rach641 Posted November 12, 2016 Share Posted November 12, 2016 My 7 year old son has loved geocaching with his friends. I want to get him a GPS device for Christmas but I don't know where to start. I don't want to get him a smartphone. I would love the device to be simple enough for him to use independently. I also want him to be successful so I want it to have good accuracy. It would also need to be hard wearing and difficult to break. The devices I've seen recommended are so expensive. I want to spend <£100, and I don't mind getting a second hand one. Any tips please? Quote Link to comment
DirtCruiser Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 My 7 year old son has loved geocaching with his friends. I want to get him a GPS device for Christmas but I don't know where to start. I don't want to get him a smartphone. I would love the device to be simple enough for him to use independently. I also want him to be successful so I want it to have good accuracy. It would also need to be hard wearing and difficult to break. The devices I've seen recommended are so expensive. I want to spend <£100, and I don't mind getting a second hand one. Any tips please? Garmin offers a $110 device - the eTrex 10 - that should translate to less than £100 I think. Maybe you can find it even cheaper second hand. I have no experience with this model, so I cannot help with information about reliability or ease of use. But the more expensive Garmins are of excellent quality and accuracy, so at least the brand has a solid reputation in the GPS market. Quote Link to comment
+msrubble Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 Hi, rach641. If you can find a Magellan eXplorist GC with a European map, that may be just the ticket. It has buttons, like a remote control. It was made strictly for geocaching. I see North American units in your price range. You cannot add or upgrade maps in this unit, which is why you must make sure you are getting a unit suitable for the European market. It might also be possible to get a Garmin eTrex 20 in your budget. Garmin has more recently come out with a model called the eTrex 20x, so the plain "20" is a bit older. This GPS also uses buttons. It is newer than the eXplorist GC. It can do more than just geocaching. Free maps are available. Small size--it would not be too unwieldy for a child. An older Garmin that is worth a look is the Dakota 20. It is small in size, has free maps available, can do things besides geocaching. It has a touchscreen, like a smartphone. It can find Chirp caches. This might be out of your price range, though. Quote Link to comment
+Bushwalker53 Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 I got gifted a Garmin etrex 10 back when I was 12 and have been geocaching ever since! (I'm 17 now) I just did a little search for you and found one on amazon for 100 pounds that has been reduced to 75, might be worth jumping on the offer if you end up picking the etrex 10! Anyways, I've found that the etrex is really easy to use, extremely accurate and stupidly strong, I've lost count of the amount of times it's been dropped and it just keeps on going. I'd recommend any of the devices from the etrex series to beginners. They're really good quality for what you pay for and even after finding over 1,300 caches I still love the etrex series. Pretty much everything you'd ever want and need for geocaching packed into one rugged, affordable unit. I actually prefer them to my father's garmin oregon just for their simplicity, pretty much just as accurate as the expensive units give or take a metre or two which when geocaching doesn't matter all that much if you use your eyes Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 (edited) I think the eTrex 10 is ideal. Small, rugged, inexpensive and easy to use. No fancy bells and whistles, but it does the job. Edited November 14, 2016 by briansnat Quote Link to comment
+Team Taran Posted November 14, 2016 Share Posted November 14, 2016 One other possible solution is an older smart phone with a good gps. It could be used by your son with no data plan and no cell service, If you loaded cache via wifi. I don't use a cell phone and can't say how easy the various apps ar but there are many enthusiastic advocates on these boards Quote Link to comment
+coman123 Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 I agree with everyone the E-trex series is a great place to start, my only advice would be is start with the Etrex 20 if you can afford the extra few dollars. http://handbdigital.blogspot.ca/2011/10/popular-garmin-etrex-10-20-and-30-gps.html Quote Link to comment
rach641 Posted November 15, 2016 Author Share Posted November 15, 2016 thank you. I saw the etrex devices and they seemed good, reassuring to have the recommendation. I'll be on the look out for a bargain now! Quote Link to comment
rach641 Posted November 15, 2016 Author Share Posted November 15, 2016 What does the etrex 20 do that the 10 does not? I have read the specs but to a novice it's all a bit confusing! Quote Link to comment
+HHL Posted November 15, 2016 Share Posted November 15, 2016 What does the etrex 20 do that the 10 does not? I have read the specs but to a novice it's all a bit confusing! Have a look there: Easy understandable comparison Hans Quote Link to comment
DirtCruiser Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 (edited) What does the etrex 20 do that the 10 does not? I have read the specs but to a novice it's all a bit confusing! I think the most noticeable difference in normal use is that the 20 shows an actual map on the screen, while the 10 only displays an arrow and the route drawn as a line. So the 20 provides more information about your surroundings while the 10 simply points you in the direction you need to go. Edited November 16, 2016 by DirtCruiser Quote Link to comment
+GeoTrekker26 Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Not exactly true. The eTrex 10 has a base map that displays highways and major roads. Granted, it's not the most useful map but it is better than no map. Quote Link to comment
+Team Taran Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 My feeling is if you expect your 7 year old to still be using this gps in 5 years or so when he might be caching alone in strange territory, spring for the 20. If he will mostly be caching with older kids and adults, the 10 is fine for now. Quote Link to comment
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