bkwrmi Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 (edited) I'm looking to get into geocaching, but I'm your typical broke student, so I'm looking at very low-end GPS sets. I was wondering if a few of you more experienced geocachers could tell me whether the model I'm considering would suffice? Bushnell GPS and if that doesn't cut it, would this? low end Garmin Edited September 12, 2009 by bkwrmi Quote Link to comment
+BlueDeuce Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 (edited) For 80 bucks? I don't know this system that well. You can pick up an older well known unit for the same price. Someone's definition High-Sensitivity Receiver may not be that accurate. Even just the AAA batteries make me cringe. And what the heck is 'Yes'? Features * Handheld GPS Unit, Additional Functions Include Electronic Compass * Features High-Sensitivity GPS Receiver * Also Features Easy-Touch Programming * 3 Waypoints * Provides Distance and Direction Back Points of Interest * Display Features LCD Screen * 1 Channel * Perfect for Tracking and Locating Mobile Assets * Run Time: 15 hours * Battery Powered * Protective Qualitites: Impact Resistant * 3x3x3 " * Yes * Uses 2 AAA Edited September 12, 2009 by BlueDeuce Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 For 80 bucks? I don't know this system that well. You can pick up a older well known unit for the same price. Someone's definition High-Sensitivity Receiver may not be that accurate. Even just the AAA batteries make me cringe. And what the heck is 'Yes'? Features * Handheld GPS Unit, Additional Functions Include Electronic Compass * Features High-Sensitivity GPS Receiver * Also Features Easy-Touch Programming * 3 Waypoints * Provides Distance and Direction Back Points of Interest * Display Features LCD Screen * 1 Channel * Perfect for Tracking and Locating Mobile Assets * Run Time: 15 hours * Battery Powered * Protective Qualitites: Impact Resistant * 3x3x3 " * Yes * Uses 2 AAA One channel?? Look into a Geomate Jr. Around $80, has a TON of caches already loaded and you can eventually buy the update kit so you can add as many caches as you choose. Quote Link to comment
+CTYankee9 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 I'm looking to get into geocaching, but I'm your typical broke student, so I'm looking at very low-end GPS sets. I was wondering if a few of you more experienced geocachers could tell me whether the model I'm considering would suffice? Bushnell GPS and if that doesn't cut it, would this? low end Garmin I would pass on the Bushnell one, doesn't look to be a geocaching GPS, but more of just a backtracking device for when you get lost. The low-end Garmin is perfectly useable as a starter or even intermediate GPS for geocaching, you are looking for a way to get the cache locations into your GPS in an easy manner {ie... download to GPs device via USB or some sort of connecter from your computer}. I don't think the Bushnell one has that by looking at the add. Or as was suggested the Geomate is designed as a starter unit, lots of caches built in, easy to use, but may be lacking if you don't like the type of caches pre-loaded into it. And a last option is a mapping GPS unit {possibly used}, but only if you are unfamiliar with an area or do a lot of hiking possibly and need Topo style maps. These do start to get expensive though. Quote Link to comment
+9Key Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Look for gently used Garmin eTrex units on ebay. The yellow ones should be really cheap - $50 or less. That's what I started out with and it was a great way to get up to speed. Quote Link to comment
+ngrrfan Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Hit the pawn shops too. You might find an eTrex Venture HC at a very reasonable price. Quote Link to comment
+nojoplusplus Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 I'm looking to get into geocaching, but I'm your typical broke student, so I'm looking at very low-end GPS sets. I was wondering if a few of you more experienced geocachers could tell me whether the model I'm considering would suffice? Bushnell GPS and if that doesn't cut it, would this? low end Garmin does it have to be new? also what area are you in? Craigslist is awesome here in oregon for finding cheaper gps units. yesterday I saw a magellan eXplorist 500 for 75 bucks. That would be a way better choice for a starter unit. Just my two cents. Quote Link to comment
+bittsen Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 I'm looking to get into geocaching, but I'm your typical broke student, so I'm looking at very low-end GPS sets. I was wondering if a few of you more experienced geocachers could tell me whether the model I'm considering would suffice? Bushnell GPS and if that doesn't cut it, would this? low end Garmin The Etrex will work for you. It won't have any bells or whistles but it will work. I started out with a Magellan Explorist. It's about the same sophistication as the Etrex. I upgraded quickly. One thing to keep in mind when you get a GPSr is that you will need to buy maps to use it effectively. There ARE free maps available but I find them lacking and you can't "route" on them. Quote Link to comment
+Morning Dew Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 (edited) Another unit to you "might" want to consider is a Garmin 12 XL. It has no maps but has a 12 satelite receiver and is very accurate (for its age). It also has some modern features like trac back when hiking, allows you mark multiple waypoints (your car), tells you distances to various waypoints, etc. However, the two largest drawbacks are that you must enter in each location one at a time by hand and it contains no maps, so you have to use paper maps if you don't know your way around. However, if you see one it should be very cheap (maybe even free). It is the first GPS I used for geocaching and it worked great. Runs on 4 AAs. Edited September 12, 2009 by Morning Dew Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 I'm looking to get into geocaching, but I'm your typical broke student, so I'm looking at very low-end GPS sets. I was wondering if a few of you more experienced geocachers could tell me whether the model I'm considering would suffice? Bushnell GPS and if that doesn't cut it, would this? low end Garmin The Etrex will work for you. It won't have any bells or whistles but it will work. I started out with a Magellan Explorist. It's about the same sophistication as the Etrex. I upgraded quickly. One thing to keep in mind when you get a GPSr is that you will need to buy maps to use it effectively. There ARE free maps available but I find them lacking and you can't "route" on them. Only if it's a mapping GPS. The low end etrex units are not. Quote Link to comment
+Photoguy505 Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 I use the Garmin Etrex H for now. I can see the need for a mapping gpsr in the future, but I found 4 caches my first day (about 2 weeks ago) with the Garmin. I recommend for non mapping gps, like some others have, to have an alternative. What I do with mine is use Google Earth to look at a sattellite photo of the general area, make a route by marking points there, then adding them as waypoints to my H. Cool? Don Quote Link to comment
+NYPaddleCacher Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 I'm looking to get into geocaching, but I'm your typical broke student, so I'm looking at very low-end GPS sets. I was wondering if a few of you more experienced geocachers could tell me whether the model I'm considering would suffice? Bushnell GPS and if that doesn't cut it, would this? low end Garmin The Etrex will work for you. It won't have any bells or whistles but it will work. I started out with a Magellan Explorist. It's about the same sophistication as the Etrex. I upgraded quickly. One thing to keep in mind when you get a GPSr is that you will need to buy maps to use it effectively. There ARE free maps available but I find them lacking and you can't "route" on them. Does anyone have a guess as to when consumer grade GPS receivers with mapping capabilities were available? I suspect that it was well after quite a few geocaches were hidden and found using a GPS without mapping capabilities. I guess having a GPS with routable maps might be useful if most of the gecaches you're looking for are close to public roads but using maps with routing capability really has no benefit once you're 100' from a road. I understand that at least one newer GPS has routing on the trail, but again, it's not going to help find a cache that is off the trail. I've created a few of those free maps and the result is actually pretty good. It's not especially difficult but it's pretty tedious and time-consuming. It's probably also worth mentioning that the Topo or Navigator maps you buy from Garmin, Magellan, etc. not only have the geographic features you want to see, but are often loaded with many waypoints, and additional useful information. For example, the Garmin Topo maps include waypoints for highway exits along with the kinds of facilities you can expect to find near that exit (gas, lodging). I have heard from others that the routable Navigator maps can some times be difficult to use in urban environments because they have so many waypoints that the geocaches get lost in all the clutter. Quote Link to comment
NordicMan Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Does anyone have a guess as to when consumer grade GPS receivers with mapping capabilities were available? I suspect that it was well after quite a few geocaches were hidden and found using a GPS without mapping capabilities. I guess having a GPS with routable maps might be useful if most of the gecaches you're looking for are close to public roads but using maps with routing capability really has no benefit once you're 100' from a road. I understand that at least one newer GPS has routing on the trail, but again, it's not going to help find a cache that is off the trail. Oh yeah! My first venture into Geocaching was with a totally basic GPSr that I had to hand-key in the cache coordinates, and then all it would show me is a direction arrow (compass bearing) and a distance. It was up to me to take whatever road/trail I could find to get to the spot lol It was actually a lot of fun to drive along a road and need to *guess* when/where I should turn next. Sure enough I needed to made more than a few U-turns because I overshot lol but hey so what? Part of the learning curve! Some of the newbies just getting into the sport NOW with modern high tech "mapping / 3-axis compass / holographic display / etc " need to get the silver spoons out of their ### and back to grass roots Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 I'm looking to get into geocaching, but I'm your typical broke student, so I'm looking at very low-end GPS sets. I was wondering if a few of you more experienced geocachers could tell me whether the model I'm considering would suffice? Bushnell GPS and if that doesn't cut it, would this? low end Garmin The Etrex will work for you. It won't have any bells or whistles but it will work. I started out with a Magellan Explorist. It's about the same sophistication as the Etrex. I upgraded quickly. One thing to keep in mind when you get a GPSr is that you will need to buy maps to use it effectively. There ARE free maps available but I find them lacking and you can't "route" on them. Does anyone have a guess as to when consumer grade GPS receivers with mapping capabilities were available? I suspect that it was well after quite a few geocaches were hidden and found using a GPS without mapping capabilities. I guess having a GPS with routable maps might be useful if most of the gecaches you're looking for are close to public roads but using maps with routing capability really has no benefit once you're 100' from a road. I understand that at least one newer GPS has routing on the trail, but again, it's not going to help find a cache that is off the trail. I've created a few of those free maps and the result is actually pretty good. It's not especially difficult but it's pretty tedious and time-consuming. It's probably also worth mentioning that the Topo or Navigator maps you buy from Garmin, Magellan, etc. not only have the geographic features you want to see, but are often loaded with many waypoints, and additional useful information. For example, the Garmin Topo maps include waypoints for highway exits along with the kinds of facilities you can expect to find near that exit (gas, lodging). I have heard from others that the routable Navigator maps can some times be difficult to use in urban environments because they have so many waypoints that the geocaches get lost in all the clutter. Really? Are you saying that the routing GPS isn't a good choice for any new or even seasoned cacher? I would GREATLY beg to differ, but you can use, do and say as you feel fit. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 I'm looking to get into geocaching, but I'm your typical broke student, so I'm looking at very low-end GPS sets. I was wondering if a few of you more experienced geocachers could tell me whether the model I'm considering would suffice? Bushnell GPS and if that doesn't cut it, would this? low end Garmin The Etrex will work for you. It won't have any bells or whistles but it will work. I started out with a Magellan Explorist. It's about the same sophistication as the Etrex. I upgraded quickly. One thing to keep in mind when you get a GPSr is that you will need to buy maps to use it effectively. There ARE free maps available but I find them lacking and you can't "route" on them. Does anyone have a guess as to when consumer grade GPS receivers with mapping capabilities were available? I suspect that it was well after quite a few geocaches were hidden and found using a GPS without mapping capabilities. I guess having a GPS with routable maps might be useful if most of the gecaches you're looking for are close to public roads but using maps with routing capability really has no benefit once you're 100' from a road. I understand that at least one newer GPS has routing on the trail, but again, it's not going to help find a cache that is off the trail. I've created a few of those free maps and the result is actually pretty good. It's not especially difficult but it's pretty tedious and time-consuming. It's probably also worth mentioning that the Topo or Navigator maps you buy from Garmin, Magellan, etc. not only have the geographic features you want to see, but are often loaded with many waypoints, and additional useful information. For example, the Garmin Topo maps include waypoints for highway exits along with the kinds of facilities you can expect to find near that exit (gas, lodging). I have heard from others that the routable Navigator maps can some times be difficult to use in urban environments because they have so many waypoints that the geocaches get lost in all the clutter. Mapping units were available when I started in 2001. The eTrex Legend that I purchased in the beginning was a mapping unit. Garmin had earlier ones such as the GPS12 Map, GPS II, GPS III and eMap. I believe all of them either predated geocaching (GPS 12 Map, eMap) or were introduced in the very early days of the sport (GPS III). As far as the usability of route-able maps for geocaching, I've used them many times even for caches well off the trail. I use the routing feature to put me in the general area if it is unfamiliar. Route-able maps also make the unit more useful in general because you don't have to purchase a unit just for the car. Quote Link to comment
NordicMan Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Really? Are you saying that the routing GPS isn't a good choice for any new or even seasoned cacher? I would GREATLY beg to differ, but you can use, do and say as you feel fit. But Roddy, I thought you yourself once said something like "if routing is a high priority then just get a cheap Nuvi to go along with the GPSr". Maybe it was somebody else.. but it was in response to someone elses comment about how routing isn't a particularly strong suite with DeLorme GPSr's.. But yeah I would agree with you now. In this day & age a GPSr should be able to be jack-of-all-trades, so not just good Topo ability but also good road routing too, Also good marine charts and hey if golf charts are available too then the more the merrier Quote Link to comment
JDiablo Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 For 80 bucks? I don't know this system that well. You can pick up an older well known unit for the same price. Someone's definition High-Sensitivity Receiver may not be that accurate. Even just the AAA batteries make me cringe. And what the heck is 'Yes'? Features * Handheld GPS Unit, Additional Functions Include Electronic Compass * Features High-Sensitivity GPS Receiver * Also Features Easy-Touch Programming * 3 Waypoints * Provides Distance and Direction Back Points of Interest * Display Features LCD Screen * 1 Channel * Perfect for Tracking and Locating Mobile Assets * Run Time: 15 hours * Battery Powered * Protective Qualitites: Impact Resistant * 3x3x3 " * Yes * Uses 2 AAA It has a SiRF Star III GPS reciever so it has more than 1 channel. Maybe "Yes" is the answer for "Comes in pink?" Quote Link to comment
+atmospherium Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 I use a Garmin Etrex H and a Garmin Etrex Venture HC. Both are just fine for geocaching. For a basic starter unit, you can't go wrong with the Etrex H. I personally don't need maps or extra bells and whistles; all I need is an arrow to follow and the distance I need to go. I got the Venture primarily because I simply could not find a proper cable to connect the Etrex H to my iMac, and I was getting bored entering in the coords manually. A used Etrex H can be found pretty cheaply on Ebay and other places. I'm guessing a lot of cachers start out with them and eventually upgrade to a fancier model. Quote Link to comment
+Morning Dew Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 (edited) Woah! Some of you are getting a little carried away. I mentioned that if you want to save a buck get a non-mapping model and you'll have loads of fun and it's totally doable. I did it myself in fact. But...come on. A mapping GPS not needed for geocaching. Puh-leaze. Mapping GPS's are amazing. I've done at least 6 caches now where I've pulled up to a bridge with small parking areas on both sides of the river and had to walk anywhere from 600' to 1 1/2 miles in to get the cache. Without a mapping GPS I would have to flip a coin and "guess" which side of the river the cache was on. With a mapping GPS you "guess" right just about every time. Sometimes the maps are wrong and you end up taking the looong walk but they are amazingly accurate. This is just one of MANY examples of how I soooo love my mapping capabilities. Edited September 13, 2009 by Morning Dew Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Really? Are you saying that the routing GPS isn't a good choice for any new or even seasoned cacher? I would GREATLY beg to differ, but you can use, do and say as you feel fit. But Roddy, I thought you yourself once said something like "if routing is a high priority then just get a cheap Nuvi to go along with the GPSr". Maybe it was somebody else.. but it was in response to someone elses comment about how routing isn't a particularly strong suite with DeLorme GPSr's.. But yeah I would agree with you now. In this day & age a GPSr should be able to be jack-of-all-trades, so not just good Topo ability but also good road routing too, Also good marine charts and hey if golf charts are available too then the more the merrier Yep, I did say that. I said that (basically) you should buy the right tool for the job. In the case of the quote, I believe someone was worried they'd see less than ideal routing capability with the PN series and I made that comment. Personally, (and I just used it AGAIN last night...oh wait, I use it every time I go caching) I find the routing on the PN to be fine and have no gripes (save the new unit seems a bit slower at calculating than my previous PN-40). However, some feel they need a routing GPS that can talk to them, drive the car and even serve them a sandwich with grey poupon ...they're the ones I made that comment to! I also agree that it's nice to see a GPS with a wide selection of uses. How does that tie into the comment I made in this thread though? They don't conflict with each other, they actually support each other. Quote Link to comment
+BigHef32 Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 OP... what type of cell phone do you have? Many people, including broke college students, have iPhones or Blackberry's these days. There is a geocaching app for the iPhone and I used BlackStar on my Blackberry to log my first 62 finds. Just a shot in the dark, but if you already have a phone with a data plan and GPSr inside, using it would be your cheapest option. Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 OP... what type of cell phone do you have? Many people, including broke college students, have iPhones or Blackberry's these days. There is a geocaching app for the iPhone and I used BlackStar on my Blackberry to log my first 62 finds. Just a shot in the dark, but if you already have a phone with a data plan and GPSr inside, using it would be your cheapest option. Although not nearly as accurate and dependant upon signal, this is an option. Not the best option, but could be a short-term fix? You could then start to save up money to get yourself a better solution! Quote Link to comment
+coggins Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I'm looking to get into geocaching, but I'm your typical broke student, so I'm looking at very low-end GPS sets. I was wondering if a few of you more experienced geocachers could tell me whether the model I'm considering would suffice? Bushnell GPS and if that doesn't cut it, would this? low end Garmin The Bushnell=not reallyThe Garmin=Absolutely. Quote Link to comment
+Sehmket Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Hi, all. I've got a simmilar question, so I decided to add on to this thread instead of start a new one. As you can see by my post count, I'm a newbie, I don't have a GPSr, and I'm pretty low on funds (I'm unemployed and my husband is underemployed). I DO have lots of time on my hands, though, and need an activity that gets me out of the house! I've tried doing a few caches with just maps, but had a pretty difficult go of it. So, if you were someone in my position... what unit would you suggest? I've read over a lot of the articles and reviews on the site, and I'm pretty overwhelmed by the shear volume (not to mention the poor sorting option on the review pages). I still count as young and naive, so I don't need anything with bells and whistles - heck, I could manage with the one atmospherium described! I just need someone to point me in a dirrection. TIA! Quote Link to comment
+Chi-Town Cacher Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Hi, all. I've got a simmilar question, so I decided to add on to this thread instead of start a new one. As you can see by my post count, I'm a newbie, I don't have a GPSr, and I'm pretty low on funds (I'm unemployed and my husband is underemployed). I DO have lots of time on my hands, though, and need an activity that gets me out of the house! I've tried doing a few caches with just maps, but had a pretty difficult go of it. So, if you were someone in my position... what unit would you suggest? I've read over a lot of the articles and reviews on the site, and I'm pretty overwhelmed by the shear volume (not to mention the poor sorting option on the review pages). I still count as young and naive, so I don't need anything with bells and whistles - heck, I could manage with the one atmospherium described! I just need someone to point me in a dirrection. TIA! Hi. I think I may have a solution to your predicament. However, keep in mind that I only would recommend this unit if you don't ever anticipate needing a GPSr for other outdoor activities. The other way you might find this one acceptable is if you go into with realistic expectations that you will want to upgrade at some point in the future and then you'll have to buy a new unit. Anyways I'm a HUGE fan of the Geomate Jr. GPSr's that Rockin Roddy mentioned above. Basically you insert the batteries and it tells you the 20 closest caches to you. Then it has an arrow that points you towards the cache and tells you how far away from it you are. In addition to the distance to the cache it will also tell you the following cache info: Difficulty rating of the hide itself Difficulty rating of the terrain The size of the cache container Also, it keeps track of which geocaches you've found so you don't repeat finding the same cache over and over. It tells you the caches GC # so you can update your finds on geocaching.com It will allow you to mark one "Home" position. That's handy for when you get out of your car you mark that location and that way no matter how many times you twist and turn and get yourself confused (I do this a lot!) you tell it to take you "Home" and bam it shows you which direction to head to find your car. Oh, I almost forget the best part that Rockin Roddy had mentioned above in his post. The Geomate Jr. comes with 250,000 geocaches already loaded into it so you literally put in the batteries and then take off on your first geocaching adventure! If you'd like to read what other Geomate Jr. owners are saying CLICK HERE to see that thread. Regardless of which GPSr you end up buying later on down the road if you find yourself a little short of funds for the new GPSr that you feel you must upgrade to something with more bells and whistles lots of times you can sell your GPSr to somebody else to help offset the expense of a new toy, er I mean GPSr. Of course like with cars and probably everything in life you will more than likely not get back on resale what you paid for it. There are probably dozens of different types of GPSr's available so it's not like this is the only affordable one out there. It's just one that even though I own a Delorme PN-40 with lots of bells and whistles and love it I still love my Geomate Jr. for times when I don't feel like downloading caches into my PN-40 with all the bells and whistles. Anyways good luck on your search and welcome to the game!!!! Quote Link to comment
+Sehmket Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 ... Anyways good luck on your search and welcome to the game!!!! Thanks for the suggestion, Michigan Cacheman! I'll look into it! Quote Link to comment
HarmonicaHead Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 I'm looking to get into geocaching, but I'm your typical broke student, so I'm looking at very low-end GPS sets. I was wondering if a few of you more experienced geocachers could tell me whether the model I'm considering would suffice? Bushnell GPS and if that doesn't cut it, would this? low end Garmin I'm a newbie, too, and I just bought the next Garmin up in quality from the eTrex H. It is called the eTrex VentureHC http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?...indingMethod=rr. I think it's a great little GPS for someone who doesn't want something too complicated but still wants something with decent quality and a couple nice features included. From the internet reviews I read comparing the the eTrex H and the eTrex VentureHC, it seems like the VentureHC is well worth the extra 40 bucks you'll spend. For one thing it comes standard with a USB cable included and is supposedly much more reliable and easy to use for downloading caches. Also, it has a rocker pad for a more navigable interface, a sunlight-readable screen (actually comes in very handy), and it's in color instead of black and white. I'm very happy with it so far. I'm no expert, but I'd say go for a Garmin VentureHC. Quote Link to comment
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