Looking for GPS Advice.

B

Big Mike

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Aug 30, 2006
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Household funds have been allotted for a GPS unit (read: Wife wants one).

The unit will have to be user friendly for driving instructions, including voice turn by turn and street names.

But I really want a woods oriented unit.

Are there units available that do both well?

Or, …am I better off just getting Her a cheap car unit and saving for a second woods type unit for myself?





Big Mike
 
There are a couple that are meant for double duty, but from the reviews I've read that trade offs for woods use are too many, plus the car specific ones have just gotten so dirt cheap these days. Watch techbargains.com for good online deals. They have a a link right now to a TomTom car GPS for $79, free shipping. It's probably a refurb, but I'm sure it works. Then get yourself a woods only unit later. You can get the very capable Delorme PN-30 for $200. Or tell the wife the TomTom is $279 and order both now :D
 
I also wanted a woods oriented unit but was willing to give up car features to get it. I have Garmin 60Csx and I love it. It's been great. I use it in the woods. The family uses it in the car. It doesn't have a slick interface for entering addresses and finding restaraunts etc. like the dedicated car units and it doesn't have voice commands but it works for us and it keeps me happy when I'm out fishing and hiking.
 
DMD08 said:
I also wanted a woods oriented unit but was willing to give up car features to get it. I have Garmin 60Csx and I love it. It's been great. I use it in the woods. The family uses it in the car. It doesn't have a slick interface for entering addresses and finding restaraunts etc. like the dedicated car units and it doesn't have voice commands but it works for us and it keeps me happy when I'm out fishing and hiking.
Click to expand...

I'll put in another blurb for the 60CSx even though it's more suited to the woods than the roads. It's an oldie, but it has a great chip set and picks up well in cover. I use mine for hikes and mountain bike rides under canopy and am able to get good tracks reliably. I have used the 60CSx in my vehicle before to get me back on track.

As DMD08 notes, the interface is old-school clunky, but it's fairly intuitive. My buddy has a touch-screen Garmin Colorado and really likes the interface on it.

Honestly, I think you'll be better served by two separate units--a handheld, dedicated woods unit and a unit for the car. I bought my 60CSx on sale early last year, and then I waited for the Black Friday deals to come around before I finally picked up a good TomTom for the vehicle.
 
Cheaps for both. Car gps bulky and low battery for trail. Trail gps too small screen, expensive model to get turn-by-turn directions for car. I like Garmin. I have expensies of both, was even recommended against it, and now don't much use either, let alone the fancy/superfluous features. Around $150 or so should get you one of each, or a downpayment on one fancy one :D

For the car, the map-routing seems to tell you the same way to get to the same place. Direction-wise, bigger differences between companies than models within; i.e. we unplugged a high end Navigon in favor of a bottomline Garmin (less features to fuss with but better mapping). Bigger/brighter screens, graphics, more voice options.. A to B, please.

For the trail, something that has a decent receiver, water-resistant, and gives your coords (set datum to match your map). I try to run everything on AA, so power-source may be a consideration. Basically, coordinates on command, to compare to map. Breadcrumb/tracking is my fav part of gps, as well as well as waypoints. Handy if you get bewildered. Fun to review your personal trail, layered on a digi topo map, for a trip log. Elevation, duration of travel, distance covered, all logged.

Should you want to upgrade, you'll have a good understanding without biting off too much first time around.
 
I think Garmin's Nuvi 500 and 550 are the ones you might look at. Seems that it is a fairly good for the things you require.

1) IPX 7 Rated: 1 meter under the surface of water for 30 minutes.
2) You can download or get topo maps on it.
3) It has the touch screen that all Nuvi (Automobile) units have.
4) It will do the turn by turn like all Nuvi units.
5) You can get rechargable batteries for it. One more extra battery should be more than enough for you to get from house to trail head to back country destination with extra charge for just in case.
6) Comes with City Navigator already.
7) More shock resistant than other Nuvi units.

Hope this helps.
 
3rd for the 60CSx.

It's durable, intuative, waterproof. It's a bit bulky, but you know it's there.
Just be sure to (IMHO) keep your compass/map work as your primary nav. tool and use the GPS to confirm your pos/as back-up.

Use them (your map skills), or lose them....
 
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