Mobile GPS poll

[calamaridog]

Which of these 5 would you pick?

Or is there another one you like?

[justfred]

The 96C is for aviation/car navigation, the iTrex is for Geocaching/hiking/handheld. I think 96C is pretty much the same as 76C except for the aviation functions. My wife uses a Garmin i5 which is pretty slick for simple vehicle navigation.

[goodtimes]

If I were to buy one for my jeep today, I would probably end up with the Lowrance 480c. In fact I was ready to buy one when I bought the moto...and now am rethinking the GPS due strictly to the desire to move it between bike and jeep...and the 480c is on the large side for the moto...otherwise...I'd have one already.

[navara-au]

Do PDA's count?
I have Asus A636 with built in Antenna. Can use topo maps, voice guided road maps and marine charts. It does have a hiking mode.
Down side is its not very robust or water proof.

[pskhaat]

Just ensure it spits out NMEA data whatever you choose.

[Martinjmpr]

I use a Magellan Meridian Gold on my truck, my motorcycle, and when I hike/walk. It works very well and the software is easy to use. I would have a hard time spending big bucks on a mobile (i.e. permanently mounted in the car) unit just because I like the idea of being able to dismount the unit and use it in a variety of other settings (I'll be going canoeing this Summer and the waterproof Meridian will be going with me.)

I've never used a GPS that had the "turn by turn" driving directions, so I can't comment on that part. Usually if I'm going somewhere unfamiliar I just Mapquest it and figure out driving directions on my own.

[teotwaki]

My mobile is a Garmin 276C and my portable is a 60C. I've got the 276C running on an external antenna and soon will have the power hardwired.

http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/2150/ab0161zj8.jpg

[Schattenjager]

After scouting around for quite a while - polling my friends and watching their GPS's in action I picked what I thought to be the perfect compromise: Garmin's 60CSx. It's super fast to get a 3D fix and will hold signals even in dense cover, the screen is large enough that I can glance at it while driving and get all I need to know so as to keep my eyes on the road. The portable size saves me $ as I can un-snap it from the Rover and take it with me on the hiking trail - negating the need for a unit to serve the car and another for the backpack. This keeps the learning cruve a little flater for a dim bulb like myself. It is very precise and has numerous nav functions I have no need for. Yet.
Cheers!

[pwc]

When you say mobile, do you mean handheld?

[calamaridog]

Let me clear things up a bit. I'm looking for a quality unit that I can use in the car, take on a hike, mt. bike trip, or future moto.

In a perfect world I'd have one of each but due to a long list of "must haves" I'm leaning towards multi-purpose.

[crawler#976]

I tried using a hand held in the truck - had a Garmin Vista. It was a very nice unit for it's intended purpose, but was damn near impossible to read while driving due to the small screen. Also, to get good reception, it had to be mounted too far away to be easily manipulated.

Sold it and bought a Lowrance 3500C (virtually identical to a 480C Baja) - huge screen, easy to use, but the maps aren't as complete as the Garmin unit. Having an external antenna allows it to be mounted anywhere space allows - the unit is pretty big with a 5" x 5" display.

Good luck on your selection!

[Martinjmpr]

Let me clear things up a bit. I'm looking for a quality unit that I can use in the car, take on a hike, mt. bike trip, or future moto.

In a perfect world I'd have one of each but due to a long list of "must haves" I'm leaning towards multi-purpose.

Then I'll renew my plug for the Magellan Meridian.

Small enough to be handy (or to fit in a chest pocket of my MC jacket) but easy to use. Mapping seems to be good, reliability has been excellent, even in heavy rain on the MC.

Re: Map detail, I think it's important to note that a GPS will never be a satisfactory substitute for a good map. There are just too many compromises to make in terms of screen size, screen resolution, power usage, etc.

Incidentally, my Meridian does not use an external antenna (like my previous Lowrance unit) and yet I have never had problems with the unit being able to grab enough satellites to be useful.

It will also run about 8 hours on two alkaline batteries and 5-6 hours on rechargeables.

Photo of the unit on my motorcycle (note the altitude: This was on top of Mt Evans!)

[calamaridog]

Martin,

Thanks for the feedback. I think the eXplorist is the replacement for the Meridian.

[offroadchef]

I have one but mine is not on the list

[Martinjmpr]

Whichever one you get, don't waste money on the factory "cradle" or mounting system, get a RAM (Round-A-Mount) cradle and then whatever other bits you need to connect it. RAM is truly the king of multi-mounts - they make mounts for any device for any vehicle application! I got my MC handlebar mount through www.cycoactive.com (http://www.cycoactive.com/ram/default.htm)but many other retailers sell the RAM gear, including Cabelas. Since I get a lot of my outdoor/hunting/reloading stuff from Cabelas (http://www.cabelas.com), that's also where I got the rest of my RAM gear.

[flyingwil]

I should be getting a Earthmate GPS PN20 next week on Monday... so I threw my vote in on that.

[Tucson T4R]

I found this website to be loaded with GPS Gurus and a wealth of information on different GPS receivers.

http://forums.groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showforum=11

[Super Doody]

I can't tell you which one to pick because I have only experince with the 60csx.

BTW detailed difference between the 60csx and the 70 csx besides the obvious physical differences are:

70csx has lightly more memory but you'll have upgrade memory card anways to get any real map data.

70csx will float if dropped in water. The 60 will not but they have the same water proof standards.

Otherwise they are same thing basically.

I got my 60csx with 2gig memory, full NA map and car kit from amazon.com for around 520$ OTD.

My 60csx is great and does its job but the auto routing maps can be better.

It doesn't always direct you to the more convient or shortest route. If you are chaning freeways, sometimes it directs to get off the freeway and get on again. Turn by turn directions are a little on the slow side. What pisses me off the most is sometimes it auto recalculate once you on a exit ramp so you have quickly page to the turn by turn menu figure out which lane you should be in. But it will get you there...eventually. I think its more a software issue.

Pros are it gets great singal and fast. Its intented more for hiking and geo games. Have its compact.

BTW if you have bad eyes and want to use it for auto routing, the screen is a little on the small side.

Oh check out this post I created when I was shopping for my GPS:

http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?p=711859#post711859

[calamaridog]

I should be getting a Earthmate GPS PN20 next week on Monday... so I threw my vote in on that.


I am excited to hear your thoughts on the PN20.

[calamaridog]

I got my 60csx with 2gig memory, full NA map and car kit from amazon.com for around 520$ OTD.

My 60csx is great and does its job but the auto routing maps can be better.

http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?p=711859#post711859


Thanks for the feedback. I figure the 60csx is the default front runner right now. I'm not too worried about turn by turn city driving directions, more interested in off hwy use.

Do you know what type of mount you have and is it sturdy.

I'll probably decide at the end of April...

[flyingwil]

I am excited to hear your thoughts on the PN20.


Had some delays in shipping, but the brown truck dropped it off last night! This weekend i should get time to start playing with it and setting it up. I'll keep you posted.

[Howard70]

One consideration I haven't seen discussed in this thread deals with waypoint formats. Within Garmin units the information stored with user-created waypoints varies. Older units (the 12 series) and some newer units (176 and possibly 276,376, etc.) stored the date and time a waypoint was created as a default "comment" that can download with the waypoint (if you use software that supports complete download of the waypoint field).

I find this useful because I use waypoints for several different activities. Surveying the abundance of animals is one use where the date and time are great additional variables to have stored with the observation (waypoint).

Because of this, I use a Garmin Map 176 as both a mobile unit in our truck and as a handheld unit when surveying on foot. It is larger and heavier than some other handheld units, but that's acceptable to get the greater quality of data. When hiking, but not surveying, I'll use an Etrex Vista because I like the more precise altitude available from the Vista's barometer.

Howard L. Snell

[jim65wagon]

I use a Magellan Meridian Gold on my truck, my motorcycle, and when I hike/walk. It works very well and the software is easy to use. I would have a hard time spending big bucks on a mobile (i.e. permanently mounted in the car) unit just because I like the idea of being able to dismount the unit and use it in a variety of other settings (I'll be going canoeing this Summer and the waterproof Meridian will be going with me.)

I've never used a GPS that had the "turn by turn" driving directions, so I can't comment on that part. Usually if I'm going somewhere unfamiliar I just Mapquest it and figure out driving directions on my own.

Another plug for Magellan... I also have the Meridian Gold. Yes I believe it has been replaced by the Explorist series but I doubt they've made it less usable. I've got Topo maps and Direct Route for mine and both work very well and are very detailed. You can play with an example of each on Magellans website.

I've dropped mine onto the ground, dunked it in a river out of the canoe, and mount it to the windshield of the car or truck (road trips use Directroute and we switch to Topo when we hike, you can have both on one SD card). I even found a power plug for it for use in the vehicle so I'm not "wasting" batteries getting somewhere. The screen is large for a handheld unit, and easy to read. It would be an excellent choice.

[Willman]

I got an Magellan Explorist XL for Christmas! I also got the vehicle mount and the Topo software!!....It has worked out to be a great unit in my travels. Easy to use and the Topo maps are fun to use to plan trips. I just got off Ebay the 12V Cigarette Power Adapter and a 2gb sd memory card to hold all my maps.
The wife got it for a great deal at Gi joes for i think around $270...She a great power shopper if you ask me!!

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f374/nicwillman/DSC02389.jpg

Features:

* eXtra-Large color screen - 3.5" backlit display in vibrant color
* Easy-to-use - Navigate in seconds with simple menus, one-button shortcut to key features and joystick control
* Built-in maps - North American or European basemap shows major roads, parks, waterways and many points of interest
* SD-card expandability - Add unlimited MapSend topographic maps or turn-by-turn street routing
* Simple file system - Save, organize and access all your stored data with ease
* USB data port - Manage maps and waypoints and download coordinates from your PC
* TrueFix® technology - Reliable accuracy to within 3 meters
* Area calculation - Instantly see the distance and area between any geographic points
* Vertical profile - View graphical elevation changes for where you've been or where you're going
* Geocache Manager - PC application to download and organize coordinates from the Internet
* Track logging - Store 5 track files with 2000 points each and an unlimited number on your own SD cards
* Four navigation screens - Map, Compass, Locator and Satellite Status deliver easy-to-use information
* Advanced power management - Four AA batteries provide up to 19 hours of use. Save power with “auto-off".
* Rugged construction - Encased in rubber armored, impact resistant plastic
* Water resistant - Don't worry about getting it wet
* Languages - Choose English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Portuguese, Dutch or Norwegian.
* No service fees - Ready to use with no activation required
* Full Warranty - One-year in North America, Two-year in Europe

In the future, i want to do a custom mount.....

It's been a great unit!!!

:26_7_2:

[computeruser]

Another plug for Magellan...I've dropped mine onto the ground, dunked it in a river out of the canoe, and mount it to the windshield of the car or truck (road trips use Directroute and we switch to Topo when we hike, you can have both on one SD card).

They can take a beating, that's for sure. I have a small-frame Explorist 200 that mounts on my MTB handlebars and it has fallen off, been hit by trees, fell into mud and water, and been baked in the sun all day. Keeps right on going.

The Explorist XL is a great unit, with the larger screen, easy to operate controls, and gets amazing reception. It's on my to-buy list, along with all the other goodies I don't really need...

[Martinjmpr]

Even though it's been discontinued you can still find the Meridian at discount electronics sites or eBay. One drawback (which it sounds like they've fixed with the xplorist) is that the Meridian Gold is limited to 64mb worth of map data - regardless of how big the SD card is (when was the last time you saw a 64mb SD card? You can get 1gb SD cards for around $15 now!)

I still would be leery about anything with a color screen. More power consumption and harder to read in bright light. Still, I'm very happy with my Magellan.

[tdesanto]

I got an Magellan Explorist XL for Christmas! I also got the vehicle mount and the Topo software!!....It has worked out to be a great unit in my travels. Easy to use and the Topo maps are fun to use to plan trips. I just got off Ebay the 12V Cigarette Power Adapter and a 2gb sd memory card to hold all my maps.
The wife got it for a great deal at Gi joes for i think around $270...She a great power shopper if you ask me!!

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f374/nicwillman/DSC02389.jpg

Features:

* eXtra-Large color screen - 3.5" backlit display in vibrant color
* Easy-to-use - Navigate in seconds with simple menus, one-button shortcut to key features and joystick control
* Built-in maps - North American or European basemap shows major roads, parks, waterways and many points of interest
* SD-card expandability - Add unlimited MapSend topographic maps or turn-by-turn street routing
* Simple file system - Save, organize and access all your stored data with ease
* USB data port - Manage maps and waypoints and download coordinates from your PC
* TrueFix® technology - Reliable accuracy to within 3 meters
* Area calculation - Instantly see the distance and area between any geographic points
* Vertical profile - View graphical elevation changes for where you've been or where you're going
* Geocache Manager - PC application to download and organize coordinates from the Internet
* Track logging - Store 5 track files with 2000 points each and an unlimited number on your own SD cards
* Four navigation screens - Map, Compass, Locator and Satellite Status deliver easy-to-use information
* Advanced power management - Four AA batteries provide up to 19 hours of use. Save power with “auto-off".
* Rugged construction - Encased in rubber armored, impact resistant plastic
* Water resistant - Don't worry about getting it wet
* Languages - Choose English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Portuguese, Dutch or Norwegian.
* No service fees - Ready to use with no activation required
* Full Warranty - One-year in North America, Two-year in Europe

In the future, i want to do a custom mount.....

It's been a great unit!!!

:26_7_2:

Ditto on the Explorist XL...great unit.

[jim65wagon]

[quote=Martinjmpr]. One drawback (which it sounds like they've fixed with the xplorist) is that the Meridian Gold is limited to 64mb worth of map data - regardless of how big the SD card is (when was the last time you saw a 64mb SD card? You can get 1gb SD cards for around $15 now!) quote]

Yeah, but you can put several 64mb maps on a 1G card. About 2 states worth of map will fit on the 64mbs allowed. I routinely switch between at least two maps (one directroute and one topo) on any given trip. Yes if you are making an extremely long trip it can be a pain to switch maps on the road, but it works.

[blue94yj]

I would have to pick the Garmin 60CSX. It would be nice to have a unit with a larger screen when in the jeep, but right now I can only afford one so I choose the one that would allow me to use it for different applications. Jeep, Bike, Motorcycle, and geochaching.

Charlie

[calamaridog]

Had some delays in shipping, but the brown truck dropped it off last night! This weekend i should get time to start playing with it and setting it up. I'll keep you posted.

Ok Wil,

I'm just waiting for some feedback from you before I decide:p

Tons of good options and thank you everyone for posting your thoughts and recommendations.

[Scott Brady]

I am really on the fence now.

I like Garmins new models and think they will work ok (276, 376, etc.), but I have had two Garmin Hand Helds (III+ and Vista) fail on me (the screen dies), and Garmin has no intention of providing reasonable assistance and support.

They are the most arrogant company I have ever dealt with when it comes to supporting people in the industry. On my first inquiry, they told me it was impossible that the screen died on my Vista, said to replace the batteries, so then I explained that I was using it in the Outback Challenge RACE and the top of the screen is what died, the top 1/3 of the screen lines were blank, but the rest worked. They said it was my fault for subjecting the unit to excessive vibration and that it was out of warranty. Basically, we don't care if you just won an international race with our GPS and it broke, go down to Walmart and buy another one...

Pride cometh before the fall

[Martinjmpr]

[quote=Martinjmpr]. One drawback (which it sounds like they've fixed with the xplorist) is that the Meridian Gold is limited to 64mb worth of map data - regardless of how big the SD card is (when was the last time you saw a 64mb SD card? You can get 1gb SD cards for around $15 now!) quote]

Yeah, but you can put several 64mb maps on a 1G card. About 2 states worth of map will fit on the 64mbs allowed. I routinely switch between at least two maps (one directroute and one topo) on any given trip. Yes if you are making an extremely long trip it can be a pain to switch maps on the road, but it works.

Ummm...OK, how do you do that? I'm using the mapping software that came with it (can't remember the name) and it would only let me save 4 "regions," each of which had to be less than 16mb. I was able to get all of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and the northern "strip" (about the northen 1/4) of New Mexico and AZ. When I tried to save another region, it wouldn't let me. This was using the SD card in a card reader rather than attached to the GPS but it shouldn't matter. If there's a way to get more storage, I definitely would like to know because I don't think you can even buy a 64mb SD card anymore!

[jim65wagon]

OK first off let me say that my Meridian will only do a 512mb card not a 1G.


On DirectRoute or Topo:
1. Click "regions" then "new"; use the cursor to highlight the region you wish. If you hang the cursor anywhere in the box you are making it will show the size in KB, you can go up to 64,000 KB

2. Once your box is sized click on the "hand" symbol in the toolbar.
3. Warning box opens saying "you have been editing a region. do you want to save changes?" Click "yes"
4. A Naming box opens, give your region a name. Click "OK"
5. On the right side of the screen a toolbar with your region named is open. Your new region is in grey. Check the box next to your region name. This highlights your region and allows you to send it to an SD card.
6. Move cursor to the top of the toolbar and click "Regions"
7. Click "upload to GPS"
8. Select "upload to SD card programmer" and click next
9. DirectRoute asks to verify your GPS serial number, click next
10. Next screen shows the drive the card is in and how much space there is available. click next
11. "Ready to upload" box opens click finish
12. Region uploads to SD card, this may take a few minutes. the fun begins
13. Open My Computer
14. Double click the MMC/SD card thumbnail
15. you should see a thumbnail that is named "detail00.img" rename this to "xxxx.img" ex: Virginia.img
16. With that renamed you can go back to your Mapsend Topo or DR and make a new region, name it highlight it and upload it to the card. rename the map on the card and you have multiple maps on your card. You can only upload one region at a time so only highlight one to upload. I have several for DR and Topo saved to their respective mapping programs and all are 64mb. I currently have six maps on one SD card 3 topo and 3 DirectRoute.