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GPS units for geocaching


The NY Dog Walkers

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I'm fairly new to geocaching but am really enjoying it. I have been using my cell phone (droid x) for geocaching which works great. But I am looking to get a GPS unit for geocaching as a present for a family member.

My question to all is which one works similar to the droid x cell phone. I would like the gps to have turn by turn directions for when you are in a car getting to the cache (all roads - town, city, county, sate, and interstate), a compas and possibly a radar. Are any of the gps units that Groundspeak sells capable of doing all of these things? Groundspeaks website has the Magellin eXplorist GC which they say is 100% dedicated to geocaching. Would that be the one to get? Or is there something better out there.

Any help would be appreciated

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not sure if the explorist GC can do turn-by-turn directions. i know all of the more advanced garmin handhelds (oregons, dakotas, 6x series) can do that, provided routable maps are installed. the better ones (dakota 20, oregon x50, 6[02]cs*) also have an internal 3-axis compass. radar? what the heck is radar?

 

you should really look at the specs of the units on the manufacturer's websites, garmin, magellan, delorme, lowrance, and not on Groundspeak websites.

Edited by dfx
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Thanks for the info.

Radar works like a compas. But instead of the usual compas function, radar shows you as a dot on a screne and moves with you showing how close you are getting to the cache location. Radar is an option with my droid x cell phone.

 

 

not sure if the explorist GC can do turn-by-turn directions. i know all of the more advanced garmin handhelds (oregons, dakotas, 6x series) can do that, provided routable maps are installed. the better ones (dakota 20, oregon x50, 6[02]cs*) also have an internal 3-axis compass. radar? what the heck is radar?

 

you should really look at the specs of the units on the manufacturer's websites, garmin, magellan, delorme, lowrance, and not on Groundspeak websites.

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The closest thing in a dedicated handheld GPSr would be the Oregon or Dakota series handhelds from Garmin.

 

Depending on the maps you put on the Dakota or Oregon you can have turn by turn directions for street level mapping and most of the other features.

 

The real issue for a smartphone user to get past is having to load the caches to your dedicated handheld GPSr _before_ you head out for a day of caching. There is no dedicated handheld GPSr that has integrated cellphone access to my knowledge.

 

Of course the durability of a SmartPhone when dropped into a babbling brook is pretty questionable as well, so I always recommend a rugged/waterproof handheld for the non-urban cacher.

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The closest thing in a dedicated handheld GPSr would be the Oregon or Dakota series handhelds from Garmin.

 

Depending on the maps you put on the Dakota or Oregon you can have turn by turn directions for street level mapping and most of the other features.

 

The real issue for a smartphone user to get past is having to load the caches to your dedicated handheld GPSr _before_ you head out for a day of caching. There is no dedicated handheld GPSr that has integrated cellphone access to my knowledge.

 

Of course the durability of a SmartPhone when dropped into a babbling brook is pretty questionable as well, so I always recommend a rugged/waterproof handheld for the non-urban cacher.

 

This bums me out! i don't have a PC so i love having having caches on the go, wherever i am! Also having turn my turn to get me to the general location is a plus.

 

i want a Garmin Colorado or similar bur i'm afraid it will be a waste because i'd have to get to the library to load caches into it. :laughing:

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You don't have a PC? :laughing: I assume that means you don't have a Mac either eh? lol

 

Then forget about buying a dedicated GPSr and just stick with your smartphone. Maybe compromise by buying a super-simple handheld GPSr like an Etrex H, into which you can punch in the coordinates from your smartphone whenever you feel the extra ruggedness of the Etrex is needed..

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Sure, you can input the data manually. But wow would that be time consuming.

 

A work around that might work would be to set up the Pocket Queries to be 500 caches or less (that way they will be sent as an email attachment), and be sure to NOT have the file ZIPPED (that way the file will be a GPX), and then download the file attachment from the email on your BlackBerry, and save it in a folder named /garmin/gpx on the Media Card, and then take the Media Card out of the BlackBerry and put it in GPS unit and see if it will read the folder structure.

 

Alternately, if you can download files to an SD card at the library or a friend's house, then you could do the same thing (downloading the email attachment GPX to the microSD card in a card adapter) and then put the card in the GPS unit.

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I'm fairly new to geocaching but am really enjoying it. I have been using my cell phone (droid x) for geocaching which works great. But I am looking to get a GPS unit for geocaching as a present for a family member.

My question to all is which one works similar to the droid x cell phone. I would like the gps to have turn by turn directions for when you are in a car getting to the cache (all roads - town, city, county, sate, and interstate), a compas and possibly a radar. Are any of the gps units that Groundspeak sells capable of doing all of these things? Groundspeaks website has the Magellin eXplorist GC which they say is 100% dedicated to geocaching. Would that be the one to get? Or is there something better out there.

Any help would be appreciated

If your phone offer turn by turn directions that is a function you do not realy need on a GPS. THe advantage to a GPS over a phone for geocaching is that the GPS is waterproof and will also withstand getting droped better than a phone. ANother advantage to a GPS is that there is no monthy fee required for service.

For new cachers I would recomend a lower price unit (less than $200.00).

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