Shopping for a GPS

[+Blue_Ranger]

After watching my position jump all over the woods today using my phone, I'm looking at GPSr's on the store site. I'm specifically looking at the eTrex 20 and the Oregon 600. I can afford either one, but I see the Oregon 600 costs twice as much. My question is, is the Oregon 600 twice as awesome, or will I be just as happy with the eTrex 20? I'm brand new to geocaching, found my first 2 earlier today-- and gave up on some others, because I was getting "20 feet dead ahead... no, now 45 feet that way... no, back on the trail? This can't be right!"

I'm looking at the units on the site here, because I know they're suitable for geocaching, plus the bonus tracking bugs and the beginner packages, but if anyone can chime in with a different suggestion, I'm all ears.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Jumping about, eh? Well, it happens... and it happens with all of the units.

 

You need to understand that consumer-grade units, and that includes phones, are only going to take you to the AREA of the cache -- more rather, the published coordinates -- whether the cache is dead-on at the coordinates is another story altogether.

 

Rule of thumb -- at 20 ft., or when you notice those jumps, put the device away. It has done what it is gonna do.

If you keep watching it jump to and fro, you are wasting your best searching device -- your eyesight, because you should be looking for the cache or its hiding spot, not the device.

 

You'll pick up on being able to spot the hide before you even get to it, much of the time.

 

Walking in circles looking at that electronic thingy, doesn't help you in finding the cache, it only helps you get to the area.

Edited January 18, 2015 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+BCandMsKitty]

My wife, and best caching buddy both have Etrex 20s and both are very happy with them. The buddy has almost 8,000 finds (hardly any from power trails), and he's never had anything more than the lower to mid-range Garmins. I think it was the old yellow Etrex, and now the Etrex 20. One thing I know is that once they get to the GZ area, the units don't jump very far from where it has taken them.

I'm not a fan of smart phones at all, but that's mainly from my own experience with my Samsung Galaxy S2. It's terrible for caching! Any GPS at all is better than it!

 

I think, to answer one of your questions, that the Oregon 600 is NOT twice as good as the Etrex 20. The 20 is a great little unit!

Edited January 18, 2015 by BC & MsKitty

[+Blue_Ranger]

Thanks for the replies. I found one cache in the same woods, because the hint mentioned its proximity to a tree stand. But some others there, no landmark was mentioned. When the phone GPS got me as close as it was going to, I was still looking at a HUGE GZ. Add in the several inches of snow on the ground we have here, and it was hopeless.

[+Coldnosed]

I have not played with an Oregon, but my wife has a 20, I have a 30. It looks like the 30 will do all that the Oregon 600 can do. It just has a smaller screen that isn't touch and less storage capacity. My wife has the 20 because the wireless feature on the 30 was not exactly what I thought it was. The magnetic compass feature is kind of cool because it seems to keep the unit from loosing it's mind when standing still, but I didn't think that that and the barometer was $100 cool. You and others might though.

 

How attached are you to touch screens? If not having one would make you hate your gps maybe it is worth double.

[+Blue_Ranger]

So the Oregon has a touch screen, where the less expensive ones don't? The descriptions on the store site are too brief, and focus too much on stuff like storage capacity. Touch screen vs. rocker switches would be a rather important detail, I would think!

[+Coldnosed]

They do call out the touch screen but I agree, the description of the units are more complete on the Garmin website for comparison purposes.

[+msrubble]

If you strongly prefer a touchscreen to a joystick or rocker, but you don't think it is worth double the price, perhaps you would consider getting a refurb from the Garmin store on that "e" auction site. Currently, they have a refurbished Oregon 450 for the same price as a new-in-box eTrex 20. It's a discontinued model, but has touchscreen. No built-in camera. Or they are also offering a refurbished Dakota 10 for about $50 less. This would be roughly comparable to an eTrex 20 except touchscreen and the Dakota 10 doesn't take a memory card.

[+Chrysalides]

So the Oregon has a touch screen, where the less expensive ones don't? The descriptions on the store site are too brief, and focus too much on stuff like storage capacity. Touch screen vs. rocker switches would be a rather important detail, I would think!

Oregon 600 has touchscreen and eTrex 20 does not. Touchscreens can be more intuitive to use.

Oregon 600 has magnetic compass and barometer and eTrex 20 does not (but the eTrex 30 does). The magnetic compass shows you the correct direction when you're not moving. Barometer can give you more accurate altitude.

Oregon 600 has a larger screen with higher resolution - can show more details in maps.

Oregon 600 can hold up to 4 million geocaches, the eTrex 20 / 30 can hold 5000, I believe.

 

eTrex 20 is likely more stable and has fewer bugs than the Oregon 600. Garmin is not known for getting the hardware bug-free in the first year. Or second. Or third.

Buttons may be easier for some people to use. And they're more suited for one handed operation. It all comes down to preference.

 

To make your choice harder, you may want to consider the GPSMap 64 / 64s, the "big brother" to the eTrex 20 / 30.

[+Chrysalides]

If you strongly prefer a touchscreen to a joystick or rocker, but you don't think it is worth double the price, perhaps you would consider getting a refurb from the Garmin store on that "e" auction site. Currently, they have a refurbished Oregon 450 for the same price as a new-in-box eTrex 20.

I have an Oregon 450 (in addition to an Oregon 300 and Oregon 600), and even I think that ~$170 (Amazon price) for a refurb 450 is too high. Might want to check the used gear / for sale forums here. It also has a very different touch screen technology from the Oregon 600. Its screen is much dimmer as well.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

My recommendation if for a 62S if you can find one.

[+GizmoKitty]

My recommendation is a Garmin Etrex 10. It's especially good for beginners and even though it isn't that fancy, it works fine.

Edited January 21, 2015 by Sapience Trek
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[+Chrysalides]

My recommendation is a Garmin Etrex 10. It's especially good for beginners and even though it isn't that fancy, it works fine.

If you're going for the eTrex, I recommend at least the 20. The ability to display maps in color is a huge step up in terms of usability.

[+GeoTrekker26]

My recommendation is a Garmin Etrex 10. It's especially good for beginners and even though it isn't that fancy, it works fine.

 

I would NOT recommend the eTrex 10 unless you are going to make very light use of the GPS and want to get by as inexpensively as possible. It is very limited on the number of caches and files it can hold, you cannot add maps to it*, it doesn't support the use of an SD card. Also as pointed out by Chrysalides, do not dismiss the value of having the color display. If you intend to use the GPS much at all, you will probably be wanting to upgrade the 10 in a short time. A excellent option is the eTrex 20.

 

*Note you cannot add a map to the unit. As has been pointed out in the forums you can replace the very basic basemap with an extremely limited conventional or topo map. While the replacement map has more detail the area covered is extremely limited due to the lack of memory in the 10. You may not value a map, and indeed it isn't a must have if you know the area. But I learned the value first hand when I was in an unfamiliar city and had not loaded a map for that state. Also note that fiddling with the map on the e10 should only be done after making a full backup of the GPS and by someone who is comfortable manipulating files on a computer.

Edited January 22, 2015 by GeoTrekker26

[+Blue_Ranger]

Thanks everyone, I found a good deal on a slightly used Oregon 400T. I think I'd greatly prefer the touchscreen-- how the heck would you enter coords with a rocker switch? I know, most of the time I'll load from the computer, but the computer is a desktop.

[+Chrysalides]

how the heck would you enter coords with a rocker switch?

Slowly and painfully

 

It's not really that bad, though it is definitely no fun. Think of the rocker as a mouse, you use it to move the cursor to the right number, then press down on it.

 

Anyway, have fun with your 400t!