Best GPS to Buy

[+adventouress]

I am new to Geocaching and to date have been borrowing my GPS. It is time for me to buy one. I need something that I can take with me as I go traveling to such places as Africa, Dubai, USA, and of course where I live in Calgary, AB Canada. Do you have any suggestions which would be the best GPS to buy?

[BMW JEDI]

I am new to Geocaching and to date have been borrowing my GPS. It is time for me to buy one. I need something that I can take with me as I go traveling to such places as Africa, Dubai, USA, and of course where I live in Calgary, AB Canada. Do you have any suggestions which would be the best GPS to buy?

 

Such an open ended request.

 

Let's narrow it down a bit....

 

What is your budget?

Edited March 10, 2013 by BMW JEDI

[+adventouress]

I am new to Geocaching and to date have been borrowing my GPS. It is time for me to buy one. I need something that I can take with me as I go traveling to such places as Africa, Dubai, USA, and of course where I live in Calgary, AB Canada. Do you have any suggestions which would be the best GPS to buy?

 

Such an open ended request.

 

Let's narrow it down a bit....

 

What is your budget?

 

 

I am thinking under $300.00, would like a screen that is big enough to see and that I can see in the sunlight and one that will load maps and be fairly acurate, within 10 feet.

[+splashy]

Etrex 20 or 30 or Oregon ( or the new Oregon 600 coming soon)

[+Chief301]

Etrex 20 or 30 or Oregon ( or the new Oregon 600 coming soon)

 

Those are all Garmin models, by the way....

[+user13371]

...the new Oregon 600 ...

Exceeds requester's stated price range. Edited March 10, 2013 by user13371

[BMW JEDI]

 

I am thinking under $300.00, would like a screen that is big enough to see and that I can see in the sunlight and one that will load maps and be fairly acurate, within 10 feet.

 

The Garmin Oregon 450 or 550 (if you want a mediocre camera) will serve you quite well. Either can be had for $200-$250 USD if you look hard enough.

[+Chief301]

 

I am thinking under $300.00, would like a screen that is big enough to see and that I can see in the sunlight and one that will load maps and be fairly acurate, within 10 feet.

 

The Garmin Oregon 450 or 550 (if you want a mediocre camera) will serve you quite well. Either can be had for $200-$250 USD if you look hard enough.

 

+1 on the Oregon 550. Yes, the camera is less than what comes on most phones these days but at least you have a camera that can take some abuse. I think it's a 3 megapixel. But overall it's an excellent unit for Geocaching, especially if you prefer a touch screen interface.

[+adventouress]

Thank you everyone for your informaton. I never thought about a camera. If I wait for the Oregon 600, do you think that will have a better camera?

[+Chief301]

Thank you everyone for your informaton. I never thought about a camera. If I wait for the Oregon 600, do you think that will have a better camera?

 

Unless you really don't want or need a camera at all, in which case the Oregon 450 might do, since its the exact same unit minus the camera. Will also cost less.

 

Also keep in mind whether you want a unit with topographical maps pre loaded. Most GPSr's come with only a practically useless base map installed. It shows major highways and waterways only, no streets or terrain details. You can buy one with topo maps preloaded (Garmin's will have a "T" at the end of the model number, i.e., Oregon 550T), but they'll be pricey. Or you can get the regular unit and get free maps online.

[+user13371]

Thank you everyone for your informaton. I never thought about a camera. If I wait for the Oregon 600, do you think that will have a better camera?

The 600 doesn't have a camera, the 650 does. All of the 6x0 series are above the price point you mentioned earlier. Garmin's website has comparisons if you're interested, here's a chart of the models most discussed in this thread:

 

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/compare.do?cID=145&compareProduct=113520&compareProduct=113532&compareProduct=26875&compareProduct=63349

Edited March 11, 2013 by user13371

[+northernpenguin]

Thank you everyone for your informaton. I never thought about a camera. If I wait for the Oregon 600, do you think that will have a better camera?

 

Unless you really don't want or need a camera at all, in which case the Oregon 450 might do, since its the exact same unit minus the camera. Will also cost less.

 

Also keep in mind whether you want a unit with topographical maps pre loaded. Most GPSr's come with only a practically useless base map installed. It shows major highways and waterways only, no streets or terrain details. You can buy one with topo maps preloaded (Garmin's will have a "T" at the end of the model number, i.e., Oregon 550T), but they'll be pricey. Or you can get the regular unit and get free maps online.

 

I wouldn't get a "T" model in Canada. I'd get the base one and then choose which maps, for example the Garmin Topo Canada is nice and all, and there is no DRM tying the map to that specific GPS. Also you can drop all the provinces except Alberta/BC to save some memory for other maps like USA and Dubai. Also consider Ibycus Topo (developed right there in Alberta I believe) and the Southern Alberta Trail Mapping Project, as these are free maps and lower the overall cost. Of course the unit performs a little better with Garmin maps from Garmin, particularly for DEM shading (see dark shades where land is steep) and auto-routing. You can get fairly decent street routing maps for free at http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl. Also check http://www.gpsfiledepot.com for other worldwide maps (USA, Dubai, etc). The Openstreetmap link is the best resource for free worldwide street maps.

 

I have an eTrex 30 which has the same screen type the new Oregon will use. It is remarkably easy to read in direct sunlight.

[BMW JEDI]

Thank you everyone for your informaton. I never thought about a camera. If I wait for the Oregon 600, do you think that will have a better camera?

 

Nope.

 

Because the Garmin Oregon 600/600t has no camera, you will have to buy the Oregon 650/650t to get a Camera. (see here) The Oregon 650/650t have the best camera Garmin has ever put in a GPS to date.

Edited March 11, 2013 by BMW JEDI

[+northernpenguin]

Thank you everyone for your informaton. I never thought about a camera. If I wait for the Oregon 600, do you think that will have a better camera?

 

Nope.

 

Because the Garmin Oregon 600/600t has no camera, you will have to buy the Oregon 650/650t to get a Camera. (see here) The Oregon 650/650t have the best camera Garmin has ever put in a GPS to date.

 

I would not factor in the camera in a Garmin GPS as a "better camera". If you care at all about the photo quality bring another camera. If you want to take photos of codes on logbooks and cache lids, and have them geotagged to the location you took the photo, sure use the Garmin GPS camera. Mind you my opinion is a bit biased - I go caching with a Nikon DSLR.

[BMW JEDI]

Thank you everyone for your informaton. I never thought about a camera. If I wait for the Oregon 600, do you think that will have a better camera?

 

Nope.

 

Because the Garmin Oregon 600/600t has no camera, you will have to buy the Oregon 650/650t to get a Camera. (see here) The Oregon 650/650t have the best camera Garmin has ever put in a GPS to date.

 

I would not factor in the camera in a Garmin GPS as a "better camera". If you care at all about the photo quality bring another camera. If you want to take photos of codes on logbooks and cache lids, and have them geotagged to the location you took the photo, sure use the Garmin GPS camera. Mind you my opinion is a bit biased - I go caching with a Nikon DSLR.

 

If only the Nikon would log caches?

 

No GPS will ever accomplish what your Nikon does, nor should it!

[+northernpenguin]

If only the Nikon would log caches?

 

No GPS will ever accomplish what your Nikon does, nor should it!

 

Ok yeah, particularly the one I am using most of the time these days. If you know of a GPS that out does a D800, well I would likely buy that GPS if for nothing else but to shed the 12 lbs of camera gear I carry cache to cache.

 

Technically there is an Android Nikon camera with GPS .... I wonder how long before someone crams the geocaching app on it.

Having said that, I do have a rugged camera for those times I shouldn't use my DSLR - I call it the "Greg's doing something stupid" camera. Usually that's the one involved in the tree climb cache over the lake ....

 

I normally just use my iPhone with Evernote to capture cache details like codes and stuff. It even geotags the photos. I would not spend money on a camera in my GPS. I would be far, far more likely to buy one of last year's model point and shoot cameras as they tend to completely pwn the cameras built into a GPS. Downside is, two devices - but the jack of all trades, master of none thing comes to mind.

 

 

 

[alandb]

I bought the Oregon 550 instead of the 450, not because I wanted the camera but because of an online sale at the time I bought, it was only $3 more than the 450. Now that I have it, I find I use the Oregon camera frequently while caching to record finds and other interesting things I run across. I have stopped taking my Casio digital camera when caching ... one less thing to carry. The pictures from the Oregon aren't as nice as what you can get with a real camera, but they are good enough for uploading with your logs, and they are geotagged. So now that I have it, I am glad I have a GPS with a camera.