GPS Advice....

[homerj]

New to the game, and am interested in getting a new GPS. What features should I be looking for in getting a new GPS? I'd like one that couple display a map, and not be too expensive. But I don't know how accurate one model is over another, which ones are really made for land travel and hiking, or reliablity of any of them.

 

Read though the forums, and this hasn't been brought up in a while, so I figured I'd ask. Is there even a GPS FAQ with this information?

[Reddfrogg]

Hi, I am fairly new too, just started last summer. I find the Garman 12 has a good mix of low price and good performance. I haven't used any of the Map GPS units, but I am not sure they would be much use for close up work. What really makes a GPS useful (as far as I am concerned) is how well it works within the last 1/10 of a mile as you are approaching the cache. Your mileage may vary.

 

Reddfrogg

[+Hawk-eye]

Just a suggestion ... use the seach feature and look for the different models ... should give you a lot of different options and opinions to mull over. But be warned ... there is a ton of postings on this very subject! Good luck.

 

[+Renegade Knight]

The mapping is excellent. Getting their can be a problem. I've often been on the wrong side of the river and on the wrong side of the cliff. Once you are within 0.1 mile going the last bit is usually (no gurantee) a no brainer.

 

My first GPS is a Garmin GPS V and a friend got a eTrex Vista. I would not trade mine for anything else out there and my friend feeels the same. Both do mapping. Neither is 'cheap'.

[Atilla the Pun]

I have heard that the Magellan 330X is available for $125 from CompUSA. Add in the $50 rebate from Magellan's Web site and you have a nice mapping GPS for $75.

 

AtP

[xyzabc]

I thought the Mag 300 series was discontinued, but the local stores have been getting them in (mostly 315's) and selling them for full price. I asked a person that works in the sportsdept in Walmart and she said that they didn't sell GPSr's (I was standing right next to them)

 

TJWilson

Gander NF

http://205.251.181.149/gaga My caching page

"Make it idiot proof, and someone will make a better idiot"

[halldorr]

I too am looking at obtaining a GPS unit. Will sift through the messages on here to see what exists. Here is a URL to a local selection for myself, any particular thoughts on these units? Is mapping needed?

[halldorr]

Helps if I add the URL

Radio Shack GPS

[pdumas]

I just look at their site and they are to high, I would try gpsdiscount.com, so far I've had good luck.

[rghermes]

I just got a Vista from a Power seller on Ebay for about the same price as gpsdiscount.com. I think if I was do it again,I would go with gpsdiscount.com!

 

"Indecision may or may not be my problem"----J. Buffett

[halldorr]

quote:

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Originally posted by pdumas:

I just look at their site and they are to high, I would try gpsdiscount.com, so far I've had good luck.

---

 

Those are Canadian dollars as well so they are cheaper when you convert them to US$

[halldorr]

quote:

---

Originally posted by pdumas:

I just look at their site and they are to high, I would try gpsdiscount.com, so far I've had good luck.

---

 

Those are Canadian dollars as well so they are cheaper when you convert them to US$

[+RangerRick]

quote:

---

Originally posted by halldorr:

Helps if I add the URL

http://www.radioshack.ca/eStore/category.aspx?language=en-CA&pagenum=1&category=GPS&catalog=RadioShack

Hello Halldorr and welcome to geocaching. The url prices you show are very escalated. If you have that kind of money to spend, why don't you go for the Garmin GPS V for $385.00 from Black Wolf Enterprises? You won't be disappointed with that unit. I noticed you had the Streetpilot III as one of the choices. The Streetpilot III is excellent for driving directions because you can get to where you want to go just by listening to it, but it is too big and too heavy for geocaching. I have 2 of each of these units and I do use the GPS V for geocaching. Love it!

By the way, I bought my Streetpilot III's on Ebay for about $640.00 each, but I was very patient to get those deals. My 2 cents

[Rhonlynn]

I'm brand new to this, someone in Boy scouts told me about it mOnday, and I went to dick's Sporting goods after reading up here, and all over the internet. I have an E-trax Legend, and I was sold on it after the first 24 hours. Amazing what it can do! I work over in Kansas, and it knew my exact location. I drive twenty miles, and it tracked my drive correctly. I have an 11 year old, and now, I can actually see my walking or jogging speed, and know where I am, not that I didn't, but it's cooler now. I can go to Branson with a city map! I can find hotels and exits easliy. I think I can park away from Kemper Arena in Kansas Cioty,a nd track my stepes, and find my car, or at Arrowhead Stadium. I can even find the Garmin Dealer cause they're in Olathe, near the Mall of the Great Plains. It has a small calendar, you can insert notes. The battery change is simple, you don't have to pry them out, like in my dumb Handspring Viser. You don't loose any information when changing the batteries, as opposed to the Handspring Viser, which was tHE Dumbest thing I've every bought. If I knew about GPS a few months ago, I would've bought this instead. The software you can buy is awesome, but it's expensive, but it's cool. I'm going to find my first Cache tomorrow, I'm only a few blocks from it. I pretty much know the exact location of it.