Picking out a GPS

[+Andromeda321]

Hi all-

 

My grandmother recently gifted me $300 with the understanding that it should go towards "something I want," and as a grad student I want to spend it before I decide what I really want is to pay the bills! So researching GPS units as all I have thus far is my iPhone and would appreciate the accuracy and ability to use it in wooded areas. Though I should note that a. I'm used to being paperless and want to keep it that way and b. am ok with going over $300 with some of my own funds.

 

So some basic and potentially stupid questions to start-

1) I run a Mac- does this mean I won't be able to use some GPS units?

2) Are there any units that you can charge by plugging into the wall and not by buying batteries? It might sound silly but everything else I have runs this way and it's not like I'm going to be out in the wilderness for days at a time, so this would be a lot more convenient for me.

3) I'm assuming GPS units in this range can give turn-by-turn directions, right? Like can you plug in GPS coordinates and it tells you how to drive there on roads? Just wondering!

4) What's the difference between, say, an Oregon 450 and Oregon 450t? Beyond a chunk of change.

 

My research so far leaves me dithering between a Garmin 60csx and an Oregon 450(t or no!), I include the latter because while on the pricey side it was fun to play around with at Best Buy last weekend. If people have any suggestions or can suggest any other units, I appreciate it and am all ears! Thanks in advance!

[+StarBrand]

You can eliminate the 60CSx - it is NOT a fully paperless unit.

 

Here are a few suggestions.

 

Oregon 300 plus Garmin City Nav.

Lowrance Endura Safari + Autorouting (includes voice directions)

Lowrance Endura Out&Back + Some Cheap Nuvi for road Navigation

Delorme PN40 - (has a wall plugin with battery pack for extra)

[+chachi44089]

Most of the units made now are paperless at that price range.The Lowrance, Endura Safari and Endura Sierra both have turn by turn navigation "like a tomtom".Vey versitile units with lots of features and easy to use.

I dont know if other units are rechargable,but I just bought some Ni-Mh rechargables and they work great.

Feel free to ask more questions as there are lots of people on here with knowledge of other brands.Check out the GPS and technowlogy forum too.

Edited April 29, 2010 by chachi44089

[+Bear and Ragged]

Garmin do the software to connect to Macs.

Don't know about the others.

[+Knight2000]

I own an Oregon and I do not think I would buy another one. It is adequate but it has some major downfalls IMO.

 

It does not charge via a cable. I would like it to do this with AA rechargeables. I have a Magellan that charges with a special battery pack this way and I do not like it. I can't easily charge batteries and I would have to carry a special battery in the field to change.

 

I want to buy a DeLorme or Lowrance or a Magellan but I don't need it and money is hard to come by. Plus I have about 5 other units that I don't need too!

[+DN_Chip]

My wife and I both use Macs. I have a 60csx and she has an Oregon 450. No problems at all using the Mac to load geocaches into the units, but it's a little easier on the Oregon.

 

60csx: MUCH better battery life. I run around all day with the unit on so I can geotag photos. At the end of the day, the batteries still have a lot of juice. It's not a paperless unit, but I always have my iPhone with me (or my wife with her Oregon) so that's not a problem. You can't directly load a GPX file, at least I haven't figured a way to do this. I use Garmin's Road Trip to load the files.

 

450: Don't get the 450T. The only difference is the preloaded maps. You can get better maps for free. The unit is paperless. Battery life is not nearly as good. A full day of usage normally requires at least one battery change. We use rechargeable's, so thats not a huge deal. Loading GPX files is as easy as a copy and paste in Finder. The screens are highly customizable and makes paperless caching a breeze.

 

I would not give up my 60csx and my wife would not give up her 450. You need to decide which will work best for you. I prefer the long battery life and operating with buttons instead of touchscreen. She wouldn't give up the paperless convenience. I always have my iPhone with me, she doesn't. That's a big reason for our preferences.

[+CortandTrent]

I have a 450 and a Mac and it works together well. It shows up as an external drive under the Finder so all you have to do is drag the GPX files on to it.

 

I love the unit, battery life is decent I can normally go a full day without a change. I personally wouldn't spend the extra money on the T model, you can get great topo maps for free.

[+JoesBar]

From the folks around here, go with the Oregon line. I recognized your name from logs in NE Ohio. I'd suggest attending and event around here and talking to folks. There are several coming up. Every month there are two coffee nights, one on the east side and one on the west side.

It's a good thing to spend the gift cash on a nice item for yourself. You have the rest of your life to pay bills.

[+EnduraExpert]

Garmin do the software to connect to Macs.

Don't know about the others.

The Lowrance Enduras will work on both PC and MAC, when connected they will show up as a mass storage device. It is then as simple as drag and drop your GPX files.

[+Skulldug]

I use a Garmin Oregon 300 with both Mac and PC. It works seamlessly with the Mac but can't do paperless with Win XP Internet Explorer. Garmin recommended I use Fire Fox. I installed it and could do paperless with no problems but it seems odd to me that a company a big as Garmin can't operate in the connected world.

 

Skull

[+coggins]

Garmin do the software to connect to Macs.

Don't know about the others.

The Lowrance Enduras will work on both PC and MAC, when connected they will show up as a mass storage device. It is then as simple as drag and drop your GPX files.

Good to know. Does Lowrance have any mapping software that is OSX native or is Garmin the only option there??? Edited May 1, 2010 by coggins

[+Andromeda321]

From the folks around here, go with the Oregon line. I recognized your name from logs in NE Ohio. I'd suggest attending and event around here and talking to folks. There are several coming up. Every month there are two coffee nights, one on the east side and one on the west side.

It's a good thing to spend the gift cash on a nice item for yourself. You have the rest of your life to pay bills.

 

Ha I've gone to the last two on the East side, guess we just haven't crossed paths yet! Oh well maybe at the event tonight or Monday...

 

Thanks all for the suggestions, found an Oregon 450 for $300 online after you mail in a rebate so might be going for that as it would work perfectly! After all if the main reason I balked was price and it fits in the price range, what's not to like? Will research the other suggestions a little more before a final decision, but that's what I'm going for for now...

[+coggins]

You can get a TOPO map for that unit here that will work with your Mac: LINK

Edited May 1, 2010 by coggins

[+EnduraExpert]

Garmin do the software to connect to Macs.

Don't know about the others.

The Lowrance Enduras will work on both PC and MAC, when connected they will show up as a mass storage device. It is then as simple as drag and drop your GPX files.

Good to know. Does Lowrance have any mapping software that is OSX native or is Garmin the only option there???

All of the Lowrance mapping is provided preloaded on microSd cards or can be downloaded from MapSelect.com. The Endura units do not require you to use any special computer software, so any program that can output or input a GPX file will work.

[+tenorjazz]

I thought I would save some money and get more features and maps and bought a Delorme PN40. Fortunately I got it at REI, they have the best return policy in country...

 

First the PN40 was very confusing to load maps and use. Second, I was using on a hike in the desert and laying down "tracks" in case I got turned around. I was out for about 2 hours and when I looked at the GPS to find my way back, it had locked up. No buttons worked, it stopped laying down the tracks some time earlier and when I removed the battery (the only way I could get it to turn off), I lost what little track I had. I found my way back, but what an eye opener.

 

I returned the PN40 and got a Garmin Dakota 20. I also have a much older Garmin GPSMap 276C (big brother to the 60cxs). Even though Gamin gouges you for their maps, their maps are good and their units are reliable. Many of the Airlines use Garmin GPS units to help guide their planes around the world, so they have to be pretty darn reliable.

 

My wife has a Garmin Street Pilot that she bought at Costco in 2006. It's mounted on her motorcycle and has seen a lot of rain storms and many many miles, including a trip to the arctic circle. It's not even suppose to be waterproof, but it has been very stable and has never let us down. For my money I would not get anything other than a Garmin.

 

That being said... if you are going to just use it for Geocaching, then it really doesn't matter which brand you get, but if you need to rely on it and want to use it for traveling, hiking and adventure, I would recommend the Garmin.

 

As far as batteries verses wall rechargeable units you would be wise to go with a battery unit. Most handheld units run on AA batteries anyway. I you are out somewhere and your proprietary battery goes dead, you are out of luck. If the unit runs on AA batteries, you just pop couple of backups in and you are ready to go again. You can always used rechargeable AA batteries if you want, just keep a fresh 4 pack of lithium batteries just in case.

 

Hope this helps.

[+Knight2000]

The more I look at a Delorme PN-40 the tastier it gets. I paid $450 for my Oregon (after the rebate.) It looks like you can get a PN-40 for $235 with everything. Maps, turn by turn directions, 3 axis compass. I'm tempted... If you don't need the compass drop down to a PN-30 for $185... I'd like to see one myself.

[+coggins]

Garmin do the software to connect to Macs.

Don't know about the others.

The Lowrance Enduras will work on both PC and MAC, when connected they will show up as a mass storage device. It is then as simple as drag and drop your GPX files.

Good to know. Does Lowrance have any mapping software that is OSX native or is Garmin the only option there???

All of the Lowrance mapping is provided preloaded on microSd cards or can be downloaded from MapSelect.com. The Endura units do not require you to use any special computer software, so any program that can output or input a GPX file will work.

Sorry I wasn't clear, but the question wasn't about .gpx files but maps and mapping software. From your first post, one can assume that any mapping software that can read or write a .gpx file can have said file be used on both the GPSr and Macintosh, but can the maps/imagry from MapSelect.com or microSD card be used on a Mac to route plan, view past tracks etc., or only used on the GPSr? Edited May 1, 2010 by coggins

[+ADTCacheur]

I paid $450 for my Oregon (after the rebate.)

 

AFTER the rebate? That was how much mine was with tax and shipping. Did you get 450t or 550?

 

I would say get the Oregon if you like touchscreen controls, and something else if you don't. You probably WON'T want to get the 450t unless turn-by-turn directions are important to you, as you would be paying 100$ more for a silver instead of bronze trim, and cooler maps that can give you directions. (I personally just use the google maps to find my way, and print out.

[+CortandTrent]

The more I look at a Delorme PN-40 the tastier it gets. I paid $450 for my Oregon (after the rebate.) It looks like you can get a PN-40 for $235 with everything. Maps, turn by turn directions, 3 axis compass. I'm tempted... If you don't need the compass drop down to a PN-30 for $185... I'd like to see one myself.

 

Sounds like you should have shopped around, I got mine new with warranty for $290 after rebate.