Know nothing on GPS

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2005 4:34 pm

I am looking for a GPS that will give me information on the road and off the road. I would really like it to be like a navagation system, where I could plug in an address and it would find it. I would also like it to be able to track where I am on a trail and tell me elev., cords, and such things as this. A lot of help needed on this. Like I said I know not a thing about GPS but would like to get one for the trails and trips.
Thanks
Chris

Guest · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2005 4:39 pm

Check out GARMIN. But only if you want the best. Regardless, their website can teach you a lot about GPS.

Guyute1210 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2005 5:08 pm

I have a Garmin eTrex Venture. Works well, but the screen is B&W and a bit small. Although, i usually use MS Mappoint (or MS Streets will work too) and have it attached to my laptop for use with driving directions using the laptops display. Eventually i want to get a smaller LCD display and computer to hook up in the jeep.
I would suggest going to Garmin's website and looking to see what fit's your needs and is within your price range. Do you have a PDA or a Laptop that you want to use with it? Check out Garmin's Purchase Assistant, it will help you narrow down to a few models, for what you are exactly looking for: http://www.garmin.com/purchaseAssistant/

Personally I'm looking into getting this model next as it will do what I am looking for (maybe you too), plus Geocaching. http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap76cs

Cacher123 · **Posted:** Tue Oct 04, 2005 10:59 pm

I use a Garmin V attached to an older thinkpad on a RAM mount. See my Cardomain page. I also use it for Geocaching. To learn alot about GPS start with the Garmin site as suggested here but I also suggest you goto the forums at Geocaching.com as they will give you more details than u ever wanted to know about GPSs!

Guyute1210 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2005 12:02 pm

Cacher123 wrote:

I use a Garmin V attached to an older thinkpad on a RAM mount. See my Cardomain page. I also use it for Geocaching. To learn alot about GPS start with the Garmin site as suggested here but I also suggest you goto the forums at Geocaching.com as they will give you more details than u ever wanted to know about GPSs!

Cacher...I think we are the only two that Geocache here at this site...

corwyyn · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2005 1:12 pm

Guyute1210 wrote:

Cacher...I think we are the only two that Geocache here at this site...

Nope, there are a few more on here, myself included. And I'm with Cacher, I also use a GPS V; auto-routing is very nice, especially when urban caching

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Thu Oct 06, 2005 2:40 pm

I use a sony clie with a mouse-type GPS. Because it's a PDA, I can load whatever software I want to use (tracking, mapping, street directions, etc) and it has a nice large color screen. I mostly use it in/around boston to give me directions to places, but I imagine it would be good off the road as well. Only downside is that it won't work away from the jeep since the mouse GPS is powered by the cigarette lighter.

Also - it's cheaper than most standalone GPSs....the GPS was about $50 on eBay and the clie (which I had anyway) was around $250.

LuckeyDuckey · **Posted:** Fri Oct 07, 2005 3:51 am

we have a garmin 60cs. what's awesome about it is that the compass works when standing still. you may not think it's a big deal, but it's a really nice feature. it has a color screen too. and only uses 2 AA batteries.

i have not heard good things about magellen, mostly that they fall apart but i don't have any first hand experience.

oh, and we're geocachers too and you can find us on geocaching.com under the same name as here.

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) · **Posted:** Fri Oct 07, 2005 8:47 am

Thanks for the info! I looked at the Garmin website and I really like the GPS V. The price evven looks great.

dirtykj · **Posted:** Thu Oct 13, 2005 8:00 pm

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) wrote:

I am looking for a GPS that will give me information on the road and off the road. I would really like it to be like a navagation system, where I could plug in an address and it would find it. I would also like it to be able to track where I am on a trail and tell me elev., cords, and such things as this. A lot of help needed on this. Like I said I know not a thing about GPS but would like to get one for the trails and trips.
Thanks
Chris

Garmin has a lot of things going for it. They have nicely packaged map sets with decent (not always up-to-date or the most accurate) coverage. Their maps usually have good set of "points of interest" as well (such as hospitals, restaurants, parks, water/land features, etc.)

I bought an iQue 3600 and while I wouldn't recommend this model to other people, it has mostly worked out great for me. The problems I have with this model are: (1) the software is somewhat buggy, and (2) the unit consumes too much power.

You have a lot of choices when it comes to GPS hardware. You can get standalone hand-held units, or you can get GPS receiver and plug it into your laptop. The key to your selection is not the GPS unit itself, but rather, the maps. The positioning data alone without maps (and value-added maps, at that) is not worthwhile except for specific situations. Without maps, you don't have street-level navigation.

If you go with the handheld route, you eliminate the choice of OS from the equation (you get a finished product). If you go the laptop route, you (unfortunately) have to use the Evil Empire's OS (Windoze) or at best, Macintosh.

I chose the iQue 3600 route because it's also a PDA and I can develop in PalmOS and use it for controlling my media box as well. It's a multifunction gadget

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2005 3:11 pm

dirtykj wrote:

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) wrote:

I am looking for a GPS that will give me information on the road and off the road. I would really like it to be like a navagation system, where I could plug in an address and it would find it. I would also like it to be able to track where I am on a trail and tell me elev., cords, and such things as this. A lot of help needed on this. Like I said I know not a thing about GPS but would like to get one for the trails and trips.
Thanks
Chris

Garmin has a lot of things going for it. They have nicely packaged map sets with decent (not always up-to-date or the most accurate) coverage. Their maps usually have good set of "points of interest" as well (such as hospitals, restaurants, parks, water/land features, etc.)

I bought an iQue 3600 and while I wouldn't recommend this model to other people, it has mostly worked out great for me. The problems I have with this model are: (1) the software is somewhat buggy, and (2) the unit consumes too much power.

You have a lot of choices when it comes to GPS hardware. You can get standalone hand-held units, or you can get GPS receiver and plug it into your laptop. The key to your selection is not the GPS unit itself, but rather, the maps. The positioning data alone without maps (and value-added maps, at that) is not worthwhile except for specific situations. Without maps, you don't have street-level navigation.

If you go with the handheld route, you eliminate the choice of OS from the equation (you get a finished product). If you go the laptop route, you (unfortunately) have to use the Evil Empire's OS (Windoze) or at best, Macintosh.

I chose the iQue 3600 route because it's also a PDA and I can develop in PalmOS and use it for controlling my media box as well. It's a multifunction gadget

While I don't understand a lot about what you said I thank you for your in put while I try to figure this thing out.

corwyyn · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2005 5:11 pm

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) wrote:

Thanks for the info! I looked at the Garmin website and I really like the GPS V. The price evven looks great.

Searching the net I see prices of $220-$350 for the GPS V depending on where you want to buy. I happened to pick one up at Best Buy about 6 months ago for $250 and it came with the Mapsource CD. The V has several advantages over other handheld-sized units:

larger display
rotatable external antenna
larger buttons
screen orientation is selectable (portrait/landscape style)
option of adding a remote external antenna

I use my gps for caching, off-roading, and trips to towns where I don't know my way around. I can download maps for the destinations and have street-level navigation, plus it has an audible alert for upcoming turns. All in all I am quite happy with my V.

LuckeyDuckey · **Posted:** Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:36 pm

keep in mind that a quad helix antenna is supposed to be better. i have the garmin 60cs and it has more memory and a color screen and, as i stated before, a compass that works when you're not moving. you won't believe how handy that is to find north without have to walk around a 2 mph or faster.

also, remember to stock up on rechargeable batteries. ours takes two and we always bring more along.

Guest · **Posted:** Sun Oct 16, 2005 6:37 pm

Know nothing on GPS

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