Ok- One Handheld Unit can not do auto and cars perfectly - so what is best now for geocaching?

[+drat19]

quote:

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Originally posted by GeoPernas:

 

My only other beef with the V is that all the mounts I've tried suck. The RAM suction cup mount makes the device basically impossible to remove, and the included mount has the same problem. Bean bag mount, I don't want to stick velcro on the GPS. I want a quick-release mount, and these apparantly don't exist.

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I too tried several different mounts with limited success (although the suction cup mount that mounts on the windshield ( http://www.gpscity.com/gps/brados/2388.2.12938464885916432861/3psucmnt.html ) is not bad, except that it marks up your inside windshield with the mount marks and your fingerprints). I think I've finally solved the mount problem with this unit:

 

http://www.gpscity.com/gps/brados/2388.2.7732196543616432861/nonskid.html

 

Unlike the beanbag mount with the velcro ( http://www.gpscity.com/gps/brados/2388.2.8991276703216432861/3pbeanbagmnt.html ), this one works with the dash mount that should have come with your GPS V (if not, look at http://www.gpscity.com/gps/brados/2388.2.14719114596216432861/3pautomnt.html ). Clicks right in, has adjustable/lockable angles, and unit snaps right out when you're ready to park and hit the trail (and don't forget to hit and hold "Page" to switch from landscape to portrait mode...GREAT shortcut I learned right here on this forum).

 

Other neat thing about this setup is that you can easily go from car to car with no hassles (I travel for my job and rent cars all the time), and you can easily pull it right off the dash and hide it in the console if you're concerned about the break-in temptation issue.

 

Enjoy...

-Dave R. in Biloxi

[+Criminal]

I think the beanbag mount is an accident waiting to happen. You can't push buttons while driving without chasing the dadgum thing around the dash. I use the suction cup RAM mount and have no problem removing the unit from the mount.

 

http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/

[+drat19]

Your point about the beanbag is well taken, but I can tell you from personal experience that the base has rubberized "tack" to it and stays in place really well, even when buttoning.

 

-Dave R. in Biloxi

[+MsJamie]

Sounds like someone has a case of sour grapes.

 

But anyway, a couple months ago, I was deciding between the SPIII and GPS V. I went with the V.

 

Why? First was the cost difference. After the rebate, the V was half the price. Also, the III doesn't have WAAS capability, and WAAS will drop the error from ~50 feet to ~10 feet.

 

Battery life didn't mean that much to me, as most of the time it's wired into vehicle power. (Few caches need more than an hour on batteries; most need several minutes at most.)

 

Color would have been nice, but the mono screen on the V works just fine. Anyone try the III in direct sunlight?

 

On my motorcycle, the screen size is just perfect. A little bigger would be nice in the car, though.

 

MsJamie

[GeoPernas]

Criminal - the problem I have with the RAM mount is that it's impossible to remove the GPS V without the bottom "prong" scraping across the screen. I don't know if repeated scraping would scuff the screen up, but I use a screen protector and it definately beats the heck out of that.

 

What I've thought about doing is using my Dremel and whacking down the right prong, so that I can slide the unit right out. Due to the rubberized bottom of the GPS, I don't think I have to worry about it shooting out of the mount if I make a sudden left turn.

[+Rattlingcrew]

I have a GPS V and thre GPS 3 Plus units. The V is nice for finding restaurants or mapping through strange cities, but I much prefer to use the 3+ for caching and general county road driving. The maps have a lot more detail in them. I tried loading the Rec maps in my V to take advantage of the larger storage capacity, but the detailed maps are still not as good with the V. I find very little to no difference between the units in accuracy. I have the stick-on Garmin mount in my old truck and use a 3+ there as a speedometer. I also have two bean bag mounts. I never experienced a problem with the bean bag mounts, I probably drive rougher roads than most too. I think the dash contour has a lot to do with your choice of mounts. Glen AKA "The Rattling Crew"

 

The Rattling Crew in the plain white wrapper.

[+Criminal]

quote:

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Originally posted by GeoPernas:

Criminal - the problem I have with the RAM mount is that it's impossible to remove the GPS V without the bottom "prong" scraping across the screen. I don't know if repeated scraping would scuff the screen up, but I use a screen protector and it definately beats the heck out of that.

 

What I've thought about doing is using my Dremel and whacking down the right prong, so that I can slide the unit right out. Due to the rubberized bottom of the GPS, I don't think I have to worry about it shooting out of the mount if I make a sudden left turn.

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I really don't have a problem getting it out. i'm lifting up on the top tab and rotating the unit so that the display is facing down, then it comes right out and the screen never touches anywhere.

 

http://fp1.centurytel.net/Criminal_Page/

[+CCrew]

We have a SPIII for the car, and a Vista for the trail. Between the two of them and some computer savvy, if we can't find it, it's probably not there. Personally, love the combination.

 

Sometimes a majority only means that all the fools are on the same side

[+78Firedog]

Has any one checked out the Garmin EMap? I have one and it works great for the car, and since it isn't slaved to the road, it works well off the road as well. The unit itself is only $179 and you can get it with the cable, mapsource program and 8mb memory card for $219 at gpsdiscount.com. I'm pretty sure you can get a card up to 200 something mb's. Since I am stuck someplace with out my GPSr or any geocaches I haven't been able to start caching yet.

 

78Firedog

 

--?If Prometheus was worthy of the wrath of heaven for kindling the first fire upon earth, how ought all the gods honor the men who make it their professional business to put it out??-- John Godfrey Saxe, (American journalist, poet, and lecturer) circa 1850

[+sbell111]

quote:

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Originally posted by GeoPernas:...

My only other beef with the V is that all the mounts I've tried suck...

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In my Oldsmobeast, I simply used a large piece of velcro to stick my 3+ to the dash. I used a big piece (approx 2"x6") on the dash. Using a piece so large helped eliminate the velcro from moving around when it got hot, thereby causing a big gooey mess. I put a strip of furry velcro on the bottom of my unit and just stuck it to the dash. It worked like a charm. Incidently, I still use this velcro strip to affix the GPSr to airplane windows. When its time to depart, the velcro easily peels off the plastic window. Nobody has said a word about this practice.

When I bought my Jeep, I didn't wish to stick a piece of velcro to the dash. I certainly didn't want to drill any holes in it. This left me with a problem in figuring out how to stabilize the unit. Like others, I didn't really trust a bean bag mount and, truth be told, I'm kind of cheap.

 

My solution was elegant, in my opinion. My WJ has a small storage compartment low on the dash. In prior days (or if I wanted to pay $50 for that option) it would have been an ashtray. If that compartment is opened, the 3+ sits perfectly on top. This looked pretty cool, but it left me with two problems. First, it was cool looking when parked, but as soon as I hit a big bump or took a corner, the unit fell off its perch. Second, reception wasn't terrific that low in the vehicle.

 

I solved the movement problem using a sticky pad. I put the pad over the top of the compartment opening and the 3+ on top. Bingo! No more movement when I hit the biggest bump or go around the tightest curve at speed. I can punch the buttons without worrying that I'm going to dislodge it.

 

This still left the reception problem. No problem. For about $15 (including shipping) I bought an amplified remote mountable antenna. It is charcoal colored (as is my Jeep's interior), about the size of a half dollar and has a 9 foot cable. I placed the antenna on my dash, running the cable through the twilight sentinel opening and into the compartment that the GPSr rests on. This allowed the use of the external antenna without cluttering the Jeep with the cable.

I'll try to remember to take and post a pic.

[+Renegade Knight]

I like the mount that came with the V. Quick release and it stays stuck to my dash. Since I use the GPS mostly in the one rig that doesn't bother me.

 

In other rigs the rubber base of the V holds it on the dash ok except for sharp corners.

[+Alan2]

quote:

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Originally posted by GeoPernas:

Criminal - the problem I have with the RAM mount is that it's impossible to remove the GPS V without the bottom "prong" scraping across the screen. I don't know if repeated scraping would scuff the screen up, but I use a screen protector and it definately beats the heck out of that.

 

What I've thought about doing is using my Dremel and whacking down the right prong, so that I can slide the unit right out. Due to the rubberized bottom of the GPS, I don't think I have to worry about it shooting out of the mount if I make a sudden left turn.

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I have a Vista not a V with a RAM mount on the windshield. The right top prong broke off on its own and the RAM works much better. Tyhe Vista is now easy to get in and out even with the lighter cable attached. And the unit never has "fallen out" of the mount. SOmeone else had the same situation as me mentioned the good results for them too.

 

I'm not telling you to break off that prong since I'm not familiar with the V but just wanted to pass on my situation.

 

By the way, RAM warranties their mounts for life so I could have gotten mine replaced. But it works better broken. Go figure!

 

Good luck

 

Alan

[+DBleess]

Just like everything else, you're usually going to have a tradeoff. I use a Garmin 48 for my GPS.

It's my idea of the perfect GPS. I don't see the value of sinking that much money into a higer end portable GPS.

 

The 48 has this going for it:

*cheap -they were EBAY abundant at the time I first wanted a GPS for horsing around

*waterproof (marine GPS)

*simple

*compact

*interfaces to both an on-unit antenna or a remote antenna -#remote# to lay it on the dashboard, stick it to the roof, [magnetic], suction cup it to the back window of a Cessna 172

*EXCELLENT design locking bike mount for GPS48 (see below)

*capable of interface to a laptop pc

 

This last one is the most important if you want a lot of high-end features. Hooked to a laptop, (I use a cheap old NEC clunker) with DeLorme map software installed, any basic gps becomes simply the position receiver feeding to a system I consider an order of magnitude better than any color gps out there. I admit, it's more expensive when you add the cost of a laptop, but I don't just use the laptop for the GPS. I've also got a PC bought for that price. Try to get your GPS to do ANYTHING when you're not navigating with it. A PC is a multiple use item that you may even already have. Point is, the laptop screen and memory capacity is bigger, the software is MUCH more detailed and flexible, and it is generally CHEAPER to buy and update that software than proprietary GPS databases.

 

When I'm geocaching or benchmark hunting, I usually drive to a point as close a possible to my destination, with the GPS interfaced to the laptop for travel navigation. Once I'm there, or close, I go tromping off through the mud with just the GPS. I don't know how you all do this, but I don't normally need anything more than position data from my GPS once I get within a mile of my destinations. Any preplanning of an approach for walking or biking, I do sitting in my truck just before I open the door. Once I'm outside, I'm looking at the terrain and shouldn't need a map. I can leave the expensive and fragile part of my "super" GPS locked in the truck. The small, portable, light, portion is all I need in hand for the endgame. That modularity is handy.

 

As for mounting, the Garmin 48 and all the other units of the same case design have available from Garmin a very durable, stable, and SECURE mount bracket. Pull a small lock clip behind the unit with your little finger as you slide it right out. I even put another bike mount bracket onto a cell-phone bracket from bracketron (designed around existing trim screws -no holes, adhesives, or clamps) for my dash mount. The bike mount screw lines up right with an AMPS mount hole on the dash bracket. I haven't seen anything better yet. I'll miss this most if I have to change units down the road for compatibility.

 

There are a couple things I wouldn't mind having on my 48 that the laptop cannot provide. Waypoint names will likely soon go above the six-character standard currently used. My 48 won't be able to handle that. I'll have to do a workaround for this or buy a newer receiver. With the advent of WAAS, it would also be nice to increase precision. Many high end units don't even have WAAS yet and I'm not sure of its utility on the ground at slow speed. I rarely see epe more than 30 feet in cover and get 9-16 normally in the open. For now, those are the only two things that I am currently lacking. Not much in my opinion, and certainly not show-stoppers yet.

 

My recommendation? Get a cheap durable pc-interfacing GPS that does good navigation and meets your final-search needs (good secure mount for both a bike and car is really important) and that has 8-12 character waypoint names. Then get as good a laptop as you need (used can be cheap at first) that will run the software you want to use to navigate close to where you're going. With that, you'll probably be very happy and better equipped.

 

(A cache/mark process page I'm doing -a work in progress)

http://members.cox.net/dmbleess/geocache/benchmarks.htm

 

SA / PP-ASEL-I

[JNDInc]

quote:

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Originally posted by martmann:

quote:

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Originally posted by Stunod:

Can you cache with a SPIII? I thought I read somewhere that it doesn't have a compass screen, only on-street navigation. Someone who has one will surely comfirm this or correct me.

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Here's my St. Pilot III, in my CR-V

http://img.Groundspeak.com/user/107436_2900.jpg

 

Nope, doesn't have a compass page, but it can be used easily without it, just use the map mode, which has a north pointer, and use "track-up" mode. Also be sure to switch it to 'off road' mode, or it will try to 'rubberband' your current location to the nearest road, which is a great feature if you're on that road, but getting a weak signal, but it will screw you up big time, if you're near a road and looking for a cache.

 

_The main problems are: it munches down the batteries at an alarming rate (about 2 hours, tops), 6 at a time, it's also big and klunky (over twice the size of a GPS-III+), and only displays in landscape, not portrait. Hard to be stealthy. _ It is waterproof though.

 

You will not want to go caching on a regular basis with a Street Pilot III, I promise you. But it Rocks getting you to the parking lot or trail head. If you have a Street Pilot III coming, get a Geko 201, eTrex basic, or similar low end unit for caching.

 

However http://www.gpscity.com/gps/brados/0864.2.9062403557619157398/ique3600.html appears to do it all, you get a PDA (palm OS 5) with a MMC/SD memory slot, an auto-routing voice-prompting color GPSr with MapSource City Select, North America, with full unlock, It does everything, including holding cache description pages at the ready (using available software). All for $470

 

_________________________________________________________

If trees could scream, would we still cut them down?

Well, maybe if they screamed all the time, for no reason.

http://community.webshots.com/album/67423220KEECyy http://community.webshots.com/album/71654825qQctnv

 

[This message was edited by martmann on June 14, 2003 at 05:42 AM.]

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quote:

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YOu just HAD to show me that didn't you??? How am I gonna come up with almost $500 bucks for a thing like that now?

[GeoPernas]

Since this topic was resurrected, I might as well post a followup. I did take a dremel to the right prong on my V's RAM mount, and it is PERFECT now. The only problem is that while it works well on my wife's car (Escape), I really can't find a place where it sits right on my Maxima without blocking my view. Gah!

[Cambridge]

It's my opinion that Leather man doesn't like the GPS V. It is my opinion that he takes a contrary and confrontational stance to most posts on any topic (look around and form an opinion of your own.

 

quote:

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Originally posted by leatherman:

quote:

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Originally posted by Moun10Bike:

Calling the autorouting a novelty implies that it lacks usability and substance

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No not at all. I would say that it's superfluous or unnecessary. Which is exactly what I said. If your going to get all wounded and twist everything I say, then I'll just leave you with your own skewed opinion.

 

_Criminal, I wouldn't bet on the V._

 

_Geopernas, I have used the GPS V. Maybe you should get out and find a few more caches. Let the experienced cachers duke it out. OK Bu-By now._

 

_Hmm, I don't think you guys changed my opinion. What else do ya have?_

 

http://www.geocaching.com/profile/default.asp?A=39197

_Pepper playing nice!_

http://www.global-dialog.org/mvd/mvl.cgi?NextName=wAnti-Mokita.html

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[+Lone Duck]

Originally posted by BrianSnat:

Nah, it has to be the SPIII. Nobody mentioned the Garmin III in this thread and I can't imagine anybody paying that for a GPS III.

 

Ok, I was going to mention my Garmin III+. I've been using it for about 2 1/2 years now and it works great for road and trail use. The GPS V is the successor of that fine unit.

 

I just got it back this weekend after having to RMA it to Garmin for a ROM failure. They replaced the ROM chip and even the antenna (which I didn't ask for) at no charge! Can't beat that!

 

The quack cacher

Lone Duck