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Which GPS to buy? (narrowed to 3)


Guest LandNav

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Guest LandNav

I have been researching the GPS market for a few days in search of a new GPS. I have narrowed my list to 3. The Garmin Etrex Vista, the Garmin GPSMAP 76, and the Magellan Meridian Platinum. I use my GPS for Hunting, Hiking, camping, and Geocaching. I have used an etrex summit and really liked it. The Map76 would add some features to list but at the cost of the compass and altimeter, and as for the Magellan - it seams to be a great piece of equipment, but I can not find anyone who has used it. Does anyone have an opinion or some advice as to which of the three they would purchase? Please let me know if you have any helpful advice. Thanks LandNav

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The Etrex Vista is tiny and very light. But because it is small the screen is a little hard to read, but if you are only going to use it for hiking, geocaching and such then it will be great. It only major draw back is that it lacks a good antenna. Its internal antenna is a small patch antenna and it does not have the option of an exteranal antenna.

 

The GPSMAP 76 is a very flexible unit. It has alot of users definable data fields that can be display in may customizable way. It can also interface with several other marine navigation aids like autohelms and depth finders. The unit is much larger but is not to much heavier. This allows it to be one of the few Garmin units that float. It has a better quadrifilar antenna and should work better in difficult situations. It also has the port for an external antenna. Since it is a bigger unit the screen is physically larger and a little easier to read. Especially if you have it mounted on the dash of a car or boat.

 

The Magellan Meridian Platinum is brand new and I not even sure there being shipped out yet. If you have read there web site then you know as much as I do.

 

As for the internal compass and altimeter in the Vista and Meridian I personally would pass. I don't want all my navigation aids to get wacked if one unit dies. I take a regular compass and the altitude my GPS gives me is more than accurate for most things I need altitude for.

 

mcb

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Guest Jebediah

Without making any recommendations I'll offer some thoughts.

 

1) With brand new GPSRS entering the market this summer & fall it might be best to wait and let someone else be the guinea pig, and make do until then. Until then, ask yourself where you fall on the GPSR user spectrum - it runs from spartan/adventurer ("how does that keypad/rocker/casing hold up to drop impacts or water entry") to techno-guy ("how much memory and resolution does it have?") - or somewhere in-between, it will help you decide what features or construction you need and what you can do without. And BTW, since you're not going to be sticking to paved roads or marked trails, one thing you can NEVER do without is a hard copy, waterproofed, large-scale map topo map, no matter how much software you carry.

 

2) Electronic built-in compasses are handy and convenient for rough bearings, but are not all that accurate to date (except for Brunton, usually + or - 5 degrees, you can do as well with a $8 Silva) and consume LOTS of battery power;

 

3)The more resolution, the more features, and the older the receiver, usually means less battery life. You want to compare apples to apples, some take 4, some 2 AAs. Ignore the manufacturer specs on this and look for real-life figures. Some GPSRs will konk out after only about 6-8 accumulated hours of intermittent use - not just a theoretical consideration if you're out hiking remote areas.

 

4)Before settling on a single design, check the dimensions and weight one more time and decide if you're really going to carry that thing around all the time (and its spare batteries, solar chargers or antennas)

 

5)With such diverse terrain across the U.S., generalizations about reception quality are just that. Beg/borrow the GPSRs yourself and decide.

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