Guest BX Tale Posted June 10, 2001 Share Posted June 10, 2001 I am in the process of buying my first GPS unit and had some questions. I am looking at the Venture($150 shipped). 1- How is and what is the base map that is programed into this unit? 2- What do they mean that I can download points of interest intoo the unit? And where is this info at?(which CD?) 3- How far off shore will this unit work? I go on party boats to fish all the time and was wondering where we stop at. We don't really go out to far. we are usually very close to land. 4- Also how is the unit for driving? What feture is in this unit for driving? %- I will be using this unit for Geocaching, MTBing and some light hiking. Also to see where the fishing spots are when we go out on party boats. So is this unit right unit for me for under $200 bucks. This will be my first unit. I really thought that for $30-$50 more than the base model if this would be a good deal for me. A little more fetures that I can really take advantage of. THANX FOR YOUR HELPS FOLKS. Any info or advice will be gladly taken. THANX AGAIN Quote Link to comment
Guest topografix Posted June 10, 2001 Share Posted June 10, 2001 in maps. I use PanTerra to download MapBlast driving directions to my Venture, and that combo is all I need to get places. 5- I will be using this unit for Geocaching, MTBing and some light hiking. Also to see where the fishing spots are when we go out on party boats. So is this unit right unit for me for under $200 bucks. I use mine constantly for Geocaching, MTBing, and hiking. (and kayaking and driving and testing the GPS software that I write...) Works great! Buy the $15 handlebar mount. I've owned 5 GPS units so far, and this is the only one I carry with me. It's definitely worth the extra money from the base eTrex if you're going to be using it often. In this price class, you may also want to look at the Magellan 315 (or 320 for marine use). Good luck with your decision! -- Dan Foster TopoGrafix: GPS Software, Waypoints, and Maps http://www.topografix.com Quote Link to comment
Guest BX Tale Posted June 10, 2001 Share Posted June 10, 2001 Thanx for the feedback, that helped alot. How much do you think the point of interest will be? Take a quess. Also can you tell me more about Pan terra and also mapblast. I will do a search anyway to learn more. Thanx again for the feedback. Also what programs do you recomend to have with this unit. And what is there perpose. [This message has been edited by BX Tale (edited 10 June 2001).] Quote Link to comment
Guest Hawkeyes Posted June 10, 2001 Share Posted June 10, 2001 quote:Originally posted by BX Tale:...what programs do you recomend to have with this unit... The Ozi Explorer is one of the finest I have been using...(www.oziexplorer.com) and it has al the abilities that you can think off (in the registered version) Good luck and GP Powerbank II and III are great NiMh batteries to use with the Garmin e-trex series... Quote Link to comment
Guest topografix Posted June 10, 2001 Share Posted June 10, 2001 PanTerra is a waypoint manager for Garmin, Magellan, and Lowrance GPS. You can download a copy to try at http://www.topografix.com/download.asp. TopoGrafix also has a free waypoint editor, EasyGPS, and a new mapping program ExpertGPS, which shows your GPS data on USGS topo maps and aerial photos of the United States. You can get information and download all three programs at http://www.topografix.com. - Dan Quote Link to comment
Guest mkral Posted June 10, 2001 Share Posted June 10, 2001 BX, you might want to look at the Etrex Legend. It is a little more than your $200 ceiling ($214 shipped from advancedgps.com I think) but it is the same as the Venture, except that it has the built in base map of the Americas and 8 megs for more maps. I found one on yahoo auctions and got it for $150. In my opinion, the maps are well worth it, especially for driving. Good luck, Quote Link to comment
Guest Cold Chuck Posted June 12, 2001 Share Posted June 12, 2001 I am waiting for shipment of new eTrex Venture. I, too, share reservation with first dude. Not all of us have deep pockets and thus we have to find more "bang for a buck" ------------------ Cold Chuck Quote Link to comment
Guest Epal Posted June 26, 2001 Share Posted June 26, 2001 I've been using my Venture for a couple of months now, and I noticed that after using the unit for a long time the battery readout drops (as I expect it to), but if I turn it off and put it away for a while, when I turn it on again the battery power reads much higher. I'm using Energizer e2 titanium batteries and typically put the unit in power saver mode, attach it to my shoulder and forget about it most of the day. I haven't timed how long the batteries last, but I don't think it's longer than the proscribed 20 hours. Anyone else noticed anomolies in the battery level readouts? Quote Link to comment
Guest Rubberhead Posted June 28, 2001 Share Posted June 28, 2001 BX Tale, Be careful taking and using a GPS on a party boat. Most party boat Captains would take offense at someone marking their spots. It's how they feed their kids. Quote Link to comment
Guest Iron Chef Posted July 4, 2001 Share Posted July 4, 2001 quote:Originally posted by BX Tale:How much do you think the point of interest will be? Take a quess. The POI cd costs 49 bucks and is in the West Marine catalogue, you can probably find it online at some retailer. It may just be me, but I'm not quite too eager to go out and spend some extra money for a fifty buck cd of waypoints. Seems a bit steep, but I'm sure there are some useful waypoints in there too. ------------------ -Iron Chef _ _ _ _ _________ _ _ _ _ agefive.com/geocache/ Lets Drive Fast and Eat Cheese! Quote Link to comment
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