New Here and Looking at a GPS

[fasteddiep]

Hi,

 

I have recently been introduced to geocaching and I am thinking that this will be a great new hobby.

 

I am looking at spending around 50-75 initially on a GPS.

 

Does anyone have a suggestion as to what I can get for this price. I see an eXplorist 100 on Ebay that is relatively inexpensive. Will that work for caching?

 

Thank you in advance for your help.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

It will work for caching, but I predict that you will:

 

1. End up not too happy with it;

2. Soon upgrade to something better.

 

Why not skip #1, dig a little deeper and get something that you would like in the long run?

 

$100 - $150 will put you into a decent GPSr, made by a manufacturer that supports geocaching and provides good support!

 

Just a suggestion.

 

EDIT: Check this link for many other reviews: http://www.geocaching.com/reviews/gps

Edited January 4, 2010 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+briansnat]

I agree with Gitchee-Gummee. You don't save money if you go cheap then find yourself wanting to upgrade in a few months. The 100 will work for geocaching, but it is missing a lot of features. PC connectivity is a key one.

[+bobandrobin]

All good advice, but I will add that if you are not very tech savvy (my case) then get a unit you can easily master. As your geo-caching skills increase you will figure out what bells and whistles fit your style. For example I love an electronic compass, Santa brought my partner Robin a PN40 for Christmas and she doesn't use the compass feature.

 

Your first unit will later become your back up, nothing wrong with a solid basic model. Keep it simple and learn as you play.

[+FreeBird65]

I started with a Magellan MAP330. They are pretty cheap on eBay. You could probably find one well in your price range. The firmware will probably need to be upgraded to enable and correct WAAS functionality. To go paperless, I purchased a $10 software package for my Motorola Q phone.

 

It is a hassle to use three devices (vehicle GPS, Q for field notes/logs/hints, and the Magellan for navigation to the cache) but it was good enough to help me decide if I wanted to invest further into the hobby.

 

My new PN-40 arrives in two days.