+ultimaedge Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Hi, Can anyone help? I really want to get into Geocaching but have NO IDEA which GPS unit to buy - i dont want to send a fortune - somewhere between £50 to £150 ish! I was looking at the Geomate Jr. but cant find any shop in the UK that sells it or any shop that will ship to the UK! Can anyone please advise what unit i should buy? Many Thanks Mark Quote Link to comment
+Wogus! Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Can anyone please advise what unit i should buy? See the pinned topic at the top of this forum: Which GPS Should I Buy? Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Your choices are limited to Garmin or Magellan I believe. I'm sure you could also go with a Lowrance, but have heard bad news about those and won't recommend without knowing more on the issues at hand. Without translating the money amount, I would say check out the Garmin CO series or the Garmin Dakota series. If these are too pricey, you'll have to go lower to the "H" series, but I'd not go lower than that. And yes, check out the pinned section for more help. Also, please specify usage (what do you want from your GPS...paperless? Routing? etc etc) and give as much info as possible for better and quicker answers. Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 (edited) Assuming that you are a beginner to the GPS world and your primary use will be Geocaching (I could be wrong). I'll suggest the Garmin Venture HC - color screen, USB transfers, rugged, long battery life, color screen, some map memory, fits nicely in your hand. About $125 (us dollars) online. Don't buy less. Edited September 28, 2009 by StarBrand Quote Link to comment
+ultimaedge Posted September 28, 2009 Author Share Posted September 28, 2009 Without translating the money amount, I would say check out the Garmin CO series or the Garmin Dakota series. If these are too pricey, you'll have to go lower to the "H" series, but I'd not go lower than that. And yes, check out the pinned section for more help. Also, please specify usage (what do you want from your GPS...paperless? Routing? etc etc) and give as much info as possible for better and quicker answers. That helps for sure - i have seen the pinned section, but because im a total newbie - i really dont understand any of it - so in answer to your question - "what do you want from your GPS...paperless? Routing? etc etc)`" - I really dont know - what i want to be able to do - is easly find Geocache locations (dont want to use it for anything else. Does that help? Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 (edited) Without translating the money amount, I would say check out the Garmin CO series or the Garmin Dakota series. If these are too pricey, you'll have to go lower to the "H" series, but I'd not go lower than that. And yes, check out the pinned section for more help. Also, please specify usage (what do you want from your GPS...paperless? Routing? etc etc) and give as much info as possible for better and quicker answers. That helps for sure - i have seen the pinned section, but because im a total newbie - i really dont understand any of it - so in answer to your question - "what do you want from your GPS...paperless? Routing? etc etc)`" - I really dont know - what i want to be able to do - is easly find Geocache locations (dont want to use it for anything else. Does that help? Not really Let me help a bit: Paperless caching....when I first started out, I bought a cheap unit which was as basic as you can get...the Garmin Etrex yellow. I had to write down all the info for each cache, then I began printing pages for each cache. Both ways worked OK, both got me to the cache and I made around 500 finds with the yellow. Then, I bought a better unit, it had maps. I still had to write down the info or print the pages, but soon bought a PDA where I could load all the cache page info. This worked better and I was having a lot of fun. A friend though showed me a paperless unit (back then paperles meant snippts of info from the cache page and I was wanting the 60CSx. I recently bought a TRUE paperless GPS (DeLorme PN-40). THAT gives you all the cache page info just like you're reading it from the computer. For you, the Garmin OR, CO or Dakota lines are your choices...if paperless is something you want. Paperless means no printing or taking notes of cache pages, you have all the info right on your GPS unit! Routing...the ability to have the GPS give you directions to drive to the cache (like a car-nav). The three GPS lines from Garmin will do this as well if you buy the routing maps (around $100 extra). And actually, any GPS Garmin makes (down to Starbrand's suggestion) will auto-route with the purchase of maps. So, if paperless isn't needed, you could go with just about any (down to Starbrand's suggested unit). Now, you could go with the suggestion Starbrand made and would have yourself a good starter GPS, just letting you know the more you spend, the more features you'll get. Those features will usually make you caching experience easier!! Also, I'd like to tell you, buying cheap almost ALWAYS comes back and nips you in the bud. I know this from my buying experiences. Buying cheap means you'll likely outgrow the unit quickly, or, and I've seen this happen often, you'll see someone else's GPS and get GPS envy! I always recommend you buy the best GPS you can afford. GPS envy is a bad thing, it makes you spend more money than you should have if you had bought wisely in the first place!! Not trying to talk you into spending more than you want, quite the opposite actually. I AM trying to help you though and suggest you read a bit of the pinned topics for more info!! Good luck, my friend!! Edited September 28, 2009 by Rockin Roddy Quote Link to comment
+ultimaedge Posted September 28, 2009 Author Share Posted September 28, 2009 Without translating the money amount, I would say check out the Garmin CO series or the Garmin Dakota series. If these are too pricey, you'll have to go lower to the "H" series, but I'd not go lower than that. And yes, check out the pinned section for more help. Also, please specify usage (what do you want from your GPS...paperless? Routing? etc etc) and give as much info as possible for better and quicker answers. That helps for sure - i have seen the pinned section, but because im a total newbie - i really dont understand any of it - so in answer to your question - "what do you want from your GPS...paperless? Routing? etc etc)`" - I really dont know - what i want to be able to do - is easly find Geocache locations (dont want to use it for anything else. Does that help? Not really Let me help a bit: Paperless caching....when I first started out, I bought a cheap unit which was as basic as you can get...the Garmin Etrex yellow. I had to write down all the info for each cache, then I began printing pages for each cache. Both ways worked OK, both got me to the cache and I made around 500 finds with the yellow. Then, I bought a better unit, it had maps. I still had to write down the info or print the pages, but soon bought a PDA where I could load all the cache page info. This worked better and I was having a lot of fun. A friend though showed me a paperless unit (back then paperles meant snippts of info from the cache page and I was wanting the 60CSx. I recently bought a TRUE paperless GPS (DeLorme PN-40). THAT gives you all the cache page info just like you're reading it from the computer. For you, the Garmin OR, CO or Dakota lines are your choices...if paperless is something you want. Paperless means no printing or taking notes of cache pages, you have all the info right on your GPS unit! Routing...the ability to have the GPS give you directions to drive to the cache (like a car-nav). The three GPS lines from Garmin will do this as well if you buy the routing maps (around $100 extra). And actually, any GPS Garmin makes (down to Starbrand's suggestion) will auto-route with the purchase of maps. So, if paperless isn't needed, you could go with just about any (down to Starbrand's suggested unit). Now, you could go with the suggestion Starbrand made and would have yourself a good starter GPS, just letting you know the more you spend, the more features you'll get. Those features will usually make you caching experience easier!! Also, I'd like to tell you, buying cheap almost ALWAYS comes back and nips you in the bud. I know this from my buying experiences. Buying cheap means you'll likely outgrow the unit quickly, or, and I've seen this happen often, you'll see someone else's GPS and get GPS envy! I always recommend you buy the best GPS you can afford. GPS envy is a bad thing, it makes you spend more money than you should have if you had bought wisely in the first place!! Not trying to talk you into spending more than you want, quite the opposite actually. I AM trying to help you though and suggest you read a bit of the pinned topics for more info!! Good luck, my friend!! Total Paperless Caching sounds excellent to me - dont want scraps of paper! and pointing me to the geocache sounds good also - so based on that info (and having to send more) what would you opt for? Many thanks this really helps, Mark Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Total Paperless Caching sounds excellent to me - dont want scraps of paper! and pointing me to the geocache sounds good also - so based on that info (and having to send more) what would you opt for? Many thanks this really helps, Mark Still no idea what your budget is (not good at figuring out different money values, sorry), but any of the three I posted before. IMHO, the Garmin Dakota would likely make you very happy for years to come. Buy that and a routing map softweare and you'll be set for awhile, no worries about having to upgrade in the near future. The Dakota is touchscreen though, just so you know. If touchscreen isn't your thing though, go with the Colorado series. About the same as the Dakota without touchscreen. Truly, from here, you've made the tough decisions of what you need from your unit. Now, research research research!!! Read reviews from amazon.com on the units you have interest in. Read the detailed descriptions on amazon.com too...TONS of useful info there. When you narrow it even more, or if you have questions on the info you see there, please ask away! The more questions you ask, the better odds you'll be a happy buyer and GPS owner!! Quote Link to comment
robertlipe Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 It's a bit out-of-bounds here, but in the interest of keeping the discussion moving, approximate current conversions is easy: http://www.google.com/search?q=%C2%A3150+to+dollars Quote Link to comment
+ultimaedge Posted September 28, 2009 Author Share Posted September 28, 2009 Total Paperless Caching sounds excellent to me - dont want scraps of paper! and pointing me to the geocache sounds good also - so based on that info (and having to send more) what would you opt for? Many thanks this really helps, Mark Still no idea what your budget is (not good at figuring out different money values, sorry), but any of the three I posted before. IMHO, the Garmin Dakota would likely make you very happy for years to come. Buy that and a routing map softweare and you'll be set for awhile, no worries about having to upgrade in the near future. The Dakota is touchscreen though, just so you know. If touchscreen isn't your thing though, go with the Colorado series. About the same as the Dakota without touchscreen. Truly, from here, you've made the tough decisions of what you need from your unit. Now, research research research!!! Read reviews from amazon.com on the units you have interest in. Read the detailed descriptions on amazon.com too...TONS of useful info there. When you narrow it even more, or if you have questions on the info you see there, please ask away! The more questions you ask, the better odds you'll be a happy buyer and GPS owner!! This is excellent info - i have looked at the Garmin Dakota 20 and it looks excellent - looks like i will have to sweet talk the wife for the extra budget! so is this the unit i should go for? (looks like the dogs dangles to me, lol) Many Thanks Mark Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Total Paperless Caching sounds excellent to me - dont want scraps of paper! and pointing me to the geocache sounds good also - so based on that info (and having to send more) what would you opt for? Many thanks this really helps, Mark Still no idea what your budget is (not good at figuring out different money values, sorry), but any of the three I posted before. IMHO, the Garmin Dakota would likely make you very happy for years to come. Buy that and a routing map softweare and you'll be set for awhile, no worries about having to upgrade in the near future. The Dakota is touchscreen though, just so you know. If touchscreen isn't your thing though, go with the Colorado series. About the same as the Dakota without touchscreen. Truly, from here, you've made the tough decisions of what you need from your unit. Now, research research research!!! Read reviews from amazon.com on the units you have interest in. Read the detailed descriptions on amazon.com too...TONS of useful info there. When you narrow it even more, or if you have questions on the info you see there, please ask away! The more questions you ask, the better odds you'll be a happy buyer and GPS owner!! This is excellent info - i have looked at the Garmin Dakota 20 and it looks excellent - looks like i will have to sweet talk the wife for the extra budget! so is this the unit i should go for? (looks like the dogs dangles to me, lol) Many Thanks Mark If you buy it from a reputable dealer, you can always return it should it end up not being as you thought it would! Yes, I believe you'll be very happy with that purchase!! Quote Link to comment
JDiablo Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Routing...the ability to have the GPS give you directions to drive to the cache (like a car-nav). The three GPS lines from Garmin will do this as well if you buy the routing maps (around $100 extra). And actually, any GPS Garmin makes (down to Starbrand's suggestion) will auto-route with the purchase of maps. It would be worth your time to visit here for routing maps: http://sites.google.com/site/talkytoasteruk/ukmaps Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Routing...the ability to have the GPS give you directions to drive to the cache (like a car-nav). The three GPS lines from Garmin will do this as well if you buy the routing maps (around $100 extra). And actually, any GPS Garmin makes (down to Starbrand's suggestion) will auto-route with the purchase of maps. It would be worth your time to visit here for routing maps: http://sites.google.com/site/talkytoasteruk/ukmaps As I said in another thread, I have asked several times for people to correct me each time I say you must buy routable maps, no one, not a single (what I'd consider) pro has come forward and said those free maps will route. I see where you said contours meant routing, I think it might actually mean those lines that show altitude gain/loss. If anyone has knowledge as to the meaning of contours in this context, please share and help with this question! THANKS!! Quote Link to comment
JDiablo Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Routing...the ability to have the GPS give you directions to drive to the cache (like a car-nav). The three GPS lines from Garmin will do this as well if you buy the routing maps (around $100 extra). And actually, any GPS Garmin makes (down to Starbrand's suggestion) will auto-route with the purchase of maps. It would be worth your time to visit here for routing maps: http://sites.google.com/site/talkytoasteruk/ukmaps As I said in another thread, I have asked several times for people to correct me each time I say you must buy routable maps, no one, not a single (what I'd consider) pro has come forward and said those free maps will route. I see where you said contours meant routing, I think it might actually mean those lines that show altitude gain/loss. If anyone has knowledge as to the meaning of contours in this context, please share and help with this question! THANKS!! Contours means contour lines, routing means sat nav road routing. Those free maps have both. Just like a PN-20/30/40 can have both. I have replied to that other thread. Quote Link to comment
+ultimaedge Posted October 1, 2009 Author Share Posted October 1, 2009 Well took the plunge and ordered the Garmin Dakota 20 much to wife moaning about the cost!!! Just waiting for it to arrive - so i can looking for them caches! Cheers All Quote Link to comment
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