Gps Purchase

[rascalcat]

Hello all. First time posting here and new to GPS/geocaching. Looking to purchase my first unit and presently considering these three:

 

Garmin eTrex Legend

Garmin GPSMap76

Megellan Meridian Gold

 

I need a good map of North/Central America (and specifically Nicaragua/Costa Rica). Marine functions are not so important. Will use more stand-alone than with computer.

 

Any comments appreciated.

[+greengolftee87]

Always go garmin!!!!

Maybe also some mapsource for more detail than the basemap can provide

Edited April 8, 2004 by greengolftee87

[+briansnat]

They are all good choices. Depends on your primary use. The Legend is nice because it's inexpensive (as low as $160 if you shop around), easy to use and very compact. The Map76 has some nice features, it has a bigger screen than the Legend and is better for boating (it floats). I'm not too familiar with the Meridian, but from what I've seen it's a good unit.

 

If geocaching and hiking are your primary uses, I'd stick with the Legend. Both the Map 76 and Meridian are pretty big units, while the Legend can fit in your front pocket.

Edited April 9, 2004 by briansnat

[+Cherokeecacher]

Go for the Gold! You will enjoy the flexibility of the SD cards and the user support that is available on Yahoo meridian User Group.

 

You can read more

 

here

 

here

 

here

[+Deckyon]

You know, it is always better to give a few reasons to why one unit is better than the others. If you do not have personal experience with the others, best not to comment on it.

 

I have a Meridian Platinum. I would buy it again. I love the unit and I have yet to see the same feature set available in the same pricerange from any of the other manufacturers. This is my own research. I bought my unit for hiking, not geocaching. I found this sport weeks after I had been using the unit.

 

Factors that made me purchase the Meridian Platinum:

• SD RAM Memory Cards - Virtually unlimited memory and HUGE stores of map data.
  
• Electronic Compas - Great for getting in close to the cache. You do NOT have to be moving for this to work as with 90% of the other units.
  
• Large screen and buttons on the bottom. I did not like the feel of the buttons on top. Just me.
  
• 16 MB internal memory. Able to easily upload new basemaps from the World Basemap software available. For whenever I cross the pond.
  
• The internal antenae is, in my opinion, better than the garmin units. I base this on a. I have not lost signal in the woods at all, even at caches where it is warned it would happen. b. from reading other users' responses in the GPS Units and Software forum.
  
• Direct Route. I did not have to purchase a new unit to utilize the new street routing software. A simple firmware upgrade and I had a door-to-door street routing that I have yet to stump.
  

I have not had experience first hand with the Garmin units. I cannot offer any insight into their functions/features. My statement about feature comparison was based on fact sheets on the websites of the different manufacturers.

 

Before you buy, try and hook up with people in your area who have the different units you are considering and cache with them. Let them know you are trying to buy one and do not know what to get. Most will have no problem with you looking at the units and possibly carrying it for a while. You have nothing to lose doing this.

 

Buy the best one you can afford to get. That is why I got the Platinum. The Color unit was not out yet. I have had no urge to upgrade the GPSr at all. The color units do not interest me as they offer nothing more than a different screen for a lot more money.

 

Do the research up front and you will be happier in the end.

[+briansnat]

Factors that made me purchase the Meridian Platinum:

SD RAM Memory Cards - Virtually unlimited memory and HUGE stores of map data.

Electronic Compas - Great for getting in close to the cache. You do NOT have to be moving for this to work as with 90% of the other units.

Large screen and buttons on the bottom. I did not like the feel of the buttons on top. Just me.

16 MB internal memory. Able to easily upload new basemaps from the World Basemap software available. For whenever I cross the pond.

The internal antenae is, in my opinion, better than the garmin units. I base this on a. I have not lost signal in the woods at all, even at caches where it is warned it would happen. b. from reading other users' responses in the GPS Units and Software forum.

Direct Route. I did not have to purchase a new unit to utilize the new street routing software. A simple firmware upgrade and I had a door-to-door street routing that I have yet to stump.

 

But he was considering the Gold, not the Platinum. The Gold doesn't have all these features.

 

 

The internal antenae is, in my opinion, better than the garmin units. I base this on a. I have not lost signal in the woods at all, even at caches where it is warned it would happen. b. from reading other users' responses in the GPS Units and Software forum

 

The Map 76 and Meridian both use the quad helix antenna, so there should be no difference there. The eTrex uses a patch antenna which works just fine. I've geocached alongside Magellan users with my eTrex and sometimes my unit received better reception and sometimes the Magellan did. One reason that many people believe Magellans have better reception than Garmin is that a Magellan will continue to try to project the course for a while if it loses a sat lock. The Garmin tells you right away that you've lost the sats. In other words, neither unit has a lock, but the Magellan makes you think you do.

Edited April 8, 2004 by briansnat

[+Cherokeecacher]

You know, it is always better to give a few reasons to why one unit is better than the others.  If you do not have personal experience with the others, best not to comment on it.

.........

Who replied to the question that does not have experience with the unit(s) they are talking about? Am I missing something, I see no such post.

 

I have not had experience first hand with the Garmin units. I cannot offer any insight into their functions/features. My statement about feature comparison was based on fact sheets on the websites of the different manufacturers.

 

Uh, I think you, like, just contradicted yourself, or something, I think.

 

Just poking fun, relax . I am off tomorrow and Monday, and my brain is already on “weekend pause” aka, caching on the brain.

 

I apologize in advance if this was not taken as a JOKE

[+Team XTerror]

Before you buy, try and hook up with people in your area who have the different units you are considering and cache with them.  Let them know you are trying to buy one and do not know what to get.  Most will have no problem with you looking at the units and possibly carrying it for a while.  You have nothing to lose doing this.

I just ordered a receiver. I had my choices limited down to either the Magellan Meridian Gold or the eTrex Vista.

 

...then I was fortunate to discover that one of my coworkers is into geocaching. She highly recommended the eTrex Legend and with 100+ finds and 9 hides of her own, I decided her opinion was worth noting.

 

I ordered the Legend.

[+briansnat]

I ordered the Legend.

 

Good choice. Money being no object, I would have went with the Vista, but you can't go wrong with the Legend.

[+AmishHacker]

Go for the Gold! You will enjoy the flexibility of the SD cards and the user support that is available on Yahoo meridian User Group.

 

You can read more

 

here

 

here

 

here

I am going out tonight to purchase a Meridian Gold after the advice I got here. I think I am making the right choice.

[+Deckyon]

Always go garmin!!!!

Maybe also some mapsource for more detail than the basemap can provide

This was the post I was referring to.

 

Totally useless information.

 

I was pointing out what made my buy my GPS.

 

BTW, I was not contradicting myself. I made no comment on how Garmin units are used or how well they work. I compared features listed on the respective websites when I was looking for one to buy.

[+IVxIV]

.... at times like these I'm glad I chose to to stay neutral.. & bought a Lowrance

 

Oh,, and the iFinder Pro rules! More bag for the buck than either Magellan/Garmin!

 

Let the flames begin!

[+Nurse Dave]

 

The Map 76 and Meridian both use the quad helix antenna, so there should be no difference there. The eTrex uses a patch antenna which works just fine. I've geocached alongside Magellan users with my eTrex and sometimes my unit received better reception and sometimes the Magellan did. One reason that many people believe Magellans have better reception than Garmin is that a Magellan will continue to try to project the course for a while if it loses a sat lock. The Garmin tells you right away that you've lost the sats. In other words, neither unit has a lock, but the Magellan makes you think you do.

It is not true that the only differance is that Magellans will continue to project. My fiancee is a Garmin girl and we have had several outings where my Magellan had a lock the whole time even after turns and stops where hers never had a lock or lost it as soon as we got into trees and never got it back. I know under trees once I loose lock it's hard to get back under trees, but as long as I have it, it keeps it longer. I wonder if it can use bits from one sat or another when the signal isn't as good. I don't know what the answer is, but it is tracking actual position and not just guessing.

[+SBPhishy]

I have a Gold, and as of now, there is no other GPS in the market that I would like to have more.

 

It is BY FAR in my opinion, the best bang for the buck. There are things that it does better than Garmins, and there are things that Garmins do better. But for the features you get, for the price, NOTHING can beat it.

 

Personally, I'm not a big eTrex fan. The 76's look cool though.

[rascalcat]

thanks everyone for the advice and comments. Still not decided but leaning toward the Garmins.

[+GEEPEESEER]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest the iQue, just because it sounds like quite a few of you use a PDA in conjunction with your gpsr anyway.. It isn't waterproof, but otherwise works great. AND, you can install programs (FREE) like cachemate and CetusGPS that allow you to load .loc and .gpx files to it with all the hints, notes, etc.... PLUS, it's also a great navigation tool for your car, AND it's a fully functioning OS5 PDA... I think mine is invaluable, and I've only had it for a little over a month.. It also comes with the detail map software, which I was suprised to see that the nearly as expensive 60C does not.. My brother in law has a GPS V, and it too comes with the city select nav software, and is very reliable. However, it only has 19megs of storage (! my GPSIII+ only had 1.4!!!), so car navigation part of it is limited. The iQue is unlimited since it uses SD flash cards.. just my 2cents.. if you're concerned about using it in the rain, a ziplock bag works just fine to waterproof it..

[+Quoddy]

After using a MeriColor for over a year of individual caching I was quite happy with all aspects of the unit, both for caching and road use (DirectRoute). Recently I began caching with others on high multiple cache days. I quickly saw that Garmin users were able to beat me to EVERY cache because of their unit's instantaneous response. My Meridian would average for several minutes, by which time the cache was already found. After about a month of this type of caching, I decided to go with a Garmin 60cs, mainly because of the improved color, USB, and quad helix antennae. I have to learn a new unit, but I believe that in the long run I'll be happier with the improved response.

[+robert]

AND, you can install programs (FREE) like cachemate and CetusGPS that allow you to load .loc and .gpx files to it with all the hints, notes, etc....

Just a note, but CacheMate isn't free. Darn close at $7 though.

[+GEEPEESEER]

true, but I just downloaded an unregistered copy from the site, and the trial hasn't run out, if it ever will.. but you're right, sometime I'll have to shell out the $7! It's a pretty slick unit, if you haven't checked it out yet..

[Montgomery Ward]

I just bought the New Magellan Sportrak Map and love the features. Paid about 160 at Nebraska Furnature Mart and also got the $30 rebate from the website.

 

You can upload waypoints, backtrack, mark, etc. The memory is great (up to 500 waypoints) which is more than I'll ever need and you can upload a vast variety of software such as topo and other Magellan firmware.

There are optional powrsupply cords for the car and comes with a cable for the PC. There is also a USB connector you can buy for use with your laptop.

[+vds]

AND, you can install programs (FREE) like cachemate and CetusGPS that allow you to load .loc and .gpx files to it with all the hints, notes, etc....

Just a note, but CacheMate isn't free. Darn close at $7 though.

You might also want to grab a copy of GSAK (free) which exports directly into Cachemate format, as well as Streets+Trips and a bunch of other formats....

 

Combine the three packages and you have quite the setup, no paper ever required unless you really want paper.

[+Night Stalker]

I have used a Magellan SporTrak Pro and the Garmin GPS V. Both are fine pieces of equipment. My suggestion is don't underbuy. In otherwords look at the features and make sure the unit has all the features you not only need now, but think you might want in the future. If you don't you will be upgrading sooner or later which can really cause issues with the spouse (unless she suggests the upgrade). It is cheaper to get the better unit now then to buy cheap and upgrade later anyway.