Smiffy & Chewitt Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 As a belated Xmas pressie to myself I am going to buy a GPS. I have a limited budget so have been looking at the Garmin Etrex. Has anyone out there got one and if so would you recommend it for a new GPS user ? Quote Link to comment
+The Hole-in-the-wall Gang Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 The Etrex Yellow is a great entry level GPS receiver. You can download the waypoints from this site for all the caches that you want to visit then program them into the GPSr. This model's main limitation is the lack of capability to download maps which you can use to navigate with. For geocaching this isn't really an issue so long as you have an OS map with you. Other etrex models have more memory for mapping and compasses etc. Its worth investing in some good NiMH rechargeable batteries too if you get the chance. Best of luck with the caching. Quote Link to comment
+Chris n Maria Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 Take a look at this topic for more info on what people are using. The yellow etrex is great for caching and does everything you need to find a cache - the rest are just lights & bells really (but a good excuse to buy new toys ) Chris Quote Link to comment
+paul.blitz Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 We have a yellow Etrex (as well as others) and it works fine. I am told that the Geko 201 is also a good one... don't go for the 101, as it has no PC-GPS data transfer capability. Paul Quote Link to comment
Smiffy & Chewitt Posted January 12, 2004 Author Share Posted January 12, 2004 Thanks for the respones guys, have looked at similar posts and have ordered the Etrex Yellow, sounds like the one for me. Cheers Quote Link to comment
kitefan Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 Hi, I've used my Dad's Etrex quite a bit and it's great. Bought myself a Geko 101 the other day and that's also great and < £100 if you shop around. The inability to send waypoints directly to it doesn't really bother me... and it's as small as and lighter than a mobile phone wheras the etrex is a bit heavy for a pocket. I was worried that the reception might be reduced as the Geko really is pretty small, but it's identical. HoleInTheWallGang, what's all this about maps? That's cheating and takes away the fun of GeoCaching!!! I punch in the waypoint, hit GOTO and get in my car. It's loads more fun like that (though it can be a little frustrating. Found myself 100m from a cache, 'Home of the Pippin', but right at the end of an oxbow thingy, the wrong side of a river one time! Got it in the end though.) Kitefan Quote Link to comment
+The Hole-in-the-wall Gang Posted January 12, 2004 Share Posted January 12, 2004 I agree that mapping SW is more appropriate to navigating in the car but if I'm going into unknow territory I still take a map and compass just in case I loose signal or the GPSr packs up. Have fun with the etrex yellow. Cheers, John Quote Link to comment
+Team Hydro Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 I have a Garmin etrex that is now a few years old, but have updated the software regularly. My wife has a Magellan. I have found the control buttons on the Etrex to be just right and much prefer using it to the Magellans or the other Garmin models. Very easy for one handed operation. A software package we use sometimes to "plan" cache hunts before we go out is Mapsource (run on a computer, not the GPSr). You can see beforehand "which side of the river you are aiming for", and you can also download the required cache waypoints in one go to the etrex. Also like the bright colour!! Have fun, you've bought a good unit........ Quote Link to comment
+stu_and_sarah Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 HoleInTheWallGang, what's all this about maps? That's cheating and takes away the fun of GeoCaching!!! I punch in the waypoint, hit GOTO and get in my car. We learnt about maps on our first ever caching trip. 300ft horizontally from the cache. and about 500ft vertically. Oops. We found an exceedingly steep way up, only to check the map when we got home, and we could have had a nice terrain of 1.5 stroll to it Sometimes we just point and go, but its got us into enough pickles so far to make maps worthwhile! Quote Link to comment
+kennamatic Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 I've stuck to the yellow etrex for the two and a half years I've been caching. I did succumb recently and take a map out with me but I've always preferred the point and go method. I did once do a two day tour of Yorkshire on work armed with no maps and only the gps to find some suppliers and it dropped me on each one without any bother. Lucky? Maybe. There was one notorious occasion when I took my car up a lane which showed my target about 500 yards at the other end. By 300 yards there wasn't much of a road surface at all, in fact moon surface would probably be closer, the pot holes were larger than the wheels of the car! Still, that's all part of the fun! Welcome to the madness! Quote Link to comment
+Ticker & Hip Posted January 15, 2004 Share Posted January 15, 2004 We use the "Yellow" it gets us Close to the Cache then we Look,,,, The Garmin eTrex is a good little gps unit for the price it's good under trees, so that helps.. Have Fun "Geocachers take directions from above" Quote Link to comment
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