New GPS

[+pickleddreams]

Yes its true, I sacrificed my Garmin Nuvi 205 to the gods of geocaching.

 

I have to wonder if Nuvi has something to do with new be just a play on words?

 

This is the long story if you want you can just skip it and read question at the bottom.

 

It was a dark night, We had been driving for more the 100 miles from Prineville or to Hole in the Ground were we got lost and ended up driving across miles of sage brush threatening to rip the exhaust system off my 90 Geo Prisum . We drove as far as the car would go with out really doing damage them had to walk about 900 yards to find Whole in the Ground. When we got there we found that there was flat gravel roads all the way there. The geocache was on the other side of whole in the ground which is about 1 mile across and 1 mile deep. Because we spent too much time to get here we did not have time to go get the cache. But we did see a great geological site. We made it back out the main road to head to Fort Rock Or, to see Fort Rock another great site. We hiked around Fort Rock and when we left it was dark. We had scheduled in a few caches on the way home.

I told the story to let you know how tired I was which may have been the reason for this mistake. The last Geocache of the night we stoped at a little pull off to pick up GC1v128

This would be my 295th cache so perhaps the Nuvi rings true.

my tired mind still failing me I forgot a pen and so did my friend. We found the cache rather easy we came back to the car I placed my Gatoraid and My GPS on the roof of the car grabbed the Gatoraid and we headed for home. My poor Garmin haning on for dear life. I had no recollection of leaving it up there till a 18 wheeler passed us going the other way and my heart sunk as I heard something slide off the roof. We were going 60 and this is not a rugged gps so I was sure it did not survive. We still stopped about 200 yards up 1st safe place to turn around and drove all the way back to the last geocache with flash lights out the window looking for the GPS. I was not sure if the noise I heard when the 18 wheeler went buy was it or if it fell off sooner. We never found it. So it is still up there laying some where in the ditch.

Even though it lead me astray at hole in the ground and I am sure a time or two before I really did like that Garmin and it got me just shy of 300. Now that It is gone here comes the dilemma do I just go get another 205 Nuvi or something else.

 

Here is the real question!!!!!

 

What I am asking is what GPS I should get. I know this has been asked be for and I hope to be flooded with opinions and recommendations. Thank you for every one.

List of features I would like on my next GPS.

Must haves.

Light weight mount on window.

Enter and direct buy coordinates a must for geocaching

Quick load up and accuracy

Color screen

Ability to use as no geocaching GPS I.E. to find the nearest gas station etc

Would likes

Hand held

Water proof

Rugged

Elevation

Funny and entertaining voices and graphics

 

All at under $100 I know I am not asking for much

I am willing to go with a used one.

[+briansnat]

All at under $100 I know I am not asking for much

 

Well I was going to suggest a Garmin Oregon with City Navigator until that last part. Good luck with your search. I really don't think get all that you want for under $100, even used.

[+pickleddreams]

Also would it be posible to just get the same garmin and then get a water proof rugged case?

[+roziecakes]

I use a nuvi 255 for driving directions and caching when I don't have the handheld on me, but honestly a good handheld is the way to go. You can get one for $100 or under off of ebay or craiglist; that's how we got ours. Of course then you're always purchasing at a risk that whatever you buy might have defects or have been overused, etc. A new GPS at that price though... I'm not sure you'll be able to really find anything real fancy, but you'll just have to look I suppose!

[GOF's Sock Puppet]

The price range is the killer. I'd recommend getting a street GPS for the car. Nuvi, TomTom, whatever. Then get a hand held for the trail. The thing is that neither one will do the others job very well.

[+GrateBear]

I use a nuvi 255 for driving directions and caching when I don't have the handheld on me, but honestly a good handheld is the way to go. You can get one for $100 or under off of ebay or craiglist; that's how we got ours. Of course then you're always purchasing at a risk that whatever you buy might have defects or have been overused, etc. A new GPS at that price though... I'm not sure you'll be able to really find anything real fancy, but you'll just have to look I suppose!

I think you have to be really lucky to get a good price on either eBay or Craigslist. Good for you that you did, but every time I look, the seller wants close to retail. And sometimes, more than retail. And that really boggles the mind, when someone actually pays over retail! Yikes! P.T. Barnum was right!!!!

[+TXHooligans]

i have a nuvi 500.. ruggedized, waterproof and does paperless caching via pocket queries.

 

driving directions and then walking right to the cache.. best of both worlds..

[+buttaskotch]

NUVI 500 is what you are looking for, can get on Ebay for $185+ ($249 at big box retailers) Look on Craigslist maybe there would be a good price in your area. Has everything you are looking for and more sensitive than your 205, though with someone that uses a dedicated hiking GPSr like me(60CSX), I felt the sensitivity was lacking.

But you can't ask for more when getting voice directions, Geo descriptions, hints, logs, waterproof, rugged, nearest gas station and a topographic map! Settings for biking and walking, too.

 

And not have to mod the macros on your GSAK through the roof to get all the Geo-info needed.

[Keystone]

I am moving this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum to the GPS and Technology forum.