Is it worth buying a new GPS device?

[maddiebug]

I've got a Magellan explorist 210 which I got somewhere around 3 1/2 years ago.

 

Due to health reasons, we have been unable to geocache for about 2 1/2 years or so. We are now back and ready to cache again!

 

What I need to know is, for the casual cacher--who will just be finding mainly park and grabs and those fairly easy hikes in local parks, is the explorist still ok or is there another, newer, affordable option? (And why?)

 

I need a car GPS as well and was thinking of the Nuvi 500. Anyone have any experience with it? Or, should I just get a Nuvi 260w (for $160) or Nuvi 265t (for $210) and keep my Magellan (and save up for a better handheld GPSR) or get a new handheld for around $100-$150?

 

Much thanks for any and all advice!

[+The Yinnies]

The Nuvi 500 is a good unit but I sold mine and got a 205W and thinking about a PN-40 or an Oregon. I thought it would be nice to have one unit but that was not the case.

[+newhampshire]

I love my 500. I use it for car, motorcycle, and full paperless geocaching.

[Neos2]

So, do you really want us to talk you into buying another gps, or to convince you to stick with what you already have?

 

Any gps will get you to the cache--some just have more bells and whistles. Of course there are "better" gps units out there now (The gps companies like to get us to upgrade as often as possible, so they keep tempting us with new toys).

 

Did the one you have drive you crazy in any one particular way? Perhaps we can suggest units that don't do whatever that was!

[+Sparticus06]

Keep what you got. Any new GPSr will work for what you want to do, but so will your old one. If it works fine, then keep it. As my uncle would say "Why fix something that aint broke?"

[+RRLover]

Keep what you got. Any new GPSr will work for what you want to do, but so will your old one. If it works fine, then keep it. As my uncle would say "Why fix something that aint broke?"

Or, . . . "If it ain't broke, fix it till it is!" ;^)

 

Norm

[yougogirl64]

I would recommend caching with your current unit for the time being. In the meantime, maybe you can meet up with other cachers and see what units they are using. You might find another handheld that you prefer over your old one. I do not own a Nuvi but I have heard good things about them.

[+TrailGators]

I agree with sticking with what you have unless you have issues.

[+Thunderbolt and Lightfoot]

Keep what ya got. I have the 210 as my main GPSr,..... and an old WAAS-less sportrak pro as my back up, and I do just fine.

 

Rock On

[+JohnnyVegas]

I've got a Magellan explorist 210 which I got somewhere around 3 1/2 years ago.

 

Due to health reasons, we have been unable to geocache for about 2 1/2 years or so. We are now back and ready to cache again!

 

What I need to know is, for the casual cacher--who will just be finding mainly park and grabs and those fairly easy hikes in local parks, is the explorist still ok or is there another, newer, affordable option? (And why?)

 

I need a car GPS as well and was thinking of the Nuvi 500. Anyone have any experience with it? Or, should I just get a Nuvi 260w (for $160) or Nuvi 265t (for $210) and keep my Magellan (and save up for a better handheld GPSR) or get a new handheld for around $100-$150?

 

Much thanks for any and all advice!

Why not just use your explorist 210?

THere are lots of newer GPS'rs but there is no reason your explorist 210 will not work, I have been using an explorist 500 for more than three years it could be more than 4 years.

Edited January 15, 2009 by JohnnyVegas

[BlueDamsel]

I just "upgraded" to a Garmin Oregon, and while I love it...

 

...had my 9 year old original blue model Legend not begun to have problems this year (control button falling out, sometimes-shorting out screen requiring "rapping" on the receiver to get it normal again), I would still be using it for cache-finding, since it was accurate and reliable up until the last few months. There isn't a reason to upgrade for casual caching unless your unit simply doesn't work properly, or doesn't get you within reasonable distance of the actual coordinates.

 

That said, my new Oregon has proved quite the asset for geocaching... completely paperless, with field notes which I can later upload to geocaching.com for ease in logging finds... it has saved me a LOT of time and aggravation.

 

If you've got a few hundred dollars burning a hole in your pocket, go shopping. If you're on a budget, stick with what you have.

 

BD

[+SidAndBob]

Of course a whole new generation of high sensitivity receivers has come out since you got your Explorist. If you cache under heavy tree cover it would be worth considering an upgrade.