£150 to spend. Which gps do i buy?

[+halesquad]

I have just started geocaching and would like to buy a gps. I have looked on so many sites to review all the different features. I keep coming back to the Garmin GMAP 60CSx as a favourite for some reason. I would like a gps to last for a while and not get peed off with it due to lack of features or mapping. Do i need to spend more for a unit and then build up the maps as time goes by?

 

I am very impressed with the Satmap Active 10, but realise that the unit costs £300 ish and then you have GOT to buy the maps for UK only.

 

Are the garmin etrex h any good or will they be put to one side very quickly.

 

Am i right in thinking that for this money i wouldn't get one with any detailed maps on?

 

I think that i would like a gps with an expandable memory so i can put additional things on.

 

What other features are important to a person like me that goes out for walks with the kids to find a few caches.

 

I can read a map and compass if this is a consideration for finding footpaths etc.

 

I love playing around with gadgets and computers.

 

Many thanks

Halesquad

[+Smurf]

I love playing around with gadgets and computers.

 

That being the case , I'd go for a pda (less than £100 off ebay), and a good quality bluetooth gpsr

 

That way there are many many programs for caching availible, also memory map etc etc ,, you can go totaly paperless etc etc

the downside being that most PDAs are not water proof, (but mine goes in a ziplock bag if its raining)

[+The Other Stu]

I love playing around with gadgets and computers.

 

That being the case , I'd go for a pda (less than £100 off ebay), and a good quality bluetooth gpsr

 

That way there are many many programs for caching availible, also memory map etc etc ,, you can go totaly paperless etc etc

the downside being that most PDAs are not water proof, (but mine goes in a ziplock bag if its raining)

 

You want an Otterbox (Many similar products are also available, listeners)

 

I've seen quite a few cachers out in the rain with these.

[+halesquad]

I love playing around with gadgets and computers.

 

That being the case , I'd go for a pda (less than £100 off ebay), and a good quality bluetooth gpsr

 

That way there are many many programs for caching availible, also memory map etc etc ,, you can go totaly paperless etc etc

the downside being that most PDAs are not water proof, (but mine goes in a ziplock bag if its raining)

 

Any suggestions and is the sat reception good on these devices?

 

I hadn't thought of these things.

[+*mouse*]

 

Any suggestions and is the sat reception good on these devices?

 

I hadn't thought of these things.

 

It come down to the type of GPS chipset that is in your unit. I'm not the most technically minded (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!), but I think the best chipset is a siRF3 (Garmin call their equivilent of a siRF3 'highsensitivity'). The trick is to make sure that you get the best GPS chip you can afford so you have the best accuracy when you're out caching.

 

The PDA vs GPSr debate is a long running one, and there are pros and cons to both. It comes down to personal preference really. GPSr maps are not as good as running memory map on a PDA, however a GPSr is more robust as it is built for use outside so is waterproof and cacher proof!

 

Why not go to an event and ask some other cachers to show you their units? That way you can get a feel for what you like before spending lots of money.

[+*mouse*]

Just another thought....

 

Smurf has already touched on paperless caching. If you think this is something you'll likely to want to do, then this will influence the units available for you.

 

Graculus (one of the UK reviewers) has a handy website that explains more about paperless caching. Here's a link:-

 

Paperless Caching

[+drdick&vick]

One other thing to remember is that PDA's all have their own specific batteries that are charged by a plug in charger, the average life on a full charge seems to be around 4 hours. Mine manages 4 hrs if I turn it on and off to use M Map and for the notes and hint, must admit I have never tried leaving it permantly on but just to be on the safe side I do carry a 'Power Monkey'. A Garmin GPS unit uses replaceable batteries which removes the time limit.

Of course this only applies if you are going to be out for a long periods.

[+Smurf]

 

Any suggestions and is the sat reception good on these devices?

 

I hadn't thought of these things.

 

It come down to the type of GPS chipset that is in your unit. I'm not the most technically minded (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong!), but I think the best chipset is a siRF3 (Garmin call their equivilent of a siRF3 'highsensitivity'). The trick is to make sure that you get the best GPS chip you can afford so you have the best accuracy when you're out caching.

 

The PDA vs GPSr debate is a long running one, and there are pros and cons to both. It comes down to personal preference really. GPSr maps are not as good as running memory map on a PDA, however a GPSr is more robust as it is built for use outside so is waterproof and cacher proof!

 

Why not go to an event and ask some other cachers to show you their units? That way you can get a feel for what you like before spending lots of money.

 

 

I must admit that the built in gps in my pda isn't the best ,, so i also carry an "etrex H" which is VERY basic (tho very cheap - about the £75 mark new) but is so good it even gets a fix indoors

Edited September 11, 2009 by Smurf

[+mcwomble]

Ebay is your friend!

 

I picked up a secondhand Satmap for £180 but I've seen them go as low as £110.

Likewise the 1:50K county maps are fairly cheap too

[+burtsbodgers]

The biggest debate about this sort of thing is how you like to cache.

 

with a PDA you can load loads of caches and maps which are relatively cheap, but battery life and robustness suffer. You also need various software packages to use to get the information on to the units which takes time to get the hang of, But will give very good paperless caching.

 

A GPSr can be range from the basic pointer to the paperless, if you want added maps and to cache at the drop of a hat the more you pay the quicker you can go.

If you spend up to £200 you probably wont get paperless and will need to print of descriptions needing more time before you can go also adding 1 cache at a time to the memory.

If you spend over this you can get some very easy to use paperless units, However the cache descriptions will lack images from the pages and some info from time to time. these more expensive units will allow quicker "get out and go" caching sessions. Also you can get better maps for these but at some cost.

you can add caches 1 at a time or in batches (pocket queries) of 500 at a time without the need for more software.

 

In my opinion you have 2 ways to go:

PDA (mio)and cheap GPSr (etrex H)and spend more time planning your session or more expensive GPSr (oregon) (which i use) and be out of the house in a couple of minutes with the satnav settings taking you to the first cache.

I know which i prefer and have gone that route, it then allows me to spend more time writing logs

Edited September 11, 2009 by burtsbodgers

[+purple_pineapple]

The biggest debate about this sort of thing is how you like to cache.

 

with a PDA you can load loads of caches and maps which are relatively cheap, but battery life and robustness suffer. You also need various software packages to use to get the information on to the units which takes time to get the hang of, But will give very good paperless caching.

 

A GPSr can be range from the basic pointer to the paperless, if you want added maps and to cache at the drop of a hat the more you pay the quicker you can go.

If you spend up to £200 you probably wont get paperless and will need to print of descriptions needing more time before you can go also adding 1 cache at a time to the memory.

If you spend over this you can get some very easy to use paperless units, However the cache descriptions will lack images from the pages and some info from time to time. these more expensive units will allow quicker "get out and go" caching sessions. Also you can get better maps for these but at some cost.

you can add caches 1 at a time or in batches (pocket queries) of 500 at a time without the need for more software.

 

In my opinion you have 2 ways to go:

PDA (mio)and cheap GPSr (etrex H)and spend more time planning your session or more expensive GPSr (oregon) (which i use) and be out of the house in a couple of minutes with the satnav settings taking you to the first cache.

I know which i prefer and have gone that route, it then allows me to spend more time writing logs

 

All true except the prices! I'm almost certain that we got our new Garmin Oregon for about £180 from Amazon for the 200 model. MrsPP knows how much she spent!

 

this will suffice for an entirely paperless caching experience - you can load an entire PQ (or the results of an offline database (eg GSAK) filter), and holds the full description, hint, logs, and allows you to mark it as found, unfound, etc, in the field. You can then sync this with GC.com's Field Notes feature, for easier logging.

 

We used a Mio P550 PDA until about 6 weeks ago. Generally considered the bees knees for paperless caching, we had full offline database and Memory Map to 1:25000 - all the advantages of a top end PDA. Unfortunately, it also had the disadvantages of a PDA, and I got it wet... Its now off for a repair, and we treated ourselves to an Oregon. Having been a PDA fan, I'm very impressed with the Oregon - the only thing I miss is the OS Maps at 1:25000. I suspect when we have both units working, the Oregon will be #1 choice, with the PDA as backup and for OS Maps when needed. Oh, and it will live in its waterproof case this time!

 

Hope that helps!

 

Dave

 

PS - battery life for the PDA is as quoted, about 4 hours. We used a battery extender (has 4xAA batteries in it) and never had any problems when out for a day's caching.

[+rutson]

To be honest my advise would be to hang on until you can afford £200 and get an Oregon 200. Proper paperless caching in a rugged unit with sensible battery life.

[+burtsbodgers]

To be honest my advise would be to hang on until you can afford £200 and get an Oregon 200. Proper paperless caching in a rugged unit with sensible battery life.

and as you progress through your caching career you can improve the performance by adding better and better maps.

although sometimes you still need to print out the odd picture based cache when you need the images.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Garmin GMAP 60CSx is a good rugged unit.

 

With GSAK and a macro caches can be loaded as POI's (Points of Interest) with descriptions from the cache page.

 

Basic macro will give you cache name/number D/T rating and hint.

advanced macro can give description from the cache page.

 

Needs a little thinking about as a complicated cache description can take several pages on the GPSr!

You don't want to get halfway round a multi-part multi cache to find you've run out of clues!

 

The unit also accepts the FREE maps compiled by Talky Toaster.