GPS and snowmobiling

[workingstiff]

Howdy folks, I think I'm going to become a Newbie to this whole GPS thing. Sounds very interesting. I love to snowmobile with my father (71). While snowmobiling you can cover 200 miles in a day. The trails are very well marked for day travel, but at night a two inch reflective maker posted on a tree may not catch your eye. I am intested in a easy to use GPS unit. As I read multiple pages of this forum it seems as there are ALOT of Legends out there. I would like some street level mapping ( I think). Actually just pointed to the next town would be enuff. We will ride anywhere in Michigan, from north of the kuckles into the upper pensulia. PLease point me in the right direction under a couple of hundy$. Thanks Dan

[Us 5 Camp]

Because of the cold and abuse that a snowmobile can dish out, you're going to want to run the unit inside your jacket pocket which will lose the sat. signal.

 

SO.... get a unit with an external antenna port (like a map76, 76s, V, others) and keep the gps in your coat pocket. Then go to ebay and buy a matching antenna from gpsgeeks (around $20) which has a magnetic base. You can run the cord out your coat and attach to your helmet (haven't tried this) or out over the gas tank and attach in the handle bar area via the magnet or velcro strap or something easily removable.

 

That's my $.02 and it didn't cost you a penny.

Have fun.

 

I have the 76s and if I ever rent a sled to go to wyoming again with my brothers, this is what I plan to do.

 

Since you will be riding near but off roads, I would recommend the TOPO software as you will benefit from the 'lay of the land' info as much as street info. ALL the streets are there, some of the gravel's may not be named on TOPO. As a bonus, ALL the stream, rivers, lakes and some trails will be there on topo.

 

Good Luck

 

76s w/ Topo & City Select. RAM mounts for car(weighted)/bike/canoe.

"Never have a philosophy which supports a lack of courage..."

[+mrp]

The specs for both the GPSMap76 and the Legend say that the operating temperature range is good down to 5F (-15C). I suspect that they'd be okay in somewhat colder temps (though you probably want to use litium cells.. or hook them up to an external power source, though I suspect most snowmobiles don't have a 12v plug on them.)

 

I'd still recommend the GPSMap 76 (or 76s) over the legend. The legend has a pretty small screen, and it would be very difficult to read while moving. The 76's bigger screen means that you can use a RAM mount to have it visible while riding. Keep in mind, the accuracy is only about 20-30 ft, so it won't tell you if you're in the center of the trail, only if you're roughly in the right area, and which way to turn to stay on the trail.

 

-- Pneumatic

[Us 5 Camp]

One of the reasons I recommended putting the gps in the coat pocket is that looking down at position while driving a snowmobile (depending upon driving habits) can be very dangerous. H_ll looking down at the speedo had better not take more than a split second at times.

 

Given the cold weather, reduced battery life, and propensity for cold things to break/shatter, I'd keep it in my coat and check position periodically or in case of getting lost.

 

76s w/ Topo & City Select. RAM mounts for car(weighted)/bike/canoe.

"Never have a philosophy which supports a lack of courage..."

[dave and jaime]

ive never had a problem with the cold while using my gps on the snowmobile. i rigged up a mount system to hold it under the windshield above where the vents for the engine bay are and that seems to be plenty warm enough. might want to consider a 12v power hook up to run it off though.

 

another thing, if you do decide to mount the gps it may be better for visibility sake to buy one that recieve while stood on end, not lying flat as the etrex line does.

 

finally make sure that you have resistor type plugs in the snowmoblie or you could gets interference.

 

'Get to the point---speak English!!!!'

[working_stiff]

I've not been able to respond due to web site problems. Thanks for the responses so far. I was thinking I would only use it if I was turned around. Would I use it more than that? Whats the most cost effective unit? I was still thinking hand held. Is a legend a solid unit? Dan

[+Prime Suspect]

There's no need to put it in your jacket. The main problem with the cold would be the battery. You don't want to run this off the internal batteries, because you're probably going to want the screen illumination to be on all the time.

 

Get a good RAM mount. They come in two parts - you buy the mount for whatever purpose you need, and the holder for whatever GPS you have. I'd get a bolt-on rather than a suction cup model, even though the suction cups are extremely strong. You'll probably need a bare-lead power cable too, to wire into the battery. If your battery is 6v, you'll have to take that into consideration. Some GPS units are more picky about voltage than others.

 

"Don't mess with a geocacher. We know all the best places to hide a body."

[+Kitch]

unless your going into areas are not on set trails..scrap the entire idea and go back to maps/map bags.....

 

I know that the areas that my crew rides no mapping GPS is that detailed and you need to imput your own tracks...at that point its not worth my time, effort, money.......

[Alphawolf]

Having sold literally hundreds of GPS units to snowmobilers in the last 5 years, I can tell you what will probably be important to you. First…keep it simple and small. Don’t worry about external antennas, mounting systems, external power cords and all that junk. You want something small, that will easily slip into a zipped backpack or gear box. A zippered inside pocket is great. It will stay warm there too. You won’t (and shouldn’t) be trying to use this thing while you are sledding! Don't try to keep it on all day when you are riding. When you are lost (or getting near that point) you will be stopped, trying to figure out which way to proceed or go back. You will turn it on then, let it get satellite acquisition, and ask it where your truck and trailer is…it’s that simple. It will usually serve as the final source of information, when you have 4 guys, all pointing in different directions, as to which way they think the truck is. Next…Buy lithium batteries to use in it(only available as Energizer brand...about $10 for 4 of 'em). They work much, much, better in the cold. This means that the Garmin Gekos are out. They use AAA batteries, which are not available in lithium. Forget rechargables for cold weather use also. Forget mapping units…they cost a lot more and you need to buy maps to go with them and then try and figure out how to use it and the computer together. You simply don’t need a 2 inch map to worry about out snowmobiling. If you want maps, get good USGS Topos or something. Lastly….Learn how to use it well before you take it into the snow. The time to learn to use it is not when your life may very well depend on it! My recommendation….The simple, lowly Garmin E-Trex. it'll do everything you need and then some!

 

"Never take a sunset for granted. Stop what you are doing and enjoy it. You never know when it may be your last"

[Alphawolf]

Having sold literally hundreds of GPS units to snowmobilers in the last 5 years, I can tell you what will probably be important to you. First…keep it simple and small. Don’t worry about external antennas, mounting systems, external power cords and all that junk. You want something small, that will easily slip into a zipped backpack or gear box. A zippered inside pocket is great. It will stay warm there too. You won’t (and shouldn’t) be trying to use this thing while you are sledding! Don't try to keep it on all day when you are riding. Save the batteries and only turn it on when you need it. When you are lost (or getting near that point) you will be stopped, trying to figure out which way to proceed or go back. You will turn it on then, let it get satellite acquisition, and ask it where your truck and trailer is…it’s that simple. It will usually serve as the final source of information, when you have 4 guys, all pointing in different directions, as to which way they think the truck is. Next…Buy lithium batteries to use in it(only available as Energizer brand...about $10 for 4 of 'em). They work much, much, better in the cold. This means that the Garmin Gekos are out. They use AAA batteries, which are not available in lithium. Forget rechargables for cold weather use also. Forget mapping units…they cost a lot more and you need to buy maps to go with them and then try and figure out how to use it and the computer together. You simply don’t need a 2 inch map to worry about out snowmobiling. If you want maps, get good USGS Topos or something. Lastly….Learn how to use it well before you take it into the snow. The time to learn to use it is not when your life may very well depend on it! My recommendation….The simple, lowly Garmin E-Trex. it'll do everything you need and then some!

 

"Never take a sunset for granted. Stop what you are doing and enjoy it. You never know when it may be your last"

[Alphawolf]

Having sold literally hundreds of GPS units to snowmobilers in the last 5 years, I can tell you what will probably be important to you. First…keep it simple and small. Don’t worry about external antennas, mounting systems, external power cords and all that junk. You want something small, that will easily slip into a zipped backpack or gear box. A zippered inside pocket is great. It will stay warm there too. You won’t (and shouldn’t) be trying to use this thing while you are sledding! Don't try to keep it on all day when you are riding. Save the batteries and only turn it on when you need it. When you are lost (or getting near that point) you will be stopped, trying to figure out which way to proceed or go back. You will turn it on then, let it get satellite acquisition, and ask it where your truck and trailer is…it’s that simple. It will usually serve as the final source of information, when you have 4 guys, all pointing in different directions, as to which way they think the truck is. Next…Buy lithium batteries to use in it (only available as Energizer brand...about $10 for 4 of 'em). They work much, much, better in the cold. This means that the Garmin Gekos are out. They use AAA batteries, which are not available in lithium. Forget rechargeables for cold weather use also. Forget mapping units…they cost a lot more and you need to buy maps to go with them and then try and figure out how to use it and the computer together. You simply don’t need a 2 inch map to worry about out snowmobiling. If you want maps, get good USGS Topos or something. Lastly….Learn how to use it well before you take it into the snow. The time to learn to use it is not when your life may very well depend on it! My recommendation….The simple, lowly Garmin E-Trex. It’ll do everything you need and

 

"Never take a sunset for granted. Stop what you are doing and enjoy it. You never know when it may be your last"

[Alphawolf]

Having sold literally hundreds of GPS units to snowmobilers in the last 5 years, I can tell you what will probably be important to you. First…keep it simple and small. Don’t worry about external antennas, mounting systems, external power cords and all that junk. You want something small, that will easily slip into a zipped backpack or gear box. A zippered inside pocket is great. It will stay warm there too. You won’t (and shouldn’t) be trying to use this thing while you are sledding! Don't try to keep it on all day when you are riding. Save the batteries and only turn it on when you need it. When you are lost (or getting near that point) you will be stopped, trying to figure out which way to proceed or go back. You will turn it on then, let it get satellite acquisition, and ask it where your truck and trailer is…it’s that simple. It will usually serve as the final source of information, when you have 4 guys, all pointing in different directions, as to which way they think the truck is. Next…Buy lithium batteries to use in it (only available as Energizer brand...about $10 for 4 of 'em). They work much, much, better in the cold. This means that the Garmin Gekos are out. They use AAA batteries, which are not available in lithium. Forget rechargeables for cold weather use also. Forget mapping units…they cost a lot more and you need to buy maps to go with them and then try and figure out how to use it and the computer together. You simply don’t need a 2 inch map to worry about out snowmobiling. If you want maps, get good USGS Topos or something. Lastly….Learn how to use it well before you take it into the snow. The time to learn to use it is not when your life may very well depend on it! My recommendation….The simple, lowly Garmin E-Trex. It’ll do everything you need and then some!

 

"Never take a sunset for granted. Stop what you are doing and enjoy it. You never know when it may be your last"

[+oneeyesquare]

Workingstiff,

For what it's worth (being a "troll" and all), I am an avid ATVer and ride 3-5 times a year in the UP. I completely disagree with the suggestion to get a non-mapping GPS. I have had both a Garmin eMap and a Magellan Sportrak Map. I cannot count the number of times that knowing where I'm at has saved my butt. With the longer range of your snowmobiles, this will really help with gas stops. I ride with mine mounted to my handlebars. It's alot easier to check it this way when you stop to get your bearings.The Magellan mount wasn't half bad and , of course, RAM mounts are the best. Garmins tend to be a bit flakey, though I never lost my eMap. I've never had any problems due to vibration or cold (course I stop riding around 20 degrees or so). You really can't focus on the screen well enough while moving over 5mph or so. Not that any sane rider would want to! I can hit low 70's on my bike, my attention is REALLY focused on the trail by that point!!!

I would suggest the Magellan Sportrak Map. I bought a combo package for $169 in July that included the unit,PC cable,handlebar mount and USA topo maps. Great unit for this type of use. My Dad's Garmin Vista wasn't happy on the handlebars. Kept losing power due to battery jiggle. My eMap shared the same problem though not as severe. The only beef I had with the Magellan (RIP) is it's inability to support the weight of the ATV in a rollover...

[shrekTBA]

I have a different opinion also, I have used My vista, a legend and my yellow etrex on 4 wheelers and snowmobiles. I would not go without a mapping GPS, nearly all of the snowmobile trails are groomed over existing roads (trees already gone!) so the Vista will show you what road you are on. Also, if you get a little off, knowing that the big flat spot in front of you is in fact a large frozen creek with moving water under it, I would look and then choose my way very crefully. It really sucks to go through thin ice 30 miles from the truck. My machines were older, and had vents behind the windshield that blew warm engine compartment air out of them. On a handlebar mount, all of the GPS's did fine on rides to -10, no problems at all. On a newer sled, I would definately go with 12v power as it would save your batts for a case of broken down sled with a dead batt, then you still have fresh batts to run on, and then i carry extras, in my pocket just in case. I also carry a cell phone and extra batt. so that I can get to a high point with service, and then call in where I am using the GPS. So far, I have only had to do this as a practice, but was fun for my dad to look on the net and enter the coordinates and see where we were. If we needed it, a very effective way to get help. If I were still into the cold stuff outside of ice fishing (still use GPS), I would probably go with Rinos, for the peer to peer if we got seperated ( and the cool factor). I have spent nights out unexpectedly due to weather, was able to let someone know where I was, and still stayed put until conditions were better to get out, and I still have all fingers and toes, no severe cold damage other than doing stupid things right around the house. Winter is definately fun, but you have to be very careful to stay safe and/or alive.

 

It's not a sport unless there is something dead in the back of the truck when you get home.

[+Boundertom]

I go along with the advice to get a mapping GPS. I have an eMap which I use on my snowmobile, ATVs, and motorcycles (not to mention Jeep and motorhome). I wouldn't ride without it anymore! Even though many snowmobile trails will not be on the map, I have found that many are. Plus, when you come to a road crossing, that road will be there, and you can quickly see where you are ( I use the Garmin Mapsource Roads and Recreation maps). The GPS will not take the place of a trail map, but it sure is handy. Obviously, you do have to be VERY careful about looking at the GPS while riding. I use a RAM mount on the handlebar which works great. I installed a 12 volt outlet on my sled and use the lighter cord to run it. I haven't noticed any problems from the cold, although I have only used it down to about 5 degrees.

 

Think snow!

 

Boundertom

[working_stiff]

Thanks for the info so far, I wouldn't try to mount it becuase I'm too busy drivin to look at it. It would have to have a 5-6 inch screen to look at while driving down the trail. What sorta zoom do you get with the base maps? What the prefered unit between the sporttrak and the legend?