GPS

[dwilson]

I have been wanting to buy a hand held GPS for hiking. Want topo maps like the National Geographic maps with trails allready on them. I have been told some bad about Magellan. To many models ta pick from. Help please!

[dwilson]

Forgot to add a question. Has anybody had experence with the GPS downloads for I-phones? Do they use antennas or satellites or both to get a location?

[Lupe]

Cowper posted some good info/recommendations on this thread - scroll to his post on GPS...
http://www.arkansascanoeclub.com/mb/vie ... =5&t=10876" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I like my little Garmin Venture. It was easy to learn to use, and I can now paddle in the swamps and not get lost! Although recently my batteries went dead and I forgot to bring spare batteries...so it's still possible to get lost, but you have to try harder.

[okieboater]

Based on recommendations from the experts on this board, I purchased a Garmin GPSMap 76CSx and am well pleased with it's operation so far. It is a quality product and gets high marks on every review I have found on the internet.

The Garmin mapping products tho leave a lot to be desired if you are interested in detail river or forest travel.

I have Garmin Map Source for the PC and it is ok, but does not go down to the topo sheet level. Garmin is supposed to come out with maps to this level of detail, but my guess is it will be very expensive.

Thanks to Richard McFadden's help introducing me to USAPhotomap Shareware, what I do is plan out my routes on USAPhotomaps and upload waypoints to my Garmin. USAPhotomap goes to the topo sheet level of detail and works pretty good.

I have learned quite a bit just messing around the internet One of the things I have seen is the DeLorme map and GPS products. They have a pretty good deal on a GPS and their mapping software. If I read the fine print right, you can pay 29 bucks and for a year download the actual scanned topo sheets to your pc and then on to their GPS, I think they have a new improved version of their GPS as well. Based on your post, you might check out the DeLorme home page for more information.

I am still learning and you should see what the guru's have to say on this msg board.

Bottom line is, learning how to use any GPS and it's related mapping software takes a lot of discovery or at least it has for me.

However, all this GPS and Mapping stuff is really neat to use and worth the time to learn.

[dwilson]

Thanks for the info. Looks like Garmin is the way ta go. Still wondering about the I-phone stuff. Wife has one and that thang does everthing. It might even replace me.

[jclaudii]

Garmin is the way to go! We have been using a Garmin gpsmap60c for about 2 years now for geocaching and trip taking. The only thing with the garmins is you have to buy the extra software to upload the area maps to your gps. Now you can buy the software sometimes pretty cheap on ebay. The topo does not let you get as close as you would like, I think it's 1:100,000 scale, but the new dvd version may be closer...I'm not sure. The new models like the Colorado (the fancy ones with touch screens) are nice and have better antenna system on them. They can connect in valleys and such were ours has problems. The gpsmap60csx has removable memory card. I would suggest you get one with a memory card slot. This lets you buy a bigger memory card so you can upload more topo map area to your gps. Granted you may not need 25 states of topo map coverage, but if you have room for it why not.

The garmin topo program gives you the topo functionality your looking for plus points of interests, trails, streams, roads, etc. I believe it even works with the auto routing feature, you'll have to check up on that, that plans a route for you from your current location to point b.

To get a feel for your new GPS, I hope you check out the http://www.geocaching.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; world and upload a few hidden treasures to your gps. You never knew there were so many hidden geocaches where you lived and where you take your boat until you check out the website. Good luck.

[David Mac]

So far none of the brands of GPS I know of have very good topo maps, though Garmin is starting to release 1:24k maps including trails on a state by state basis. Last I checked they only had three or four western states released. They are pretty pricy at $100 a state, though they might combine a few of the small NE states when they get that far east.

They have had 1:24k versions of the national parks (with trails) for some time now, but again it is split into three $100 packages if you want all the parks in the USA.

Personally, I've been perfectly content with the 1:100k maps from an ancient version of mapsource I got cheap. No trails of course, except a handful I've loaded seperately that I've gotten from other users.

There are a few user created websites where you can get GPX trail-tracks that way, but it's really spotty about which trails are available. They also aren't usable for "automatic navigation/routing" they way the ones built into the store-bought topos are.

David

[dwilson]

Koolbeans. I do appreciate you guys time and info on this subject.

[Clif]

Kinda like the drysuit/gortex issue. Do I reeeeally wanna put out the extra $$$?? for those extra features.

I use mine a lot more than I ever thought. Got it to find those remote put ins. Find the best route back to the car after hiking all day. That kind of stuff. I could easy justify the extra 70 bux i skimped on. Happy with my unit anyway. But more memory or a card slot or better reception.... oh boy!

[Cowper]

Thanks for the info. Looks like Garmin is the way ta go. Still wondering about the I-phone stuff. Wife has one and that thang does everthing. It might even replace me.

Martin brought one of those on our most recent Swamp float.
On the plus side - it was extremely cool, showing our location on Google Earth, using the touch screen to zoom in and out.

On the ??? side, some concerns:
1) We were in an area with cell phone coverage; don't know what would have happen if you had no coverage to download the maps from.
2) The GPS lost fix (wouldn't show location) when we were under a bridge. Our garmin's with "current generation" high sensitivity chips never lost fix. This would be a big deal under heavy tree cover, in valleys, etc.
3) The phone doesn't have the same navigational features as a dedicated gps - I don't think it shows you distance to go, speed, direction to your goal, etc.

Bottom line it was a cool thing, and I'd like to have a phone with that feature, but I don't think it "replaces" a hand-held GPS like the Garmin for woods work.

[jclaudii]

I believe most all cell phone gps is fake gps or called aGPS. I think it basically uses the towers to triangulate your location. I've always wondered if one of the gps enabled phones worked where there was no coverage.

[Mike B]

I'm getting pretty close to purchasing a GPS and have decided on a Garmin unit.

Cowper - I noticed you would prefer the eTrex series. I am leaning toward the GPSMAP 76CSx compared to the eTrexVista HCx. I am assuming your picking the eTrex because it is a few ounces lighter and has about 25 battery hours compared to 18?

I want the altimeter and compass feature and SD card. I think I prefer the buttons on the front instead of the side but I have never used either.

The 76CSx also handles tide charts - may be helpful on the coast?

Both units come pre-loaded with the Americas Recreational basemap for city / hwy navigation so with the purchase of MAPSOURCE US Topo you would be covered for the most part?

The 1:24 maps are available for most national parks in appx. 10 state bunches for $100.

Backpacker magazine just reviewed the Garmin Colorado 400t, Apple iPhone 3G, Magellan Triton 200, Nokia N95, Magellan Triton 2000 and the Garmin Oregon 400t.

[Crane]

It struck me that the ACC might think about purchasing a set of high def topo maps for its "library" for use by members... Any thoughts? I might even kick in...

[okieboater]

Try USA Photomaps. Runs on your PC.

Shareware and you can download all the topo's you want

You cannot upload the maps to Garmin, but to my knowledge, Garmin only allows it's own maps to be uploaded to Garmin GPS.

You can upload the waypoints to Garmin.

[Cowper]

Cowper - I noticed you would prefer the eTrex series. I am leaning toward the GPSMAP 76CSx compared to the eTrexVista HCx. I am assuming your picking the eTrex because it is a few ounces lighter and has about 25 battery hours compared to 18?

I like both the eTrex HCx and the 76Cx. I currently own, and most frequently use, the 76CSx. I usually point to the eTrex first because it is smaller, cheaper, and yet has the full set of features everyone needs. But if the slightly larger size doesn’t bother you, the 76 series are great units with easier to use buttons.
I also wanted the altimeter and compass features, but have since decided I slightly prefer units WITHOUT those features. The altimeter is nice, but messes up your attitude readings if used when flying in anything with a pressurized cabin. The compass is OK, but just OK, not super accurate, and you really should carry a standard compass as back-up anyway.

Both units come pre-loaded with the Americas Recreational basemap for city / hwy navigation so with the purchase of MAPSOURCE US Topo you would be covered for the most part?

Yes, and no. You would have all the roads, but the auto-routing feature will only work with the major highways (not county and Forest service roads, and not down to street level), and you won’t be able to search for city street addresses. If you buy the North America City Navigator, you gain those additional features.