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Should I buy a GPS?


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I'm pretty new to geocaching with only 32 finds. I was considering buying a Garmin eTrex 20. I just wanted to know if a GPS helps and is worth the investment. Thanks for any advice.

 

Helps? Its the only way I cache. GPS units have been worth every penny, but many newer cachers go the cell phone only route. Each device type has its strengths, and some cachers do make use of both.

 

The eTrex 20 is a fine choice if you decide you want to try it the GPS way. Just be aware it doesn't come out of the box with the good maps pictured on the ads.

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I'm pretty new to geocaching with only 32 finds. I was considering buying a Garmin eTrex 20. I just wanted to know if a GPS helps and is worth the investment. Thanks for any advice.

 

Helps? Its the only way I cache. GPS units have been worth every penny, but many newer cachers go the cell phone only route. Each device type has its strengths, and some cachers do make use of both.

 

The eTrex 20 is a fine choice if you decide you want to try it the GPS way. Just be aware it doesn't come out of the box with the good maps pictured on the ads.

 

I agree....I've used about everything and prefer a handheld GPS. We currently use the 62S unit. I personally prefer a unit with a 3 axis compass that always points to the cache even when walking slow or climbing....the etrex 20 does not have this feature, the etrex 30 does. That said I've only read good things about the 20 on this forum.

As said, all the units come with a worthless base map.

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What are you using now? Phone? What kind of phone, what app?

 

Maybe try using that a bit longer; you may find out things about your setup you didn't know, ways to cache more effectively.

 

BTW, I was a Garmin loyalist for 9 years, but have since switched to caching by phone (quality phone, quality app), and couldn't be happier. I may never buy another Garmin; I think they'll never catch up to the best phone/app combos, other than in a few areas like durability. I baby mine, no problems so far. (Opinions will vary on phone-vs-GPS, of course...)

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Hello,

 

I'm debating whether or not I should buy a GPS device to go Geocaching and noticed my phone actually had a built in GPS. However, the last time I tried to use it alongside the Geocaching app, the app failed because I wasn't connected to Wifi. I'm not sure whether or not I need a separate mapping app connected to the phone's GPS chip (my phone is a Android Moto G) to do this, or if I'm not understanding something about the app. If anyone could provide some information on this, I would greatly appreciate it.

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OT

 

I have an Etrex 20 and a Montana, and prefer my 20 for caching despite the fact it doesn't have a 3 axis compass. I really don't find this an issue, so wouldn't pay extra for it. With GLONASS on it's the most accurate handheld GPS I've owned/used and also more accurate than my phone.

Curious given your comments, will you get a Etrex 20x, will doubling the pixel count make any difference? I expect that increased resolution to spread through the OR & MT plus others but will it make a difference? Viewing maps and text, likely not. Perhaps viewing photos, but there the 64K colors is more of an issue. Your iphone has vastly more pixels, yet it's not your preferred tool.

 

No right or wrong answer here, just appreciate your thoughts.

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It all comes down to personal preference. There's no right or wrong answer here. Phones have become much better but the issue of possibly "ruining" it (and the associated cost with a replacement) is an answer you'll need to arrive at on your own. That would probably be the single biggest issue confronting people facing the same question, not if one is more accurate, or can last longer, etc... BOTH work well and will continue to do so.

 

I started on a phone (and still use) and bought (and still use) a dedicated GSP unit. I use the unit for prearranged trips/vacations/days and use my phone for spur of the moment caching and for EC answers (not enough space on the unit for the answers for many ECs).

 

I've heard mostly good things about both the 20 and 30 in this series.

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Advantages of a dedicated GPS:

 

Battery life is much better than your cell phone, and if you ever do run down the batteries you can just pop in a fresh pair of AA's....can't do that with a cell phone.

 

Can take a beating better than a cell phone....drop it on concrete, dunk it in the creek, handle it with muddy, grubby hands, it don't care.

 

Display is easier to read in bright sunlight than most cell phones.

 

There are different types of interface to choose from based on personal preference...joystick, buttons, touch screen, depending what you like best.

 

Doesn't "time out" like a cell phone.....I really hate it when I'm using my cell phone and I stick it in my pocket to search, and then when I pull it out it went to sleep and I have to wake it back up and wait for the app to re-orient itself....the GPS keeps doing it's job while it's in my pocket or hanging on my belt or whatever so you can just glance at it whenever you need to.

 

They obviously both have their place....if I'm only grabbing one or two caches of opportunity because I happen to be in a new area, I'll just use the phone. When I'm planning a full-day outing I'll load up a Pocket Query on my Garmin.

Edited by Chief301
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It's a good buy. I'm actually still on my first pair of AA batteries. I don't use my 20 exclusively, but I do use it often.

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=331290&st=0&p=5493815&fromsearch=1entry5493815

 

Only thing I do NOT like about it is when I am carrying it in my pocket, the joystick button on the front gets pressed numerous times and I will take it out and will have to back out until I find the right screen again. It would be great if there was a keylock to prevent accidental presses...but others have commented on this problem and there doesn't seem to be any fix aside from having a thick case on the device. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=295359

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I bought one a few weeks ago and have been quite disappointed. Thought it would be more accurate than my smartphone, but it is not. I can still be 30 feet away from the target when it says I am spot on. What's more, the users' manual is cryptic and inadequate. I've read and reread it to seek answers but come up empty. I'll keep trying and maybe I'll eventually master it but this shouldn't be that hard. Finally, the computer interface is not sophisticated at all and not really useful. I was expecting an iPhone/iTunes type interface where you can manage and manipulate your portable device on your computer, especially, be able to easily download geocache information and then easily remove the found ones, but not so. Save your money.

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I bought one a few weeks ago and have been quite disappointed. Thought it would be more accurate than my smartphone, but it is not. I can still be 30 feet away from the target when it says I am spot on. What's more, the users' manual is cryptic and inadequate. I've read and reread it to seek answers but come up empty. I'll keep trying and maybe I'll eventually master it but this shouldn't be that hard. Finally, the computer interface is not sophisticated at all and not really useful. I was expecting an iPhone/iTunes type interface where you can manage and manipulate your portable device on your computer, especially, be able to easily download geocache information and then easily remove the found ones, but not so. Save your money.

 

What unit did you buy ?

Regarding interface, the computer see's the newer GPS units as drives and you can drag / drop to the various directories etc.

Its a direct interface unlike my iPhone where you're constantly forced to use Apples iTunes and other proprietary B.S. in Apples never ending quest of squeezing money from its customers.

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What are you using now? Phone? What kind of phone, what app?

 

Maybe try using that a bit longer; you may find out things about your setup you didn't know, ways to cache more effectively.

 

BTW, I was a Garmin loyalist for 9 years, but have since switched to caching by phone (quality phone, quality app), and couldn't be happier. I may never buy another Garmin; I think they'll never catch up to the best phone/app combos, other than in a few areas like durability. I baby mine, no problems so far. (Opinions will vary on phone-vs-GPS, of course...)

Yeah, I baby mine, too, until I went for swim in Death Valley and forgot it was in my pocket. Became quite useless, which is why I use a Garmin GPS B)

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I bought one a few weeks ago and have been quite disappointed. Thought it would be more accurate than my smartphone, but it is not. I can still be 30 feet away from the target when it says I am spot on. What's more, the users' manual is cryptic and inadequate. I've read and reread it to seek answers but come up empty. I'll keep trying and maybe I'll eventually master it but this shouldn't be that hard. Finally, the computer interface is not sophisticated at all and not really useful. I was expecting an iPhone/iTunes type interface where you can manage and manipulate your portable device on your computer, especially, be able to easily download geocache information and then easily remove the found ones, but not so. Save your money.

 

What unit did you buy ?

Regarding interface, the computer see's the newer GPS units as drives and you can drag / drop to the various directories etc.

Its a direct interface unlike my iPhone where you're constantly forced to use Apples iTunes and other proprietary B.S. in Apples never ending quest of squeezing money from its customers.

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Thank you Bamboozle for your comment. I got an eTrex 20x. I know it is not as expensive as many other Garmin products but yes, I was expecting better performance (chiefly, accuracy) than from my iPhone. However, I intend to keep plugging away and trying to learn to use it effectively.

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