Need help sorting out GPSr info

[rbo65]

Over the past several days/weeks I have been reading as much information (forum posts, product review sites, etc) as I could find on the different available GPSr models. The more I read, the more confused I become because so many of the product reviews were based on early versions of the firmware. In some cases, the firmware updates were not so good (recently saw posts about users wanting to downgrade their Vista HCx firmware) and in other cases the firmware made improvements (as in the Colorado series which initially did not have great reviews).

 

I am primarily looking for a GPSr for geocaching (I am very new to this). I do not need autorouting since I use a Nuvi for street navigation, so keep this in if you respond. Also, I was hoping to keep the price in the mid-$200 or below (excluding topo maps).

 

The units I am considering are listed below. I have listed my thoughts on each of the units, but I would appreciate any additional insight you can provide.

 

Garmin Vista HCx:

 

This was my original choice. It seemed like it had all of the features I was looking for and it was the cheapest of the three units I was considering ($214). I like the bright screen, long battery life, electronic compass, expandable memory, etc. What really bothers me about this unit is the original odometer problems (which seem to be related to the MediaTek chipset). I thought that the problem was finally fixed, but then I read several posts where people wanted to downgrade the firmware because there was too much drift. Is the odometer issue something I should really even care about with regards to geocaching? I don't know what firmware Garmin is shipping new units with, but if it is the latest, it sounds like I would have to downgrade it right away. The whole odometer problem may not be that big of a deal for geocaching, but I really hate the thought of spending over $200 for a unit that has accuracy problems.

 

Garmin 60Csx

 

This unit seems to be the forum favorite. I am really torn on this one. Due to the SirfStar III chipset, it does not seem to have the same inaccuracy problems as the other units. Although,this unit probably does more than I really need for geocaching (??). As I mentioned earlier, I do not need autorouting and I am not going to be using this in a car, so button placement is not that big of a concern. It does seem to be a little older than the other units, the screen is not as bright, the battery life not as good, and it is still the most expensive of the three (which is holding me back a little). But, if I become convinced that it is the best unit for the job, then I will go for it anyway.

 

Garmin Colorado 300

 

The original reviews on this unit were terrible, although, it sounds like many of the issues were resolved with firmware updates (I think). The original list of problems was so long, it is difficult to figure out what issues have really been fixed and which ones still exist after all of the updates. I really have not seen a current review of this unit after all of the firmware updates have been applied. Also, since it uses the same chipset as the Vista, I suspect it too has drift/odometer problems. What I do like is the paperless geocaching capabilities. Plus, Costco is selling this for $250 right now. Is it worth considering this unit because of the paperless geocaching alone? Were enough of the problems fixed to make this unit worthwhile? Finding time to do anything is always a problem for me, so I do not know how frequent I will be going geocaching (maybe twice per month if I'm lucky). Given that, paperless may not be that big of a deal (especially if this unit still has issues).

 

And just to make the decision worse, I know several on these forums like the DeLorme PN-40 (especially because of the included maps). On the other hand, there have been an equal number of posts as to why this unit is bad. I have not been able to decide if the bad reviews were because of major problems or just product bashing from loyal Garmin users. The best I can figure though is that Delorme is trying to improve, but I get the impression they are not quite there yet.

 

So, I guess what I am looking for is this...What features are the most important for geocaching? Which "less than perfect" features should I be or not be concerned with? Bottom line is that I want a good reliable unit that will provide the least frustrations (LOL) when it comes to geocaching.

 

Thank you in advance for you help!

[namiboy]

i'm not a hardcore gpsr user nor a hardcore geocacher, but i've put my vista hcx thru the paces and checked to see if i had the problems others did and i haven't noticed any. i updated to the latest firmware/software as soon as i got it, before i read about the problems. again, it seems to work fine. i walked a mile up and back at water's edge on the beach and the uploaded track looked perfect to me. i did that because i heard folks say that water messes up accuracy. i also got it for 185 delivered by biding my time and checking wally world and amazon websites, they put them up on sale for short periods of time every now and then. i watched for 2 weeks and snagged it.

[+Jeep4two]

I would consider either the Vista HCx or the 60CSx with a bit of lean toward the 60CSx.

 

Why?

 

Based on your budget the 60CSx is at the top end (a little over maybe). Functionally the Vista and 60CSx are very similar with the 60CSx having a bit of an edge when it comes to accuracy (from what I've read).

[rbo65]

Thanks for your replies. Although this is still a difficult choice. I recently saw this post comparing the two models (Vista and 60CSx) but it was hard to tell fact from opinion:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=176734

 

So, let me ask this...

 

1. Is the 60Csx more accurate the the Vista or the Colorado 300?

 

2. What is the most important GPSr features needed for Geocaching?

 

3. What can the 60CSx do (over the Vista or Colorado) that would justify the higher price?

 

4. Is the paperless caching capabilities of the Colorado worth it or is this unit still plagued with problems?

 

I realize the each unit has its good and bad points, but I would think GPS accuracy should be the most important buying factor. I am probably trying to over analyze this and I feel like I should just buy one so I can get started...I am just trying to avoid spending $200 to $300 and regret it later.

[+Red90]

1. Is the 60Csx more accurate the the Vista or the Colorado 300?

2. What is the most important GPSr features needed for Geocaching?

3. What can the 60CSx do (over the Vista or Colorado) that would justify the higher price?

4. Is the paperless caching capabilities of the Colorado worth it or is this unit still plagued with problems?

 

1) No. There is still a rare "drift" problem, but normally the "accuracy" is equivalent.

 

2) There is no "one"....

 

3) Nothing.

 

4) Oh my, YES. For Geocaching use, the Colorado or Oregon are leaps and bounds better than the "old" units. It make the whole caching experience so much nicer. The current firmware has no serious bugs.

[+TeamAldridge]

It looks like you've narrowed it down to strictly Garmin units. While I don't see anything necessarily wrong with that, I do think you could be missing out. If you're using a unit strictly when you get to the cache sight, then you may want to look at the DeLORME PN-20. I had the unit for a while and found it to be great once I got to the sight. I ended up sending it back, but not due to inaccuracies but because of other frustrations, such as trying to use it with anything besides geocaching with my Mac. That being said it works great with GC.com and integrates nicely with the paperless features. Ultimately I decided I wanted a unit that could do it all, and something more compatible with my Mac and went with the Oregon.

 

I forgot to mention, I was able to grab the PN-20 for $140 bucks and DeLORME has a 30 day return period.

Edited April 20, 2009 by aldfam

[+Jeep4two]

1. Is the 60Csx more accurate the the Vista or the Colorado 300?

2. What is the most important GPSr features needed for Geocaching?

3. What can the 60CSx do (over the Vista or Colorado) that would justify the higher price?

4. Is the paperless caching capabilities of the Colorado worth it or is this unit still plagued with problems?

 

1) No. There is still a rare "drift" problem, but normally the "accuracy" is equivalent.

 

2) There is no "one"....

 

3) Nothing.

 

4) Oh my, YES. For Geocaching use, the Colorado or Oregon are leaps and bounds better than the "old" units. It make the whole caching experience so much nicer. The current firmware has no serious bugs.

 

I'll add to my reply. Having had a Garmin Legend for years and being happy with it as an occasional use trail use (geocaching included) and car use (Mapsource for street mapping) I decided to stick with Garmin.

 

I just ordered my Oregon 400t the other day. I decided if I was going to make a significant investment ($300 or more) that I wanted to have a single device that can do everything in one unit, was easy to use, flexible, and well supported by the manufacturer. From what I've read the Oregon meets those requirements. Of course you have to get over the sticker shock - but I got mine for $460 be4fore the rebate, so my net will be $410.00 delivered, only about $100 more than the 60CSx is going for these days.