So Many Choices!

[HWyatt]

I realize from reading old posts and the faq’s this is an often asked question..

ie: “What GPS should we buy?” but your help and insights would be much appreciated.

 

We are dedicated backpackers, topo map/compass savvy. I personally, love to study topo maps.

 

We also own a newer (os 10.3.5) iMac computer.

We live in Central Oregon.

 

We live in an area where we want to hike more, but it is in featureless area making it hard to triangulate with a compass to find out exactly where one is.

 

We are excited about the idea of geocaching, especially leaving behind small treasures for the next people to find

 

So, we have decided to get a GPS.

 

We would like to be able to hike, mark our route on the GPS, and then transfer it over to a topo map so we can see where we’ve been. (Is what “mapping” means?)

 

GPS technology and all the variations is a bit overwhelming.

 

I have done some research and have narrowed things down to Garmin or Magellan! Ha. Not very narrow. We’d like to spend about $300 for the unit and know we will have to spend more for maps.

 

What I think I know….

 

Most map software from Garmin or Magellan can’t be used on a Mac.

National Geographic’s state topo maps can be uploaded and downloaded, on Mac’s, right?

 

We hike in heavy evergreen forests (meaning get a Magellan) as well as open areas.

We hike in different parts of the west, meaning the Magellan is better cuz of the memory chips that can come in and out, with other state maps?????

 

I personally, love the idea of a colored screen, meaning get a Garmin, or a colored screen Magellan, or is that a step down… from a Magellan Gold or Platnium?????

 

……..and here the waters become very muddy. I don’t know what questions to ask about what features, given all our “givens.”

 

What GPS would you recommend we look at?

 

Friday we’re going to Portland, Oregon to buy a GPS, so want to go fully researched, to make the best decision.

 

If any of you have thoughts, questions we need to ask, things to consider, I’d very much appreciate it. The idea of geocaching is wonderful and we have some ideas for some unique things to leave behind in the caches.

 

Thank you, for your time .

 

HWyatt

[+Prairie Dog]

The best GPS is the one that fits your budget, fits in your hand, and gets you where you're going. If you can go to a store that sells GPS you can look at and hold all of the different models. In Myrtle Beach, S.C. a new Bass pro shop superstore just opened. A friend and I went in to look around and I was amazed at all of the handheld and marine GPS they sell. I got my first look at a Garmin 60C and I liked it. I couldn't believe how small the Garmin Geckos are.

Do research first. Go online, read customer reviews, and talk to other cachers in these here forums. Good luck! Happy caching!

[Bobthearch]

For your target price you can do very well. I was shopping in the same range and narrowed my choices to the Magellan Meridian Platinum and the Garmin GPSMAP76S. In the end I went with the Garmin, the primary reason was everyone else at work has Garmins, and I wanted to be compatible.

 

That was last year. Now there are even more choices, although the main advancement appears to be color screens. To me, having a color screen isn't be worth the extra expense. If you like color, the GPS76CS seems like the best choice, although it's beyond your stated budget.

 

One comment on shopping: You say you're going to buy in Portland. I don't have any experience with the local stores there, but I have found generally that online stores have better prices, better selection, and better service than local physical stores. Definitely check prices at gpsnow.com and other reputable online dealers beforehand so you won't pay too much when shopping in town.

 

Most map software from Garmin or Magellan can’t be used on a Mac.

That's something you can easily check online, but I think that's true. If spending $300 on a GPS you might consider spending $50 on a used PC desktop or laptop. The Garmin software runs just fine on Pentium I or Pentium II computers that can be bought for dirt-cheap. There are some freeware Mac programs available for communicating with your GPS, but I'm not familiar with the quality or features.

 

We hike in heavy evergreen forests (meaning get a Magellan) as well as open areas.

That doesn't necessarily mean one brand is more suitable. It does mean you might narrow your choices to only units with "quad-helix" antennas that receive better than "patch" antennas. It also means you might consider a unit that can be outfitted with an external antenna.

 

We hike in different parts of the west, meaning the Magellan is better cuz of the memory chips that can come in and out, with other state maps?????

Again, not necessarily. It's true that with the add-on chips you can have more available memory and therefore install maps for a much larger area. But it's probably rare that you'd need multiple states loaded on the GPS at the same time. The topo maps that load onto the GPS are rather crude, so I don't find them that useful anyway. IMO, you'd be better off with a good-quality computer map program, print out a real map to carry with you, and skip loading maps onto the GPS.

 

Didn't mean to write so much. I hope you find some of this info useful!

 

Happy shopping,

Bob

Edited November 16, 2004 by Bobthearch

[+rusty_tlc]

....

 

We hike in different parts of the west, meaning the Magellan is better cuz of the memory chips that can come in and out, with other state maps?????

Again, not necessarily. It's true that with the add-on chips you can have more available memory and therefore install maps for a much larger area. But it's probably rare that you'd need multiple states loaded on the GPS at the same time. The topo maps that load onto the GPS are rather crude, so I don't find them that useful anyway. IMO, you'd be better off with a good-quality computer map program, print out a real map to carry with you, and skip loading maps onto the GPS.

 

Didn't mean to write so much. I hope you find some of this info useful!

 

Happy shopping,

Bob

I find the Magellan TopoSend maps quite detailed. It even shows "mines" that are little more than a depression in the ground. The only fault I have found is that some of the older jeep trails I travel appear to be 10 or 15' offset from what the display shows on my Meridian.I have a 256M card and have the whole western US loaded in. You will have to change regions in the GPS set-up when since local memory is only 18M if memory serves.

 

On the subject of color, I would pass. That technology still uses a lot of energy (read batteries).

 

General advice:

 

Shop the stores to figure out which unit feels right to you, check REI, I think they rent units in some of their stores. After you settel on a unit shop on-line for the best price.

 

Buy more GPS than you think you will need.

 

If I replaced my Meredian Platinum today I would get a Meridian Gold. I just don't use the extra features.

[+Night Stalker]

I own both a Magellan SporTrak Pro and and Garmin 60CS. I believe that the Magellan is better in tree cover, but I really like the auto-routing feature of the 60CS and the color screen rocks.

 

Battery use. Garmin has done something right with its 60CS. Batteries in it last longer than in my SporTrak Pro, so you can't always say that color is going to use more batteries.

 

I have Topo maps for both the Magellan and the Garmin. The Garmin Topo seems a little more detailed, but the Magellan takes up a little less room in memory.

 

The color screen is a lot easier for these poor old eyes to read, especially in direct sunlight. The 60CS excels in display quality.

 

You would be getting a good piece of equipment no matter which unit you chose.

[Bobthearch]

I find the Magellan TopoSend maps quite detailed. It even shows "mines" that are little more than a depression in the ground.

The Garmin MapSource also has many locations, such as mines, that aren't even found on actual topo quads. It's the topo line themselves that are crude, at least on the Garmins. I suppose it's that way on purpose to be memory-frugal.

 

-Bob

 

OT: NightStalker, I received your e-mail. Thanks for the idea, but there aren't any local surplus stores so I ordered ammo cans from CheaperThanDirt.

[+briansnat]

I'm an avid backpacker and while backpacking one of my primary criterion for a GPS is size. I like something compact, that I can easily fit in my shirt or pants pocket, or a small pouch on my pack's strap. For me that rules out large units like the Magellan Meridian and Garmin Map 76 series. They are excellent GPS units, but just don't cut it when size is important (if you were talking about using yours mostly in the car, or around town I'd have a different opinion).

 

Since you're looking for a mapping GPS, the Garmin Legend, Legend C, Vista or Vista C would be great choices. They are compact, lightweight, easy to use and have all the features you are looking for.

 

And don't listen to the garbage about their lack of performance under tree cover. I use mine all the time under very heavy tree cover without problems, and yes, evergreens too. Some people just don't know how to use the dadgum things.

[+Nurse Dave]

Which way is up again?

[+Uplink]

I have a Garmin 76map and a Magellan Sportrack Color that I won in the Magellan contest the summer before last (also have an Eagle Explorer that I got in 1995). I have somewhat shaky eyesight and big fat fingers, and that 76map really does the job for me. Big screen, big buttons, great software. The Magellan OS always seems counterintuitive to me, but maybe I'm brainwashed. The Magellan DOES do better under heavy canopy, but the Garmin does have a quad helix antenna, and still does pretty good in that department. Color is only worth anything to the extent that it contributes to overall readability, and I find my 76map more readable than the Sportrack Color. Maps are great for on road use, but 1:100,000 on your little screen is nothing like a 1:24,000 paper topo.. .

 

Good luck, and I'm sure whatever you get will do you just fine!

[+briansnat]

The Magellan DOES do better under heavy canopy, but the Garmin does have a quad helix antenna, and still does pretty good in that department.

 

One thing that many people don't realize when comparing Magellans and Garmins side-by-side is that Magellans won't tell you right away if they lost a sat lock. If they lose a sat for a short time they try to project your route using your last known speed and heading. Most Garmin units will instead tell you they have no lock. Its debatable which "feature" is better but Magellan's method of handling sat loss has lead to the common misconception that their units hold a better lock under heavy tree cover.

[+JohnnyVegas]

National Geographic does offer the state maps in a mac version, try their website

 

Topo.com

 

A reminder, when you hide a cache, you will have to make return trips to maintain it from time to time.

Edited November 17, 2004 by JohnnyVegas

[+rusty_tlc]

I find the Magellan TopoSend maps quite detailed. It even shows "mines" that are little more than a depression in the ground.

The Garmin MapSource also has many locations, such as mines, that aren't even found on actual topo quads. It's the topo line themselves that are crude, at least on the Garmins. I suppose it's that way on purpose to be memory-frugal.

 

-Bob

 

OT: NightStalker, I received your e-mail. Thanks for the idea, but there aren't any local surplus stores so I ordered ammo cans from CheaperThanDirt.

The magellan maps have pretty fine resolution, < 100' I believe. They get courser as you zoom out so as not to clutter the display.

I don't know how they compare to Garmin since I've never used Garmin maps. I liked my Legand a lot. The small screen was hard to use and I have some limited range of motion that made the thumb stick hard to use.

As far as lock goes, the Garmin was very sensitive to orientation and didn't work well inside my steel bodied truck. I haven't had those problems with my Meridian. Perhaps this is not a problem with the more expensive Garmin models either.