I plan to ask Santa for a GPS for Christmas but I have zero experience with a GPS. I plan to use this for hunting and nothing more. I want the ability to note areas when hopefully I find that elusive “honey-hole”. As well as help me to keep my bearings and return to camp. When looking at the Cabela’s and Bass Pro catalogs it seems that these GPS have so much more than these basic functions. I don’t want to ask for a unit with features that I would never ever use. So which one do you think I should get? Thanks for your advice.

C-ROY

If you want mapping capabilities then the Magellan Sportrak Pro GPS, Magellan Meridian Gold, Garmin eTrex Legend, or Garmin eTrex Vista are all good units with enough memory (some must be upgraded) to upload a whole state map. I think the Garmin's have more up to date maps. If you just want navigational capabilities then there are many simple units to choose from. I am a geographer, cartographer and use GIS so am drawn to the mapping units. I have the Megellan Meridian GPS with an added 32 MB of memory. This version was discontinued I believe because people figured out they could get the cheaper unit, upgrade the memory and have essentially a Meridian Gold for less money.

My suggestion: Garmin eTrex Vista or Megellan Meridian Gold.

Buy at the GPS Store and save. The GPS Store GPS unit listing

[ 10-21-2003, 18:23: Message edited by: jackfish ]

Just bought a Garmin 76s. Waterproof, floats, and easy to use.

I also have a basic GPS question. This is a good thread. If you are on a trip and have, say 10 way points put in, can you turn the unit off to conserve battery and have it "find you when it is turned back on and keep your way points from before? In other words, only turn it on to enter way points going out, and then constantly to get home? Thanks for the thread and letting me intrude.

I have a Garmin Summit. It is a basic GPS without all of the maps etc built in. It has all of the waypoint etc functions and it has an electric compass. This allows you to know which way you want to go without having to move about. To me all you need as a hunting GPS.

Where am I, Where is camp.

Cost was $150 on EBay with a $50 rebate. New.

I have the ETrex, it is a good unit. Doesn't have all the maps etc. but I really don't need that. It is easy to use, and while I consider myself to have a pretty good sense of direction, it takes away the guess work. The only thing mine doesn't have, that would be handy, is the built in compass. I would still carry my lensatic, but you could cross check between the two.
As for the question about saving way points, the ETrex saves them even when you shut it down. Saving the battery is really not a concern however, I can't imagine running out of juice during a days hunt if your battreies are fresh. Mine still has the location of my truck in Colorado from three years ago.

DGK

[ 10-21-2003, 20:47: Message edited by: 375hnh ]

C-Roy,

Check out my add on CLASSIFIED. Magellen GPS 310, never taken into the field, instruction manual/video and original box. $90.00. How can you beat that?

I just brought a Garmin rhino 120 great unit we had 3 along on a trip to AK last month.

pdogshooter fill us in on your rino. I am interested in getting the 110 rino. How is it for battery life. Did you get the rechargable batteries or did you change out the AA batteries daily? How good did the GPS signal communicate between the units? Thanks Ter

I've got a garmin Etrex Summit.

It works well for hunting, I don't think you can download road maps into it, but I don't need it.

You can get as elaborate as you wish, but all I'm interested in is keeping track of camp, the truck , and a few points along the way.

Gentlemen,

I have been using Magellan products for several years now. I currently use a Magellan 315, both for recreational use and for professional use (I am a forest engineer), and I have been very happy with it.

It gets excellent reception, even in thick forest canopy and has excellent battery life as well. I highly recommend it.

I did a ton of research before I picked out my GPS and ended up with the Garmin GPS III+.

It's design works great in a vehicle, canoe, on foot, etc. with makes it useful for business trips, scouting, hunting and other types of recreation. It had more waypoints and mapping capability than I need and it's easy to save "custom" map sets to my PC. In addition, it is VERY good on batteries and waterproof which comes in handy for long hunting/canoeing trips.

The new GPS V has some improved routing capabilities which would make it even more user-friendly while on the road. That would be a tough unit to beat!

The Garmin Etrex seems to be a well thought of unit over here and quite a bit smaller than my older Garmin 12.

To answer larrys, question, yes you can use any modern GPS like that...not sure about the very first ones but they are obsolete now.

Just a couple of observations about using a GPS...

They completement a topo map and compass but don't replace it; even if they have a built in electronic compass and map display...

To really be able to use a gps with a topo map and get the best from these tools, you should learn to use the Military UTM grid system rather than the old lat and log system. All GPS can be used on either system....For marine use or flying, lat and log is the best method, but for hunting or hiking the UTM system is the way to go..

Regards,

Pete

We use the Garmin Etrex Summit. It is the mostest for the leastest.

We know the ranches like the back of our hands but it is LAW when an animal is down and you are hiking to the Rig the kill is stored in. Again this season it was violated, the guide became ill (stomach flu) and 7 hours where wasted recovering a muledeer. The client didn't know where it was and the PH could get out of the latrine. You can describe a drainage all you want but a waypoint is a waypoint.

ED

I have the Garmin Etrex Vista, and have been really happy with it overall. It has an electronic compass and altimeter which many models don't have. It also has the capability to upload maps, but have found that with that small of a display they aren't all that useful.

Mostly, I use the most basic functions - waypoints and tracks. However one of my favorite features is the ability to connect it to my laptop and track my movements real-time as I'm exploring remote areas by vehicle (I use TOPO! software for this). Most GPS units can do this and it's actually more a function of what the software on your laptop supports, but I find it VERY valuable when I have a large area to scout and need to know how to get from a decent road to a remote peak via numerous criss-crossing mining roads.

J

Looks like another vote for Garmin here... I use the Legend etrex and think it's a pretty good unit. Waterproof and it's lasted with me for 3 yrs now so it has to be well made.(kinda like a walking stress test for equipment) You can get more detailed maps for topo and rec areas along with fishing maps too, but the discs aren't cheap, the basic map cover enough to get you around.

Ter seems like we were getting around 15 to 20 hrs of use out of regular AA batterys I would change them out after a day and half. that was using the radio and having in on most of the time when hunting. I am going to put in better mapping when I get the CD from my buddy who has it. It was very easy to send your position to your hunting partner with it. We found the radio realy nice to use.

pdogshooter: Thanks! just what I was looking for. Ter