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Which GPS ??

13K views 52 replies 9 participants last post by  BruceBruce1959 
#1 ·
I would like some advice on which GPS handhelds I should look into before making a purchase. Up till now I haven't needed a GPS but this next season is going to be a little adventerous for me...

Any special features I should be looking for?
Any particular brand ?
Any particular Model?

Any information you can offer for is appreciated. Thank you all.
 
#3 ·
:lol: :lol: :lol: Naw,, I just decided it's time to go to places that, up till now I only dreamed about hunting..
 
#7 ·
I use a Magellin Explorist 400 and it works pretty well.You have to buy one with the maps on a disc or get it seperately.When you put the program on your computer you can customize the maps for your situation.It comes with topo maps and major and minor roads of the entire country.I dont know enough about other GPS recievers to say how it compares but it does the job in all teraines and weather.The only nock is that if you have Windows Vista its kind of a pain to load and download maps to the reciever.Also the new ones have color,weatherbands and two way radio capabilities but alot higher prices.GPS is very handy in big woods.
 
#9 ·
Bruce I do not know what your finances are but up in your area look at it as important to the hunt as your choice of weapon. What you are looking for is something that will interface with online mapping (so you can make your own maps) and have everything else there when you need it such as weather, baro pressure (sudden weather changes), forcast warnings. The Garmin 530HCx or the 60CSx will do it all. Pricey but it is like computers changing everyday. This is the latest and greatest. It is up to you what is absolutly nessesary. I would stay as close to these units as you can. I use these units mapping buck trails and travel corridors for downloading onto my map features. It with trail cams helps me predict where a buck is going, why, and how and where I can intercept him. I know this sounds crazy but yes I can figure these things out but now I can put them on paper to remember them. I am getting older you know.:tongue:
 
#10 ·
what he said.i have 2 units an OLD LOWRANCE. CANT GET SOFTWARE FOR IT.ALSO GOT A CHEAP GARMIN GEKO IT WAS A GIFT BUT I THINK THEY GO FOR 80$ THIS IS YOUR BASIC ELECTRONIC COMPASS:lol: sorry caps loc.those new units look/sound amazing.i use a delorme topo program and they sent me an ad for that new unit.it does everything but shoot and drag the deer for ya:ibtl:
 
#11 ·
Bruce,
I've had a Garmin for about 8 years now, and it works great. It definitely lives up to it's marketing. I'm sure the others are good, too. But I can tell you from experience that the Garmin folks really stand behind their product. I originally bought a used Garmin from a colleague for $50 - at that price, I figured I couldn't go wrong. WRONG! It had a problem - wouldn't save waypoints. I sent it back to Garmin with a letter explaining the problem and asking them for an estimate on the repairs. Not two weeks later, a brand new upgraded unit arrived. I was dumbfounded! I got a GPS valued at about $350 for an investment of fifty bucks! I have never had any problems with the new one. Good luck, Go Garmin.
(I usually say, "Go Patriots!" but I'll wait till next Sunday for that.)
 
#12 ·
As long as it's a Garmin you won't go wrong. I have used a 12XL for years, i don't think they even make it any longer but it gets me in and out of the thickest woods just fine. You will be suprised at how usefull it is. I have a TOPO series map on the computer that I download all my trails and waypoints on. I have years of tree stand sites, deer trails, rub lines and parking spots on the computer map.

One bit of advice, allways carry a compass with you. Mine has never quit on me but it has run out of batteries.
 
#13 ·
very true and i like to keep a hot hands pack next to it when it gets REAL COLD
 
#14 · (Edited)
Hey, Buckshot, I have an Garmin 12XL, too. I think it's great. On one occasion, I was returning to camp and realized I had lost or left one of the lense covers of my spotting scope somewhere. So, using the GPS, I backtracked alomost step for step. Bingo, got my lense cover back just like that!
Thanks for mentioning how you could interface the GPS with software for your computer. I find that to be not only helpful in planning a hunt, but also just plain fun. I've got several pieces of software for this. The National Geographic Topo and the DeLorme are both great. (The National Geographic is more accurate, overall, but they compliment each other by giving slightly different details.) Using either on of these, you could punch your route onto the sceen of your computer. If it looks good, you could then upload it into your GPS so that when you arrive at your hunting spot, you just turn on the GPS and go. You can also reverse the process by marking waypoints and routes into your GPS while hunting, and when you get home, download them into your copmputer software for a record of your hunt. If you also download Google Earth (free) and look at the same area, adjusting viewing anlges and rotating the picture to the actual view that you would have when approaching the area, you can get a super idea of just what the terrain will look like even before you ever see it in real life. Google uses actual satellite photos so you can see trees, fencelines and real landmarks. I even found my house with my truck parked outside. Haven't seen any elk or deer yet, but it's almost that good. If the photos were in real time, they'd have to make it illegal. Heck, it's pretty scary already!! It's amazing!!!
Bruce, be careful, you can get atticted to this kind of fun!
 
#19 ·
A man after my own heart. I am a fanatic about using the GPS and computer maps and your right it is addicting. I prefer the NG TOPO state series to the Delorme. It has so much better graphics and detail.

The 12XL has been extremely reliable for me, it doesn't have the fancy on board maps but it locks on to satellites quickly and gets me plenty close to my way points even without WAAS .


Bruce

That looks like a really nice unit. The SD card and the high sensitivity receiver are nice features, not to mention the display. It won't take you long to master using it. You will definitely want the mapping software
ASAP that is half the fun.

When I go to the woods I turn on the unit and let it track my movements. Add and name the waypoints for stands sites deer rubs or whatever then when I get home I download it all and can see where I was on the computer screen and have it all saved to the hard drive. Now if I go back to an area that I hunted 10 years ago I can download all the good stuff from the previous trips and walk right to it.
 
#15 ·
that google earth is pretty amazing i use it all the time.forget mapquest use google earth:thumbup:
 
#16 · (Edited)
Oh yeah Joel & onehorse, I LOVE google earth.. I highly recommend Google Earth to everyone, Especially hunters,
It's amazing how you can locate places to hunt or locate other entrances to the places you already hunt
by seeing the surrrounding roads. It's just simply awesome.
check it out,,,, OH and It's free too GoogleEarth.com <--Click link
 
#17 ·
I just wanted to say Thank you everyone for your advice and input on the GPS's.
I just ordered this one, the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx And I can't wait to start playing with it... :pickle:


 
#18 ·
My new Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx came yesterday, I Don't know anything about it yet but I will learn.
I had to call Garmin already because the sales clerk said it had all the mapping softwares included. "It Doesn't" :confused:
It only comes with a lame street map, and when I say Lame, I mean LAME,
It's called "trip and waypoint manager" notice it doesnt even have the word Map in it? LOL
I Mean it looks like a map :w00t: but after a closer look I found misspelled city names, citys that arent even listed,
just a poor attempt in creating a mapping software.....
It doesn't have a topo map included, So if you buy one expecting a topo map, :ranting:
Garmin say's, "We're Sorry but the topo map is an additional $ 116.00 Dollars"
Other then the map issue I do believe it is going to be a great tool and if it seems like i'm whining about it,
I'm not really, I'll eventually get the better mapping software, so it's all good.
OK now that I got that all out I feel much better.. :pickle:
 
#20 ·
An overlooked use of your GPS.

Bruce,
Sorry you're off to a not so smooth start with Garmin. I've been told that some of the new units require the purchase of some software right up front. Too bad the clerk did not make you aware of this.

Here's a tip on a way that you can use your GPS:
When I get a long shot at an animal, I mark the spot from where I shot as a waypoint. Then I walk to the downed game and, from that spot, I ask my GPS to tell me how far I am from the shooting waypoint. It gives the distance in 1/100ths of a mile. Just convert that to yards: multiply 17.6 x (number of hundredths) For example, your GPS shows that you are .16m from the waypoint from which you took your shot, so multiply 17.6 x 16 = 281.6. Conratulations, you just shot a deer (or whatever) from 282 yards. Nice shot!
 
#22 ·
Bruce,
Sorry you're off to a not so smooth start with Garmin. I've been told that some of the new units require the purchase of some software right up front. Too bad the clerk did not make you aware of this.

Here's a tip on a way that you can use your GPS:
When I get a long shot at an animal, I mark the spot from where I shot as a waypoint. Then I walk to the downed game and, from that spot, I ask my GPS to tell me how far I am from the shooting waypoint. It gives the distance in 1/100ths of a mile. Just convert that to yards: multiply 17.6 x (number of hundredths) For example, your GPS shows that you are .16m from the waypoint from which you took your shot, so multiply 17.6 x 16 = 281.6. Conratulations, you just shot a deer (or whatever) from 282 yards. Nice shot!
It really isn't a bad start, It was just the fact that a salesclerk from BestBuy said this particular unit came with all the softwares including the topo maps,
That was very attractive too because I was well aware of what the individual mapping costs were.
But it's okay, I know I'm going to put this GPS to good use, It will get me in and back out of the deep woods and that's what's most important...
 
#21 ·
Bruce if it makes you feel better the card for my GPS chart plotter on my boats was 300.00 a pop. But I feel it was money well spent. I'm sure you will be very happy with that unit. The things you can do are almost endless. Very smart buy. It looks like those NH bucks better watch out because BruceBruce is coming!!:yes:
 
#24 ·
No problem at all with Vista, Once you install the Trip and waypoint manager it's just like plug and play...
 
#30 ·
I'm using Windows Vista Home Premium

Are you having problems with Vista?

if so what is it doing?
Nothing with the vista so much as that some of the software needs to be vista specific.
My Magellan wouldnt load the maps at first.I finally got a rep on the phone through Cabellas and they
walked me through it.On the Magellan site there is a section on how to download maps from the computer
to your GPS.I turkey hunt in big woods so its nice to park my truck at dark and chase turkeys all day.
When its time to leave just turn back on and see where my truck is and head that way.With the topo
part of it you can find likely strut zones close to ridges where their gobbling.Any way Im starting to ramble
on but you will find many good uses for a GPS.....Good Luck
 
#27 ·
Just another thought on the Gps. If any of yall shop at wal-mart they have put all their hunting stuff on clearance. 2 of my co-workers picked up some Garmins. They were regular $160 and they paid $74. I went today but they were all sold out at mine. hang on stands were half off though.
 
#28 ·
Bruce, Garmin has so many different ones how do you choose? How much memory does one need to download maps? Seen the 60Csx for $305 at Walmart but was leaning toward Etrex Venture. Any suggestions? No big adventures just don't won't to get lost again walking out in the dark. Plus figured it would make a lot easier going a little deeper in before first light.:bye:
 
#29 ·
Yeah the one I got is feature-packed, Is it all necessary? probably not as a GPS but my old eye's likes that big color display LOL, and I wanted the mapping feature also BUT the basic GPS's all have high ratings and all work well to get you in and back out of the woods.
I have no doubt the Venture will work great also because Phillip (girlfriends son) has the Etrex H series it's exactly like The Venture, it's simple, basic and easy to learn ...
So If you dont need the fancy bells and whistles I'd say go for it.
 
#31 ·
Well the thought of not having Topo maps got the best of me. :wallbash:

So, I just ordered the Garmin Topo U.S. 2008, I added a 2 Gig MicroSD card to the package as well...

I figure I may as well order it and learn it all right from the start instead of training myslef one piece at a time.....
 
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