so.. I'm looking for a GPS...

[+Terrier Team]

I LOVE caching but right now it's more of a pain than fun because 1) i must enter coords by hand and 2) because i have to carry around multiple papers with cach info on it. As you can see from by profile i have only found 67 and if you see what GPS i've been using ( the explorist 100 ick, not the best for cahing all the time)

 

I'm not too sure what to get. My limit is around $350 for a new unit. I've been looking at the delorm 40 or a dakota. i don't really need a super detailed map just a nice base map, that'll acutally show roads i'm around... I love the removable memory idea.

 

So fellow cacher, sell me on a GPS. What do you have? what do you like/ dislike about it? easy of use? Accuracy? If you could include some screen shots of it in use that would be great. Thanks for helping me decide on a GPS to use so my caching experience will be way better than it already has.

[+SkellyCA]

I'm still using a Triton 400; only complaint is that I don't get the size of the cache, but I guess that once I get to GZ.

 

The Delomes, Dakotas, Oregons and the Magellan GC are all popular here. From reading posts here, it sounds like the Delomes have a stiffer learning curve than the others.

[+The Yinnies]

I have had the Oregons and the Datoka 20 and I now have a Delorme PN-40 and PN-60. The learning curve for the Delormes is the Topo software. Topo 9 is not hard to use if you are just useing it for caches. I would suggest the Delormes but I also liked the Dakota 20. There are good and bad with all units, but for me the Delormes fit better.

Thanks

[+Team_Searchgeo]

For 350$ you have a wide choice. Delormes PN-60 is going for around $350 right now and the PN-40(which I have and love) can be had for about $220. The garmin oregons are susposed to be good and the new 62's are not bad either. My take on technology is though wait 6 months before you buy the latest so all the bugs can be worked out. You could buy the PN-40 which is paperless and works great and use the rest to buy a 32 GB SDHC card and since you don't care about topo maps you could load so many caches on that card it would last you a couple life times.

[+embra]

You'll most likely be happy with either choice. I went from an Explorist 500 to a PN-20 and then to a PN-40, and I've been very happy with that progression. I'd agree with The Yinnies that the PN-40 is not particularly challenging to learn; the intricacies of all the imagery choices with the $30 annual subscription fee and the the other capabilities of the Topo North America software can take time and effort to master--but if one chooses to forego that, it can keep pretty simple and straightforward.

 

The main disadvantages that people find in the PN-40 are shorter battery life than with other devices (I get about 8-10 hours with mine) and a smallish screen (it's about the same size as the Explorist IIRC). It looks like Walmart and Amazon have it around $220 right now.

 

Rich Owings has some good reviews of both models at his web site.

 

Dakota 20 review

 

DeLorme PN-40 review

[+hock2]

we are using a magellan triton 300 (refurbished, from magellan's site $95 with shipping) so far it has been reliable. its taken a beating, lots of rain, the occasional dunk when a kayak tips. the coords have been within 3 feet of a garmin gets. hey, its cheap and works.

[+hock2]

we are using a magellan triton 300 (refurbished, from magellan's site $95 with shipping) so far it has been reliable. its taken a beating, lots of rain, the occasional dunk when a kayak tips. the coords have been within 3 feet of a garmin gets. hey, its cheap and works.

[grdhogeve]

I LOVE caching but right now it's more of a pain than fun because 1) i must enter coords by hand and 2) because i have to carry around multiple papers with cach info on it. As you can see from by profile i have only found 67 and if you see what GPS i've been using ( the explorist 100 ick, not the best for cahing all the time)

 

I'm not too sure what to get. My limit is around $350 for a new unit. I've been looking at the delorm 40 or a dakota. i don't really need a super detailed map just a nice base map, that'll acutally show roads i'm around... I love the removable memory idea.

 

So fellow cacher, sell me on a GPS. What do you have? what do you like/ dislike about it? easy of use? Accuracy? If you could include some screen shots of it in use that would be great. Thanks for helping me decide on a GPS to use so my caching experience will be way better than it already has.

 

$350.00??? Check your local stores (electronic, marine, etc.) I bought my GPS 72 for 67.00 at our local West Marine. It was a close out and a discontinued model, but the price was awesome. I love it. It's easy to use, after you play with it for awhile. I can download coordinates, check fishing forecasts and more. Sure there are more expensive models out there. But when you're on a budget, you make do.

[+TeamSenavinin!]

I LOVE caching but right now it's more of a pain than fun because 1) i must enter coords by hand and 2) because i have to carry around multiple papers with cach info on it. As you can see from by profile i have only found 67 and if you see what GPS i've been using ( the explorist 100 ick, not the best for cahing all the time)

 

I'm not too sure what to get. My limit is around $350 for a new unit. I've been looking at the delorm 40 or a dakota. i don't really need a super detailed map just a nice base map, that'll acutally show roads i'm around... I love the removable memory idea.

 

So fellow cacher, sell me on a GPS. What do you have? what do you like/ dislike about it? easy of use? Accuracy? If you could include some screen shots of it in use that would be great. Thanks for helping me decide on a GPS to use so my caching experience will be way better than it already has.

 

Please please please do yourself a favor and check out the Magellan Explorist GC. It's a purpose built geocaching GPS that is so simple and easy to use. It's not the most impressive unit available, but it offer hassle free paperless geocaching fully supported by geocaching.com. Uploads are a breeze. The learning curve is (seriously) easy. The display is great, even in bright light. I'm no techno-whiz by any stretch of the imagination and I had mine fully functional with it's first downloaded pocket query in about 20 minutes without reading the instructions.

 

If you are a back country hiker who needs satellite photos and all the topo maps this is probably not for you. I am so happy we decided to go with this unit over the way more expensive Delorme we initally wanted. I lucked out and found a used GC on Ebay for $120. Now, we can't even go to the grocery store or out to dinner without bringing it along! We cache practically every day since the kid is out of school for the summer.

 

Sorry to sound like a shill, but I really love this thing. I doubt we would be so excited about geocaching if we were using any other unit.

[+CajanCacheMan]

We use the new Magellian Explorist GC.I am sure you have heard this and that about it.only set back I found is it is hard to see the screen in direct sunlight,i am use to cupping my hand around it then it is viewable.cords are very accurate,we get to with in 6 ft. of all our finds,the joystick is small and takes some time getting use to but its very easy to operate and best of all it is paperless..we use the Vantage Point program with it.send your queries to the program and export them to the unit.and vise versa when you log your finds in the field,you can plug it back up and send all your finds to your geocaching profile..its so much easier than toting around alot of cache pages printed out..