CheesePasty Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Hi there, my name is Paul, 47 years old living on the Northumberland coast. I thought I would say hello to the UK/Ireland community first and ask a question you must get asked alot from new people to geocaching, thought I would ask this in this community as our locations/shipping/sales are more relative rather than asking in the worldwide gps section. What gps would you recommend? I have an internet connection at home, i do have a mobile phone without internet access, so once i am away from my home that is it, would love some pointers please, ive read lots of reviews etc, and i am thinking of the etrax 10, im not a wealthy person so a gps would have to last me a year or so (i couldnt afford to upgrade after a month), so would like to make the right choice first time to be honest. All the very best, CnO. Quote Link to comment
+MartyBartfast Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 To start with, once you get a GPS you should expect it to be good for a lot more than a year, I had my first one for probably 5 years before I bought an upgrade, I had that about 4 years and would still be using it if I hadn't lost it, and my current one 3 years and see no prospect of replacing it as long as it still works. Anyway, to the question in hand. I (and many others) think that having a GPS which takes maps is worth the extra (if you can afford it), the Etrex10 is pretty much the most basic entry level GPS, and while it is as accurate as any other GPS it doesn't take maps. I personally think that the Etrex20 is worth the extra ££ as it takes maps, can hold more caches, and has other additional features; I have the Etrex30, which has even more bells and whistles but is even more cash (maybe not worth it if money is tight). Also worth considering is the Dakota 10, or the Oregon 450, thought the Etrex20 is a more recent model than either of these so should have more of a future. There's a useful comparison chart here http://www.follow-the-arrow.co.uk/resources/gps.html#whichgps but take the "guide price" as just a guide, you should be able to find better prices online. Also the Amazon "Black Friday" week will be happening at the end of November, last year they had Etrex20s on a %30 or %40 discount, which meant if you got the deal you could get an Etrex20 for less than the normal price of a Etrex10. I think you need to register with Amazon to get the notification of the deals, and they tend to only go on sale at the discount price for a few hours, and there are limited numbers available so if you see something on a deal you need to be prepared to buy it there and then. As for maps, you may see Ordnance Survey maps for GPS's for sale and these can be very expensive, but many people (including me) use free OpenStreetMap maps, which are excellent for geocaching and don't cost a penny. Quote Link to comment
+Bear and Ragged Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 (edited) ... i do have a mobile phone without internet access, so once i am away from my home that is it, ... Welcome! Mobile phones don't need 'internet access' in order to use them to cache with... Might be worthwhile having a go with one of the apps to start with. (Depending on how 'smart' your phone is!) Groundspeak Approved API Partners can be found here, to see what is available for your phone. (From what I've read on these forums, the Windoze app isn't up to much!) Be aware that the Groundspeak Basic/Trial/Free app is VERY basic and limited. But works well. *Take care if you decide to 'Upgrade* from/through it. DON'T mix up the various versions of *Premium* it refers to... Edited November 20, 2014 by Bear and Ragged Quote Link to comment
+KK112 Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Hi Cheese n Onion There's a meet at Acklington (Near Amble) on Friday 28th November. Why not go along and chat to some of your local geocachers http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC5EVVJ_an-evening-at-the-railway-inn-its-not-a-field Quote Link to comment
+firestronaut Posted November 20, 2014 Share Posted November 20, 2014 Hi there If you download the official geocaching app, you can save them for offline use. The GPS part of your phone doesn't need data to work. Other than that, I've just invested in a Magellan Explorist GC. I bought it specifically because it's a dedicated geocaching gps and therefore should avoid any unnecessary confusion for me getting to grips with (I've never even held a GPS unit before!). I'm yet to use it so I can't write an honest opinion. Quote Link to comment
CheesePasty Posted November 21, 2014 Author Share Posted November 21, 2014 Many thanks guys, many thanks, I'm gonna look into the etrax 20. Quote Link to comment
+Bear and Ragged Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Many thanks guys, many thanks, I'm gonna look into the etrax 20. To get full use out of it, ie 'paperless caching' you need Premium Membership. If you register your new Garmin via http://www.geocaching.com/garmin/freetrial.aspx you can get 30 days free trial Premium Membership. Quote Link to comment
+chillypenguin Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 I second the comment about the etrex20 if stretch for the extra cost. Then add free maps from http://talkytoaster.info/ukmaps.htm If you wait a couple of weeks and keep an eye out on amazon you may get a deal on the run up to Christmas. Quote Link to comment
+Graculus Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Hi there If you download the official geocaching app, you can save them for offline use. The GPS part of your phone doesn't need data to work. Other than that, I've just invested in a Magellan Explorist GC. I bought it specifically because it's a dedicated geocaching gps and therefore should avoid any unnecessary confusion for me getting to grips with (I've never even held a GPS unit before!). I'm yet to use it so I can't write an honest opinion. On my resource site you'll find a detailed review of the Magellan GC I wrote explaining what the features are, how it works for caching etc. It's a nice little GPS. I was impressed with mine but I did sell it on - I only bought it to do the review. I already have an Oregon! Chris Graculus Volunteer UK Reviewer for geocaching.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- UK Geocaching Wiki Geocaching.com Help Center UK Geocaching Information & Resources website Quote Link to comment
+firestronaut Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Hi there If you download the official geocaching app, you can save them for offline use. The GPS part of your phone doesn't need data to work. Other than that, I've just invested in a Magellan Explorist GC. I bought it specifically because it's a dedicated geocaching gps and therefore should avoid any unnecessary confusion for me getting to grips with (I've never even held a GPS unit before!). I'm yet to use it so I can't write an honest opinion. On my resource site you'll find a detailed review of the Magellan GC I wrote explaining what the features are, how it works for caching etc. It's a nice little GPS. I was impressed with mine but I did sell it on - I only bought it to do the review. I already have an Oregon! Chris Graculus Volunteer UK Reviewer for geocaching.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- UK Geocaching Wiki Geocaching.com Help Center UK Geocaching Information & Resources website Just read through it, very informative. I can be quite simple minded about these types of things but your review is one that actually made sense Quote Link to comment
+s1ipmatt Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Hi, I'm also new to this. So far I've been using my smartphone but I find the battery gets drained very fast and if im in a very rural area I know ill struggle to get a GPS single. So I decided to treat myself to an early xmas present and I bought a Garmin Etrax30, after many hours researching. I've not had much time to use the etrax30 but it does have a much smaller screen than my phone, navigating though the options menu/maps on the joystick takes awhile to get to grips with. Think I've been spoilt with google maps and a good size touch screen on my phone. But its way more rugged and seems to do the job on my budget. Its very easy to get hold of free maps and load them on to the GPS. I found a guide to help me, feel free to shout if you want this. Quote Link to comment
+Bear and Ragged Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 If you register your new Garmin via Groundspeak -see link in my post above- you can get 30 days Premium Membership FREE! (Although recent reports say it's not working!) Delete any caching files you loaded as a Basic Member, as the unit will default to Basic Member if it finds a file... Log out of the forums, and back in for it to show here in the forums. Quote Link to comment
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