Pondering a new purchase...input please!

[+The QCs]

Ok, this caching bug is not going to be disappearing any time soon, so a new GPS purchase maybe the order of the day.

 

Can you help me please?

 

Right now I have a very very basic Garmin etrex but I want to upgrade. I also have a Nokia X6 with Geocachinglive installed on it. I quite like the Geocachinglive (when it works and when it doesn't suck the life out the phone's batteries). Is there a similar thing I can get for GPS unit. I want a nice colour screen with maps and caches located on it.

Right now, I write down the co-ords and head out the door. This gets me lost quite often especially on longer cache series! So, I need something where I can follow or just see a route. I guess I could take a map, but that means plotting everything onto it. Is there something that can do this for me? what would you recommend so that I don't have to write down co-ords all the time, has a colour screen and works similarly to Geocachinglive.

 

Many thanks,

MummyDiplodocus!

BabyDiplodocus (5 years old) is hankering after the Garmin etrex for herself so would love for me to buy something new!

[+Yorkie30]

Ok, this caching bug is not going to be disappearing any time soon, so a new GPS purchase maybe the order of the day.

 

Can you help me please?

 

Right now I have a very very basic Garmin etrex but I want to upgrade. I also have a Nokia X6 with Geocachinglive installed on it. I quite like the Geocachinglive (when it works and when it doesn't suck the life out the phone's batteries). Is there a similar thing I can get for GPS unit. I want a nice colour screen with maps and caches located on it.

Right now, I write down the co-ords and head out the door. This gets me lost quite often especially on longer cache series! So, I need something where I can follow or just see a route. I guess I could take a map, but that means plotting everything onto it. Is there something that can do this for me? what would you recommend so that I don't have to write down co-ords all the time, has a colour screen and works similarly to Geocachinglive.

 

Many thanks,

MummyDiplodocus!

BabyDiplodocus (5 years old) is hankering after the Garmin etrex for herself so would love for me to buy something new!

 

There are lots out there in the garmin range but it all depends on budget and taste. I have a dakota 20 with a colour touch screen and love it. Colour maps, download all the information including hints using pocket queries, small enough to go in your pocket. Easy to use.

 

Others use the oregeon series which is larger and more powerful and do more things.

 

I had a etrex vista which was ok but the dakota gives me true paperless all on one unit. Search the forums for more advice on which GPS and decide on a budget. If you go to an event and get talking to others they may even let you have a look at theirs so you can try before you buy.

[+JimmerUK]

I ordered an Oregon 450 from Handtec last week and it arrived today. Went out to test it this evening and must say I'm very impressed.

 

Up until now I've been using the iPhone. The Oregon's Geocaching app is very similar to the iPhone except you download all the cache details in advance, so no hanging around trying to get a 3G data signal between caches.

 

The accuracy is amazing, I'm so happy with it.

[+little-miss-naughty]

i have an oregon 550t can go any were just turn it on and it showes the closest caches with discription longs and hints plus maps the other oregon modles do pretty much the same thing but are cheeper.

 

lmn

[+G7HRP]

I personally use a GPS enabled PDA (Fujitsu Seimens Pocket Loox 560 with extended battery) and am fortunate enough to have the full suite of Memory Map 1:25000 which you can overlay caches onto with ease, its great and even works well under tree cover , i also have a Garmin Venture which does have slightly better performance under heavy cover but only marginally.

 

I really like having proper OS mapping and it really helps when out in the countryside and wanting to check on the right of way before stomping over a farmers field. So the upside is PDA's are cheap and can be waterproofed / dropped proofed quite easily , downside full OS mapping costs an arm and a leg.

 

My dad bought a Dakota 10 , he caches whilst out walking but to him the walk is as important as to cache so he picks up any along his route its not as feature packed as an Oregon but a whole load cheaper and may fit the bill if associated with Toasty Talker Maps (of which i am no expert but there are plenty who are).

 

I keep looking at Oregons and if the memory map was compatible i'd get one however i just can't warrant it while the PDA is doing everything and from a mapping perspective doint it better.

[GerritS]

i have an oregon 550t can go any were just turn it on and it showes the closest caches with discription longs and hints plus maps the other oregon modles do pretty much the same thing but are cheeper.

 

lmn

 

I started caching on an N95 before getting a basic ETrex Garmin as well.

 

I used to input the caches form my laptop use Smart GPX on my phone without the GPS on. I could go all day, sometimes I used Geocache navigator to help with the maps...

 

To be honest like that I found caches quicker than I do now with an Oregon 400. OK I took the wrong foot path once or twice but once on the GZ I new my position was bad so started looking earlier...

 

Although I still would not change back from my Oregon, it is so good. Personally I would by the best one you can afford there is always the extra function you wish you had

 

So my vote if you are going to spend the money Oregon...

[+Bear and Ragged]

All the information, and maps.

Dakota/Oregon/Colorado.

 

Decide if you want the free talkytoaster maps, or pay for the discovery maps.

 

Use Pocket Queries. (As you're a Premium Member)

 

Might be worth seeing if there's an Event near (or contact local cachers) to see what others use, and get a 'hands on' with some of the kit.

 

All of them have different versions, and do more or less depending on the model.

Make a list of what you want it to do, and see which fits the bill...

[team tisri]

I still use my trusty GPSMap 60CSx which I've had for 4-5 years now and which shows no sign of flagging.

 

Personally I didn't like the Oregon - I looked at one in an outdoors shop and found it difficult to read even in the relatively dim lights of the shop. When light from the windows hit it, I couldn't read the screen at all. The touchscreen seems like a nice thing to have, but not if I can't read the screen (I have the same problem with the screen on my smartphone and often have to turn to cast a shadow on it).

 

The Colorado seems like a nice enough unit but I've met at least a couple of people who upgraded from the 60CSx to a Colorado and then found they preferred the CSx.

 

One thing I recently discovered and out of curiosity I'd be interested to know if it's any good is the Memory Map Adventurer 2800. You can read about an trade-in offer here:

 

http://www.memory-map.co.uk/gpstradein/

 

(I don't know if the unit is any good, so if anyone has used one I'd be interested in feedback too!)

[+Jacaru & Wemnog]

We use the Oregon 550t. We find it a great little GPS that ticks all the boxes and we can even take photos with it if we don't have a camera with us. We found it cheapest on Ebay.

[+Palujia]

We bought a Garmin ETrex Legend HCX and have just ordered a set of Talky toaster's maps preloaded on a card (as we are total technophobes) E mailed him to find out about them and got a great reply. Apparantly if you use GSAK when you download the cache onto the Garmin, the description and logs etc download as well. This option is several hundred pounds cheaper than buying an Oregon or Colorado both over £200 and the OS maps which the cheapest I have found is £189.00 - The Etrex was £160 and the maps (preloaded) are £17.00 (free if you are able to download and have knowledge and SD chips available)

happy caching

Palujia

[+talkytoaster]

We bought a Garmin ETrex Legend HCX and have just ordered a set of Talky toaster's maps preloaded on a card (as we are total technophobes) E mailed him to find out about them and got a great reply. Apparantly if you use GSAK when you download the cache onto the Garmin, the description and logs etc download as well. This option is several hundred pounds cheaper than buying an Oregon or Colorado both over £200 and the OS maps which the cheapest I have found is £189.00 - The Etrex was £160 and the maps (preloaded) are £17.00 (free if you are able to download and have knowledge and SD chips available)

happy caching

Palujia

I think you misread my reply to you.

 

However, all is not lost there are ways to get some of the hint and other data onto the Legend Hcx, but it isn't real paperless caching. For that you really do need an Oregon, Colorado or Dakota.

 

Regards,

Martin

[+The Chaos Crew]

another vote for the Oregon, I have the 450 with the OS maps, and I love it - it's sooooo much nicer to use and more richly featured than my old Etrex. Especially with the new software upgrade that allows you to filter geocache searches in the field by size, type, difficulty etc, that's SO useful.

 

I've read other people complaining about the screen visibilty, but can genuinely say I've used it in bright sun, shade, and everything in between and have never had a problem. Compared to my mobile phone which is virtually unusable in bright sunlight, it's fantastic.

[+cerbera147]

As a newbie I have recently purchased a Dakota 10 from Amazon £154 which was pretty cheap I thought. I've added talkytoaster's maps for UK and Ireland [thanks Martin] and everything is running great.

 

For true paperless caching this is the bee's knees along with the Premium Membership. My needs are pure geocaching and some hill walking etc. so this model will see me right for some time