What model GPS is everyone using?

[Guest Spirit In The Sky]

I'm using a Megellan GPS 4000. It was built in Oct 1996. It hates trees and valleys but loves batteries. Lock up is sooo sloooww. Hope to upgrade it soon. Even with all its problems I've found 3 caches out of 4 attempts.

[Guest Monz]

New to Geocaching... bought a Vista... Over the moon with it, an excelent unit with features galore. The winter evenings will just fly by now )

 

[This message has been edited by Monz (edited 05 May 2001).]

[Guest Monz]

New to Geocaching... bought a Vista... Over the moon with it, an excelent unit with features galore. The winter evenings will just fly by now )

 

[This message has been edited by Monz (edited 05 May 2001).]

[Guest ericdb1]

Magellan 320 here.

[Guest BackPack Studio]

Under tree's depending on just how thick the cover is even an external antenna is going to have mixed reading's it's the nature of the beast. I have used both Mag. and Garm., and both work well I just last week by present acquired an eTrex and went toy'n around with it getting a friend hooked on GeoCaching, the unit surpassed my expectations even under thick cover it had lock on 3 or 4 SAT's. In life and death you would never depend completely on a GPS. As for buying a unit with a compass in it, save the greenback and the amount of power it would use and get a good Compass to use with a GPS unit. In a place you have good reception use the compass and point yourself in the direction you wish to go, close one eye if needed and pick a reference point and trek on with some practice you will find that with both you have greatly improved your odds. As with anything it is what you make it and the mind makes everything that is, much better with practice, personally I kinda like the eTrex (yellow) and all, combined with a compass even under thick cover I can point myself in the right direction.

[Guest chriscmoor]

I am just getting started in geocaching and will be purchasing my first GPS unit in the next few days. I worked for Bentley Systems a few years ago and recall that, in conjunction with MicroStation, many municipalities tracked sub-meter assets. The GPS units I saw them use to get this sort of accuracy were pack back sized devices with antennae that stuck up above the users' heads. Are there GPS units available on the consumer market that duplicate this accuracy in a smaller form factor? And if such accuracy is not available, what is the most accurate consumer model available?

 

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Chris Moore

Montgomery, AL

[Guest bunkerdave]

I am using a Magellan MAP330. I have only had it for about 3 weeks, and have found 12/14 Caches with it. The two I missed I was within 15 feet and just didn't see them, because I marked my position with rocks and others who found my mark told me than was where they thought it would be also. One thing to note: Most of the GPS Receivers go to three decimal points - one one thousandth of a degree. Some, like the Garmin 3+ goes to five, but most of the GeoCaches only give you three decimal places in WGS-84, so the extra expense may not help you that much, if you are talking GeoCaching. My brother has a 3+, and was playing around with my MAP330 the other day and commented on how easy it was to use - easier than his Garmin. I have been pleased with it, although it does LOVE batteries. Be sure to get a GPS that has a car plug available, if not included. You really do not need the mapping ability, but it does make it nice when preparing to go after a cache to see where you are heading. I thought at first that I would prefer to be totally surprised, but one time going the complete wrong direction cured that.

 

Anyway, I can tell you the MAP330 costs about $300, but there are rebates available - I got $50 back, so that helps. It includes a cradle with suction cups to hold it in the car, which is very handy, and the cigarette lighter plug is an absolute must. I spend as much time in my car as I do on the trail for most caches, if not more. Welcome to geocaching. BunkerDave - Utah

 

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David Wallentine

[Guest bunkerdave]

I did buy the MAP330, and have been happy with it. I tried the DeLorme - the one that plugs into the Palm 3c - because I thought color maps and directions per the street maps would be useful, which it was, but it was painfully slow at opening the maps and acquiring satellites. I think that was more a limitation of the Palm than of the receiver. Anyway, the MAP330 is a nice unit, but you pay for it - 300 bones- I have found that I rarely use the mapping software except as a "gee-whiz" for friends, and it is quite useful in setting up waypoints and trips. It also make it easier to navigate in unfamiliar areas, since you have amap right there. Once I hit the road to a cache, though, it's all about distance and bearing. If you have all that, you have everything you need.

[Guest logscaler]

magellen 315. Just converted it over to accept power from "D" cell's so as to hopefully last longer. Will be testing it soon as to feasiblity(sp?) Worked when I fired it up.

[Guest tak1]

quote:

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Originally posted by logscaler:

magellen 315. Just converted it over to accept power from "D" cell's so as to hopefully last longer. Will be testing it soon as to feasiblity(sp?) Worked when I fired it up.

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Off topic

What's your e-mail LOGSCALER, I would like to ask you some question about your conversion.

 

LK

[Guest logscaler]

tak1 : try me at logscaler@yahoo.com and see if it gets thru. I got tired of packing (buying ) battries. Also changing them out. Still need to see how long the "D"s last.

 

[This message has been edited by logscaler (edited 10 May 2001).]

[Guest glnash]

I have two, A magellen 2000XL that has always worked well. I just gave it to the Drifter. I now use a Garmin Street Pilot. it works very well, all the time EXCEPT under water. It is not waterproof no matter what they say. Glnash

 

quote:

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Originally posted by mcb:

I was curious and had nothing better to do so I tallied up the thread so far and here is the totals.

 

Garmin III+: 8

Garmin eTrex: 6

Garmin eMap: 6

Magellan 315: 6

Garmin Etrex Summit: 4

Garmin 12: 4

Magellan 330: 4

Garmin III: 3

Garmin 45: 3

Lawrance/Eagle GlobalMap 100: 2

Garmin Street Pilot Color: 1

Garmin 12Map: 1

Garmin 12XL: 1

Garmin 40: 1

Magellan TrailBlazer: 1

Magellan GPS for Palm V: 1

Magellan GPS for Handspring: 1

Lawrance/Eagle GlobalNav 212: 1

 

The above number are totals by model and if you said you owned two GPS than I counted both. I don't claim these are exact I did not double check the numbers real carefully.

 

And if you care the totals by brand are:

 

Garmin: 38

Magellan: 13

Lawrance/Eagle: 3

 

Later

Matt

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[Guest daver]

Garmin GPS III+ Great unit, I've had no problems. I like the fact that it works well in the field and in my car as a navigator.

[Guest charlesml]

I am not alone! I can't believe there's someone else still using GPS 2000/4000! I am still using a 3 1/2 years old GPS 2000XL, and it still works great for me after dropping it and leaving it in the rain for 10 million times. That scratch resistant screen is a really nice thing to have. But this thing takes like 5 mins to get a lock in cold days, and barely works in dense forest. But I still managed to find 10 caches out of 11 attempts, the only failure was my first cache, I forgot the clue and went in the rain, but I went there to find it the next day.

P.S. I got the power/data adapter and it works great with my laptop, now I have in vehicle navigation, cool!

[Guest Iron Chef]

I use an Garmin etrex Venture and it works great! Can't beat the price and the features that it offers (WAAS included). check out my review of it for more info at http://agefive.com/geocache/Supplies/Garmin_Etrex_Venture_GPS/garmin_etrex_venture_gps.html

Happy geocaching!

 

-Iron Chef

 

[This message has been edited by Iron Chef (edited 18 May 2001).]

[Guest scanguy]

quote:

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Originally posted by jeremy:

I use the eTrex , though now I wish I had the eTrex summit (with the altimeter and compass). I'll probably end up purchasing an antenna since I hear that other units get better reception (and we're very woody in the Northwest). Is there an external antenna for the eTrex?

 

Welcome aboard!

 

Side note - I answered my own question, and found an antenna for the eTrex - Pretty pricey ($65 US) but it does work with a variety of GPS units, including the eTrex.

 

Jeremy

 

 

[This message has been edited by jeremy (edited 12-20-2000).]

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this antenna has a bnc connector. . .how will it work for the etrex. . . I also want an external for my etrex.

[Guest quiller]

I am using an EMAP that I bought at best buy for 227 bucks included were cd/data cable

but wished it came with cig lighter adapter and larger mem card (8 meg included)-had to buy a 32meg card for 170 plus the adapter 40

so being out 450 bucks or so I wish I'd bought the street pilot 3 package from www.gpsoutfitters.com as my primary use is for navigating through small towns in new jersey. the cig adaptr helps lock in the birds though solar activity affects the units im told. found my first cache today and also planted one will plant another tommorrow

[Guest bunkerdave]

0

 

[This message has been edited by bunkerdave (edited 20 May 2001).]

 

[This message has been edited by bunkerdave (edited 23 May 2001).]

[Guest markusby]

Magellan Globalnav 6000 (I bought it four years ago for $600) and I must say that it the most accurate GPS I've ever used, in addition to a fast lock time and I can even acquire a lock inside my house, under trees and other hard-to-acquire places. Then I purchased a Garmin eTrex Vista this week (for $272). It's okay and the compass is pretty nice, but it's nowhere nearly as accurate as my GlobalNav. THe globalnav is on par with the GPS's in the military now that the selective error has been eliminated. I can close to within three feet of a waypoint on a good day and six or nine on a bad one.

[Guest sidewinder]

add a old garmin 12XL to all the new fangled gps units. and I love the 12XL as it has never failed me

[Guest Ship847]

Hi to all I just got a garmin gps 12 that I link to my visor deluxe and use solus pro for mapping, I also have a memplug with 64 meg smart media card card for maps. My question is, is there any way to upload the bread crumb trail so I can edit it on my pc.

I want to make custom printable maps for hunting, fishing, dirt biking. I did find a program that I can save the track "bread crumb trail" to my my visor for future use but I cant edit or print it out

Ship