Which Gps To Get And Where To Get It?

[eltio01]

I want to start playing but I dont own a GPS. Which one would you recommend? I want the best for my money, I have never had one before, the simpler de better. I just need the basic stuff. Also, can anyone help me with info on where to get them in Canada?

Thanks!

[+Markwell]

These questions are really two separate ones, and would probably be best answered in two different forums. First, the GPS Units and Software is a great place to go for recommendations for starter units like the etrex little yellow unit or the more powerful Magellan SporTrak. People will be falling over each other to give you opinions. But the first question you have to decide is what can you not live without. Here's a comparison chart of many of the GPS units on the market and their various features. About the only thing it doesn't compare is user retail price, which is just as well.

 

As far as where to get them in Canada, that question would be best answered in the Canadian forum where your fellow countrymen gather to discuss the various virtues of caching in the Candian Provinces as opposed to the United States. Seriously - someone will chime in with the perfect answer in that forum.

[+geobc]

Gpscentral.ca is a great place to buy. Great service, fast processing, no provincial tax, and low prices. They're also a Canadian company. I think GPScity.ca is a US company with a Canadian mailorder outlet.

 

BTW, I heard that Canadian Tire will price match GPSCentral.ca. I have no personal experience with that, though.

 

GeoBC

[+trail hound]

Check out the Garmin Legend....It's a great unit for it's price

[+briansnat]

As far as simple and basic, the yellow Garmin Gecko line (101 and 201) are as simple and basic as they come. But you also wanted the best for the money, which would rule out the Gecko 201. Though probably by far the easiest GPS to use, the fact that it's only a few bucks less than the eTrex Legend makes it not such a great deal. The Gecko 101 can be a good deal, being that I've seen it sold for under $50, but its lack of a data port makes it unsuitable for all but the most casual of users.

 

The basic yellow eTrex which will run you about $90, or the eTrex Legend which can be found for as little as $130, are a better "bang for the buck". The Legend is a particularly good deal because it comes with the data cable as standard. Its a $30 add on for the yellow eTrex. The Legend is also a mapping unit, which makes it more useful and you won't outgrow it when you decided its time to move up to detailed maps.

[+Renegade Knight]

Best GPS? Garmin 60CS or the 76CS.

Best bang for the buck? Magellan has that department, but the Garmin GPS V is probably in the right zone now.

[+briansnat]

Best GPS? Garmin 60CS or the 76CS.

Best bang for the buck? Magellan has that department, but the Garmin GPS V is probably in the right zone now.

I'd say the Legend has to be in there too if you can find it for $130. Magellan's competing model, the ST Map is around $30 more.

[+Sputnik 57]

For a new inexpensive unit, I think the on essential to look for is the ability to connect to your computer. That lets you upgrade the firmware inside the GPSr, and lets you upload waypoints. A few of the low-end units don't allow you to connect to a computer. I would definitely pass on those. Others allow connectivity, but don't come with a cable. By the time you add in the cost of the computer cable, they are nearly the price of better units that come with cables in the box.

 

The Legend is a great unit for starters. I would stay away from the Geko 101 and the low-end Magellan units without PC connectivity.

[+Team_T&P]

I have a Garmin Emap, but was thinking of upgrading to a Garmin 76s more likely due to cost or a Garmin 76CS. The main reasons are: More memory, Built in electronic compass, built in auto-navigation, waterproof, longer battery life. Are these reasons sufficient to warrent the outlay of cash?

[+Hobbies Anonymous]

You may want to wait a few weeks until the new Magellan Explorist units come out, if you are anything like me it would be frustrating to buy one and a week or two later find out there is a new one you would rather have. The new Magellan Explorist units will have both USB connectivity and SD card expansion and the 400 is being listed for around $250. I know it's hard to wait and I admit I'm having trouble waiting but I want to see the new ones before I make a decision. I know I intend to stick with the Magellan line because of the SD expandability.

 

Claudia

[+c88m]

look at the garmin site to do product comparison then try offroute I found they had some of the cheapest prices but I have a big list of gps sites that I have found , so if you want somemore choices drop a email to me .

[+briansnat]

I have a Garmin Emap, but was thinking of upgrading to a Garmin 76s more likely due to cost or a Garmin 76CS. The main reasons are: More memory, Built in electronic compass, built in auto-navigation, waterproof, longer battery life. Are these reasons sufficient to warrent the outlay of cash?

You have to decide that. Auto routing is a very nice feature (does the 76S have it? I think I recall that it didn't). More memory could be a good reason provided your travels have caused you to outgrow your current memory. The electronic compass is a nice thing to have but not a necessity. If the eMap isn't waterproof, that could be another very good reason to upgrade.

[+Lemon Fresh Dog]

www.gpscentral.ca is a good online source for GPS units here in Canada.

 

It seems all the "cool kids" in Calgary are using the Garmin 60C (I think that's the one). I'm using a CF card GPS in a PocketPC -- I love that it can show me positions on custom maps from my computer, but am actually unhappy that I must use an atenna with it at all times.

Edited January 20, 2005 by Lemon Fresh Dog

[+JohnnyVegas]

Best GPS?  Garmin 60CS or the 76CS.

Best bang for the buck?  Magellan has that department, but the Garmin GPS V is probably in the right zone now.

I'd say the Legend has to be in there too if you can find it for $130. Magellan's competing model, the ST Map is around $30 more.

If you can find a radio shack with one still in stock, they have the sport track map on clearance for $169.99 and Magellan has a $30.00 rebate on their web site now.

This would be $139.99 which is a very good price for a GPS with a map display

 

Magellan Rebate

[+DelMarNorth]

Although the SD expansion cardsin the new Magellan Explorist series look like a great thing, I am not sure I like the idea of an internal Li battery pack. Sounds to me like you can't just pop the batteries out and put fresh ones in on a long day of caching.

 

I am kinda hoping that Garmin will add the SD card option to some of their models soon, so better comparisons can be made.

Edited January 21, 2005 by DelMarNorth

[+ZingerHead]

If the GPS's batteries can't be replaced in the field, stay away from it! The last thing you want is to be caught 5 miles from your car with the sun fading and dead batteries. Sure, a compass will get you out safely, but a GPS would sure be the easier navigation method. I like the fact that my camera, GPS, and flashlight all use AA batteries. I always have spare batteries, that way.

I'd like to add my vote for the Legend, or something similar. I have a Garmin eTrex Vista, which is a close cousin of the Legend. The mapping capabilities make the unit so much more valuable to me, well beyond the added cost of the map feature. I have also owned the entry-level "yellow" eTrex, which is perfect for geocaching, but not so good for navigating unfamiliar roads.

[silv3rf0x]

I have a Meridian Color it is great for Geocaching and for street routing in oyur car. I bid for two of them at the same time and won both of them. I was going to sell one to my brother but he went and bought a garmin. If you are interested in picking up a Meridian Color unit I live in BC and we could work it out.

 

If interested email me. silv3rf0x

[+Sputnik 57]

Auto routing is a very nice feature (does the 76S have it?  I think I recall that it didn't).

The 76C and 76CS autoroute (as do the 60C and 60CS).

 

Edit: Oops. I don't know about the 76S. I need to read more carefully. Garmin's site says nothing about autorouting for the 76S, so I assume that it does not offer that feature.

Edited January 24, 2005 by Sputnik 57

[+briansnat]

Auto routing is a very nice feature (does the 76S have it?  I think I recall that it didn't).

The 76C and 76CS autoroute (as do the 60C and 60CS).

But not the 76S?

[+Shoebox]

I thought a simple model would do when I started but went for a mapping version instead which turned out to be much better for me. I have it mounted on the dash and use the GPS for much more than Geocaching. The mapping has been extremely handy, so before you buy think beyond Geocaching. Are you likely to use it for anything else? If not, a basic model will be just fine. But you will have to decide between that Coke/Pepsi thing, or in this case, Magellan/Garmin.