What is the best handheld GPS on the market?

[Guest karl]

I am looking to for a GPS unit, and I wanna get the most quality handheld system you can buy. Just from reading a lot of peoples posts it seems like the ETrex Vista and GPS III + are both really popular. Are there any others? I just ran into geocaching and it blows my mind... I want to start planting mad caches with electronics, laptops, small children, and other quality trinkets.

[Guest Cybo]

I Also Just Learned About Geocaching And Im Trying To Find What GPS Device To Buy Too. If You Really Plant A Cache With A Laptop In It, Please Give Me Coords!

[Guest Cybo]

I Also Just Learned About Geocaching And Im Trying To Find What GPS Device To Buy Too. If You Really Plant A Cache With A Laptop In It, Please Give Me Coords!

[Guest ClayJar]

The Magellan MAP 330 looks really nice, apparently. I also hear (on sci.geo.satellite-nav) that the WAAS firmware will be out Real Soon Now.

 

Compared to an eTrex Legend, well, YMMV, but they seem pretty close. (Disclaimer: I am a newbie at GPS hardware.)

[Guest ac4lt]

That's a pretty difficult question to answer since you can use a GPS for a variety of applications. However, given the posting of the question to this particular forum, I'll assume your primary concern is Geocaching.

 

Garmin makes several good units. Magellan probably does also, but I don't have any experience with them.

 

It's going to come down to which set of features is more important to you. My top choices would be the Etrex Vista or the GPSMap 76. Each has it's advantages.

 

The Vista has 24MB of map memory. This isn't especially useful for geocaching, but is useful for longer distance navigation. It also has an electronic compass which would be useful for geocaching. It's also very compact. It doesn't have an external antenna connector which probably isn't a huge issue for geocaching (I don't know of anyone who uses an external antenna on foot, but it could be done). It also doesn't have the highway display or as customizable a display as some of the other units. The Vista will also do altitude profiling.

 

The GPSMap 76 is as customizable as the GPS III+, perhaps a bit more so. It has an external antenna connector, a physically bigger display (though roughly the same resolution) and the highway display. However, it's a physically larger unit and has only 8MB of map memory.

 

I recently replaced an old GPS III (not a III+) with a GPSMap 76 and really like it. I almost chose the Vista but didn't want to give up some of the functionality I'd grown used to on the III, but the Vista also looks like a great unit. It does seem like Garmin has been posting bug fixes to the Etrex firmware at an alarming rate, but better that the leaving it buggy.

 

If you plan to use them in a boat or car as well as on foot, the GPSMap is the better choice, but if only on foot, I'd probably go with the Vista.

 

Both units support WAAS which may or may not be usable depending on your location and both units sell for roughly $300.

 

Hope this helps!

[Guest mcb]

Just about any parallel 12 channel GPS receiver you can get your hands on will do great for geocaching. But now you will need to deciede what else you would like to do with it. There are alot of different GPS out there. All with different emphasis. I would suggest going to http://joe.mehaffey.com/ read alot of the reviews and follow the links there to other pages. Also go to Magellan and Garmin's Web sites and download the manuals for the units you are interested it. This is the best way to get to know the unit. Also if you don't mind reading a little more check out the GPS newgroup: sci.geo.satellite-nav. Read this for a few days and you will have a good idea of what is out there and what people think of them.

 

mcb

[Guest bunkerdave]

ed that the Map 330 is a little easier to use. After a month of heavy use, I can do routes, pick waypoints, set waypoints, etc. without ever using the manual. The text input feature is the best I've seen. It uses two batteries at a time, compared to 4 for most other units - but they only last half as long. Nice thing is, with rechargeables, you can have the first set recharging while you use the second set. The MAP 330x comes with a cradle with suction cups that stick to the windshield, and a data cord/car power cable. THIS IS A MUST. I cannot recommend any unit that does not have a car cord. You will burn way too much battery juice otherwise. I think pretty much all the good units have one, so the point is moot. You will want to get mapping capability, otherwise it can be pretty difficult to find yourself on a map. I recommend using the DeLorme topo maps in combination with whatever GPS you choose. I do know that the Garmin units already have WAAS capability, which you will want. The 330, as I mentioned will have it this summer. Since the availability of WAAS is still spotty, you will probably not notice a lot of difference for awhile. I believe there are only two WAAS satellites available to us in the Western US right now, and they are low on the horizon. Time will tell. If money is no object, I saw today where Garmin has a unit for about 900-1000 bucks that has color and a bunch of other whiz-bang features. Word of caution - I have a Palm 3c, and the color screen can be a lot harder to see in sunlight than the LCD, or grayscale screen is. Not sure how or if they worked that out. I think this is the one:

 

http://www.garmin.com/products/colorMap/

 

As far as I know, Garmin is the only one that offers a color GPS. I thing Magellan has one coming out soon. I like my color palm , but I would not buy a color GPS. The money is better spent on more important features, and I am sure it drains batteries even worse than a grayscale GPS - hard to believe. I don't really know that much about any other units than my own, but if you want to know anything about the MAP 330, my e-mail is:

 

dwallent34@yahoo.com

 

Good luck, and welcome to the wonderful world of GEOCACHING.

 

06/01/01

 

Just got the WAAS download and tested. It picks up fine, now I just need to see what my EPE is.

 

------------------

David Wallentine

 

[This message has been edited by bunkerdave (edited 01 June 2001).]