Best lightweight user-friendly portable GPS?

Daniel Koster

Daniel Koster

www.kosterknives.com
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Oct 18, 2001
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If this has been asked before...I apologize. Spam me with some links...:D



Otherwise...I'd like to get some recommendations on a lightweight GPS that is also user-friendly. Emphasis on outdoors/backwoods use (vs highway). Cost is always a factor....but not as important as getting "the right one".

:thumbup:


Let me know what you think.

Thanks!

Dan
 
I just bought the Garmin eTrex Vistra HCx and LOVE it.
Color screen, high sensitivity receiver, about the size of a cell phone, waterproof, decent price. WAAS enabled, etc...

The other popular Garmin is the GPSMAP 60CSx. I found that model to be bigger, with much less battery life, so I skipped it.

I've heard the new Garmin Colorados are buggy and don't work right. That could be a rumor, however.
 
If its mainly for outdoors i would say get the Vista hcx. I got the 60cx and i love it. Cant go wrong with both units..
 
Noshtero said:
I just bought the Garmin eTrex Vistra HCx and LOVE it.
Color screen, high sensitivity receiver, about the size of a cell phone, waterproof, decent price. WAAS enabled, etc...

The other popular Garmin is the GPSMAP 60CSx...QUOTE]

Amen! I was so smitten by the Garmins that our business became a Garmin dealer a few years ago. I can purchase any Garmin I want for the business and the two we have for demos and wilderness work...I concur with Noshtero...the eTrex Vista HCx or any Vista model are tops for wilderness work. The GPSMAP 60CSx is even better...but the tradeoff is the size. Battery life is not an issue from what I can discern...never had a customer complaint and the business owns two of them and we've used them for several years - hard core.
Click to expand...
 
The Garmin GPS MAP 60CSx does indeed look good.

:thumbup:
 
Daniel Koster said:
The Garmin GPS MAP 60CSx does indeed look good.

:thumbup:
Click to expand...


I couldn't figure out what the 60CSx offered over the Vista HCx for woods use. I know it has more road features. Make sure you see it in real life, it's quite a bit larger than the HCx. Also, the battery life was rated lower.
 
I suggest the Garmin eTrex Legend if cost and weight are significant factors. The picture-driven menu is more user-friendly than the more advanced models with scrolling text menus. The Legend is the lowest-end "mapping" model, meaning it can be loaded with Garmin MapSource products. It's much smaller and lighter than the GPSMAP76 series, and a bit smaller than the GPSMAP60 series.

The yellow eTrex Basic is a nice unit as well. Under $100, and works as well as any other.

Sacrifice low price and low weight, and the sky's the limit. Larger screens, more memory, color screens, more features, more buttons, more data connectivity options... Just depends on your budget and how much low weight matters.

Happy Shopping!
 
weight/size does matter....


but user-friendly (meaning any of my scouts can quickly figure it out) will reign supreme.


I'm still open to suggestions...I don't want to go cheap on it, though...have done that in the past...:foot:


needs to be 100% reliable


Dan
 
Granted the 60CSx runs around 18 hours (I can get close to 20 out of our two) and the Vista is roughly 25 hours but weight wise there is only 2 oz difference - size is noticable different. The screen size is larger on the 60 series which for tired ol' eyes and/or for recovering caches is an advantage. It all depends upon what you're using the system for...everything has tradeoffs. The 60 series is slightly easier to use...the button availablity and layout is easier for novices. Test drive both models and see what works for you.

The 60 works better as a dual system GPS - meaning both the woods and city driving if that is a need.
 
Daniel,

Do you need the GPS to be able to display maps or are bearing and simple graphics OK?

If so, then I found the Magellan Explorist 100 to be extremely simple and reliable for simple tasks like plotting a course, saving waypoints and displaying rudimentary info like bearing, speed and compass direction.
 
Nordic Viking said:
Daniel,

Do you need the GPS to be able to display maps or are bearing and simple graphics OK?

If so, then I found the Magellan Explorist 100 to be extremely simple and reliable for simple tasks like plotting a course, saving waypoints and displaying rudimentary info like bearing, speed and compass direction.
Click to expand...

or the gecko series are said to be good.
 
My blackberry has GPS - I like it for driving directions. Anyone use it in the bush?? I am using google maps for it and cant really see where it is usable for that type of terrain. I have a Garmin but man its slow!!
 
Daniel,

So very much depends on what exactly you'll be using the GPS for. If you are not using road or topo maps, and will mainly be using it to capture and work with waypoints, then a Great option would be the simpler (and lower cost) yellow Garmin eTrex 'H'.

If you do want mapping capability, then I'd recommend any of the Garmin eTrex units with an 'H' in the name. Read through their features - and their user manuals - and see which fills your needs best.

Working with my son, I've found that it is much easier for him if the GPS has an electronic compass - so it always points at the waypoint of interest. Not everyone feels they are useful though.
 
If you are buying a GPS and use it for the woods i would still recommend to buy one that works with a map.. You might be surprised that when you do have it, you would use it for more then just hiking... I do think its worth it for the option.

Sasha
 
I had a Garmin Etrex Legend for several years and truly enjoyed it. The screen started to crap out on me so I started looking for something new. I found the Garmin GPSmap 60CX. It has a much more sensitive antenna and does not lose the signal in heavy cover as the Legend did. It is, to me very user friendly and can be used for hiking or in the car with turn by turn directions.
 
I've got a garmin 60CSx that I swear by. Kids are ever more techie as the years role by. I wouldn't worry about them "getting it." The 60CSx is great, but it is now discontinued. Large color screen, upgradeable memory, downloadable maps, compass, altimeter, waypoint and trackback features. It has more bells and whistles than I use, but they are there if I decide that I need them. I use mine on and off of the road, but bought my wife a dedicated road GPS unit for her car when we moved to California.
 
Well...I need it for mapping waypoints...but I definitely would like to be able to see maps on it...can you get decent backwoods maps? (my GPS experience is very limited!)

The compass feature would also be nice...

color screen...

I know I'm piling on features and costs...but the more info at my fingertips, the better...

Guess what I'm looking for is the best pocketable GPS models...greatest number of features in a small (less than 8 oz) package.

Dan
 
Legend HCX or GPSMAP 60 CSX
The Legend series only have four different buttons and the stick thinghy. Easy to use with gloves on.
The GPSMAP series have more buttons and work a bit different than the Legend. Some menues on the Legend has its own button on the Gpsmap etc.

Since Garmin has released new models the Legend and Gpsmap are reduced in price.
I think a 60 CSX for about 200 bucks are really great value. With a proper memory card you can store enough maps that will last. I had the Legend C with built in 24Mb memory and I could store 1:50000 maps over an area about 250x250km in one go.
 
From www.Garmin.com...

"The MapSource® US TOPO 24K National Parks, East v3 includes extremely detailed topographic maps of Eastern U.S National Parks. This CD is ideal for hikers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts of all kind. Plan your outing on your PC, then download maps and data to your compatible Garmin GPS to guide you on your next trek. See the product compatibility table (right) for a list of products that Garmin recommends with this software. 1:24,000 scale

The MapSource® US TOPO 24K National Parks, Central v3 provides detailed coverage of U.S. National Parks located within the Central United States. With its detailed topographic maps, this CD is ideal for outdoor enthusiasts who love to explore U.S. National Parks. See the product compatibility table (right) for a list of products that Garmin recommends with this software. 1:24,000 scale

The MapSource® US TOPO 24K National Parks, West v3 includes extremely detailed topographic maps of Western U.S National Parks. This CD is ideal for hikers, campers and outdoor enthusiasts of all kind. Plan your outing on your PC, then download maps and data to your compatible Garmin GPS to guide you on your next trek. See the product compatibility table (right) for a list of products that Garmin recommends with this software. 1:24,000 scale

TOPO U.S. 2008 features digital topographic maps for the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. It is available in two different formats making it easy and convenient to load data to your compatible Garmin device: MapSource® DVD and preprogrammed micro SD data cards. 1:100,000 scale"

The electronic compass sucks battery life. You'll want a stand alone compass.

I think that the color screen is a must for on-road use. It allows you to tell the difference between the track and the road (by color).

Also, either get one with a huge memory or replaceable memory cards. The maps are big, and the less often you have to download the better you will feel. A friend of mine has the 60C and he has to download new maps for pretty much every trip. I have all of the US west of the Mississippi river loaded in my 60CSx. My wife's GPS has ALL of the US in it.
 
I have a cheap yellow eTrex and don't like it. It does a poor job of picking up the satellites with any sort of tree cover around, even tilting it 90 deg causes it to lose it's signal. I bought it because it runs a long time on batteries, but I can't get a signal half the time in the woods, when I need it the most.
 
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