GPS choices

[+Dicey60Agoracacher0]

Ok, so how do you know which GPS to get? 

[+GeoTrekker26]

Tell us which ones you have looked at so far?  Are there any features you like in particular?

If you haven't even started to look I'd suggest you visit an outdoors store that has units you can look at. Don't overlook the possibility of using your smartphone with a geocaching app. 

[+cerberus1]

Really depends on what you're used to.  Using your phone now?  A touch-screen model may be more comfortable for you.

I like the cooler weather, and prefer buttons, which (for me) seem easier with less issues if in snow/rain.

I prefer Garmin, and right now the newer Garmin models are  the only ones that work with the "send to" feature here.

Agree with Geo Trekker26, playing with a couple at an REI, Dicks, Cabela's, or similar outdoors spot might be helpful. 

[pinkypong]

Q from newbie,  I understand under extreme conditions a phone will be a poor choice as a GPS device,  but for the newbies who would be more your fair weather urban hunter,  why not just use GPS on phone? 

Ty

[+Dicey60Agoracacher0]

I have only read about them. Looking at recommendations in books and online. I am using my phone now but the battery wears down so fast. 

I like the idea of being able to upload the cache info onto the GPS and I like the preloaded maps. 

This is ALL new to me. 

Thanks for responses. 

[+Mausebiber]

I would suggest, do a search at geocaching.com for events in your area.  Meet some geocacher from your area and get first hand information, ideas and user experience.  There you have the opportunity to see different GPSr devices and can determine, which one fits your needs best.  Maybe you can go out and test the device right there.

Good luck, MB

[+skramble]

11 hours ago, Dicey60 said:

I like the idea of being able to upload the cache info onto the GPS and I like the preloaded maps. 

You usually pay extra for a GPS model with preloaded maps, and have to pay more to get periodic updates. Whatever configuration (touchscreen, jog dial, etc.) you settle on, if it's a Garmin, you will be able to load free OSM maps onto it, and keep them updated as often as you like. Even if you can find one with free lifetime updates, they will in all likelihood be annual, which (especially for trail maps) is IMO inadequate.

My $.02. YMMV.

[+RufusClupea]

On 8/26/2017 at 10:03 PM, Dicey60 said:

Ok, so how do you know which GPS to get? 

First, I went to goggle and searched, "best gps for geocaching" to learn what I could about these things--brands, styles, features, etc.  Then I read several other articles comparing/reviewing/rating different models.  Then I made up an Excel spreadsheet listing all the models I read about and all the features they had (whether pertaining to geocaching or not), ratings, prices, etc.  Then I went to Amazon, and made note of customer ratings there (both good & bad, sometimes numbering in the hundreds to thousands), and plugged them into the spreadsheet.

All this easily narrowed my choice to a couple of models.  I came back here, read some discussion threads about my final candidates, asked a few specific questions and made my choice--the best choice FOR ME.

Lots of work?  You bet--it's called homework. Bottom line, instead of relying on the recommendations of a few people who aren't me, I've made my own decisions, am happy with my choice, and sleeping well with it.  YMMV.

Edited September 3, 2017 by RufusClupea

[+cerberus1]

On ‎8‎/‎27‎/‎2017 at 3:16 AM, pinkypong said:

Q from newbie,  I understand under extreme conditions a phone will be a poor choice as a GPS device,  but for the newbies who would be more your fair weather urban hunter,  why not just use GPS on phone? 

We've had most OSs, and remember what phones used to be like, but few modern phones today have issues (other than battery drain) in bad weather/terrain.

But the OP said, "I am using my phone now but the battery wears down so fast" .     

[+CAVinoGal]

On 9/3/2017 at 2:45 PM, cerberus1 said:

..... few modern phones today have issues (other than battery drain) in bad weather/terrain.

But the OP said, "I am using my phone now but the battery wears down so fast" .     

I use my phone, and yes, battery life is not ideal.  I have a charging cable in the car that I use when/if driving between caches.  Lately I've done some hiking in State Parks where I would park the car and follow trails all day.  That's when a battery pack (portable charger, power bank, whatever you want to call it) works well to give you a boost and is sufficient for up to two charges, extending the time you can be away from the car charger.

I haven't used a "real" GPS device; the official app (and another that I can't mention here) on my smartphone have been more than sufficient to lead me to the caches I am seeking.  So maybe I'm not a "pure" geocacher, but I am enjoying the challenges, getting exercise, seeing places I wouldn't ordinarily see, meeting great people I probably wouldn't ever cross paths with otherwise, and sharing a hobby with my husband in his retirement that we are both having a lot of fun with.  Not having a GPS, for us, has not hindered us in any way, that I can tell.

[+noncentric]

On 9/15/2017 at 5:24 PM, CAVinoGal said:

I use my phone, and yes, battery life is not ideal.  I have a charging cable in the car that I use when/if driving between caches.  Lately I've done some hiking in State Parks where I would park the car and follow trails all day.  That's when a battery pack (portable charger, power bank, whatever you want to call it) works well to give you a boost and is sufficient for up to two charges, extending the time you can be away from the car charger.

I have used the official app a couple times to cache when I forgot to bring my GPSr. In those instances, I brought up the map of the surrounding area and downloaded all the caches to an offline list, then I put my phone in Airplane Mode and turned the Location Services to 'Device sensors only'.  That kept the battery from draining down as quickly as it normally would when using the app. I'd switch Airplane Mode off if I'd been out a while and needed to check for texts/emails that might've come in, or if I wanted to view more logs/images for the cache I was searching for.

But otherwise, I prefer to use my GPSr for the sake of the battery, especially when I go hiking solo then I want to conserve as much of my cell phone battery as possible in case I need to make a call.  I got a newer cell phone a few months ago, so haven't worried about battery life as much as I did with the previous phone.  It also helps that my newer phone's GPS works much better.  The GPS sensors in my previous phone were awful.  Maybe I'd dropped the phone one too many times, but even driving directions with Google Maps were delayed, telling me to take a freeway exit after I'd already passed it.

[+CAVinoGal]

31 minutes ago, noncentric said:

... It also helps that my newer phone's GPS works much better.  The GPS sensors in my previous phone were awful.  Maybe I'd dropped the phone one too many times, but even driving directions with Google Maps were delayed, telling me to take a freeway exit after I'd already passed it.

I have a Google Pixel - the GPS on the device seems to be pretty spot on, both for determining coordinates for cache placement, and for locating caches.  I tend to think any of the newer smartphones will have new and improved GPS sensors (and maps), compared to even 3 or 4 years ago.  And as I stated in a previous post, I have not felt hindered or hampered in any way using the GPS in my phone to locate, or determine coordinates to place, a cache.