Your 2nd Gps

[+Bellageo Cache Game]

...but how 'bout when you're lookin' to upgrade? What would you recommend as a good step up?

[+Siberian Cacher]

I went from my first one - A Yellow eTrex to a Sportrak Map. It was a nice upgrade.

 

Not sure what I would upgrade to after this one. ... something with XD cards so I could build more detailed routes and locations. In reality, there really is no reason for me to upgrade again, unless my sportrak breaks

[+Bellageo Cache Game]

Great insight. The eTrex is what I have now so... THANKS!

[WH]

My first GPS was the E-Tex Vista and I upgraded to a 60CS.

[+planetrobert]

Mag 315 to a NavCompanion to a Mag Meridian Color

[+HazelS]

Went from a garmin emap to a magellan sportrak map. Just to get the uk topo's

[+CENT5]

Etrex Yellow I had used for years hunting to a GPSMAP76CS

[+briansnat]

I started with a Legend and upgrded to a Vista for the additonal memory and compass. When I upgraded from the Vista it was to a 60CS for the color screen, autorouting, additional memory, geocaching mode and other neat things.

 

As far as what to recommend as a step up, it depends on what you have and what you're looking for. If you have a non mapping unit, any mapping unit is an upgrade. If you have a mapping unit, some things that might influence you to upgrade could include a color screen, additonal memory, autorouting, magnetic compass, user customizable screens, better sensitivity, external antenna jack and USB connectivity.

[+Smitherington]

I purchased a Garmin Emap for my first GPSr. My second unit is a Garmin Etrex Legend. That was an emergency purchase. I was heading to Florida and my Emap quit working (I thought). Today I should receive my Garmin 60CS.

 

The Legend was not an upgrade. I don't like the maps on the Legend as well as the ones on the Emap. It was just so I could geocache without spending too much in that emergency. But I find that I like it better on the trail. Emap for driving.

 

The 60CS is definitely an upgrade. Time will tell if it replaces the other units or compliments the others. Color. Auto routing. Those are the features I expect will be most appreciated. I will know soon.

[+JohnnyVegas]

For me it was the Garmin E-Treks the legend,Next was a Magellan Meridian gold, Then I added a sprot track map for a back up, Then I added a sport trac color for a back up to my back up. For an upgrade from the Meridian gold I got an explorist 500.

[+geobc]

...but how 'bout when you're lookin' to upgrade? What would you recommend as a good step up?

I went from a Garmin 45 to a Garmin III, and then a III+, and now a 76C.

 

Each upgrade gave me a considerable improvement over the previous unit.

 

45->III:

12-channel parallel receiver with a built-in basemap of the Americas.

 

III->III+:

uploadable maps, plus Garmin allowed me to upgrade to it from my III for a small fee.

 

III->76C:

turn-by-turn directions, colour screen, huge amount of memory, tremendous battery life.

 

The only thing that would make me consider upgrading anytime soon is if they brought out a unit that could store and display full GPX file data. I am quite certain that this will be a feature within the next year or two. It's easily do-able and wouldn't add much production cost.

 

GeoBC

[+StarBrand]

If you have the $'s - go for the Garmin 60CS - 'nuff said.

[+DaveA]

mag 315 to mag meridian color.

 

Don't consider the Explorist line an actual upgrade from the Meridians, more of a lateral move.

[+JohnnyVegas]

mag 315 to mag meridian color.

 

Don't consider the Explorist line an actual upgrade from the Meridians, more of a lateral move.

The Exporist has added features that the meridian does not have, this would make it an upgrade.

[+IVxIV]

First GPSr was a Eagle Explorer - had it for less than a week & returned it, wasn't happy with it's interface & lack of features (no odometer, etc)

 

Next (a week later ) was a Magellan 4000XL. Nice compact unit but horrible in the woods. It was a 12 channel unit, but didn't have a true parallel processor, so was too fustrating to keep more than a year.

 

Next was a Magellan 315. That was real nice & ahead of it's time when it was new. I still recommend that model (used of course) to anyone wanting a GPS on a shoestring budget.

 

Finally, upgraded to a Lowrance iFinder Pro because I wanted a GPSr that had mapping capability. When I went to purchase the upgrade I stayed impartial to any specific brand, and just looked around & see who offers best bang for the buck. At first I couldn't believe the Lowrances seemed to offer so much more than competitive brand units of similar cost, but it really is true. I've been happily using it now for a couple years.

 

The next time I upgrade I will again start my research with no pre-preferance to any specific brand, and buy the unit that does what I want for a good price

[+MDAgent]

I too went from a Meridian Gold, which I did not love, to an eXplorist 500. The 500 was so awesome, I got the 600 as soon as it came out. So, I've got eX 600 with eX500 for back-up. I just love the joystick. I can operate every function with one thumb, right or left hand and keep my other hand on my walking stick!

[+mudbone]

I just bought my first gps this week - a 60CS. What a great unit! I'm having a blast traveling with it and starting this hobby. I wanted a GPS since they first came out, but just bided my time and waited for a unit like the 60CS - has about everything I could want. Only one 'con' I can think of is the price of the add-on 'Auto' kit - it runs about 180 bucks ( includes the detailed road map CD though )

I've seen the 60CS on some online stores with 100 bucks of rebates that bring it down to about 350 dollars. Worth every penny IMHO.

mudbone

[+Redfive]

Garmin 12XL --> Lowrance iFinder. I wanted to be able to transfer waypoints using my Mac, and the memory card feature of the iFinders allow this with ease.

[+E = Mc2]

Started with a MeriGreen. Got a eTrex Camo to sell on eBay and ended up keeping it as backup and kids' receiver. Primary GPSr now is a MeriPlat. Looking at buying a eXplorist 500 but don't want to spend more money on the software...

[+sbell111]

My first unit was a 3+ that I bought on ebay four years ago for about $140. My current one is, well, the same one. Works great, why change?

[+DaveA]

mag 315 to mag meridian color.

 

Don't consider the Explorist line an actual upgrade from the Meridians, more of a lateral move.

The Exporist has added features that the meridian does not have, this would make it an upgrade.

True, but the Meridians have features the Explorist doesn't have (larger screen, AA batteries etc.) which cancels out the upgrade part

 

If my Meridian Color broke today I would replace it with another Meri Color or possibly I would switch to the dark side and give the Garmin 60CS a try, I wouldn't replace the Meri Color with an explorist though. If the Garmin used SD cards it would be a no brainer for me over the Explorist. I think Magellan made a mistake with those units although by no means do I think they are bad units, just not what I look value.

 

The above is just my opinion. Others will prefer the explorist to the Meridian.

[+JohnnyVegas]

The explorist has a much higher quality color screen than any other color screen that Magellan has used in the past

 

The explorist offers a USB conection without the need of a card reader

 

The lithium ion battery is an upgrede from land fill destined AA batteries and provide plenty of battery life for geocaching

 

The cache manager while not perfect is usefull for most caches, the meridian does not have cache manager software

 

Lets not foget that the explorist 400, 500 and 600 will display cache icons on the GPS screen, a feature that the Meridian does not offer

 

The screen on the Meridian in not all that much larger than the screen on the exporist, as far a vehicle navigation even the screen on the Meridian not large enough.

[+briansnat]

The lithium ion battery is an upgrede from land fill destined AA batteries and provide plenty of battery life for geocaching

 

Not in the eyes of many. Those batteries alone would eliminate the eXplorist from my consideration, no matter how great everyhing else was.

[+fauxSteve]

I upgraded from a Magellan GPS300 to a Garmin Vista about three years ago, which was a significant upgrade. While I still have the Vista and use it regularly, I recently "upgraded" in a way by picking up a Garmin foretrex as a second machine for traveling in places where I don't want to carry around a "big" blue box to look for a cache (urban caching on foot and such)--and just for fun. It has fewer exciting bells and whistles than other units, but as an upgrade it does exactly what I want in a small size. I just want something that shows me the coordinates where I'm at and it seems to do that fine. What neither of my units has that I would think about as a true upgrade at soome point would be a magnetic compass--but I solved that with the real thing--and sometimes I'd like to have Quad Helix antenna for some areas. Auto-mapping might be fun to play with, but I don't really need it myself.

[+Miragee]

. . . The lithium ion battery is an upgrede from land fill destined AA batteries and provide plenty of battery life for geocaching . . .

Who uses land-fill-destined AA batteries? I use NiMH batteries for everything that uses AA-sized batteries around my house.

 

It is great that so many things all use the same size battery and I always take spare, freshly recharged batteries with me

 

That is the only way to go . . . IMHO.

[+Tagamet]

Very informative thread!

Thanks,

Tagamet