+churinga Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 i'm looking for a gps for geocaching. it should be accurate, robust, and give everything i need. so i think i would like to have waas and a compass. looking through ads and forums, i found the following gps to match my requirements: geko 301: + small + relatively cheap - small display - bad compass, as only working when completely horizontal - short life time of nimh batteries when compass on - bad operation of battery compartment - aaa batterie size vista: + good display + aa battery size - bad compass, as only working when completely horizontal - not really cheap sportrak color: + good compass - expensive meridian platinum: + good compass - really expensive what more pro's and con's? which one is the most recommended? are there other 'relatively cheap' gps with compass? any experience on battery lifetime? thanx! Quote Link to comment
+Rubberhead Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 If you consider the $30 rebate on the Vista, it can be found for only about $20 more than the 301, but it comes with a cable (which you will need). Even if you buy a cheap cable you are going to spend around $13 to $15 for the cable, shipping and handling. So for all practical purposes, the 301 and Vista are the same price. My experience with the Vista's compass is that it is fairly accurate. It does not need to be held completely flat. If you have some tilt in the compass when it is calibrated, then it will expect that same tilt during usage. The good news is that it tells you when it is happy. I've never used a 3-axis compass (the kind that doesn't need to be held at a certain angle) but from what I've heard they are not as accurate as the 2-axis models. I still believe that if you want to get serious about geocaching, take an extra job this summer (or sell some junk on e-bay) and in a couple of weeks you'll have enough extra money to get a Garmin GPSmap 60CS. It blows away the other models you've mentioned. Quote Link to comment
thorin Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 I have a Geko 201 that I'm extremely happy with, therefore I would assume that the 301 is a great unit as well. There were fixes to the compass included in Software patch 2.40 (both the 201 and 301). Alternately you could grab a 201 and buy a good (standard) compass. Even the electronic compass on the 201 has been sufficient for me so far. Thorin Quote Link to comment
+Mastifflover Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Accurate, Robust, Waas, Electronic Compass. You just described the Vista to a T. Don't worry about the compass on the Vista, I have a Vista and the compass isn't as picky as some would like you to believe. Quote Link to comment
+SunnyCyndi Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Well, I'd like to give you some perspective from someone who uses the humble Geko 101 (although I purchased a Legend several weeks ago because of the 30$ rebate-although still have not had any reason to get it up and running.) I like to compare geocaching with another outdoor hobby, fishing. Remember that pure, basic joy of catching a fish as a kid with a bamboo pole, hook, and bobber? When you were able to add the expensive equipment, depth finder, etc.,etc. did it really make it more fun? The mighty Geko 101 will get you to the cache just as accurately as units 5 times the cost and is perfect for someone new to be sure you're going to stick with this hobby before you sink tons of money into it (haven't we all done that) I don't think it's a purchase you'll ever regret because it will give to time to research what you really want and let you cache in the meantime, and when you do buy up, you can let one of your kids us it or as a spare for someone coming along on the adventure. I just saw them at Sportsman Warehouse stores for $79 bucks....cheap way to get started! Quote Link to comment
+-=(GEO)=- Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Meridian Platinum: + SD card support!! + good compass + other instruments + auto-routing support + topo maps Not so expensive if you look around... Quote Link to comment
+rusty_tlc Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 I have a Meridian Platinum, if I was going to buy again I would go for the Gold. I have never really used the barometer or thermometer so the features are pretty useless for me. My first GPS was a Garmin Legend. I liked it well enough but after using the meridian I think the larger screen expandable internal memory are well worth the extra money. I also found the Garmin click stick difficult to use because I have limited range of motion in my right hand. If I were going to buy a unit exclusivley for geocaching it would probably be the Sportrack. Quote Link to comment
robertlipe Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Your list looks a little predisposed. A quick trip to amazon and gpscity showed the vista and plat to be within 15% of each other which tilts your scale from "not really cheap" to "really expensive". shopharmony beats both and narrows the difference even more. Different units are right for different people. Since you didn't say much about how you plan to use it beyond "geocaching" or your personal preferences, it's hard to make a good recommendation. If you are, say, a horseback rider and value something really small that you want primarily for backtracking, the Geko is the clear winner in that list. If you want something with infinite memory size and the ability to do do autorouting, Plat's the winner. If color screens really arouse you, there's only one on your list that fits that bill. (There are others on the market...) For firmware gadgetry and a crisp b/w screen, I'd tip my hat to the vista. Invariably these "what should I buy" threads are answered with "here's what I have". http://gpsinformation.us/main/gpshiking.htm That site has a review of every unit you list except the 301, but it's little cousin the 201 is reviewed... Quote Link to comment
+JeepCachr Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 Your list looks a little predisposed. A quick trip to amazon and gpscity showed the vista and plat to be within 15% of each other which tilts your scale from "not really cheap" to "really expensive". shopharmony beats both and narrows the difference even more. Different units are right for different people. Since you didn't say much about how you plan to use it beyond "geocaching" or your personal preferences, it's hard to make a good recommendation. If you are, say, a horseback rider and value something really small that you want primarily for backtracking, the Geko is the clear winner in that list. If you want something with infinite memory size and the ability to do do autorouting, Plat's the winner. If color screens really arouse you, there's only one on your list that fits that bill. (There are others on the market...) For firmware gadgetry and a crisp b/w screen, I'd tip my hat to the vista. Invariably these "what should I buy" threads are answered with "here's what I have". http://gpsinformation.us/main/gpshiking.htm That site has a review of every unit you list except the 301, but it's little cousin the 201 is reviewed... If your considering the gecko and you don't need the compass look at the foretrex 101 or 201. They are based on the gecko 201 and have most of the same features only smaller. I like mine. Quote Link to comment
tubemonkey Posted May 27, 2004 Share Posted May 27, 2004 With Garmin's recent intro of the 60CS & 76CS series, does anyone know if Magellan is about to upgrade either their Meridian or SporTrak series to something comparable? I've noticed that their prices are dropping and it makes me wonder. I'd sure hate to spend hundreds of dollars today, only to kick myself for not waiting a few more months. I'm definitely in the market for a GPSr, but not in any big hurry. tm Quote Link to comment
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