GPS - What do I get?

Triquetra

Triquetra

Joined
Mar 7, 2002
Messages
759
I'm looking to get a GPS for my wilderness travels. I want to get the best combination between a budget price and sufficient features. Any recommendations?
 
I have a Garmin E-Trex, I don't know enough about it to really suggest it but while comparing features on various units and considering the $100.00 price tag, it seems like a good buy. The jury is still out, officially though. At this point, I'm just glad it's not a carabiner or Sawyer Extractor. Hahaha!!!
 
The Magellan Cross over GPS is reated highly. Good vehicle nav as well.

Might as well make it useful when your not hikeing.
 
I like the Garmin. With Map Source you can add locations and purchase National Parks topozones to include. I recommend either the Magellan or Garmin but since using more of the Garmin I can say that I am satisfied more with it. It is personal preference.
 
If I were buying a new GPS today, my choice would be the Garmin GPSMAP76gsx. My own unit is the older GPSMAP76S, and it's been a great unit. I'm also a fan of the eTrex line, particularly the eTrex Legend.

The 76 line is more expensive, but has a larger screen and more features. The eTrex line is lighter weight and has a picture-driven menu and cool Thumb Stick. In my experience, there's no difference in accuracy in most situations. But the larger units have plugs for an external antena, which will get you better reception in difficult conditions.

If you're looking for a simple low-price unit for the purpose of finding GPS coordinates and collecting coordinate data, there's nothing wrong with the yellow eTrex Basic, about $100.
 
That's the one I have. I'm trying to find the time and get motivated and Geocache with it so I can learn it better.
 
A lot depends on what you want to do with your GPS.

If all you'll need is to get coordinates that can be used to identify your current location on a paper topo map (see http://www.maptools.com ) and to create waypoints and routes from which you can then generate routes and bearings, then my recommendation would be either the Geko 201 (the smallest one; about 12 hours from 2 AAA batteries) or the yellow eTrex H (17 hours from 2 AA batteries). Make sure you get the eTrex H, with the higher sensitivity chipset - you'll appreciate its ability to quickly lock onto satellites even under heavy leaf canopies. The Geko doesn't come with the high sensitivity chipset - yet.

If you want mapping capability (and I think you should) then I recommend either the eTrex Legend HCx, the GPSMAP 60Cx, or the GPSMAP 76Cx. The "H" means it has a high sensitivity chipset (the 60 & 76 series have these too), "C" means it has a color screen, and the "x" means it can take a memory card. The eTrex Legend is lighter (5.5 oz. vs 7.5 oz vs 7.7 oz), the eTrex's have controls on the side, the 60/76 models have lighted controls on the front, the 60Cx has an external antenna connection, and the 76Cx floats in water (all have similar waterproof rating).

Don't underestimate the utility of having mapping capability. First, units with auto-routing capability can be used when driving your vehicle in unfamiliar places, so can be useful when you're not in the field. Last winter I was camping with my son's Boy Scout troop and one of the leaders got VERY sick during the first night. We ended up using my Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx to find a nearby drug store for medication, a nearby hotel, and the phone numbers for both so that we could make sure the drug store was open and that the hotel had a room available. Being prepared doesn't mean just knowing where you are.

Second, a mapping GPS can provide you with an understanding of your location relative to cities and services that are near you - sources of help when things go bad. This is important information that you might not have entered into a non-mapping GPS. Doug Ritter of equipped.org fame lists a mapping GPS with spare batteries as the #1 item in his list of 10 survival essentials (see http://www.equipped.org/blog/?p=58 ) - the idea being that it can help keep you from getting lost in the first place, and thus help prevent you from needing to survive in the first place.

I've seen several survival stories of folks who have gotten stuck in their car with only limited knowledge of the distance to the nearest town. In one the person who walked out for help didn't make it (James Kim), and in the other they only survived because they got lucky and were found by a passing motorist. In both cases they had severely underestimated the distance to help
 
I didn't realize that there was so many different kinds and options. One option that I think that I do want it downloadable maps.
 
The eTrex "H" units are the newest ones out there. I've read that their displays are brighter than those of the GPSMAP 60 & 70 series.

Another thing to know is that you'll need to buy the more detailed maps seperately. Here are just some that are available:

MapSource City Navigator NT
The NT is a newer version that provides more compression. This is the software you'll want if you use the GPS in your car. I bought the version that comes on the MicroSD card so I have the whole country on one card. You can't do that with the CD version. These maps provide an AMAZING amount of detail for places of interest around the country, including addresses, phone numbers, exit numbers, etc..., plus they provide auto-routing capability. Enter the waypoint and the GPS helps you get there.

MapSource Topo
This provides 1:100K scale topo maps.

MapSource Topo 24K
Provides 1:24K scale topo maps for national parks. Comes in three versions: East, Central, and West.

I used the City Navigator NT MicroSD card to track our train ride out to Glacier National Park earlier this year. I used the 24K Topo West maps too - it will all fit on one MicroSD card and was worth the price to have that detail. Using the MicroSD cards made it very easy to swap between the Topo 24K card and the City Navigator NT card.
 
I didn't realize that there was so many different kinds and options.
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The Garmin website is perhaps your best resource. You can create side-by-side charts comparing the features of units you're considering. You can even download and read the manuals before buying a unit.

When you're ready to order, check out www.gpsnow.com . They often have the lowest prices, and you may be able to afford a more advanced unit than you thought. For accessories, it's hard to beat the Gilsson brand products (cables, antennas, etc.) at www.gpsgeek.com .

One option that I think that I do want it downloadable maps.
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It depends what you mean.

If you want to download the data from the GPS unit to the computer to create maps, almost any unit can do that, and interact directly with commercial PC mapping programs. Even the eTrex Basic can do that, for $100.

If you actually want to load maps into the GPS, then you need a "mapping GPS" and the brand-specific mapping software. For instance, if you want to load maps into a Garmin mapping GPS, then you have to buy the Garmin MapSource products. I believe the eTrex Legend (under $150) is the lowest-end Garmin with mapping capability.

I used the City Navigator NT MicroSD card to track our train ride out to Glacier National Park earlier this year. I used the 24K Topo West maps too - it will all fit on one MicroSD card and was worth the price to have that detail. Using the MicroSD cards made it very easy to swap between the Topo 24K card and the City Navigator NT card.
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I think only the Garmin models with the "x" designation can use the memory cards. Additionally, the "x" models connect to computers via modern USB cables.
 
I'll check some of this out. What I actually meant by "downloadable" maps was the ability to download maps into the GPS.
 
What I actually meant by "downloadable" maps was the ability to download maps into the GPS.
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Then you'll want to limit your search to the models described as "mapping" GPSes ( https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145 ) and begin selecting the Garmin MapSource products that interest you ( http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/ ).

Magellan has the same deal with their GPSes; the Magellan MapSend products are the only maps that can be loaded into a Magellan GPS.
 
I bought a Magellan Explorist 300 last winter,using it mainly for locating coordinates and it worked great.Then I found geocaching and realized that I needed a better unit.I'm looking for an Explorist 400 which will allow downloading onto an SD card and a rechargible battery.You will also want to get one with rechargible batteries or buy rechargible and a charger if you plan on using it in cold weather because the battery live the companies quote goes way down in cold weather.The 400s seem to be a good unit with enough features to make it easy to use and a reasonable price.I've also found software from Expert GPS that is suppose to work with a few different companies,they give you a 30 day trial on the software before you have to purchase.
 
Although it isn't really a budget unit, I have a Garmin GPSmap 60CSx. I absolutely love it! There is a heavily-wooded park near our home in which there are several geocaches, and even under the tree cover I get a strong signal. I had always looked at the GPSmap 60 series, but wanted removable and upgradeable memory. Garmin did that with the 'x' series, and after shopping GPS units for several years, I finally pulled the trigger. I have not been disappointed. I have two 1-gig Micro SD cards; one hold almost my entire City Navigator North America map set, and one holds most of my North America Topo map set (I think most of it). The 2-gig cards weren't out yet when I got my unit. It has bells and whistles I haven't even touched yet. It's an awesome unit, and I'm sure it'll last me quite a long time.
 
If you really want to see state of the art look at the Delorme PN20. I have been using GPS's for 25 years and this is the coolest thing every. 1:24000 maps for every part of the country unlike the Garmin. The coolest thing is I can get high resolution satellite photos of the entire US and download them to the GPS. Also, the data transfer to and from the GPS is seemless unlike the Garmins.

KR
 
Ken C. said:
Do a quick search of BFC and you'll find plenty of info.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=400187

I should also add that Magellan has a new handheld GPS unit out called the Triton. Check it out.
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I didn't think the Tritons were out yet,I was on Magellans website a couple days ago and saw the advertising for them but I thought it read something like,coming soon.Coulda just been a foggy day,too.
 
Delorme PN20
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i've been looking at those also. Seem like very cool units, but I'm hesitant to recommend anything I haven't used personally. Still, based on my experience with DeLorme's mapping software programs, I would definitely like to give one of their GPSes a try.
 
Bob W said:
i've been looking at those also. Seem like very cool units, but I'm hesitant to recommend anything I haven't used personally. Still, based on my experience with DeLorme's mapping software programs, I would definitely like to give one of their GPSes a try.
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I own a Delorme PN20 now for 2 months and highly recommend it. I also own a Etrex Vista C as well as other Garmins over the years. I have also used Magellan and work with APRS with other GPS's or GPS engines.

I am likely going to recommend it for use in my counties search and rescue crews.

Just my $.02,
KR
 
Take a look at the Magellan series. The one I got (can't remember the model) had a coupon inside for $10 topo maps of North America (maybe South America too). With an SD card, I can just download the region I will be backpacking in to the unit and have great topo maps whenever I need them. Magellan also has some units where the topo maps are bundled with the actual units, so you don't have to buy any additional maps. Something like this would probably be all you need, unless you want the satellite images that some manufacturers are starting to offer.

I don't know if you were considering it, but I would stay away from using a handheld GPS in the car, since they generally suck at that. You can get a cheap car unit like a Mio C310x for under $200 that will be vastly superior for car use.
 
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