Cobra 1000 Dts

[familyz1]

I am looking for a GPS and would like to stay under or near $300. I am interested in Cacheing and Mapping functions for driving directions.

 

I am looking at the Cobra GPS1000 DLX. Is there another GPS that is more recommended than this one. It is kind of large and if there is a similar one that is smaller it would be nice.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thank you,

[+Sputnik 57]

4MB of map memory is pretty small, but the SD card feature may overcome that. No experience with Rand McNally maps on a GPS. You shoud compare it to a Garmin Legend or the new Magellan eXplorist 400.

[[MTB]_Intrepid]

Cobra's have had generally poor reviews here in the forums. Have a look at some of these comments before plunking down your cash.

[+JohnnyVegas]

Rule of thumb, if a GPS has Cobra on it, it will make a better papaer wieght that a GPS.

[+IV_Warrior]

Almost anything from Garmin or Magellan would be recommended over ANYTHING from Cobra.

[familyz1]

The previous replies are great, but what is recommended then??

[+welch]

The previous replies are great, but what is recommended then??

what features do you want / what did you like the cobra was supposed to do?

[+briansnat]

The previous replies are great, but what is recommended then??

The Garmin GPS V. It has mapping and auto routing and can easily be found for well under $300 these days. It was a great unit when it sold for nearly $500 and its still a great unit. The monochrome Garmin units have come way down in price since the color units were introduced.

 

Its a pretty good size, being not much larger than Garmin's compact eTrex line. One nice feature is that the screen changes from portrait to landscape so it can be properly oriented both sitting on your dashboard and carrying it in your hand.

 

I just saw it at Amazon.com for $233 with the City Select mapping software. The software alone sells for $149 most places.

Edited January 7, 2005 by briansnat

[familyz1]

The previous replies are great, but what is recommended then??

what features do you want / what did you like the cobra was supposed to do?

I specifically am looking for the following:

 

1. PC interface

2. 24Mb memory or better

3. Compass

4. Ability to download street level maps

5. WAAS enabled

 

I am a novice, but like to do things right the first time. I know we will use this for geocaching but also for driving directions and routes.

 

Thanks again.

[+Markwell]

My GPS of choice is the Garmin 76S. It specifically does everything that you mentioned. TVNav.com has them for $310. For just $380, you can get the Garmin 60CS, that does all that with panache and a color readout. Also has more memory at 56MB instead of the limiting 24 of the 76S.

 

A common question arises: How much memory do I need for street level mapping?

 

The answer depends on how urban of an area you live in. Using City Select from Garmin, and the 24 MB, I can load all of the Chicago metropolitan area from the Wisconsin border to the north, to I-39 to the west, Indiana border to the east, and about Route 17 (through Kankakee and Dwight) to the south without a problem.

 

If the area is more rural, it holds more surface space. I took a trip to Chattanooga and loaded everything surrounding the interstate from I-57 in Kankakee, Illinois through to I-24 in Paducah, KY, and continued on I-24 to Chattanooga and hit the surrounding Chattanooga area to Dayton, TN. If you look on a map, that's a considerable area, but it was also "corridored" around the interstates.

 

I wouldn't mind if I had some extra memory on my unit.

 

The key sentence is this one in your post however:

know we will use this for geocaching but also for driving directions and routes.

Do you want the GPS to figure out your route to a destination for you? If so, in the Garmin world, you'll need to go with the GPS V briansnat suggested.

Edited January 7, 2005 by Markwell

[+New England n00b]

The previous replies are great, but what is recommended then??

what features do you want / what did you like the cobra was supposed to do?

I specifically am looking for the following:

 

1. PC interface

2. 24Mb memory or better

3. Compass

4. Ability to download street level maps

5. WAAS enabled

 

I am a novice, but like to do things right the first time. I know we will use this for geocaching but also for driving directions and routes.

 

Thanks again.

The new Garmin eTrex Legend C and Vista C meet those requirements. Garmins website has a feature comparator that could help in deciding which Garmin units meet your needs. I'm sure Magellans site has a similar function.

[+briansnat]

The previous replies are great, but what is recommended then??

what features do you want / what did you like the cobra was supposed to do?

I specifically am looking for the following:

 

1. PC interface

2. 24Mb memory or better

3. Compass

4. Ability to download street level maps

5. WAAS enabled

 

I am a novice, but like to do things right the first time. I know we will use this for geocaching but also for driving directions and routes.

 

Thanks again.

In your sub $300 price range the Garmin Vista fits the bill. Personally however, I'd take the GPS V over the Vista. No compass and a tad less memory than the Vista, but it has autorouting. I don't think there is another autorouting GPS on the market for the price you can ge the GPS V for. Not that the Vista is a bad unit. I have one and love it, but if I was buying new today I'd get the V. When I bought my Vista, the GPS V was almost $150 more. Now they're very close in price and as I mentioned, the V comes with the software included. Markwell's suggestion of a Map76S is also a good one.

 

For a little over $300 (I paid $360 for mine) is the Garmin 60CS. That might be exactly what you're looking for. It has auto routing, compass, over 50 meg of memory, WAAS mapping.

 

But remember, with the GPS V, you're getting the maps for free. They're gonna run you an additional $100-$150 if you get any other unit.

Edited January 7, 2005 by briansnat

[+Markwell]

Here's a side-by-side comparison of an awful lot of GPSs in a wide array of features. Only thing I don't see on there is suggested retail cost. Edited January 7, 2005 by Markwell

[familyz1]

Do you really need a compass??? It looks like the GPS V is the logical choice, but there is no compass....what will I really be losing out on if I don't have this? I'm thinking that the compass will be most valuable when searching for geocaches, but do I really need it?

 

I do like the autorouting feature....being able to input a starting point and an ending point, like a gps in a car, is valuable to me....I don't need the voice activation though.

Edited January 8, 2005 by familyz1

[+welch]

eletronic compasses will keep the 'goto' arrow pointed in the right direction at all times. Those without, the arrow (or direction of travel if not nagivating) will only be accurate when your moving. Its nice, but you can get by without it (lots of gps don't have one).

[[MTB]_Intrepid]

Do you really need a compass???

No, you don't. My eTrex Vista has a compass but truthfully I never use it. First you have to calibrate it by s-l-o-w-l-y turning in circles (which is quite funny for anyone watching you), then there's the fact that it substantially reduces battery life. And, as long as you are moving, the GPSr will show your heading anyway. I carry my Brunton or Silva with me and they have excellent battery life, never need calibration, and operate even when I'm stopped.

[+Prime Suspect]

_Intrepid' date='Jan 8 2005, 10:26 AM']

Do you really need a compass???

No, you don't. My eTrex Vista has a compass but truthfully I never use it. First you have to calibrate it by s-l-o-w-l-y turning in circles (which is quite funny for anyone watching you), then there's the fact that it substantially reduces battery life. And, as long as you are moving, the GPSr will show your heading anyway. I carry my Brunton or Silva with me and they have excellent battery life, never need calibration, and operate even when I'm stopped.

While the compass does use up a bit more power, you can set the unit so that it automatically shuts off once you're walking. For that matter, you can toggle it on or off at any time with a single button press. I leave it off, except for the few seconds it takes to get a reading, so power consumption is not really a factor.

[+briansnat]

Compass is a "nice to have" item, but not a necessity. The advantage with the electronic compass is that it still works when you are stopped. In reality all GPS's have compasses, but you have to be moving for most of them to work.