Smartrascal Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 We want to start geocaching and want to use the paperless geocaching function. We are now wanting to buy a new GPS and wondered if anyone could tell us which is better for us, the eTrex 20 or the Dakota 20 and why. Also, having looked on the eTrext 20's details, it can "navigate to geotagged photos". Where do I find these geotagged photos? Sorry if they are stupid questions...Thanks in advance. Smartrascal Quote Link to comment
+BAMBOOZLE Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Although I have neither from extensive reading of this forum I vote for the Etrex 20.....a very popular unit. Quote Link to comment
+Mineral2 Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Why not the Oregon 450 or the GPSmap 62s? They're both top-end models right around the same price range as the eTrex 20. Quote Link to comment
+luvvinbird Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I'd go with the eTrex 20 over the Dakota simply because it's a newer model and supports GLONASS. But it also has a lot of great features and I like it's compact size...a great travel buddy. As mentioned, the now discontinued and hugely popular Oregon 450 is also a better choice over the Dakota and it's price is steadily dropping. Quote Link to comment
+BAMBOOZLE Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Why not the Oregon 450 or the GPSmap 62s? They're both top-end models right around the same price range as the eTrex 20. Go with this.....I limited myself to the given choices. We use the 62S and its the best I've ever used ( and I've got a ton of units ) Quote Link to comment
insig Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 If you can get a 62s or an Oregon 450 for $200, I suggest doing that. To answer your other question, geotagged photos are photos that have a latitude and a longitude embedded in the EXIF data that is contained in the photo. Any of the four units mentioned in this thread (Dakota 20, eTrex 20, Oregon 450, or 62s) will let you navigate to the location stored in these photos. So if someone takes a photo and embeds the location in it, you can load the photo onto your device and have the photo show up as a little point on your map. You can select it and navigate to it. You can also display a list of geotagged photos on your device (under Where To? -> Photos or press the FIND key and select Photos on the 62s) and choose one to view and navigate to. Quote Link to comment
+DanOCan Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) We want to start geocaching and want to use the paperless geocaching function. We are now wanting to buy a new GPS and wondered if anyone could tell us which is better for us, the eTrex 20 or the Dakota 20 and why. I'm going to assume you've narrowed your options down to those two models for a reason and not try and sell you on something else. I owned a Dakota 20 and found it to be a great Geocaching unit and would likely still own it if I didn't lose it somewhere in Saskatchewan in 2012. For me, the Dakota 20 has five key advantages over the eTrex 20: Electronic Compass: Some will argue over the value of this feature, but I won't buy another GPSr without now Unit to Unit Transfer: Being able to recieve waypoints from a companion has been super useful to me on a number of occassions when caching with others Screen size: I always found the screen on the Dakota to be too small for my tastes so the fact that the eTrex 20 has an even slightly smaller screen really would scare me away The Dakota is compatible with my heart rate monitor. I like seeing my heart rate included in my track logs when hiking. Price: My main retailer is selling Dakotas for $15 less than the eTrex 20. (It's not much, but every little bit helps!) The eTrex has more built-in memory and also can hold 2000 caches versus 1000 caches in the Dakota. The eTrex also is rated better for battery life, likely because it doesn't have the electronic compass. None of those have ever been major issues for me as I found with a good set of rechargeable batteries the Dakota would go all day. Another key factor might be your personal preference towards touch screens (Dakota) or the little joystick (eTrex). In terms of accuracy I think both would be very similar. Yes, the eTrex supports GLONASS but I'm not yet convinced that is a killer feature -- maybe once more people start hiding caches with units that support it, but for now... This is based on my experience and how I cache. Others may have personal preferences or things that are more important to them which would cause them to have a different decision. For me right now? I'm really happy with my Oregon 450. Edited February 13, 2014 by DanOCan Quote Link to comment
+Mineral2 Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 We want to start geocaching and want to use the paperless geocaching function. We are now wanting to buy a new GPS and wondered if anyone could tell us which is better for us, the eTrex 20 or the Dakota 20 and why. I'm going to assume you've narrowed your options down to those two models for a reason and not try and sell you on something else. I owned a Dakota 20 and found it to be a great Geocaching unit and would likely still own it if I didn't lose it somewhere in Saskatchewan in 2012. For me, the Dakota 20 has five key advantages over the eTrex 20: Electronic Compass: Some will argue over the value of this feature, but I won't buy another GPSr without now Unit to Unit Transfer: Being able to recieve waypoints from a companion has been super useful to me on a number of occassions when caching with others Screen size: I always found the screen on the Dakota to be too small for my tastes so the fact that the eTrex 20 has an even slightly smaller screen really would scare me away The Dakota is compatible with my heart rate monitor. I like seeing my heart rate included in my track logs when hiking. Price: My main retailer is selling Dakotas for $15 less than the eTrex 20. (It's not much, but every little bit helps!) The eTrex has more built-in memory and also can hold 2000 caches versus 1000 caches in the Dakota. The eTrex also is rated better for battery life, likely because it doesn't have the electronic compass. None of those have ever been major issues for me as I found with a good set of rechargeable batteries the Dakota would go all day. Another key factor might be your personal preference towards touch screens (Dakota) or the little joystick (eTrex). In terms of accuracy I think both would be very similar. Yes, the eTrex supports GLONASS but I'm not yet convinced that is a killer feature -- maybe once more people start hiding caches with units that support it, but for now... This is based on my experience and how I cache. Others may have personal preferences or things that are more important to them which would cause them to have a different decision. For me right now? I'm really happy with my Oregon 450. This is where the Oregon 450 steps in at it's currently reduced price. It's got all the features of the Dakota 20, but with a larger screen and ability to store more geocaches. Quote Link to comment
Smartrascal Posted February 18, 2014 Author Share Posted February 18, 2014 Thanks for all your replies, which I have only just seen. We got a really good deal on the Dakota 20, so went for it...we are just waiting for it to arrive now. (I hope it's ok - especially as so many replies were in favour of the eTrex ) I've asked elsewhere in the Forums if there's someone who lives near us (Peterborough, Cambridgeshire) who would be prepared to give us a bit of guidance. Looking forward to doing some paperless caching! Smartrascal Quote Link to comment
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