GPS choice

[kodiakmoose]

I tried this sport back in the early fall with a Garmin legend with unhappy results. Living in Oakland county Michigan which is near Detroit, I tried to locate a couple of Geocache sites in Royal Oak and Livonia. I was able to find them but my GPS would lose signals quite easily. If this cannot pick up signals in a small urban park how am I suppose to find something out in a rural setting. I returned this unit but would like some recommendations on others. I camp alot and would like to be able to use a GPS while oout on the trails.

 

Thanks

 

Jack

[+Renegade Knight]

If your first two caches had a lot of tree cover and you want to use your GPS where there is a lot of tree cover, try out anything with a Quad Helix antena.

 

The GPSMAP 76S should be easy to learn since you have used the legend and has the right antena.

 

Or you could go for the GPS V.

 

There are Magellans like the sport track that use the quad antanea.

 

Wherever you go there you are.

[+J.D.]

I'm pretty new to this, but I use a compass in conjunction w/ my E-trex. Even in tree cover, I can usually get a pretty stable bearing off the e-trex and use the compass to shoot a line towards the cache. I'm 14-0 so far. (o.k., not counting the one I haven't figured out the clues on.)

 

J.D.

Doctors Inlet, FL

[+nincehelser]

I've just passed my 200th cache. I've never lost signal except under bridges and concrete canyons.

 

Well...maybe a couple of times under very dense tree cover. Usually under trees the direction bounces around a lot, but true loss of signal I've found to be rare. Heck, I can get 10 or 15 feet in my house and still get signal with my eTrex.

 

How are you carrying the eTrex? I have found that if I carry it a certain way where my hand covers the antenna area or it is facing my body(e.g. dropped to my side), signal is lost, but it recovers when I put the GPS back in the normal position.

 

I'm thinking people may not see this behaviour with quads because of their size.

 

For me, a like the small size of the eTrex. I think Meridians are just too big and bulky.

 

George

[+briansnat]

I have the Legend and Vista and none of my "not founds" were because of the GPS. I have noticed a very brief loss of signal under extremely heavy leaf cover, but they invariably regain the lock very quickly.

 

A government that is big enough to give you all you want is big enough to take it all away. -Barry Goldwater

[volks]

I got my gps in decembre and didn't know what i was buying..brother in law had a etrex for when he goes hunting and said it was good enough for him.so that's what i got.found geocaching by luck just surffing the net and been geocaching ever since.i've never had a bad experience with my yellow etrex..

[+DustyJacket]

Since I use mine for driving and other things, I got a Meridian Color.

 

Sometimes when climbing, slipping, and whatever, I get nervous about dropping such a high cost unit.

 

it I had it to do all over again, I would have bought a full-featured unit to leave mounted in the car, and a cheap unit to carry caching - something like a merif=dian Yellow or Sporttrak. (Something with a quadrilfilar helix antenna)

 

DustyJacket

...If life was fair, a banana split would cure cancer.

[+fishin'fool]

I live in some of the most dense tree cover in the world,the california redwoods and my e-trex legend works just fine.Sometimes,usually when the foliage is wet from the rain it temporarialy loses lock but then it's back again.Also I have been using GPSr's since they came out for my job as a commercial fisherman and e-trex are one of the easiest ones to use that I've come across.As for them being outdated,I've had my legend since christmas and have updated my firmware twice for free.As you can see I like my legend!

 

 

fishin'fool was here!