gps

[rudeone]

Anyone out there have advice on a hand held gps for hiking and/or geocaching?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MKern]

Make sure it's compatible to a computer atlas program like Delorme so you can track where you where.

 

[Ramcatt]

i have the delmore earthmate pn-20

it syncs with a full US delorme mapping DVD
the program does mapping and is a topo also
good stuff
downside... PC only
its weatherproof and takes AAs

PM me if you want more info

 

[pcray1231]

Well, they'll all do the job. My #1 factors are size, satellite reception, and fast and non-buggy software. Don't get carried away with features, the basic features that all of them have are still the most useful. I bought my dad a Garmin 60csx a while ago, it is a very good unit and blows anything else I've seen out of the water. The Etrex line is pretty good, my brother has one and I like it enough, the reception is iffy though. Reception is iffy on my old Magellan and my uncle's DeLorme as well.

Maps: Get one with a topo map. Sometimes you gotta pay extra. When researching, make sure you take that into account, the map can be nearly as much as the unit. Most of them use only their type of maps, for instance with Garmin units you gotta buy the Garmin maps.

Software: I've used one of the Delorme Earthmates, and it was buggy as heck and took forever to navigate the screens. It sucks to be hunting, fishing, or hiking and spending time instead playing with some stupid electronic device. That was a while ago so maybe they've improved, but I won't buy one that I can't pull out and play with at the store, so I stay away from bubble packs and the like.

Reception: I think I consider this the #1 factor. For wintertime or open skies, they all do fine, but the weaker antennas take longer. In tree cover, the weak antenna's may not get coverage at all and the best antennas will still be pretty quick. This might be fairly old data, as I haven't been in the market for a while, but do yourself a favor and check out the antenna specs. The SiRF antennas are excellent. Internal patch antennas kind of suck, or at least they used to. It really sucks to be still waiting to get reception when you could have been half way there by now.

Batteries: These things eat batteries like cameras do, maybe worse. Get yourself 2 GOOD pair of NiMh rechargables, not just the cheapest ones you find at Walmart, and a charger. Rechargable batteries say their capacity on them (maH) and some are more than others, get ones at 2500 maH or better. The new hybrid NiMh look good but I haven't tried them. The advantage looks to be that they don't self discharge, as NiMH will do with time and thus its important to make sure they're freshly charged.

Features: They all can store plenty of waypoints, tell you what direction and how far, track distances travelled, etc. No real big differences here. A big, color screen is nice but pricy. The electronic compass is nice, as it tells you the right direction when standing still. The ones without this feature don't know what direction is what unless you are walking, so you have to move to get it to orient itself. Annoying, but whether its worth the money is up to you. Most of the other features, IMO, are pretty useless. Some of the models advertise weather reports and even satellite pictures, I've never used this. It sounds useful if it works right, but make sure the reviews say that it works and that you don't have to pay a monthly fee or soemthing.

Size: This is important, some of these things are pretty big. I want something I can throw in a pocket or on a belt. If its so big you have to put it in a pack, its not going to be all that useful.

The new trend seems to be for people to navigate cities on foot. Stay away from these for outdoor use. Things like touch screens have no place in rugged outdoor use.

 

[TUNA]

I have a Garmin LegendHCX, I love it and it does everything all of the fancier ones do. It comes with basic maps, but would recommend getting all of the topo maps and an extra memory card or 4. They sell cheap on ebay

 

[k-bob]

I use a garmin etrex with the extra-cost topo map. It can improve your fishing because you have info on how far you are from some other stream or stretch. Saves time and lets you improvise. With the topo map, even tiny streams are shown and named. You can use waypoints to mark places for your way back, good pools, or just leave it on and it records your path.

No need for a gps if you'll be near the car, the climbing isn't bad, and you're and going to places you know well. It's a big help for exploring steep and big places like the carbon county stony run (Lehigh trib), with it you'll have better feel for where you are and the various ways to go back. The topo map is a must for this sort of use. The topo map shows small logging roads, and can sometimes let you do less bushwhacking paralell to a road.

If you buy a basic garmin etrex and the topo map, the etrex has only enough factory memory for about 1/4 of PA. This doesn't bother me, but you have to load the map areas you want into the etrex before you go out. Takes a while to learn to use it.

 

[sandfly]

Lowrance I-finder have had it for years never let me down. mapping works with navtec also. can use as a sonar too. just in case I drive in water to deep..lol..can go from boat to car to hand..have used it for geocaching, hiking fishing, hunting, etc..

 

[troutbert]

Is screen size a big consideration when choosing a GPS? It's great having the topo maps but can you really read them very well on a small screen. It seems like if you zoom into a scale that provides a lot of detail, say around 1:24,000 like the good old USGS paper quadrangle maps, then you'd be looking at a tiny area of landscape on the screen and that it would be hard to see the context of the surrounding areas.

Is there a lot of variation in screen size? I'm talking about handheld GPS units for backcountry exporation, not car GPS units.

 

[pcray1231]

troutbert,

In my experience, yes, but resolution/color means more. The one I use is ancient and black and white, still pretty good sized though. It's not real easy, takes a little while to figure things out. The one I bought my dad is about the same size, but better resolution and color, and its very nice indeed.

Whether its worth the price, well, thats another question. But it is nice...

 

[k-bob]

guys the small color screen on my etrex venture hc works quite well for bushwacking and as mentioned the extra costs topo map is a must. as with many technologies, I think you need to use it to appreciate it, and then use it for a while to get better at using it and take maximum advantage. for example, I have found some great stream access points in steep places but just leaving the etrex on while on a road near a stream but with obscured visibility. lets you start bushwacking at the closest point, and stay on track...