GPS for both driving and geocaching

[ChrisJScanlon]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a unit that would be good for both needs? My driving GPS is busted and I’d like to replace it with one that fits both needs. Thanks.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

At this juncture of GPSr development... no, not really.

 

Your choices are:

• 
   
  
• Ruggedness, battery life, small(er) screen, not usually voice commands.
  
• Larger screen, don't drop it!, bulky to carry by hand, sucky battery life, not water/rain resistant.
  

 

I guess the Garmin 600 series would probably come the closest to what you want, but even then, it's a trade-off.

[+popokiiti]

We manage OK with a Garmin 62s and 62st. Both beep when a turn is coming up, can't recall if the beeps are different for right and left! You get used to it, and ruggedness and battery life is far superior to the automotive GPSs. You may want to research what Garmin has. All I can say is this - I use my Garmin 62s far more than my Nuvi which I have had for a lot longer.

[+kunarion]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a unit that would be good for both needs? My driving GPS is busted and I’d like to replace it with one that fits both needs. Thanks.

The Garmin Montana has voice prompts for street routingn, so it becomes a car nav when used with its car mount. So if you must have one device for all purposes, that might do.

 

Just for my personal preference, I have a Nuvi (a car nav) for my car nav.

Edited May 18, 2014 by kunarion

[+BAMBOOZLE]

Any reason why you want one device that does it all? The Montana sure does but it's an expensive option. I'd just buy another GPS for the car.

 

I agree here....you've got a good handheld just get a Nuvi for the car.

I bought a few used Nuvi 780's on Ebay and really like them for caching.

[+littleblkdog]

I can definitely see why people recommend one device for driving and another for caching. But I have reliably used my Garmin GPSMap 62s loaded with the 24K topo maps for for both driving and caching for years. I just bought a 64 as well. I think it is a great combo and I primarily cache on extended road trips that take me to both cache and dash and long hikes. The 62s is a great unit that is now going on sale because of the introduction of the 64.

[+Lieblweb]

Personally for me.....a Driving GPS for the car only. I need a large screen for a driving GPS. The larger the screen is, the easier it is to look at while you're driving, especially if you're alone. If the screen is too small, you're spending more time concentrating on looking at the small screen and what your next turn is and how far = less time paying attention to the road. So, with that in mind....a larger screen unit isn't ideal for wooded areas and not waterproof.

 

Anytime you want to combine everything you want....handheld gps in a package that'll do everything a driving GPS will do with a large screen, and is waterproof = EXPENSIVE.

 

You can get a really good driving GPS's for under $200. Garmin Nuvi's can be loaded with geocaches so you can drive within parking distance of geocaches.

 

Besides... if you're out caching in an unfamiliar area, and you drop/break or lose your GPS - How are you going to get home? You'll have to find a store and buy a map or hope the nearest guy gives you accurate directions. (sorry, had to say it)

[+kunarion]

A car GPSr is for street routing. A handheld GPSr is for off-road, giving directions as the crow flies. So if you try to combine them, there are trade-offs.

 

My Nuvi has (supposedly) free lifetime maps, shows traffic information, and of course is powered by the car's 12 volt system. I had to load routable maps onto my Garmin Oregon, and it's using its internal batteries. The Oregon can route just fine, but the display is dim and small, and it just beeps when a turn is coming. I can use it at times on a typical cache run, but it's not super handy as a car nav. I also made a mistake where a couple of states show the map, but it won't route the streets (and I didn't discover that until I arrived). Before my trip, I send a couple of selected caches to the Nuvi, to get me into an unfamiliar area.

[Bio True]

My 62s has had City Navigator on it since the day I brought it home and it has successfully navigated me where ever I have needed to go for a couple of years now. It beeps at you once when a new command shows up on the screen and then beeps twice in a row real fast when it is time to actually perform that command. It works great and I appreciate not needing to load caches into a car GPS and the 62s. I even added an overlay and a new profile for night time so I can switch profiles to switch the map into night mode as needed. I keep it in a ram mount on my dash and absolutely love it as a car GPS. I've logged nearly 18,000 miles on its odometer.

 

The only problem with using it is you won't get voice navigation or lane assist. Car GPS units are better for the car, but I can't justify the price myself. The 62s does everything I need well enough.

Edited May 18, 2014 by Bio True