Garmin Gecko

[+mikki717]

Hi folks... I am relatively new to GPS, but own a Garmin Etrex. I am fine with it for myself for now, but I will undoubtedly upgrade when finances allow.

 

The question that I have is that I am looking to buy a GPS for my neice for Christmas (She is 11, but wicked smart). For the price range- less than 150.00, I am thinking on the Garmin gecko 201. My reasoning is that the buttons are on the front, and when I used a Garmin76 it was much easier than the ETrex with the side buttons. It also has a few games on it.

 

Any commentson the Gecko 201? Am I the only one who preferrs the front buttons?

 

Does anyone who has more experience with this activity reccomend a different brand?

 

Thanks for the input.

 

Mikki

[+GrnXnham]

Hi folks... I am relatively new to GPS, but own a Garmin Etrex. I am fine with it for myself for now, but I will undoubtedly upgrade when finances allow.

 

The question that I have is that I am looking to buy a GPS for my neice for Christmas (She is 11, but wicked smart). For the price range- less than 150.00, I am thinking on the Garmin gecko 201. My reasoning is that the buttons are on the front, and when I used a Garmin76 it was much easier than the ETrex with the side buttons. It also has a few games on it.

 

Any commentson the Gecko 201? Am I the only one who preferrs the front buttons?

 

Does anyone who has more experience with this activity reccomend a different brand?

 

Thanks for the input.

 

Mikki

 

I'm not a fan of the Geckos. The screen is so small, I find it annoying to read. Plus it's B&W, poor resolution, no maps, uses AAA batteries (don't last as long as AA) It just feels like ancient technology and it's not a very good value anymore either. For example; at about the same price you can get a Garmin eTrex Venture HC--color screen, bigger screen, some mapping ability, much better antenna, BUT it has the buttons on the side.

 

I have 5 GPSr's--2 with front buttons and 3 with side buttons. I prefer the side buttons but to each his own!

Edited November 21, 2008 by GrnXnham

[+makysteve]

was gonna suggest the g60 but then i realized you want in dollars not pounds. doh. its a great little gps though. Iam sure you can find it over the pond for not far off $150

[+cliptwings]

I buy and sell GPSr's on Ebay all the time. I have owned several Gekos, and I have never been disappointed. I believe they are great for kids BECAUSE they are small and easy to operate. Oh yeah, they have GPS games on them too. Finally, they are rugged and don't cost very much. So if the niece finds out it is not her cup of tea, there's not too much loss. I wouldn't go with a Geko 101, because that model does not have the increased accuracy of WAAS, plus you must MANUALLY input all the geocaches. The 201 and 301 have inputs for a serial computer cable, the same cable used for the basic legend, vista, and venture models.

[+Butano]

I tend to agree that the Geko may not be the best way to go. I got one for my son. It may be okay for the younger crowd, but I suspect that by 11, she will be starting to outgrow it. If you want something comprable, I would look at the eTrex HCx (the yellow one). I don't have any experience with that one, but with the previous incarnation of it. It was a reliable, basic unit. Still no maps though.

[+StarBrand]

I tend to agree that the Geko may not be the best way to go. I got one for my son. It may be okay for the younger crowd, but I suspect that by 11, she will be starting to outgrow it. If you want something comprable, I would look at the eTrex HCx (the yellow one). I don't have any experience with that one, but with the previous incarnation of it. It was a reliable, basic unit. Still no maps though.

the basic yellow one is the eTrex "H" (not HCx).

[+mikki717]

 

Thanks! I guess it would probably be best to have her use the two different styles and see what works best for her.

[+sbell111]

I used to use a Geko 301. It was a great little GPSr. I would definitely recommend a Geko 201 or 301 for a kid cacher.