What Gps Do You Use?

January 9, 2005

Although I figure this has been discussed before, but I didn't see a thread on this. Pardon me if it's repetitious, and please be kind enough to offer coordinates to the original.

I know absolutely nothing about GPS units, but wanted to get one for my husband (yeah - right) for Christmas. So I researched via Froogle, duly reading reviews and comparing features and prices. I ended up buying a Megellan Meridian Gold online from Compu Plus.

How'd I do?

January 9, 2005

Well I just upgraded to the 60cs.. It's still in the dadgum mail though.. I do have a yellow etrex and a foretrex201. i use the foretrex while biking and the etrex for geocaching. both are ok but i'm really looking forward to put topo/street maps on the new one. I can't wait til it gets here. Also I'm a weather guy so I had to get the barometer and the elevated tracks are gonna be cool too..

January 9, 2005

I had a Garmin GPS V and upgraded to a GPSMAP 76CS. I use the V while mountain biking and the 76CS for hiking and geocaching.

January 9, 2005

You bought something. Anything. The most difficult start in GPS-enabled caching is just to buy the GPS. You can hook your GPS up to your computer and transfer coordinates and stuff, and that's great. Don't second-guess yourself, all of them are good!

Now, its time to turn it on, and just run around the yard, and then the block.

After I bought my Garmin Geko 201, I took it with me when I went on my lunch break walks. I saw how it performed when it was in my pocket the whole time, and when it was held, when it was under thick tree cover, when it was amid tall buildings. I saw how the track log looked, and how it corresponded to an actual map.

The first thing to realize is that these are not survey instruments. They have a certain amount of error, up to 300ft or so and still have satellite "lock." Even when they are down in the 20ft range for accuracy, your position can still be off by 40ft because its a radius: 20ft + 20ft of error is 40ft. I've seen that myself when passing directly over my own footprints.

When using a GPS with map software, whether built-in to the unit or on a computer, remember that the digital maps may only be accurate to 200-300ft, maybe even less in some areas. There is a discussion on the Garmin forum where one fellow even noted that the new map update removed the roads for a subdivision. If the terain where you're going is important, i.e., you need to know what's there before you go, get a good USGS map. You can also look up USGS maps for free on Topo Zone and search by name or coordinates.

Happy geocaching!

January 9, 2005

Given todays gps handhelds available today they all work. Course I applaud your choice. I use a MeriGold.

Somethings to consider..

Mapping.. you have to use Mapsend (Magellan) Maps. I use topo since I do not require autorouting and topo does have all the roads I use around here.

Going Paperless. PDA to carry with you with hundreds of caches or.. a select few. I use an older Palm IIIxe.. 8 mb is plenty to keep those hundreds of caches.

ohhh.. and get out and play..

2k · January 9, 2005

Although I figure this has been discussed before, but I didn't see a thread on this. Pardon me if it's repetitious, and please be kind enough to offer coordinates to the original.

I know absolutely nothing about GPS units, but wanted to get one for my husband (yeah - right) for Christmas. So I researched via Froogle, duly reading reviews and comparing features and prices. I ended up buying a Megellan Meridian Gold online from Compu Plus.

How'd I do?

You did good, welcome.

3.8k · January 9, 2005

I've been using a Magellan Sportrak since I started, and it's done just fine, as far as I can tell.

The boss just bought a Garmin 60C, and is happy with it so far....

38.2k · January 9, 2005

I have a Garmin 60CS, which was an upgrade for my eTrex Vista, which I still have. My wife uses a Garmin Gecko 201.

3.9k · January 9, 2005

I use a Garmin V. The auto routing turn by turn directions rocks!! Recently did a 5/5 cache where the final leg was a 3 mile hike....auto got me within .25 miles of the cache!

El Diablo

1.7k · January 9, 2005

My first GPS was a Garmin GPS 45 and I thought it was wonderful. I used aeronautical charts to get WPs. Took me months to load the WPs for a round trip to Alaska. On my very first cache hunt it lost satellite reception the first 10 feet into the forest. That night I bought a MAP 330. which worked very well. In between the 45 and the 330, I bought one of the first Street Pilots. Then I got a Garmin 76S and then a 76C. For Christmas this year I bought two Foretrex 101s for my grandkids. For my son's birthday also in December I bought a GPS 18. I LOVE GPS's. Dick, W7WT Almost forgot I also have a iQue 3600.

4.1k · January 9, 2005

Welcome to Geocaching!

You did fantastic!

We have a Meridian Platinum & then we bought a Meridian Gold for our Daughter & Son-In-Law. They are very happy with their unit, so much so that they loaned their unit to his Dad & then his Dad went out & bought himself one.

Several friends have seen ours & also went out & bought merdians....so you see, we truly should get a kick-back from Magellan.

Have Fun!

Shirley~

1.6k · January 9, 2005

My first and only GPS is a Garmin eTrex, it works.

January 10, 2005

You bought something. Anything. The most difficult start in GPS-enabled caching is just to buy the GPS. You can hook your GPS up to your computer and transfer coordinates and stuff, and that's great. Don't second-guess yourself, all of them are good!

Now, its time to turn it on, and just run around the yard, and then the block.

After I bought my Garmin Geko 201, I took it with me when I went on my lunch break walks. I saw how it performed when it was in my pocket the whole time, and when it was held, when it was under thick tree cover, when it was amid tall buildings. I saw how the track log looked, and how it corresponded to an actual map.

The first thing to realize is that these are not survey instruments. They have a certain amount of error, up to 300ft or so and still have satellite "lock." Even when they are down in the 20ft range for accuracy, your position can still be off by 40ft because its a radius: 20ft + 20ft of error is 40ft. I've seen that myself when passing directly over my own footprints.

When using a GPS with map software, whether built-in to the unit or on a computer, remember that the digital maps may only be accurate to 200-300ft, maybe even less in some areas. There is a discussion on the Garmin forum where one fellow even noted that the new map update removed the roads for a subdivision. If the terain where you're going is important, i.e., you need to know what's there before you go, get a good USGS map. You can also look up USGS maps for free on Topo Zone and search by name or coordinates.

Happy geocaching!

Brian, thank you SO MUCH for your reply! I actually understood what you were talking about, and it was *so* informative to my newbie self! I'm gonna go do *all* that stuff you said!!! :huh:

January 10, 2005

i bought myself a Magellan sportrak right before christmas as my present to myself. I wasn't going to argue the fine points when the price was under $100. much better start option than the xplorist starter model.

i'm still getting used to some of the quirks, and haven't met enough people on the trails yet to see what i might like better. i'll probably keep this one for quite some time, then upgrade and pass it on to my son.

i think i'd like a bigger, color screen though! and removable memory.

January 10, 2005

Given todays gps handhelds available today they all work. Course I applaud your choice. I use a MeriGold.

Somethings to consider..

Mapping.. you have to use Mapsend (Magellan) Maps. I use topo since I do not require autorouting and topo does have all the roads I use around here.

Going Paperless. PDA to carry with you with hundreds of caches or.. a select few. I use an older Palm IIIxe.. 8 mb is plenty to keep those hundreds of caches.

ohhh.. and get out and play..

Thanks for the reply, lthr!

I could just kick myself - like I said, I researched the devices, but not the software! I had some stupid impression that everything was just kinda - there, or you could get it off the web or something. I did have the good sense to order the pc cable, but to be honest that was because it was attached to the cigarette lighter power thingy. :huh:

When I ordered the device there were 2 other options - with the mapsend topo or mapsend street software. My dumb self picked neither, thinking "well, his birthday's next month so he can pick one then". Well, duh. If I had gotten one bundled it would have cost SUBSTANTIALLY less money. (insert kicking one's own butt icon here).

I wound up buying both separately, but this time had the good sense to order the one with the 64 mb card upgrade bundled with it. (living and learning!!!) I had no idea why I'd need the card, but now I understand that I will understand. :huh: I also order the dashboard holder thingie.

When I ordered the device for Christmas I had no idea about "geocaching". It was only when my husband went to research the device himself that he discovered this...new hobby. :lol:

Thank you so much for your reply!

January 10, 2005

Welcome to Geocaching!

You did fantastic!

We have a Meridian Platinum & then we bought a Meridian Gold for our Daughter & Son-In-Law. They are very happy with their unit, so much so that they loaned their unit to his Dad & then his Dad went out & bought himself one.

Several friends have seen ours & also went out & bought merdians....so you see, we truly should get a kick-back from Magellan.

Have Fun!

Shirley~

Yes, you SHOULD! :huh:

What do you like about Platinum compared to Gold?

One of the things DH said when he started reading about his new toy was "Ya know, the next step up has an electronic compass!" Like we don't have perfectly good analog ones. :lol:

January 10, 2005

I use a Garmin V. The auto routing turn by turn directions rocks!! Recently did a 5/5 cache where the final leg was a 3 mile hike....auto got me within .25 miles of the cache!

El Diablo

Thanks for your reply, El Diablo!

I did look *really hard* at the turn-by-turn featured ones, and I'll bet that does rock!! Unfortunately that only comes on the l337 ones, and we don't do credit cards on luxury items. It just wasn't in the budget.

But it looks like we'll probably be in this for the long haul, and I'm betting this Megallan Gold will hold a pretty nice Ebay value for an upgrade next year! Reckon?

January 10, 2005

At this time I am using a DeLorme Earth Mate with my laptop and a Garmin 12xl in the field. Both work well. :huh:

24.7k · January 10, 2005

GPS V. It's the one and only GPS I've had.

3.1k · January 10, 2005

I use a Gold also but I used to use a Platium. So I guess I downgraded but I never used the extra features of hte Platium so when it broke, I moved on down :huh:

2.5k · January 10, 2005

What Gps Do You Use?

I use this one since I don't trust the Russian one and I'm not sure if the European is working yet. Your Meridian Gold is an excellent choice and will work well with US GPS.

4.1k · January 10, 2005

Welcome to Geocaching!

You did fantastic!

We have a Meridian Platinum & then we bought a Meridian Gold for our Daughter & Son-In-Law. They are very happy with their unit, so much so that they loaned their unit to his Dad & then his Dad went out & bought himself one.

Several friends have seen ours & also went out & bought merdians....so you see, we truly should get a kick-back from Magellan.

Have Fun!

Shirley~

Yes, you SHOULD!

What do you like about Platinum compared to Gold?

One of the things DH said when he started reading about his new toy was "Ya know, the next step up has an electronic compass!" Like we don't have perfectly good analog ones.

The only reason we have the Platinum is because it was on sale and only about $25 more than the Gold.

After using both the Gold & Platinum I would be satisfied with the Gold. It covers everything I use a GPSr for. It has the SD card and almost all the bells and whistles (which I don't find a big need for.) of the Platinum.

As to the compass, I use an analog one. :lol: If you follow the directions for the Platinum, you need to recalibrate the compass EVERY time you change batteries. When benchmarking I prefer the analog compass. Have been using one for 30+ years and it still works everytime I pull it out.

If I were to buy another GPSr right now it would be the Gold.

The Gold is a good choice, whether you are a novice in the field or a seasoned outdoor person.

John

January 10, 2005

Cachew, I'm a noob, K? You gave me a lot to chew on thar! It's on the todo list though! Thanks! :huh:

I never before stopped to think about the grand system that guides the sport (especially being new to the sport and all).

You folks are so NICE, so HELPFUL, and so INFORMATIVE! And you offer the best GUIDANCE on the planet! :lol:

Tell me many of you are Scout leaders!!

January 10, 2005

I also have a Meridian Gold, and I love it. I don't have any problems so far, and the only thing that I wish it had as compared to the platinum series is a jack for an external antenna. Other than that, Merigold is great!

You should also consider upgrading the firmware for your gold, I got serious increase of performace since I upgraded to 5.35. But some people believe that Firmware version 5.12 is better, so you might want to do some research before making any decision.

There is a Meridian group on yahoo that can help you out and has alot of info

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Magellan_Meridian/

Lynx

January 10, 2005

The only reason we have the Platinum is because it was on sale and only about $25 more than the Gold.

I didn't have that experience! You did good, whatever the extras!

After using both the Gold & Platinum I would be satisfied with the Gold. It covers everything I use a GPSr for. It has the SD card and almost all the bells and whistles (which I don't find a big need for.) of the Platinum

Whew! That is so comforting to know. Thank you! So it's a compass thing then, eh? lol. I find the features on the Gold complex enough for now. There's a pretty good learning curve on that thing. Much of what I've learned I, too, don't have any immediate use for, but I can see where others would. I wanted to know if any were in the "to die for" league and I just don't recognize it yet. Diablo's mention of the turn-by-turn feature does "rock". Does the Platinum do that, or is that something in the software?

As to the compass, I use an analog one. If you follow the directions for the Platinum, you need to recalibrate the compass EVERY time you change batteries. When benchmarking I prefer the analog compass. Have been using one for 30+ years and it still works everytime I pull it out.

John

With the name John, you've won me already. DH and my son are both officially "John", although colloquially one's Jack and the other's Luke. Great to meet you!

January 10, 2005

I also have a Meridian Gold, and I love it. I don't have any problems so far, and the only thing that I wish it had as compared to the platinum series is a jack for an external antenna. Other than that, Merigold is great!

You should also consider upgrading the firmware for your gold, I got serious increase of performace since I upgraded to 5.35. But some people believe that Firmware version 5.12 is better, so you might want to do some research before making any decision.

There is a Meridian group on yahoo that can help you out and has alot of info

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Magellan_Meridian/

Lynx

Great link! Thanks!

Looks like there's another message board on the horizon.. but there's always room for one more!

Haven't yet visited there, so clue me here - what's the advantage for the external antenna?

2.5k · January 10, 2005

I also have a Meridian Gold, and I love it. I don't have any problems so far, and the only thing that I wish it had as compared to the platinum series is a jack for an external antenna. Other than that, Merigold is great!

I don't think it's the Meridian Platinum series that has the external antenna jack, I believe it is the Meridian Color series that has this.

January 10, 2005

Haven't yet visited there, so clue me here - what's the advantage for the external antenna?

There are time when the small antenna jsut isn't enough. An external antenna, could get you back on track if you are in a gully, under heavy foliage, too much cloud cover, etc. Also I take my back pack everywhere I go, its severely modifed from its original design (my wife has access to industerial machines and teflon thread- it doesn't break.) anyways, it would be fairly easy for me to add a harness at the top of my pack to hold an external anntena, and that way I'll get a better signal. I've noticed a difference in signal quality holding it at waist level, and holding it at head level. Head level being better, but more conspicous(sp?).

But then again, having an antenna sticking out of the top of you pack, is pretty conspicous, also :huh: :lol:

Lynx

2.5k · January 10, 2005

Haven't yet visited there, so clue me here - what's the advantage for the external antenna?

You can hook up to 9 feet of cable to an external antenna. I suppose you could then use your GPSr under water when snorkeling. or on the roof of your car if you aren't into snorkeling. But seriously, the antenna in the Meridians works extremely well, you won't need an external.

January 10, 2005

I also have a Meridian Gold, and I love it. I don't have any problems so far, and the only thing that I wish it had as compared to the platinum series is a jack for an external antenna. Other than that, Merigold is great!

I don't think it's the Meridian Platinum series that has the external antenna jack, I believe it is the Meridian Color series that has this.

Turns out your absolutely correct. Thanks for the heads up!

Lynx

January 10, 2005

Started with a Geko 101.

Upgraded to an eTrex Legend.

Now using an eTrex Vista C and boy do I love this thing.

January 10, 2005

Haven't yet visited there, so clue me here - what's the advantage for the external antenna?

You can hook up to 9 feet of cable to an external antenna. I suppose you could then use your GPSr under water when snorkeling. or on the roof of your car if you aren't into snorkeling. But seriously, the antenna in the Meridians works extremely well, you won't need an external.

I don't know if it works good yet or not. I've found 4 caches so far, and had to police the area for each. Maybe that's good, maybe not.

However... dh and I both have C-cards. The UW caches sound like a blast! We live near Lake Jocassee, a high altitude diver's dream; have very close friends who operate a scuba charter service in the Graveyard of the Atlantic (a 9 hour drive); and his brother lives in South Florida, recently moved a few paultry miles from his original home in the Keys (a butt-numbing drive).

The UW cache angle is something that's *definitely* on the todo list, and it sounds like more and more "accessories" are always in order (no matter the hobby). Tips appreciated!

5.3k · January 10, 2005

Thats a very good choice I also use a Meridian Gold, as well as a Sport tack color and a Sport Track map. The Meridian was not an from a Garmin E-trex yellow, I bought the sport trac color next at a going out of bussiness sale and I bought the sport track map after that at costco at a good price, my next purchase will be one of the the explorist 400 or 600 ( have not decided ) and yes I use all three, I got rid of the Garmin.

January 10, 2005

I have a Garmin 60CS, which was an upgrade for my eTrex Vista, which I still have. My wife uses a Garmin Gecko 201.

I was big torn between the Garmin line and the Megellan line. What are the major differences, if any?

January 10, 2005

The reviews on the color hand-helds synoptically said "They just aren't all that yet - maybe in a couple of years". Anyone here who's upgraded to color, your opinion welcome!

5.3k · January 10, 2005

I was big torn between the Garmin line and the Megellan line. What are the major differences, if any?

You realize with this question you have opened a box of worms :huh:

They do have differences, but I would not worry about them, both work just fine for geocaching. I my last job before I retired I was the GPS buyer for an outdoors gear retailer so I got to use both Garmim and Magellan products even years before there was Geocaching. I ended up being a Magellan fan, not because the Magellan works any better than Garmin. Becasue I like the Magellan Topo software more than the garmin topo software and I like some of the features on the Magellan Meridan regarding waypoint managment. You can store the waypoints on the SD card in files broken down into small groups, this makes it very easy to look up a cache in a area, rather then going throught a few hundred, you can have a file of just a few or how ever many you want in that file. Mine are in groups of 88-100 base on the city or county they are in, This is a big plus if you end up doing lots of geocaching. Lets not forget, you can upgrade the memory in the Meridian.

38.2k · January 10, 2005

I have a Garmin 60CS, which was an upgrade for my eTrex Vista, which I still have. My wife uses a Garmin Gecko 201.

I was big torn between the Garmin line and the Megellan line. What are the major differences, if any?

Garmin units generally have better resolution displays. Some people find their interfaces to be more intuitive. Some Garmin models, such as the Gecko and eTrex line have the advantage of being very compact, which is great for hikers and backpackers who don't want to cart around a largish unit like a Garmin 76, or Magellan Meridian. Garmin also offers more choices in their line, though Magellan is closing the gap somewhat with their new eXplorist line.

Magellan units are reputed to have a slight advantage in accuracy and reception, though the latter I feel comes from the way they handle signal loss vs. Garmin's method. The Magellan will try to continue to calculate the route for a while using your last known direction and speed, while the Garmin will give up and say "no mas satellite". Also the Magellan Meridain line uses memory cards so you can expand memory as required, while none of the popular Garmin handheld models offer this.

Though you will hear strong opinions for and against each one, in reailty both Garmin and Magellan make fine units and its a matter of what features fit your needs.

They just aren't all that yet - maybe in a couple of years". Anyone here who's upgraded to color, your opinion welcome!

I'm very happy with the color display on my 60CS. I never expected it to look like a plasma HDTV so I wasn't disappointed. Its far more readable than the display on my monochrome eTrex.

Edited January 10, 2005 by briansnat

5.3k · January 10, 2005

The reviews on the color hand-helds synoptically said "They just aren't all that yet - maybe in a couple of years". Anyone here who's upgraded to color, your opinion welcome!

Color, while it looks cool is not much of an aid in finding a cache.

You would be better off in putting the extra cost of color into something more usefull like walking sticks, boots, a water bottle, day pack, hat, bug spray, sungalsses and so on, there are lots of things you can use for geocaching other than a color screen. The only reason I bought the sport track color wa becasue it was to good a deal to pass up.

Edited January 10, 2005 by JohnnyVegas

January 10, 2005

I got a Legend for Christmas and already wish I had got a model with auto routing or whatever you call it. Oh well, I am going to get MetroGuide and make the best of it.

January 10, 2005

My first and only GPS is a Magellan 315. I got it because at the time I researched it, four years ago, everything I read said that Magellan had slightly better accuracy than the Garmins. My son has a Garmin, actually, he is on his second one, and so far the research has proven to be pretty accurate when we compare readings, etc. But, neither one is dead on accurate anyway, and the differences are inconsequential overall. If I were going to upgrade, which I might one of these days, I would again research all features of all models in my price range and then make a choice based on that. I have the use of a Garmin 60CS from work, and I like a lot of the features it has, and it is definitely in the running if I were to buy a new one.

Welcome and it looks to me like you made a wise decision....to get a GPS....the unwise decision might have been to get involved in Geocaching, LOL, because once you get hooked, there is nothing else...soon you will give up reading newspapers, watching tv, cleaning the house, washing the car, personal hygiene, cooking, even eating other than the minimum needed to keep your strength up to find that next cache.... so now you can't say you weren't warned that you will likely end up like the rest of us....addicted to this great activity. :rolleyes:

Hank

1.6k · January 10, 2005

Star used/uses Garmin E-Trex ( wonderful little yellow guy works very well no maps) .. upgrade to a Garmin E-map (self explainatory and we loaned the Little Yellow to a friend we got hooked) ...

Wulf used a Garmin E-map and upgraded just recently to a Garmin 60C with geocaching mode ....

We have no complaints with any of these thus far , as Wulf gets used to the 60C perhaps we can share more .

38.2k · January 10, 2005

I got a Legend for Christmas and already wish I had got a model with auto routing or whatever you call it. Oh well, I am going to get MetroGuide and make the best of it.

Get City Select, so if you upgrade your unit, you already have the software.

2.4k · January 10, 2005

- Started with a Geko 101, because we had some coupons that made it free.

- Traded it in for a Geko 201, wondering if WAAS would make a big difference (as newbies, we thought that a 20' accuracy was not good)

- Accidentally bought an eTrex Venture on eBay -- curse Garmin for giving two of their eTrex models names that both start with 'V'! Returned the Geko 201.

- Decided that, just as with the TV remotes, we'd be happier if we each had one... bought a Legend because we liked the Venture's user interface but wanted to be able to download maps.

- Bought two eTrex Vistas when OfficeMax was accidentally selling them for the same price as the Legend; sold the Legend we had. Kept the Venture in case we bring someone along with us. We're happy with the Vistas... although after all these Garmins, we are kind of curious about what a Magellan is like. (We've never tried one.)

January 10, 2005

First and only one is a etrex Vista. Still surprises me with its features more than a year after purchasing it.

January 10, 2005

Magellan units are reputed to have a slight advantage in accuracy and reception, though the latter I feel comes from the way they handle signal loss vs. Garmin's method. The Magellan will try to continue to calculate the route for a while using your last known direction and speed, while the Garmin will give up and say "no mas satellite". Also the Magellan Meridain line uses memory cards so you can expand memory as required, while none of the popular Garmin handheld models offer this.

Actually, Garmins will do this as well. I drive through a long tunnel twice each day and my 76C will indicate that it has lost satellites almost the instant I enter the tunnel BUT it will display my position as moving at the last known speed and direction. I don't know if it will lay this assumed movement down in its track log, though. The Magellan might keep this up for a longer period, I don't know. Whether it is an advantage or not really depends on your situation.

The reviews on the color hand-helds synoptically said "They just aren't all that yet - maybe in a couple of years". Anyone here who's upgraded to color, your opinion welcome!

For pure geocaching, there's no real advantage to colour. But if you want a mapping GPS, then you should really try to spring for a colour unit. The screen has to display a lot more data when maps are involved, and it becomes far, far easier to read the maps when they're in colour.

Current colour screens are VERY good. My Palm T3 screen is regarded as being extremely good in the PDA arena, but I find my 76C's screen to be much more readable under a wide variety of lighting conditions (pitch black to direct sunlight). I'm not sure why anyone would think that today's colour screens are not "all that."

GeoBC

5.3k · January 10, 2005

For pure geocaching, there's no real advantage to colour. But if you want a mapping GPS, then you should really try to spring for a colour unit. The screen has to display a lot more data when maps are involved, and it becomes far, far easier to read the maps when they're in colour.

You contradict yourself here, You sty there is no real advantage to color, then you go on to say it is far easier to read map in color. Most every cache I have found has been with a monochrome GPS screen. I do own a Magellan sport track color, but I use it as a back up to my Magellan Meridian gold (I only bought because I got it very cheaply) I use it maybe once a month or when someone wants to go with me then I let them use it. Of the 800 plus caches I have found maybe I have used it 20 times. Most of the time you end up using the compass style screen, it does not matter what color the arrow is. I use the map screen while running direct route on the way to a cache location and I have never had a problem with the monochrome screen. Color looks cool, but is of no advantage for geocaching.

January 10, 2005

I upgraded to a Garmin GPS V from LORAN-C. That was a few years ago. Finding my position has never been easier.

January 10, 2005

For pure geocaching, there's no real advantage to colour. But if you want a mapping GPS, then you should really try to spring for a colour unit. The screen has to display a lot more data when maps are involved, and it becomes far, far easier to read the maps when they're in colour.

You contradict yourself here, You sty there is no real advantage to color, then you go on to say it is far easier to read map in color.

I was hoping my intention was clear but obviously I failed. Point 1: For "pure geocaching," (as I already stated) colour doesn't help. Period.

Point 2: For mapping, colour helps a lot.

If you find that mapping is helpful for geocaching, THEN I suppose I've contradicted myself...but I don't believe that mapping is needed for geocaching.

Color looks cool, but is of no advantage for geocaching.

Ah, so we agree! ;-)

GeoBC

January 11, 2005

I just got my first GPS a week or so ago, a Garmin Legend. I love it. I have no problem reading it, and the display is plenty sharp for me. It seems like a good all-around GPS.

I haven't tried putting any maps into it yet. I think 8MB will be enough, as I don't do that much traveling. When I do, I think that if I'm selective about what I upload into it, I can get what I need.

Some time down the road, if I decide I like geocaching, I might spring for a top-end model like a 76c or something. (We're under a foot of snow up here in northern IL. Went geocaching yesterday and all we got was wet. Oh, and we stumbled across a letterbox instead of a cache in the same area. www.letterboxing.org)

So for now, I'm using it to measure distances and speeds and such from the dash of my car. I can't wait until spring, when I will mount it on my motorcycle and do some combined riding and geocaching!

January 11, 2005

I had a Garmin GPS III and upgraded to a Garmin Legend C. Love the color screen and the size of the legend. If I had more funds, I would have got the Garmin 60CS.

What Gps Do You Use?

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