Help From The Experts

[mattmalt]

I've been reading this post board and learning alot for some time about gps units. I am preparing to purchase a unit for two primary purposes, to mountain bike in somewhat forrested areas and to mark locations for deer hunting. I would like to use the gps for determining distance between locations and to help me get to specific spots. I think a model with digital compass would be desirable to me. I have noticed alot of attention here to the Garmin Map 60cs lately and i'm impressed with what it seems to offer, though i've also considered magellan meridian platinum and meridian color. Any advice is greatly appreciated. thanks for all the info

[+BlueDeuce]

Ok, we'll tell you, but you have to find a cache for every answer you get here.

 

You can't go wrong with the 60cs and I certainly think that more is better, but have you also considered the VistaC? It meets your requirements and is a few bucks cheaper.

Edited December 31, 2004 by BlueDeuce

[+Sputnik 57]

I don't think that you can go wrong with either unit. I hear that Magellan Topo maps may have more detail, but that may vary from area to area. Check both sites to get a preview of their topo maps. None of the topo maps that load onto either unit have as much detail as a USGS 24K topo map.

 

Mountain biking in the trees means that you'll probably want to invest in an external antenna (I recommend Gilsson) and a sturdy mount (I recommend RAM).

 

I use a 60C myself, with an old fashioned Silva compass for those rare cases that I need it. I love mine.

[mattmalt]

Thanks for the input guys. I appreciate it.

[+bikehikecache]

Just thought I'd say I'm a Vista-C user, and its great. I mountain bike, and you can get a bike mount for this unit (and most really). Any of the others I think would look kind of weird on your handlebars (so tall). I went for the compact size instead of memory, which is fine for me, but that is up to what you need. I have not really used the vista-C in the woods yet, but with my old Legend, which has the same antenna(patch type), I could almost always keep a signal that was picked up in a clearing/parking lot. I've got a feeling that the vista-c may have an even better antenna, because I got a lock inside, something I never got with the legend! I would say for the biking you would like the smaller vista-C, but I will say you can not attach an external antenna to it, so you may want the 60cs.

 

Just the thoughts of a happy Garmin user...

Bike Hike Cache

[+hb'sbear04]

We use a Meridian Color (not for biking, so that might make a difference in your case). Have been very happy with it. We were able to figure out most everything we have needed, even before reading the manual - very user-friendly, even for a couple of green newbies like us. Spent this past week caching with ours, a Meridian Sportrak Pro & a Garmin Rino. General consensus was that the Topo maps that came with the Sportrak were great at noting small streams that the Meridian's Streets/Routes maps didn't always catch. Like I said, we're all still pretty new at this, but I don't think there are a ton of Meridian users out there, so I didn't know if you'd get any feedback on that model you were considering.

[nchmura]

Ahhh another great mind! Mountain biking and GPSes (See my signature)!

 

Indeed. I use an older magellan map 330 to map trails and such while riding and have come out with pretty solid results reception-wise. My previous garmin 12 did lose its signal a lot more - and statisically speaking this is a horrible study - but i am a magellan fan, something about the garmin internal antenna's turns me off. Magellans little nub antenna has served me well!!!

 

Again, my study is statisically moot, but i figured i would at least share my experiences!

Edited January 3, 2005 by nchmura

[+JohnnyVegas]

IMO a magnetic compass in a GPS is a waste of money, you can buy a better std. baseplate compass for a fraction of the cost of a magnetic compass in a GPS. That said, if you really must have one in a GPS the Magellan has a triaxial compass, this means you do not have to hold the GPS level for the compass to work, with Garmin, the GPS must be level.

 

Also, IMO color is also a waste of money in a GPS.

[+TresOkies]

IMO a magnetic compass in a GPS is a waste of money, you can buy a better std. baseplate compass for a fraction of the cost of a magnetic compass in a GPS. That said, if you really must have one in a GPS the Magellan has a triaxial compass, this means you do not have to hold the GPS level for the compass to work, with Garmin, the GPS must be level.

 

Also, IMO color is also a waste of money in a GPS.

I'm going to respectfully disagree with Johnny V. on a couple of points here...

 

1) A magnetic compass is very useful in a GPS. I carry a compass with me but it's very cumbersome looking back and forth between GPS and compass when zeroing in on my goal. If I stand still, the GPS stops giving useful directional data. I have a Garmin eTrex Vista, which has the built in compass, as well as several Rino 120's, which do not. I like the Rino 120, but I sorely miss the compass. When I find myself zeroing in on the cache, I switch to the Vista.

 

2) Color displays are not necesarily a waste of money. I find it much easier to read the color LCD on my Palm Tungsten C than the B/W display on my GPS, even in direct sunlight. The drawback is that color units draw more power and therefore have a shorter battery life.

 

If you are an outdoorsman and carry a FRS radio while hunting (I do), then the Rino 130 might be a good choice. It's not as sexy as the newer 60CS, but it has the stubby antenna, radio features, and a built-in compass. It's hard to resist the call of the 60CS, though--it has tons of features for everyone.

 

I played with a Meridian Platinum about a year ago, considering making the switch. The SD card functionality is really nice and I was able to figure out the controls in pretty short order. I bought the Magellan TOPO software and hated it. That's what kept me from buying the Meridian. I use Garmins' MapSource on a daily basis and I've grown accustomed to the way it works (even the quirks).

[Kermode]

I personally would never replace a good old Magnetic compass with an electronic one.

A truly responsible outdoors person who is planning on being out in the backcountry should always have a magnetic compass with them.

[+TresOkies]

I personally would never replace a good old Magnetic compass with an electronic one.

To clarify my point above, I always carry a magnetic with me, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't opt for one in my GPS as well. It's a convenience feature, no different from any other we use--in the end you still need to know how to navigate by paper map, compass, and good old common sense. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't have new features--otherwise we would be searching for tupperware with a sextant.

 

Edit: throw in a smiley for good measure.

Edited January 3, 2005 by TresOkies++

[+MedicP1]

If your going to be under the trees I think the Magellan is the way to go, they don't loose their locks as easily. But I have to say I have been eyeing the 60C with all of it's toys for caching and such. It doesn't sound like you are looking for a lot of toys just a solid basic unit. If you are going to be biking through any really rough terrain youmight want to go for a less expensive more write-offable unit to start with to see if they will last/survive you r expeditions.

[+Renegade Knight]

All the GPS's you mention will work for your purpose. The Magellan color screens lack the clarity of the Garmins. That will probably be fixed in the next generation. However The Magellan probably costs less too so you have to factor that in.

 

My experience with Garmin vs. Magellen under tree cover with the Quad Helix antanea is that both have about the same ability for holding a lock. The Magellan is more stable because it appears to average your reported position where the Garmins dont. I've seen pro's and cons for both GPS's way of working, and none of them get in the way of using a GPS to find your way around.

Edited January 3, 2005 by Renegade Knight

[mattmalt]

thanks so much guys! One other question. If I mark a position and want to get to it again, I understand that the Magellan and Garmin will show routes differently, is one method more precise or easier to use. Similar to what you guys might do with caching, I am thinking about hanging deer stands or making good areas to hunt deer and then hoping that the GPS could possibly aid me in returning to the same spot, even in the dark. I'm learning a lot from you guys.

 

matt