of two GPS models, one for each purpose. You will probably be happier with the specialized functions of each respective device, rather than the compromise one usually has to make with a single device.

 

The possible exception is using the Nuvi--what I presume to be a fine auto gps--for caching. The interest in the paperless Nuvi caching thread suggests that it may be satisfactory for caching (I confess I've not read the entire thing since I don't own a Nuvi).

 

I have a Nuvi 350 which is very easy to use, speaks street names as well as distance to turns, etc., for driving, and it is great! It also comes with the driving maps. I've had it for a little over a year. Recently I bought an eTrex Venture HC (like the higher-priced eTrex models but no card slot, no extra compass or altimeter) just for geocaching. I love this combo! At amazon.com among other places you could get both for around $300 or so, free shipping.

 

I started geocaching in April, and the Nuvi worked very well for that, held signals well and was accurate. It has a pedestrian mode. However, the Nuvis really aren't intended for lots of outdoor use, and I always got a sinking feeling when I laid it down in pinestraw or whatever. It is not water resistant and the ports have no covers. That is the reason I bought the Venture HC--it is water resistant, it's shape is easier to hand-carry, it's made for the trail, etc. I really enjoy having a car unit and an outdoor unit. I did get spoiled to the Nuvi's touchscreen, but the eTrex is easy to learn and better for outdoors.

 

f you want to load lots of extra maps on the outdoor unit, one of the eTrex models with a card slot might be better for you. I didn't need that--I don't do wilderness caching that would need the topo maps, and I have the Nuvi for driving. The Venture HC has 24 mb of internal memory, but I haven't loaded anything on it. Other threads have said that is enough space for a good area of topos.

 

I agree that buying two units for the two different purposes would probably be more satisfactory than trying to use just one unit for both. There is a lot of difference between the two kinds of units.

 

A note on the eTrexes: The ones with "H" in their names have the newer, high-sensitivity satellite receivers. C means color screen, x means card slot. There are still some of the older models out there, with the same names but different letters. I think you'd want the better receiver. The Garmin website will compare all their current models. You can find lower prices than the MSR prices listed, as noted above.

HTHS--

Edited July 22, 2008 by busternfruss

[+jeepcacher]

OK, I think that I will go with a Nuvi for travel.

 

As for geocaching: What is geocaching mode on a GPS unit? Do the handheld units come with a basic enough map for geocaching or will I need a unit and a map? What is a basemap? I have been researching like crazy, because I cannot a different one if I get the wrong one.

 

I think I have it narrowed down to Garmin 60csx and Garmin Vista HCX. I would greatly appreciate any input. I realize the 60csx has a really good rating but is it worth $300, as opposed to $220 for the Vista. If I buy the 60 csx can I take it out of the box and use it for geocaching in my area or will I need to buy maps too?

[ryleyinstl]

Both the Vista HCx and the 60CSx have base maps included but these are just state highways, interstates and cities/big towns. You don't really "need" maps for GC but it sure is nice.

 

If you don't need auto routing data on the hand held these FREE maps are really great:

 

http://www.ibycus.com/ibycususa/

 

There has been lots of the Vista HCx v/s 60CSx discussion on this forum……plug some combinations into the search and you will get plenty of results.

Edited July 22, 2008 by ryleyinstl

[+busternfruss]

OK, I think that I will go with a Nuvi for travel.

 

As for geocaching: What is geocaching mode on a GPS unit? Do the handheld units come with a basic enough map for geocaching or will I need a unit and a map? What is a basemap? I have been researching like crazy, because I cannot a different one if I get the wrong one.

 

I think I have it narrowed down to Garmin 60csx and Garmin Vista HCX. I would greatly appreciate any input. I realize the 60csx has a really good rating but is it worth $300, as opposed to $220 for the Vista. If I buy the 60 csx can I take it out of the box and use it for geocaching in my area or will I need to buy maps too?

 

I'm not an expert, but I (and my caching friends, theirs) use my eTrex for caching without any extra maps on it. The driving unit gets me to the general area of the cache (or the map on the website cache page), and then the eTrex points me to it. You don't really need a map for that as by that time you are in the general location of the cache and have parked. Now if you are in the wilderness, you might want a topo map loaded; I don't know anything about that. But for the caches around here, even the ones in the woods, you don't need any extra maps. The one that comes on all the outdoor units is very basic (shows towns and major highways), but maps aren't really needed once you've gotten to where you park to find the cache. Also, if you zoom the map on each cache page on the website ahead of time, you can see the general area of the cache in relation to roads and things; sometimes for the town ones, you can see which bush the cache is in by zooming in the satellite view map on the cache page. (Keep in mind the coords can be up to 10 feet off with any unit and the hider might have been off a little too, but this usually works.)

 

The Vista HCx is a fancier model of the eTrex I have--it has a card slot and an extra electronic compass and an altimeter. That's the only difference, the eTrexes are all similar and all have WAAS. My friend has a 60CSx. My Venture HC and hers perform the same when we are caching, so far. The pointer pages look the same. Hers is larger and heavier, and the buttons are on the front. Hers also has the extra compass and altimeter but we don't ever use those around here. I don't know what extra features hers has; we don't ever use any others on either unit. I've done two multi caches that needed a bearing, and I used my little $5 W-mart compass for that and it worked fine. (She let me be the orienteer.) There might be a way to do it with the GPS units, I don't know. I think both of the units you mentioned get great reviews. The Vista HCx is less expensive, I think. It's the highest priced of the eTrex models, btw. Any of these units work right out of the box (imho). Personally, I like the eTrexes, but I know the 60 has lots of fans, too. There are some technical differences but in my limited experience, they work the same. Take your pick.

 

Geocaching mode has the little treasure chest icon that changes to any open chest icon and notes when you've found a cache. Also, you can download some of the cache info from the cache page by using "Send to Garmin," even if you're not a premium member. There may be other features--I'm at the "88 found, 5 hidden" stage in geocaching, since beginning in April. The geocaches are basically waypoints, but there is a geocache page that lists them separately from other waypoints. All these units have the Geocache feature, trackback, etc. Maybe others can give more detailed info.

 

I believe you can actually find the manuals on the Garmin site and read through them if you wanted. For my and all my friends' purposes, we don't ever use the extra features. I have found caches using the "Map" screen (purple line to cache) and using the "Pointer" (arrow) screen. Most people use the Pointer, I think. (The Nuvi didn't have the Pointer screen, so I got used to using the purple line. I can do it either way.)

 

There are many models of Nuvis, depending on which bells and whistles you need. The 350 is a great unit, I've not used the other models.

 

HTH, & Happy caching-- B&F

[+jeepcacher]

I plan to do geocaching in very rural areas with some hiking required. I know nothing about topo maps, but am sure that I could learn if needed. The areas I would be in are not on regular maps and the roads usually do not have names. It would be useful to be able to see where the hiking trails are, but probably not necessary as there are free maps of all the hiking trails. Would a handheld GPS out of the box be good enough to find a cache if I do not care about obstacles? I am still at work but will look later at threads on comparing vista the 60. It looks like topo maps are $80 on ebay. What are the maps like that you download for the specific cache? I have only been researching this for a few days. I am so excited to get started and want to order it tomorrow to hopefully have it for the weekend.

[+busternfruss]

I was looking for a geocaching/street GPS in the $300 range. In my research it looks at though I will be better off to get two separate GPS units, hopefully for not too much over $300, or $400 max. For on road city trips I am thinking about a Garmin Nuvi 350 or 260. Are they out-of-the-box ready for a road trip? Which is better, or is there a better one for less than $200?

 

For geocaching I am thinking about buying a Garmin Legend or Vista HCX. It looks as though the only difference is the electronic barometer/compass. Are they out-of-the-box ready for geocaching?

 

Is it necessary to have topo or other ad-on maps? Is there an option that would allow me to buy just one GPS keeping the price in the same range or lower. I live in rural Central Pennsylvania and plan to only use the geocaching GPS in a handful of counties and the street one in a handful of states.

 

Oh, goodness, just saw a thread about a new "outdoor" type Nuvi 500!

But I still think the two units would be a great combo!!

[Matt7591]

I plan to do geocaching in very rural areas with some hiking required. I know nothing about topo maps, but am sure that I could learn if needed. The areas I would be in are not on regular maps and the roads usually do not have names. It would be useful to be able to see where the hiking trails are, but probably not necessary as there are free maps of all the hiking trails. Would a handheld GPS out of the box be good enough to find a cache if I do not care about obstacles? I am still at work but will look later at threads on comparing vista the 60. It looks like topo maps are $80 on ebay. What are the maps like that you download for the specific cache? I have only been researching this for a few days. I am so excited to get started and want to order it tomorrow to hopefully have it for the weekend.

 

"Do I need two gps? " Quite a question. I need 3! I use one for driving. My Vista CX is so SLOW with driving directions that if I miss a turn, I can go two blocks before it "catches up". My Tomtom kills in this area.

 

So CX and now a third, one for my wife and 8 YO who wants to do more than follow Dad!

 

BTW, I don't go anywhere incredibly hairy, but Topo has helped me several times with streams. These are a pain to get around and it's great to see if a target is across or on the same side as I am. Amazon also has it cheap and they have a better return policy than ebay. I have yet to try the ibycus software but if that has good stream coverage, topo may be unnecessary.

 

With anything, I say try first, then decide what you need, rather than just buying the whole thing and deciding it isn't all needed. Google Earth is a hell of a good resource, even if you only have the original yellow etrex!

[+jeepcacher]

I cannot decide what one to get. I stopped at Dunhams today, the only place around here that carries handheld GPS. They had a Garmin Etrex, the blue one. I think it is very tiny. I wish I could see the 60csx to see if I like that size of it better. The dimensions do not sound much bigger. I think Walmart is about the cheapest place to order from. The Vista HCX is $220 and the 60CSX with case is $310. I think I will order one tomorrow morning. Does anyone know if I can just return it to a walmart if I do not like it?

[+busternfruss]

I cannot decide what one to get. I stopped at Dunhams today, the only place around here that carries handheld GPS. They had a Garmin Etrex, the blue one. I think it is very tiny. I wish I could see the 60csx to see if I like that size of it better. The dimensions do not sound much bigger. I think Walmart is about the cheapest place to order from. The Vista HCX is $220 and the 60CSX with case is $310. I think I will order one tomorrow morning. Does anyone know if I can just return it to a walmart if I do not like it?

 

Sometimes amazon.com is cheaper, but I haven't checked on those models.

[+GrateBear]

I have 3. The first was a Magellan that cannot be updated, and never could be during the two years I owned it, so won't buy one of their products again. Recently bought a Navigon, and like it for driving. Not sure what the map updates will be.

But, I also have a Garmin Legend Cx. It works just fine for caching, and I also use it to for driving and find it is just find. Granted the screen is a bit small compared to the others, but I don't have to mount in on the windshield, it's battery operated, and does a fine job leading me where I want to go. Also very handy when going on vacation. I have city navigator on it, two years old, and will most likely update to a newer version next year.

[+jeepcacher]

Walmart is $230 and Amazon is $237 for the Vista

 

For the 60CSX Walmart is $310 with a $10 case, Sam's is $308 without a case, and Amazon is $300 without a case.

 

I have read many articles and have not decided which to get, it seems as though both are very well liked and that there is not much difference in them.

 

What is Amazon's return policy like? restocking fees, shipping fees, etc

[+jeepcacher]

I ordered the Vista HCX this morning from Walmart. Total was $260 with overnight shipping. I can't wait to play.

[+Cee&Gee]

We have used our Nuvi 350 for getting us close and then get out of the vehicle with our Vista Cx and are now closing in our 1000 find. We think it works great. Just our opinion though!!

Edited July 24, 2008 by Cee&Gee

[+jeepcacher]

OK now that I have ordered my geocaching GPS I need to figure out what one for the car. Does anyone know of a place to find a comparison of features on the Garmin GPS for car's? What features do I want to make sure I have other than spoken street names?

[kelseylynn]

The spoken street names isnt really that important its nice but you can navigate just fine if it tells you the distance to your next turn. Garmin is coming out with the Nuvi 500 which is good for both driving and geocaching it looks promising. I have a Magellan crossover right now and I am not impressed with its outdoor capabilities but it works well with the driving functions.

[+storm180]

OK now that I have ordered my geocaching GPS I need to figure out what one for the car. Does anyone know of a place to find a comparison of features on the Garmin GPS for car's? What features do I want to make sure I have other than spoken street names?

 

I was in a recent dilemna of this nature just a few weeks ago. I decided to get a new auto gps for my car. I put my old Magellan 6000T in the other vehicle. I was looking for similiar features of the magellan but I did not want to go with another magellan due to the fact on how they never did anything with the explorist line. They just discontinues the product. So I was between a garmin 760 and a tomtom 730.

 

The major items which brought me to go with the tomtom 730 were the following custom pois shows up in 3d mode without having to zoom really close in like you do with all the nuvis. I was looking for the ability to touch a poi like in my magellan 6000t from the navigation screen to go to it but neither the garmin nor the tomtom allowed this directly from the nav screen. The tomtom has a map view screen where you can touch pois and route to them. One of the big drawbacks on the tomtom is its snap to road, even when you are in a parking lot the tomtom snaps you to the nearest road. Its a little bothersome but I can learn to live with it. The nuvi handles this situation much better than the tomtom. I also think the nuvi line has better maps. Both units do spoken name and on the tomtom you can enter in street info via voice commands.

 

With all that said I guess the big part was the custom pois and why I own a tomtom now because I find it rather annoying that I just can't be driving and see where the caches are on the nuvi without zooming way in and being in 2D mode. Tomtom fit the bill perfect for this.

[+jeepcacher]

well I got my GPS...unfortunately Walmart is stupid and sent me someone else return, which is banged up and has a scratched CD. So while I am waiting for them to replace it I have been checking the unit out. There are no roads shown around me for 13 miles on this basemap. Am I missing something? will I need topo? I know nothing about topo, will that help me any more. I can't believe that even the state routes around me are not on this map.

[+storm180]

No your not missing anything. You need Garmin's topo 2008 if you want topo. There are some free topo maps by Ibycus. Topo software is not routable but if you need routeable maps you need to get City Navigator 2008 or 2009. Most of the time the gps unit do not come with any software and all you have is the basemap.

[ryleyinstl]

There are some free topo maps by Ibycus.

 

FYI

 

Ibycus Topo maps are only available for Canada. The maps for the USA do not contain Topo data......yet.

Edited July 25, 2008 by ryleyinstl

[+jeepcacher]

No your not missing anything. You need Garmin's topo 2008 if you want topo. There are some free topo maps by Ibycus. Topo software is not routable but if you need routeable maps you need to get City Navigator 2008 or 2009. Most of the time the gps unit do not come with any software and all you have is the basemap.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. First of all I want to let everyone know that Walmart did come through for me and gave me a $75 credit for my trouble, said I can play with it all weekend, and then return it and order a new one if I want. If there is nothing wrong with it I may just keep it. I really have not had much time to check it out.

 

Now that I have the $75 I can justify buying the topo maps. The question is, should I? I plan to use it basically in only a few counties in Central PA.

 

BTW we picked up the Garmin Nuvi 260 yesterday for $215

[ryleyinstl]

Sounds like your road nav needs are covered with the Nuvi . If you want/require Topo maps then buy them. Whether you never leave PA or travel all over the USA Topo maps can be useful and if you think you will find them useful I would say the $99.00 price tag is justified.

Edited July 25, 2008 by ryleyinstl

[+JohnnyVegas]

I have been using a Tom Tom One 3rd Edition for street navigation, it can be loaded with geocaches, but it will not get you very close to a cache. One I am in that area of the cache I use one of my hand held GPS'rs

Edited July 25, 2008 by JohnnyVegas

[+storm180]

No your not missing anything. You need Garmin's topo 2008 if you want topo. There are some free topo maps by Ibycus. Topo software is not routable but if you need routeable maps you need to get City Navigator 2008 or 2009. Most of the time the gps unit do not come with any software and all you have is the basemap.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. First of all I want to let everyone know that Walmart did come through for me and gave me a $75 credit for my trouble, said I can play with it all weekend, and then return it and order a new one if I want. If there is nothing wrong with it I may just keep it. I really have not had much time to check it out.

 

Now that I have the $75 I can justify buying the topo maps. The question is, should I? I plan to use it basically in only a few counties in Central PA.

 

BTW we picked up the Garmin Nuvi 260 yesterday for $215

 

My bad..ibycus maps do not contain topo data so your only choice is Topo 2008. Technically you don't need it but I utilize my topo info quite a bit when I am out in the field. Identifying landmarks, determining which side of the river the cache is on (very important), and elevations. I mean the basemap doesn't really do much for you.

[+jeepcacher]

OK, at the risk of sounding really stupid I need to ask a question. Can the Vista hxc giving me driving directions? I realize that they are not verbal, but can it show me point A to B via roads? It looks to me like it cannot. If it cannot is it good for anything other than geocaching? The Nuvi will be primary in my sister's car. I will use it for trips to places I am unfamiliar with. However, I would like the vista to have the ability to get me unlost. I took a wrong turn last weekend and ended up 20 miles from where I wanted to be, making me guess at how best to get on track.

[ryleyinstl]

Now that I have the $75 I can justify buying the topo maps. The question is, should I? I plan to use it basically in only a few counties in Central PA

 

Another option is using the Ibycus maps and then overlaying a transparent topo map of the Benezette area on top of that. I did this for the St. Louis area and it works very well. The Ibycus maps are quite detailed (especially water feachures, especially in my area) so they provide a good base for a topo map.

 

Start by downloading and installing the USA maps from Ibycus ( http://www.ibycus.com/ibycususa/ ). Then go here:

http://home.cinci.rr.com/creek/garmin.htm

 

The above might look complicated at first but it's really not that bad, really. Once you figure this out you can do it for any area you might be going. I suppose I could just do it for you as it really wouldn't take that long being as I have everything installed, PM me if you're interested in that.

Edited July 25, 2008 by ryleyinstl

[+busternfruss]

OK, at the risk of sounding really stupid I need to ask a question. Can the Vista hxc giving me driving directions? I realize that they are not verbal, but can it show me point A to B via roads? It looks to me like it cannot. If it cannot is it good for anything other than geocaching? The Nuvi will be primary in my sister's car. I will use it for trips to places I am unfamiliar with. However, I would like the vista to have the ability to get me unlost. I took a wrong turn last weekend and ended up 20 miles from where I wanted to be, making me guess at how best to get on track.

 

I don't have this setup, so maybe someone will verify whether this is correct info or not, but I believe you can use the Vista for driving directions only if you buy the City Navigator maps, which are kind of expensive. I'm not sure whether you'd need the NT version or the other, but it's City Navigator. They would go on the card in the Vista. This is true for almost all of the "outdoor" units, I think. (I'm not sure about the Colorados and the ones in that price range.)

 

That's why I agree with the folks who think that just having two units, one for each purpose, is a good way to go. There's no trade-off of features for either thing that way. I have a Nuvi 350 and an eTrex Venture HC, and love the combo. I don't have any extra maps loaded on the Venture, but for the caches that I do, it has not been a problem. I use the Nuvi to get to the general area, then walk with the eTrex. The City Navigator maps are included with the Nuvis, of course--nothing extra to buy.

 

BTW, I love the "speak the street names" feature on my Nuvi 350. Very good in cities where cross-streets are close together. The Garmin website lets you compare features of all their models.

 

HTH a little--

Edited July 25, 2008 by busternfruss

[+jeepcacher]

OK, at the risk of sounding really stupid I need to ask a question. Can the Vista hxc giving me driving directions? I realize that they are not verbal, but can it show me point A to B via roads? It looks to me like it cannot. If it cannot is it good for anything other than geocaching? The Nuvi will be primary in my sister's car. I will use it for trips to places I am unfamiliar with. However, I would like the vista to have the ability to get me unlost. I took a wrong turn last weekend and ended up 20 miles from where I wanted to be, making me guess at how best to get on track.

 

I don't have this setup, so maybe someone will verify whether this is correct info or not, but I believe you can use the Vista for driving directions only if you buy the City Navigator maps, which are kind of expensive. I'm not sure whether you'd need the NT version or the other, but it's City Navigator. They would go on the card in the Vista. This is true for almost all of the "outdoor" units, I think. (I'm not sure about the Colorados and the ones in that price range.)

 

That's why I agree with the folks who think that just having two units, one for each purpose, is a good way to go. There's no trade-off of features for either thing that way. I have a Nuvi 350 and an eTrex Venture HC, and love the combo. I don't have any extra maps loaded on the Venture, but for the caches that I do, it has not been a problem. I use the Nuvi to get to the general area, then walk with the eTrex. The City Navigator maps are included with the Nuvis, of course--nothing extra to buy.

 

BTW, I love the "speak the street names" feature on my Nuvi 350. Very good in cities where cross-streets are close together. The Garmin website lets you compare features of all their models.

 

HTH a little--

 

So you are saying that if I want to have road and off road directions that I would need both the city nav and the topo. That is kind of crazy. I am working on downloading the maps suggested right now. Hopefully I can avoid having to buy topo. Either way I very much appreciate any feedback this forum is great. Can I buy the city nav 2009 update, or do I have to buy a full version because I do not already have one on my unit?

[ryleyinstl]

As for City Nav you need the FULL version because you don't already own a City Nav product for your Vista.

 

Only City Nav maps offer auto routing and POI's on the Vista. Garmin Topo maps do not offer any auto route capability of any kind. So if you want both auto routing roads, POI's and detailed topo maps you need both the City Nav and Topo map products from Garmin. If you don't need/want the auto routing/POI's but still want detailed road maps and topo maps give the Ibycus/self-made-topo a try (heck, try them first before you buy anything). If it works for you then you saved yourself some money.

Edited July 25, 2008 by ryleyinstl

[+Miragee]

So you are saying that if I want to have road and off road directions that I would need both the city nav and the topo. That is kind of crazy. I am working on downloading the maps suggested right now. Hopefully I can avoid having to buy topo. Either way I very much appreciate any feedback this forum is great. Can I buy the city nav 2009 update, or do I have to buy a full version because I do not already have one on my unit?

You need both the City Navigator maps, which you can also use on your computer/s, as well as the Topo maps, if you want Topo on the Vista HCx. I have both on my Vista HCx. I bought the older Topo maps on eBay and got the auto-routing maps in a combo package. I saved money getting them along with the beanbag auto-mount and cigarette-lighter adapter, two things I was going to need anyway.

[+SwampYankee]

I was looking for a geocaching/street GPS in the $300 range. In my research it looks at though I will be better off to get two separate GPS units, hopefully for not too much over $300, or $400 max. For on road city trips I am thinking about a Garmin Nuvi 350 or 260. Are they out-of-the-box ready for a road trip? Which is better, or is there a better one for less than $200?

 

For geocaching I am thinking about buying a Garmin Legend or Vista HCX. It looks as though the only difference is the electronic barometer/compass. Are they out-of-the-box ready for geocaching?

 

Is it necessary to have topo or other ad-on maps? Is there an option that would allow me to buy just one GPS keeping the price in the same range or lower. I live in rural Central Pennsylvania and plan to only use the geocaching GPS in a handful of counties and the street one in a handful of states.

 

I have both the GPS 60 csx and the Hcx. I prefer the 60 csx for myself because its a larger case, bigger buttons and screen. For me, that means I can use it without my glasses. That is a big plus for me. I like the HCX also but I don't like the small size. Pretty much size wise the same as my Garmin 60 C. If you have small hands and size do matter, then that may be the way to go. They offer the CSX for $275 all over EBAY and these are new units. Both good units, you will no go wrong with either of them. Both will all you want for geocaching out of the box, and them some. They both have a lot of bells and whistles I don't use, but nice to know their there if I do want or need them.

 

Good luck

[+benjamin921]

Yes

[+jeepcacher]

Does the topo software have dirt roads etc on it or is it going to be just elevations and no road other than the ones that are already on it? I am trying to find the best solution to find some of the back roads around here. That is without having to buy both city nav and topo. Should I be reconsidering what GPS to get, do any come with city nav and topo on them. I am now at around $500 for the 2 GPS units and that is without buying any additional maps.

[+Red90]

Should I be reconsidering what GPS to get, do any come with city nav and topo on them. I am now at around $500 for the 2 GPS units and that is without buying any additional maps.

 

The Nuvi 500 has both maps (City Nav and Topo USA) preloaded and included and costs $500.

 

Yes, make sure that you ALWAYS include map cost in your comparisons....

 

The only other way to stay in that price range...

Nuvi 200, $170 (City Nav included)

Etrex Venture HC, $145

Topo USA, $80

 

Total $390, so you could go with slightly better models if you want. A 200W or 205W would be a good step.

Edited July 25, 2008 by Red90

[ryleyinstl]

The topo maps have some “back roads”, however this veries greatly by your area of the USA, you’re definiton of back roads and the map product in use (Garmin, DeLorne, TOPO!, ect.). Check out the coverage in your area for the Garmin maps here: http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/ontheTrail/ Be sure to set the view to high detail.

 

You might also try searching the mapcenter to see if anyone has maps trails/back roads in your area:

http://mapcenter.cgpsmapper.com/

http://mapcenter2.cgpsmapper.com/

 

No handheld/trail Garmin GPSr units come with City Navagator but some come with Topo maps. Check the website for details. Keep in mind that the units with topo maps cost about the same as purchasing them on DVD/SD Card.

[+loknlod]

I use a Colorado 300 with City Navigator and some free Utah topo maps, I get it all from one unit, paperless geocaching, auto navigation. I cache on a motorcycle so it is portable, pop it out when I hit the cache site and works well for me, plus I can mount the Colorado in the car for long trips. Investment - a little over $500.

 

Edited July 25, 2008 by loknlod