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GPSR suggestion - need Altimeter and Compass


Dino Hunters

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Have a look at the new Etrex 30, it has both.

Good suggestion as long as Platinum is a Garmin product or Dino Hunters don't have a large investment in maps for their Platinum. Of course, if the maps are locked as with Garmin City Navigator there would be no incentive to try to use them on another GPSr.

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If you are using your Platinum for navigating, it has several features that are hard to find on many newer GPSrs:

the compass reference has degrees and mils for better precision (both magnetic and true north.) It has one of the best waypoint projection tools, allowing you to project from your location or any saved waypoint. It saves tracks and waypoints/routes in text files on the SD card which allow easy changes and conversions to other formats in your computer. It has a good receiver, decent battery life, and will convert a saved track or active track to route, and has a backtrack feature. Negatives are the crude maps and screen resolution, and minimal geocaching info can be saved with the waypoints. You also have to do a modification to the firmware to get the current WAAS satelites.

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Escout's right, the Platinum was arguably the best GPSR of it's time. I had one for many years and was in love. Unfortunately today the technology is a bit dated especially the screen.

 

I'm sorry your Platinum was stolen. I would suggest to you a Garmin Oregon 450. It has everything you desire ( 3-axis electronic compass, barometer) and can be had for 250 us dollars (sporadic sales). There are plently of free maps available for Garmin units as well so no worries about extra expenditures in that regard unless you need something only Garmin maps can provide (such as terrain shading).

 

Coming from an old Platinum user you'll definately not be missing your Platinum after using an Oregon 450.

Edited by yogazoo
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If you are using your Platinum for navigating, it has several features that are hard to find on many newer GPSrs:

the compass reference has degrees and mils for better precision (both magnetic and true north.) It has one of the best waypoint projection tools, allowing you to project from your location or any saved waypoint. It saves tracks and waypoints/routes in text files on the SD card which allow easy changes and conversions to other formats in your computer. It has a good receiver, decent battery life, and will convert a saved track or active track to route, and has a backtrack feature. Negatives are the crude maps and screen resolution, and minimal geocaching info can be saved with the waypoints. You also have to do a modification to the firmware to get the current WAAS satelites.

I agree with all. I own about 8 Platinums and they are what I still use...IMO no better unit to walk to a cache, best operating 3-axis compass ever made ( no sticky-jumpy)and and a 2G SD card will hold maps of all the states and 14,000,000 saved caches + much more. My wife uses the 450 but about 80% of the time the Platinum will get to the cache more smoothly. We do really like the 450 for MANY reasons.

 

I would get the Oregon 450 and pick up a used Platinum off ebay.

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I'm also a MeriPlat owner. If you're a PC user, I would also look at the DeLorme PN-60 series. It also has a magnetic compass, waypoint projection and altimeter. It comes in the box with everything you need to get started without any further purchase. If you go PN-60w, you also have some backcountry communication options to you other GPS brands don't yet have.

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And more, I recently discovered how to add trails and features to my topo maps.

I bought the platinum because of it's qualities back when I did buy it.

 

What can anyone say about the 610 as a replacement?

 

I had both the Canada and Canadatopo sets before, but I doubt the old map SW will work with the newer models, 610 included right?

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When my eXplorist 500 stopped working about a year ago, I got a deal on a Triton 500, which has a magnetic compass and an altimeter/barometer. It's a bear to get used to, but I was able to get the MapSend Topo maps (originally purchased with my MeriGold) uploaded on the Triton using VantagePoint. Now that I'm almost used to it, It's not too bad. The main drawback is that it has a limit of 1000 total waypoints and geocaches. (That's a whole different thread.) I use it for most GPS stuff, but I use an eXplorist GC for geocaching.

 

And more, I recently discovered how to add trails and features to my topo maps.

I bought the platinum because of it's qualities back when I did buy it.

 

What can anyone say about the 610 as a replacement?

 

I had both the Canada and Canadatopo sets before, but I doubt the old map SW will work with the newer models, 610 included right?

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