What to buy... Legend, SportTrak Map, or Rino 210?

[Stampeder]

I am trying to decide between the Garmin Legend and the Magellan SportTrak Map with a possible third being the Rino 210.

 

My primary reason for getting a GPSr is to enjoy Geocaching in and around the Calgary area. We also do a fair amount of highway travel for weekend camping trips or to visit family in British Columbia. We normally stick to main roads, but it would be very nice to have some mapping capability to let us know of points of interest, etc.

 

The GPSr that I always thought I was going to buy was the eTrex (yellow). Once I started researching though, I discovered that there are many models to choose from and that most offered much more features than the eTrex. This is a big investment for me and I want to make sure I am getting something I'll be happy with, will want to use, and that I can grow into.

 

I've tried playing around with the Legend and the SportTrak Map in department stores where the staff didn't have a clue how they operated and I couldn't connect with any Satellites anyway. I couldn't get much of an impression of either, but from what I saw I liked the interface of the Legend best. I have yet to even see a Rino other than pictures on the web.

 

After doing some more internet research and reading the forums here as well as downloading product manuals, I am now more confused than anything else. I think that the Legend is much more customizable than the SportTrak (33 user data fields compared to 13) and I know that I would enjoy monitoring stats like Stopped Time, etc that the SportTrak doesn't have.

 

However, it does seem as though the SportTrak Map perhaps performs better and with more accuracy to locate caches and other coordinates, and I guess that is the main function.

 

I do want to get a GPSr that has mapping capability, though because we don't venture too far off the beaten path, I think that most

of the major roads around here will be on basemaps for either one. I understand that the basemaps for the Garmins are a bit better than for the SportTrak Maps.

 

All in all, I think like the Legend the best. However, with the current rebates I can get a SportTrak Map with the MapSend Streets & Destinations Canada CD Bundle for $239 (Canadian,after rebate), whereas the Legend is

$255 Canadian after rebate with just the basemap.

 

The Rino, which I think is probably the best for my purposes (and is an FRS to boot) is $339 Canadian (no rebates) with just the basemap.

 

So I guess my whole long-winded (sorry) preamble is just to get your opinions on the merits of the three and what you think would be the best for for me (geocaching, highway driving, no wilderness camping, normally not very deep forest exploration, normally sticking to main roads).

 

I know in my head that the SportTrak Map is the bestvalue because of the bundle with the Mapsend CD, but in my heart I know that I will miss the extra customization that I could get with the Legend or Rino. Perhaps there are more data fields and screens on the SportTrak Map than are in the manual?

 

Any thoughts you can share would be greatly

appreciated.

[+Dub.]

I have a SporTrak pro and I love it. Does just what I need and works well under heavy foilage. As far as customization goes...it shows me what I need to know efficiently. Most important fields for me....speed, bearing, heading, distance with VMG, elevation, time, and EPE next. Love the mapsend software as well.

 

________________________

I'm not saying we should kill all the stupid people in the world. I'm just saying we should remove all the warning labels and let the problem take care of itself.

[+evergreenhiker!]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Stampeder:

I am trying to decide between the Garmin Legend and the Magellan SportTrak Map with a possible third being the Rino 210.

 

My primary reason for getting a GPSr is to enjoy Geocaching in and around the Calgary area. We also do a fair amount of highway travel for weekend camping trips or to visit family in British Columbia. We normally stick to main roads, but it would be very nice to have some mapping capability to let us know of points of interest, etc.

 

The GPSr that I always thought I was going to buy was the eTrex (yellow). Once I started researching though, I discovered that there are many models to choose from and that most offered much more features than the eTrex. This is a big investment for me and I want to make sure I am getting something I'll be happy with, will want to use, and that I can grow into.

 

I've tried playing around with the Legend and the SportTrak Map in department stores where the staff didn't have a clue how they operated and I couldn't connect with any Satellites anyway. I couldn't get much of an impression of either, but from what I saw I liked the interface of the Legend best. I have yet to even see a Rino other than pictures on the web.

 

After doing some more internet research and reading the forums here as well as downloading product manuals, I am now more confused than anything else. I think that the Legend is much more customizable than the SportTrak (33 user data fields compared to 13) and I know that I would enjoy monitoring stats like Stopped Time, etc that the SportTrak doesn't have.

 

However, it does seem as though the SportTrak Map perhaps performs better and with more accuracy to locate caches and other coordinates, and I guess that is the main function.

 

I do want to get a GPSr that has mapping capability, though because we don't venture too far off the beaten path, I think that most

of the major roads around here will be on basemaps for either one. I understand that the basemaps for the Garmins are a bit better than for the SportTrak Maps.

 

All in all, I think like the Legend the best. However, with the current rebates I can get a SportTrak Map with the MapSend Streets & Destinations Canada CD Bundle for $239 (Canadian,after rebate), whereas the Legend is

$255 Canadian after rebate with just the basemap.

 

The Rino, which I think is probably the best for my purposes (and is an FRS to boot) is $339 Canadian (no rebates) with just the basemap.

 

So I guess my whole long-winded (sorry) preamble is just to get your opinions on the merits of the three and what you think would be the best for for me (geocaching, highway driving, no wilderness camping, normally not very deep forest exploration, normally sticking to main roads).

 

I know in my head that the SportTrak Map is the bestvalue because of the bundle with the Mapsend CD, but in my heart I know that I will miss the extra customization that I could get with the Legend or Rino. Perhaps there are more data fields and screens on the SportTrak Map than are in the manual?

 

Any thoughts you can share would be greatly

appreciated.

---

Well, I've own a etrex summit and vista and my father has the legend. all are great units and interface is easy to use. Legend has 8 mb of memory whereas the vista has 24 mb.

 

As I understand it, you can upgrade the memory in the SportTrak. I guess some folks have 128 mb of memory and thus can load several maps. My vista's 24 mb is just enough to hold 2/3 of Washington and some of Oregon.

 

There is also the Map76 garmin model which might be worth looking into though it's pricey. If your budget is slim, I'd probably go with a Legend unless you feel you need more memory for storing lots of maps.

 

The garmins are very rugged units and can take some water. I also like their small size and you really don't feel them when wearing them around your neck. Be sure to inverst in a screen protector to keep the glass from scratching. Good luck.

[+Dub.]

quote:

---

Originally posted by evergreenhiker!:

The garmins are very rugged units and can take some water. I also like their small size and you really don't feel them when wearing them around your neck. Be sure to inverst in a screen protector to keep the glass from scratching. Good luck.

---

 

The SporTrak series are sealed to IEC-529 IPX7 specifications...so they're waterproof...and they float.

 

In addition they have a two step screen backlight...a low light (which works really well) for saving battery power and a higher power light...and unlike the Garmin's, the keypads and the buttons on the SporTrak's glow when the blacklight is on.

 

I've had experience with an eTrex Venture and my Magellan. Both manufacturers are great. I chose the SporTrak Pro for its price vs. features. I have 23mb of space to upload maps of areas I backpack, all for $159 after rebates (unit only). Etronics.com has them for $179 after rebates.

 

________________________

I'm not saying we should kill all the stupid people in the world. I'm just saying we should remove all the warning labels and let the problem take care of itself.

[+Trez*]

Garmin vs. Maggie.

 

I carry both a garmin etrex legend and a sportrek map into the field with me. hey. I like having a backup. anyway, I find that I rely on the Maggie the most between the two. Both have advantages ov each other but I like the Maggie the best and use it as my primary. The etex is good but it has become the backup unit. I run them side by side and the maggie does the best job for me.

[+Searching_ut]

I would think you’d probably be happy with any one of those units, provided you let yourself enjoy them of course. No matter which one you choose however, there are tradeoffs.

 

For the display, of those units my choice would be the legend. About twice the resolution of the other two, which makes a big difference with the usability of TOPO maps. The screen is small however for the amount of resolution it has, which can make it difficult for some people to see. Being as how the fonts are scalable, I don’t find the high DPI to be a problem.

 

Ergonomics wise, I haven’t used a Rhino, between the Sportrak and Legend, I prefer the Legend for handheld use being as how the button layout works great for one handed use. The sportraks front mounted buttons however can be an advantage when it’s on your dash however.

 

Software wise, I prefer the Garmin setup for both computer use, and the software within the receiver. On the computer you can autoroute with metroguide, and easily just click as you go to create routes. It just all around seems easier to use. In the units themselves, the Garmin units trip computer displays more info I find useful, and for the most part I like the options better. For waypoint storage, track detail and length, and route length the Legend has the edge by about double. Auto averaging on the Magellans is something some love, others hate.

 

For mapping software, the best by far for stateside use is Garmins software for both street navigation and TOPO. I haven’t used or compared the software in other countries however and it could easily be the opposite elsewhere.

 

Finally, regarding the reception arguments, I think it’s one of those depends things. If you compare actual sensitivity while stationary, the units seem pretty close, within a couple db. There are a lot of other filter and processing differences that make the units quite different however. The Magellan uses pretty heavy Kalman filtering, which can throw position off by around 150 feet while moving slowly in tough reception conditions. The plus side of the filtering is that it can mean the difference between reasonable navigation data, and none at all while moving. The eTrex will often loose and regain reception in the same areas, or loose it completely. Some prefer the data to be accurate when provided, others are happy to just be in the ball park. The Sportrak is much more susceptible to multipath reception. In a car for instance, receiving signals from a satellite that the unit doesn’t have a direct line of sight on can be a plus. The reflected signal is generally bouncing off nearby objects resulting in a small distance error. It can mean the difference between no reception, and a reasonably accurate fix. In mountain canyons, multipath susceptibility can mean the receiver becomes almost worthless reception wise. Another major difference is in the way the units search when they loose signal. No matter how long it has been since the unit lost reception, the Magellan units seem to regain quickly when it becomes possible again. With the eTrex, after a couple minutes, something changes in the way the unit searches. It can result in unit taking an awful long time to regain a fix once reception is possible, unless you cycle power off and back on. In the end, the reception issue kind of boils down to where will you use the unit most. In a car, or flat terrain with or without tree cover, my preference is the Sportrak. In the mountains, or desert canyons with or without treecover, my preference is the Legend.

[+Dub.]

This link will be the most useful link for information on GPS reception, features, reliability, etc. http://gpsinformation.net/ These guys pretty much take apart the GPS and test everything AND they stay in contact with the GPS engineers who designed the units and compare data. In other words, that is where you will find FACTS to look over yourself.

 

________________________

I'm not saying we should kill all the stupid people in the world. I'm just saying we should remove all the warning labels and let the problem take care of itself.

[+DustyJacket]

PLEASE BEWARE: Once you take a Rino into BC, it will probably be illegal to operate the GMRS frequencies (Heck, maybe even the FRS frequencies) there.

 

I've seen several posts and web pages discussing such things. An American FCC license means nothing in another country.

 

DustyJacket

Not all those that wander are lost. But in my case...

[Stampeder]

Thanks everyone for your input on this! After MUCH deliberation, I went with the SportTrak Map. I tested all three rather extensively at GPSCentral.ca here in Calgary at their small showroom.

 

I liked all three and think any would have been a good choice. However the value of the SportTrak with the Canadian Map Bundle was too good to pass up. Also in all my tests the Magellan seemed to perform best. We've even used it already to find 2 caches!

 

I did like a lot of the features of the Garmins and they do have much more information that is customizable. But in the end, I had to look at the price of the unit itself (which was less than the others PLUS I got the Canadian map included). I asked myself if the few extra data fields that were on the Garmins and not on the Magellan were worth the extra $100 or more (especially when I take into account the price of the MapSend cd).

 

I must say that the service at GPSCentral.ca is OUTSTANDING! I highly recommend buying from them. Not only do they have the best prices going, but they are very caring as well and will continue to give great service well into the future.

 

Thanks Ian and Jo at GPSCentral.ca, and everyone here who offered advice!

[+Searching_ut]

Congratulations on your new navigational device. The trick now is to dare and enjoy it, and get out and have a lot of fun. I personally think just about any of the modern units available today get the job done adequately. The trick is finding the unit that fits your budget, and to an extent personality. I think you made a great choice....

[Stampeder]

So far so good with my new SportTrak Map. I'm amazed to be able to get excellent reception even from inside my house (both the main and top floor of my 2-Storey home - haven't tried the basement yet...). We found our first 2 caches - fairly easy ones close to home but still, the Magellan led us very close each time.

 

I just came back from a walk in downtown Calgary and had good reception even walking in the midst of our concrete jungle. So I am very impressed with the reception and the speed at which the SportTrak can locate satellites.

 

I only wish the SportTrak had a bit more user customization. I would love to be able to track my average speed of travel, my stopped and moving time, etc. as I know that many of the Garmins will do. Do any of you Garmin users out there actually use those features? Could Magellan not add some of these features as a firmware update?

[+Dub.]

The SporTrak does have an average speed option. It's quite useless though as the average person walks 2-3.5mph. Might be useful on your drive over? I find that the VMG function is pretty worthwhile.

 

________________________

I'm not saying we should kill all the stupid people in the world. I'm just saying that we should remove all the warning labels from everything and let the problem take care of itself.

[+Renegade Knight]

Of that list I'd go with a legend.

 

=====================

Wherever you go there you are.

[Stampeder]

Yeah, it's actually more for driving that I'd be interested in the average speed. And I didn't think VMG would be something I'd be interested in, but maybe I should plug it into one of the data fields. It tracks your velocity while on course, is that correct?

[+Dub.]

VMG--velocity made good. It gives you a number which is the portion of your speed which is actually helping you reach your goal. For instance, if your speed is 50mph, your VMG might be 45mph, meaning that you're close to the course you should be steering and 45mph of the 50mph is the speed that is good towards your goal. The other 5mph isn't helping since you are off course (well, it actually does help since the higher your real speed the higher the VMG). Such a statistic helps with other stats such as ETA.

 

________________________

I'm not saying we should kill all the stupid people in the world. I'm just saying that we should remove all the warning labels from everything and let the problem take care of itself.