gps reviews

[davipu]

ok everyone, I'm in the mood to buy one, under 300 bones, any comments?, reviews?

[JMyrick]

Hey Davipu I have a Garmin eTrex Legend and I use it all the time on and off the bike whats also cool is they sell a bike kit for it and it mounts on the handlebars I have mine on the left side of the bike if you want some pics let me know ill post some. Its great for checking the speedo and comes with a pretty good map installed but you can also get more maps plus its waterproof
http://www.garmin.com/products/etrexLegend/index.jsp

Joe

[vfrocket]

here is mine...

[JMyrick]

someone beat me to it but anyway here you go




Joe

[jen_]

I have 3 different Garmin GPSs (jeeze, how did that happen?) :dunno: .

My favorte is the Garmin Vista-C. http://www.garmin.com/products/etrexVistac/index.jsp  I'm a sucker for the big color screen.  I thought it would be a battery hog, but so far it's good on its 2 AAAs for a few days at a time (on all day).  Plus you can change silly little things like the colors of the interface and the noises when you push buttons.  fun!  It does driving directions, and I've got some topo maps in mine also.  With WAAS on, I consistently get <5m accuracy in open areas in CA.

I didn't know they had a bike kit.  That rocks.

Also have a 3 year old Garmin V at work.  It's good for car trips cause it has an extra magnetic antenna.   Better accuracy with this antenna than with any other handheld I've used (about 10 feet).  It holds more extra maps than the Vista I think, and the big trackpad thingie is easier to use than the Vista's little buttons.  This might be good if you have motorcycle gloves on.

Also have a garmin Gecko.  It is cute and tiny, but has very limited functions. (no driving directions, no marking waypoints).  Never use it.

Oh, and my Jeep has a GPS in the dash.  It does good driving directions but nothing else.     It is sortof bossy.  RIGHT TURN!!

[JMyrick]

I want to upgrade to a color screen ETrex but Im poor partly becuse im also a surveyor and it really dosent matter what you get garmin is great at work we have a few garmins including the map76 that has a huge screen but when you not using company money

Jen_ they do make a mount for the vista c http://shop.garmin.com/accessory.jsp?sku=010%2D10267%2D00 looks like the same etrex handlebar mount for all the other etrex models

Joe

[rclz]

I have the Legend C, use it on my dirtbike more than my gs.

[davipu]

you ever have those days thate yo are surfign the twin, and your like hey I started that thread....

[etam]

up again...

thinking of getting a GPS..

what to get? pda based or standalone?

[porsche4786]

I was thinkin about getting one a while back but I thought you had to download a lot of maps into it and stuff. But I'm not sure.

[JetSwing]

http://www.cyclegadgets.com/Products/gps/detail.asp?prod=QUEST

[Badger]

what to get? pda based or standalone?

Hard to answer without knowing what you're looking for...  Street directions for a planned route?  Ad-hoc directions to a restaurant?  Alternate speedo?  Do you carry a pda already?  Palm?  PocketPC?  Do you want to power with batteries, or are you going to wire a socket?  Mounting?  Will you use it all the time, or just on certain trips?  Also...how much do you want to spend?  You can get a hiker's pocket handheld on the cheap...or you could pay several thousand for an aviation/auto portable receiver (not including database updates) with all manner of features you don't need.

I'd think it would be a little tricky to mount a pda-based gps such that it would be secure, but also easily removable (most are not weatherproof), also many use attachments to the pda for the gps receiver, and you need to worry about securing those as well.  If the PDA uses a lithium battery, you need to figure out how to recharge it for long trips (you can't just stick in new batteries, and many only last a few hours powering the display and GPS).  So if you want something to keep you from getting lost that you would pull over to use, then the PDA route might be best.  Otherwise, you're probably going to want a dedicated unit.

[etam]

I was thinkin about getting one a while back but I thought you had to download a lot of maps into it and stuff. But I'm not sure.

for dell axim.. it comes with all american map..if you have a big enough memory card.. you can load most of it..

[etam]

Badger,

thinking of features like street direction with voice, alternate route..  got a very old palm 3.. don't use it that much... battery doesn't matter.. I can always wire in a cigar power socket to battery.

for mounting.. is tank bag map pocket good enough for reception? secure enough?  with voice direction.. I will wear headphone.. don't really need to look at the map.. or I will stop on the side to look at display.

price.. maybe US$300~400.. of course.. not close to $1000..

[raylarrabee]

thinking of features like street direction with voice, alternate route..  got a very old palm 3.. don't use it that much... battery doesn't matter.. I can always wire in a cigar power socket to battery.

for mounting.. is tank bag map pocket good enough for reception? secure enough?  with voice direction.. I will wear headphone.. don't really need to look at the map.. or I will stop on the side to look at display.

price.. maybe US$300~400.. of course.. not close to $1000..

I have a Dell Axim and use Pocketmap Navigator with a serial GPS.  I carry it in the clear map pocket of my tank bag in a foam holder I made for it.  I installed a 12v accessory outlet under the seat and ran the antenna to the rear.  Attached the antenna to the top of the tail light with some self-adhesive velcro.

With a 512 mb SD card, I could fit the entire US highway grid and all of MD, VA, PA, WVA, DE and part of NC.  The software works well and does all the things you listed.  It also have "points of interest" that you can call up to find the closest gas/food/hotel, etc.  I used it with an earpiece a few times, and the voice prompts, although they sound crappy, work quite well.  Pocketmap's strongest feature is that is recalculates alternate routes (if you get off course) VERY fast.

The one downside is that, although it can do cross-country trips, it can only store 10 pre-set waypoints, which is kind of a pain if you are trying to plan a good twisty route from point A to Point B.

All-in-all, I think you get a MUCH more complete, versitile solution if you go with a handheld vs. a dedicated GPS.

[raylarrabee]

PocketGPSworld is a great site with all the info/reviews you will need to find the right GPS solution for what you want to do.

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/

[JetSwing]

waterproof pda enclosure:

http://www.otterbox.com/products/pda_cases/index.htm

[Badger]

All-in-all, I think you get a MUCH more complete, versitile solution if you go with a handheld vs. a dedicated GPS.

Generally I'd agree, but it certainly depends on your price point and if you intend on using the handheld for anything else.  An Axim is what, like $400, plus $100-200 for the GPS, +software.  If you're only using it as a GPS, that's a bit pricy, and you might as well get the Garmin Quest and hardwire the mount.  Another option is to get a Windows Mobile phone like the Sprint PPC 6700 and use it as your phone as well...get more features out of the same unit.  Personally, I think they're too bulky as far as phones go (I use a smartphone), but if you're looking for all-in-one functionality, they are hard to beat.

I've seen somewhere that you can get integrated bluetooth in a m/c helmet (I think Dainese makes them), so I'd expect you wouldn't need an earbud to hear the prompts (not to mention that you could actually use the phone).  'Course, this probably isn't legal in a lot of places, so YMMV.

[Chuck]

I'd like a very small inexpensive one that just shows Lat & Long.   Once I know where I am, I can use paper maps, which you can upgrade at the local corner store for $1.50.  So while we're on the subject, anyone know of something like that?

I remember when GPS just came out, and units with mapping didn't exist.  Nowadays, it seems units WITHOUT mapping don't exist.  Weird.

[Badger]

I'd like a very small inexpensive one that just shows Lat & Long.   Once I know where I am, I can use paper maps, which you can upgrade at the local corner store for $1.50.  So while we're on the subject, anyone know of something like that?

You're looking for a hiker's gps.  Search for the eTrex.  I think they're right around $100 and have no maps whatsoever.  It's essentailly a "You are here!" device.

I remember when GPS just came out, and units with mapping didn't exist.  Nowadays, it seems units WITHOUT mapping don't exist.  Weird.

I still had to train on Loran (bearing and distance from waypoint), VOR (just bearing from station, you need to triangulate), ADF (relative bearing to station), and "follow your finger on the map" navigation for my pilot's license.  What else can you do these days where you still have to know how to use a slide rule?  I just recently starting flying with full color gps, traffic/weather overlay, and all the fancy toys.  I still carry my slide rule in my flight bag, though.