Another Newbe

[Buswrench]

Well I have been struck with GPS fear so bad I've been putting off my plunge into geocaching. What does anyone have to say about Cobra GPS. They are coming out with a new model GPS1000. No price available. I really don't know what I want except a screen I can see, a GPS I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars on. I've been reading maps for 25 years so I can get within walking to one without electronic ones. Just want to find casches.

 

Next is what to do when I find one and where do I get trinkets for exchanges??

Edited August 6, 2004 by Buswrench

[Neo_Geo]

With Cobra GPSrs, be afraid - be VERY afraid!!! The general consensus is that Cobra GPSrs SUCK! A few people have said they're OK, but an overwhelming majority say they have major problems with them. You'd do well to stay away from them.

 

CIRCUIT CITY has them for $300. For that money, you could get a GARMIN LEGEND-C. True, you'd still have to purchase map software (another $100 or so), but this thing is color, does autorouting (turn-by-turn dirctions), gives 500 waypoints and 10,000 track points.

 

You could also look at the Magellan line as well. They have many satisfied users in this forum as well.

 

When you find a cache, there should be a log book in it. Sign the log book - tell about your find - mention what you took and what you left. Or, if you took nothing and left nothing, then a simple "TNLN" will suffice.

 

You can use trinkets lying around the house, out of cereal boxes, the dollar store. The true joy is finding the cache - not what material possessions you come away with.

[+Hemlock]

I tend to suggest to newbies to buy an inexpensive GPS like a Garmin eTrex for less than $100. This would probably be a great fit for you since you're already comfortable reading a paper map. After you've used that for a while, you can make a more informed choice about what features you'd like to have, then upgrade accordingly.

 

Then there's people like my buddy that is still using "old yeller" after 1,700 finds. And there's people like me that want all the bells and whistles and couldn't live without my 60C.

[+JohnnyVegas]

Cobra!!!!! you would be better of spending time in a cage with a real Cobra.

there have been quite a few post in the forums Re cobra. Cobra is just a 5 letter word for Junk

[+JohnnyVegas]

Buyu the way, Get a Garmin E-treks or a Magellen Sport track. leave the Cobras for the snake charmers

[Buswrench]

Thank you all for the replys. I am going out to find my GPS and will stear clear of the snake.

[Buswrench]

Going for the MAGELLEN Explorist 200. Its within my budget and has a large screen. The two most important aspects for now. Just hope the performance and ease of operation as claimed is true.

Thanks

[Neo_Geo]

You might wanna rethink the Explorist 200. Two negatives about them are that you cannot connect it to the computer - you'll have to manually input all waypoints (a real "P.I.T.A.)". Although it says it has an 8MB basemap, that's ALL the mapping you'll get - and they're not very detailed. You won't be able to upload any more-detailed maps because there is no memory available for uploading your own maps.

 

The Garmin Etrex Legend is in that price range (with rebate), has its own basemap and has 8MB of additional map memory. It comes with a serial data cable, so you'll also be able to upload waypoints through the computer.

 

WHAT WERE THEY THINKIN' when they designed the "Explorist" series??? Are they trying to compete with Cobra?

Edited August 6, 2004 by Neo_Geo

[+Bear and Ting]

Let me tell about our experience with an eXplorist. We have one (the eXplorist 200) and took it out for the first time with us yesterday (along with our Etrex Vista, Etrex Legend, and our Sportrak Pro). We wanted to compare it's "revolutionary accuracy and it's ease of use". It was not out of the box for 30 minutes and it display screen had busted. We are not sure how it happened either, but it looks like something hit the screen and cracked the display. When we had reached our first parking area for our first cache of the day, we had locked onto the satellites and input the coords, got our bearing and dropped both GPSs around our necks. When we got to the area across the field, we picked up the GPSs to verify our bearings and distance. We were trying to verify accuracy with this new unit, but the kids found the cache first and in the excitment (it was their first time caching) and we forgot to check the GPS's accuracy. When we returned to the car, Ting picked up the eXpolrist to input the next set of coords and the eXplorist's screen was cracked. We are not sure how it could have gotten cracked unless it hit up against something while rehiding the cache.

 

When Ting showed it to me, I looked closer at the design and saw a potential problem. The screen is recessed into the unit and there is a protective plastic cover or window above it separated by an air space. Our other GPSr's have that as well, however the window on the eXplorist is very thin and flexible. Pushing on it even slightly negated the airspace and puts it in contact with the display. Our other three do not have such a thin material. Not sure what they were thinking, but if I were Magellan/Thales, I would be going back to the drawing boards on this one before releasing ANY new models. If a unit is to be used outdoors, it should be somewhat rugged.

 

Bear and Ting