A Matter Of Opinion

[+D & K]

I read that two decent "starter" GPS devices would be.....

 

Magellan 315 & Garmin Etrex

 

Looking on Ebay they seem to be similarly priced.

 

What is your opinion on these units? Is there another that I should consider?

 

Is there a secret place to get them that is cheaper than Ebay?

 

Are there any options that I should be getting with my initial purchase?

 

Thanks,

 

dik

[+SnowLeopard]

I've know many geocachers that used a garmin etrex and loved it. I don't know much about the magellan model though.

[Swagger]

Go to the manufacturer's websites and get a list of features for each unit, then compare them side-by-side.

 

I don't know much of anything about the Magellan and I've never used the yellow eTrex, but here's my opinion anyway.

 

I'm a tried-and-true Garmin fan. I will always recommend them over Magellan. BUT, Magellan has a quad helix antenna vs. Garmin's patch antenna on the eTrex line. The quad helix is a better antenna and will work a little better under heavy tree cover and at different angles.

[+welch]

What is your opinion on these units? Is there another that I should consider?

 

Is there a secret place to get them that is cheaper than Ebay?

 

Are there any options that I should be getting with my initial purchase?

Between the two I would say the garmin (but im bias ) The etrex is compact and easy to use. What Cruzin say is true, a patch antenna tends to be more finicky, but once you get used to how to operate it, that shouldn't matter too much.

 

No secret place, maybe try the garage sale forum. Also do a lot of checking, it seems like somewhere is almost always offering discounted etrex.

 

Unless your going to be changing units soon it would proably be a good idea to get a data cable. It will allow you to hook it to your computer and upload multiple waypoints at once. It would also be needed for upgrading firmware, or whatever datasend magellan says is compatable (points of interest?) with the 315 ('gold' etrex doesn't accept any sort of future points/maps).

 

https://www.magellangps.com/en/products/product.asp?PRODID=2

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

[+itsmetom]

Here is a good link for comparing unit features/specs. at Offroute.com, they also sell GPS. After much research and debate I bought mine (Garmin Map76s) from another Groundspeak club member right here,,see the Garage Sale posts here at Groundspeak. Local sporting goods stores/department stores sell gps, and garmin is giving a $30 rebate on some models. It seem that more geocachers like Garmin and have raved about the Garmin support, they seem to fix or replace units to keep the customer happy, at least that is what I have read.

http://www.offroute.com/gps-compare.html

It's such a brain traumatizing experience trying to decide

[+Alan2]

Get em both and then sell the one you don't like, well, on Ebay

[AC Student]

Here is a good link for comparing unit features/specs. at Offroute.com, they also sell GPS. After much research and debate I bought mine (Garmin Map76s) from another Groundspeak club member right here,,see the Garage Sale posts here at Groundspeak. Local sporting goods stores/department stores sell gps, and garmin is giving a $30 rebate on some models. It seem that more geocachers like Garmin and have raved about the Garmin support, they seem to fix or replace units to keep the customer happy, at least that is what I have read.

http://www.offroute.com/gps-compare.html

It's such a brain traumatizing experience trying to decide

REI has a good comparison chart too, although they don't seem to carry the Magellan 315.

 

I wish I could confirm the high quality of Garmin support, but they can't seem to be bothered with even responding to my emails.

[+briansnat]

I wouldn't doubt it if the yellow eTrex has found more geocaches than all other units combined.

 

BTW, in my limited experience with Garmin's customer support, they have been outstanding.

Edited May 28, 2004 by briansnat

[+Evil Chicken]

Once you've decided on which model you can run price checks on these sites to get the lowest cost:

 

Bizrater.com

Dealtime

Nextag

Pricescan

 

(With 3 girls - we have to look for lowest prices!!)

[4x4van]

Since no one seems to have used the 315, I'll weigh in. My first GPS was the 315, back quite awhile before SA was turned off, and before I even knew what geocaching was. It's an extremely tough unit, only marginally bigger than the E-Trex (just the antenna portion, otherwise the same size), and was very accurate. After discovering geocaching, it got me to many a cache site. Magellan's customer service has at least as good of a reputation as Garmin's. My 315 finally died, after many miles attached to the handlebars of my ATC250R.

 

I now use a Magellan SporTrak Pro, and my son uses an E-Trex yellow. While both the 315 and the E-yellow are very similar in price, the 315 provides more screens (9), and more customizing options for those screens. The Magellan allows you to have 2 different coordinate systems shown at once (such as LongLat and UTM) on the position screen, and only Magellans have the "northfinder" feature, which allows you to quickly and easily orient the compass screen while standing still. I also prefer the front button layout (yeah, I know, it's a personal preference) and I still find the Magellan menus to be more logical than Garmin's, although that's probably because I started with Magellan.

[+knitter]

FWIW - We use both a Magellan 315 and a Garmin Vista. I find the Vista is a wee bit more accurate (probably the WAAS feature), but the Magellan blows it away for keeping the satellites locked in while under heavy tree cover. I lost my signal four times today while out - he didn't lose his once.

[+Kite and Hawkeye]

FWIW - We use both a Magellan 315 and a Garmin Vista. I find the Vista is a wee bit more accurate (probably the WAAS feature), but the Magellan blows it away for keeping the satellites locked in while under heavy tree cover. I lost my signal four times today while out - he didn't lose his once.

Many have said that Magellans just won't admit it as quickly as Garmins when they lose signal -- they keep guessing for longer. I'd rather know right away.

 

That said, we've got a yellow eTrex and a Vista, and I swear the yellow gets signal faster and keeps it longer. Could be my fevered imagination, but if the yellow just had a click-stick I think I'd prefer it to the fancier model.

[+EScout]

Regarding this kind of statement:

Many have said that Magellans just won't admit it as quickly as Garmins when they lose signal -- they keep guessing for longer. I'd rather know right away.

As an owner of an Legend and Meridian, both for over a year and used side by side in many situations, I can say that the Meridian gets and keeps a signal much better in tough locations.

Here is an example: trip to Catalina, in cabin, the Legend never got a position fix the entire 22NM trip. The Meridian got 5 to 6 strong signals, with a consistent 3d fix, with the bearings, ETA, speed, etc, all consistent and right-on. This was verified at each end with previous marks at the Two Harbors pier and the San Pedro Terminal...

Other tests under heavy tree cover also showed similar.

Original question asked which other units to consider: How about a used Meridian, or a new yellow/green model which can sometimes be found for $100 or less, including cable.