What do I need?

[+Silfron Mandotheneset]

We use a Garmin eTrex H now, but we are getting more into this and a GPS that lets you download waypoints directly would be better, I know you CAN do this with the H but it's not easy. It also doesn't do what I see other people talking about which is that you download the waypoints and it tells you when you're close to one. On the H you have to manually select a single waypoint based on the name you give it... so there's no way to know if you just happen to be 400 ft from a cache or something. I know other units can do this but I don't know what the feature is... so I don't know what to look for.

 

I don't need street navigation, I have a Mio that I got for Christmas that works fine for that. Topo could be useful, but if it's going to cost a TON extra for that, it's probably not worth it. Unless it is, which... well, that why I'm posting. What do I need?

 

Cheap is good but I know you get what you pay for... in a perfect world, I'd get a Colorado, but that would be welllll over the price range.

 

Thanks for any replys.

[+coggins]

Have a look at the Venture HC:

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=8707

 

Street price a little over a Benjamin.

 

Compare link.

Edited August 31, 2008 by coggins

[+Silfron Mandotheneset]

What's "area calculation"? Also, can it do the thing I was talking about where it shows you when there are caches nearby?

[+coggins]

Let's say you want to know the surface area of a small lake. You can record a track as you walk around the shore and have the unit calculate the area for you. Yes, it will show the nearest cache. It is geocaching friendly.

[+Silfron Mandotheneset]

Oh, nifty. Thanks for the info, that looks like the way to go. Now to find a cheap one Probably will be a couple weeks before I have any spare cash anyway

[stryder717]

We use a Garmin eTrex H now, but we are getting more into this and a GPS that lets you download waypoints directly would be better, I know you CAN do this with the H but it's not easy. It also doesn't do what I see other people talking about which is that you download the waypoints and it tells you when you're close to one. On the H you have to manually select a single waypoint based on the name you give it... so there's no way to know if you just happen to be 400 ft from a cache or something. I know other units can do this but I don't know what the feature is... so I don't know what to look for.

 

I don't need street navigation, I have a Mio that I got for Christmas that works fine for that. Topo could be useful, but if it's going to cost a TON extra for that, it's probably not worth it. Unless it is, which... well, that why I'm posting. What do I need?

 

Cheap is good but I know you get what you pay for... in a perfect world, I'd get a Colorado, but that would be welllll over the price range.

 

Thanks for any replys.

On the etrex H all you have to do it go to waypoints >nearest and it tells you the 10 or so closest waypoints. also on the note of transferring its pretty easy. I download the .loc from the cache page, open it in a program called easygps (free), there you can change the name of it, change the symbol, ect. then just send it to the etrex H. Then after the cache trip/journey/adventure/run you can get the tracks off the etrex H and see how far you walked look at all the circles you walked in,

[+Silfron Mandotheneset]

On the etrex H all you have to do it go to waypoints >nearest and it tells you the 10 or so closest waypoints. also on the note of transferring its pretty easy. I download the .loc from the cache page, open it in a program called easygps (free), there you can change the name of it, change the symbol, ect. then just send it to the etrex H. Then after the cache trip/journey/adventure/run you can get the tracks off the etrex H and see how far you walked look at all the circles you walked in,

 

I know but I have to get a serial to USB adapter to plug it into my computer, and I've heard the reliability of doing it this way isn't so great. I didn't know about the nearest waypoint feature though, that'll definately come in handy in the meantime. Thanks!