GPS question

mogmz

mogmz

Joined
Sep 1, 2002
Messages
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Im looking to get a GPS for hiking around in various parts of the US, and was wondering if handheld GPS systems require you to order some sort of monthly service like cell phones, or does everything work right out of the box with nothing else needed?

edited to add: Im basically looking for the cheapest GPS I can get, but it must be water proof, and work in tall timber as well as valleys and such in mountainous areas.

Any recommendations would be great. We are planning a trip in about two weeks and I have no experience with GPS and want to pick one up before we leave.
 
mogmz said:
if handheld GPS systems require you to order some sort of monthly service like cell phones, or does everything work right out of the box with nothing else needed?
Click to expand...

1. No

2. Yes

maximus otter
 
GPS requires 'line of sight' to a number of satellites . Mountains and tall trees may block access to the satellite signals !!! Same is true of cell phones .Take a compass and topgraphical map !
 
As MO said, no service is needed and they work out of the box. I have a couple of Garmin Etrexs and they are great. Magellans are also good. They are all equally accurate but I would suggest that you not get the bottom model. Get one that you can interface with a computer. It much easier to transfer waypoints that and you back them up too. You can also upload topo and city maps if you want to in the future. The Garmin Legend is a great starter model and they have come down in price, since color one have recently been introduced. Check out a Bass Pro shop if you have one near you.

If you get the Garmin they have some great DVD tutorials that will get you up to speed quickly. If you just want to use the basic functions you may not need it though.
 
Just from browsing around the net, so far Im thinking about the Garmin eTrex-Legend that I see comet has recommended as well. Seems to be not too expensive, but good feedback from most who have used one.
 
I like eTrex by Garmin for the price.

Strong batteries help get those satellites better, keep them fresh!

Scott B
 
edited to add: Im basically looking for the cheapest GPS I can get, but it must be water proof, and work in tall timber as well as valleys and such in mountainous areas.
Click to expand...
In that case I recommend selecting a unit that can be used with an external antenna attached. I haven't noticed a reception difference between low-cost "patch" antenna units or the more expensive units with "quad helix" antennas, but an external antenna can make a huge difference.

The external antennas themselves are rather inexpensive ($30), but the least expensive handheld GPS units often do not have plugs for attaching an antenna.

Happy shopping,
-Bob

p.s. There have been a couple of very good GPS discussions here at the Gadgets and Gear forum within the last couple of months. A Search should turn them up. Not saying your question wasn't good, but those other topics have a lot of basic information for new GPS shoppers.
 
Went to Walmart today and picked up the Garmin eTrex Legend C. So far I like everything about it except that it shows very little detail. Cities and Interstates/Highways, no smaller highways or main roads even :(

It came with the 'Americas Marine Point Basemap Jan 2001' on it. Is that the standard Basemap that comes loaded for use in the US?
 
In terms of the detail stuff... I have an Explorist 500, and I noticed that too initially on mine. Make sure you don't have "high details" turned off in the preferences, because for Map Redraws, the more details, the longer the redraw time, hence lower detail settings are sometimes the default.


You also might need to pickup a Map Pack offline or whatnot, as the included maps on my Explorist 500 were pretty minimalistic.

Give this site a check, it helped me quite a bit.

 
Went to Walmart today and picked up the Garmin eTrex Legend C. So far I like everything about it except that it shows very little detail. Cities and Interstates/Highways, no smaller highways or main roads even
Click to expand...

Like slugfast said, there may be setting that's hiding some of the map detail. But probably not. The basemap on my unit is the Americas Highway basemap that shows town names and state highways.

Garmin sells MapSource products that are detailed maps for loading onto the GPS unit. Or you can transfer the data you collect from the GPS to your computer, then use it with any commercial mapping PC software. But only the MapSource products can be loaded onto your handheld unit.

Did you get a good deal on the Legend? WalMart here is sky-high on GPS units. I found the best price on my unit here: www.gpsnow.com

For accessories, such as carry cases, cables, and antennas, try here:
www.gpsgeek.com
The Gilsson brand products are great, and a fraction the cost as genuine Garmin accessories.

Best Wishes,
-Bob

FYI: The eTrex Legend does not have an antenna jack...
 
I paid $242 plus tax for the eTrex Legend C with 256 color and 24MB memory. It came with the Trip & Waypoint Manager CD, USB cable, carry strap and instruction manual.

I turned the detail to high already, Im guessing one of the MapSource CDs are going to be what Im looking for.
 
Enjoy the GPS. They charge a ton extra for the color units, but the screens are much easier to see, especially when using in a car.

Depending on where you're hiking, the trails may be on the Topo MapSource program. It shows geographical data points and crude topo maps for the entire country.

If you're going to be visiting national or state parks, they may be covered in detail on one of the US Topo 24K programs.

-Bob
 
mogmz said:
I paid $242 plus tax for the eTrex Legend C with 256 color and 24MB memory. It came with the Trip & Waypoint Manager CD, USB cable, carry strap and instruction manual.

I turned the detail to high already, Im guessing one of the MapSource CDs are going to be what Im looking for.
Click to expand...

Enjoy your Garmin. Good choice! Check the Garmin Web site aon regular basis for firmware updates. Also as has been mentioned the Mapsource software will allow you to significantly improve your local maps on the unit. After you absorb the cost of your unit you might consider it.
 
Forget all this GPS business. Find your location on the cheap like we did in my tank company in 1966

RVN. While smashing through the jungles of Tay Ninh Province, map reading was a problem. Sometimes you

could see the sky - but you could never see terrain features. Plus, there was that annoying factor of

people trying to kill us. So we adapted. I would pick a grid intersection nearby, (hopefully not

overhead) and then radio my local artillery battery. I'd request a 200m height of burst WP round at

that grid location. After the pop we would all try to located the smoke before it drifted too far.

Shoot a back azimuth with your trusty compass, estimate the range, and keep on smashing ahead. Close enough for government

work.:D
 
I just picked up a Magellan eXplorist 400 for Geocaching with my kids and for general use during hiking. So far it has been through some deep woods and valleys and I have yet to lose a signal. This unit has extra storage in the way of SD cards. This was a selling point for me because not only can I download points to the card I can purchase maps preloaded on SD media. I alos just ordered the car kit for the unit. i will report on that when I get a chance to use it.

Edited to add that I purchased my unit from www.MegaGPS.com. I paid 209.00 for the unit with a $50 Mail-In Rebate.
 
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