Good geocaching GPS for a low price.

[+ecumountaineer]

Is there a GPS that does well with satellites, gets the geocaching job done and could be bought New or used for a low price? I have never had a GPS and i want a good starting one.

[+hurleyanne]

What sort of price are you hoping for? Do you care if it provides you with the cache descriptions?

[+gpsblake]

All GPS units produced today are very accurate and paying more for a GPS does not give you any more accuracy. The difference between GPS units thus comes down to features. If you get an Etrex 10, you will have countless hours of fun, but no mapping and no color, but it's a simple and fun little unit to use. If you get an Magellan GC, you will get a really nice map, tons of storage, however the software is sluggish and quite frustrating to use in my opinion. A lot in here will recommend saving your money for an Etrex 20, which for geocaching, I agree with.

 

No matter what unit, they will all take you to the cache. I noticed you are a regular member which will only allow you to download basic information about a geocache to your unit so if you are going to look for a lot of geocaches, I would recommend premium membership, although you can still have countless hours of fun with a basic membership here.

 

If you do get a used GPS unit, do make sure it has the high sensitive chip (all today's units and nearly all of them made over the past several years all have it).

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Any of the newer crop of GPSr units work well. I usually advise folks to stay away from the lower tier of units from any manufacturer. They do work just as well, but lack features that most geocachers want. When it comes time to upgrade, you usually sit with it in your closet as a brick. They normally do not resale very well. The bells and whistles are what most folks want.

 

Check each manufacturer's website as they usually have the best info. Pay attention to what the specs, etc. do not say as well as what they do say.

Though not absolutely necessary, having the ability to add storage/memory (microSD or SD card) is a real plus. Having a card allows for better maps than what a unit normally comes with and with some makes, you can download excellent maps for free. Some, you cannot -- Delorme for example, but the trade-off there is that they have probably the best maps available that come with the unit, and they include Canada and Mexico.

 

Price is important, but if you use price as THE primary concern in your purchase, you are probably going to end up lacking in one aspect or another. You get what you pay for -- no matter what the advertisement says.

 

Too, think carefully about these "pre-loaded" units with the World's Most Popular Caches (it's a sales pitch). Why would you need a cache in downtown China already in your unit if you never have any intent on going there? Besides that, those "pre-loaded" caches are (really) stale data -- and in geocaching, fresh data is the key.

 

The current crop of GPSr units are centered around use of Premium Membership benefits. Use of those benefits greatly enhances the geocaching experience(s). You certainly can use them without PM bennies, but it is better with them. The ability to load up to 1,000 caches in the blink of an eye (including all of the page info, hints and the last few logs) is usually worth the price of PM. Uploading field notes (logs, if you will) is also handy. Route Pocket Queries for a trip is also pretty neat.

[+ecumountaineer]

I found that the Garmin Etrex 10 is the only one I can really pay for, as I am only 15 and my parents do not really see the need for a GPS and the benefits of one for geocaching. I have researched that GPS and I see it doesn't do much as far as I know. What do you think I should do?

[+firestars]

I found that the Garmin Etrex 10 is the only one I can really pay for, as I am only 15 and my parents do not really see the need for a GPS and the benefits of one for geocaching. I have researched that GPS and I see it doesn't do much as far as I know. What do you think I should do?

 

Get yourself onto EBay. I bought a boxed Dakota 20 for £110.

 

The Dakota is touchscreen so more useful to you and not the Etrex 20 which is designed more for the old folk.

[+northernpenguin]

 

The Dakota is touchscreen so more useful to you and not the Etrex 20 which is designed more for the old folk.

 

Here I thought the eTrex 20 was designed for additional runtime, and accuracy with the reflective screen and GLONASS satellites. But buttons too. Buttons that work well in the rain.

[+wrightexplorers]

If you can stretch to a Dakota, it would be worth it, especially if you can pick up a used one. The touchscreen is the old-fashioned pressure-sensitive type, which means you can operate it in winter with gloves on, and compared to the etrex 10 it takes 2000 caches instead of 1000 and you can download free maps for it as well.

 

And the touchscreen works fine in the rain.

Edited April 30, 2013 by wrightexplorers