Entry Level GPS recommendations?

[OverlandZJ]

Hey Guys..my son is looking for input on an entry level GPS unit. We know basically nothing about GPS. :smilies27

Portability and a couple hundred are the main deciding factors. We have been checking out ebay and he likes the Garmin StreetPilot III's.

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=164&pID=158

We realize these are a discontinued model, this model should allow him to track NF two tracks and save fishing and camp locations?

With this model will it allow him to have access to roads across the country without having to reconfigure and download?

I understand he can plug this model into a laptop, is it compatable with Google Earth?

Any advice?

[mountainpete]

First question which will guide the rest:

Are you only going to use the GPS inside your vehicle or do you want something that will do double duty as in vehicle and handheld/hiker?

Pete

[cshontz]

You should find almost all of them to be pretty easy to use. Even the older discontinued models had pretty intuitive UI's. However, be aware that many automotive models are geared toward street level navigation and aren't typically the best option for backwoods travel. I'm not sure where the old Streetpilots stand in this regard.

You might want to get your feet wet with a used Garmin GPS V. Its a bit of a jack-of-all-trades GPS, and won't break the bank. Good luck, John!

[OverlandZJ]

Double duty Pete. He'll use it for walking in to fishing spots,maybe some biking/hiking and from vehicle to vehicle.

Chris,we watched a Garmin GPS V go last night for a tad over $100, he didnt like the B&W display...and it appeared smaller than the StreetPilotIII? We took a stab at a StreetPilotIII up to $225...told him to back off till i do some research.

[cshontz]

I don't blame him on the color thing - vivid color displays are hot. But screen visibility on the V is good during both day and night. It has better readability than many color units. Be forewarned some color units (especially the older ones) appear "washed out" and are hard to read in direct sunlight. Not trying to discourage you from color, but that shouldn't be a deciding factor if you're on a budget.

For the price, you're getting alot of GPS with the V, imo.

EDIT: Oh yeah - it is smaller than the Streetpilots. The GPS V is mainly a handheld, but it works pretty well on your dash. Hopefully someone else can chime in regarding the Streetpilots. I think you used to be able to compare products, even discontinued ones, on Garmin's website.

[mountainpete]

The Street Pilot series are really battery hungry and not good for hiking duty. They are also pretty heavy.

If turn by turn navigation isn't high on the list, I would suggest a used Garmin eTrex Legend. They are reliable and fairly easy to operate. Good place to start and the won't break the bank.

Or, go for a new Garmin 60 series. You can get an Auto navigation kit which adds the maps and turn by turn directions for that model.

Pete

[crawler#976]

I had a Garmin Vista - a great unit, and it's been upgraded to color. It's a nice hand held unit, but as with all the true hand held units, the screen size is small for automotive use. The price for the color model is getting pretty reasonable:

http://cgi.ebay.com/BRAND-NEW-Garmin-eTrex-Vista-CX-GPS-Receiver_W0QQitemZ260113725059QQihZ016QQcategoryZ1 16223QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[OverlandZJ]

Agreed Chris, i tried telling him to go for the V and i would buy it when he figured out what he wanted later. I got "that look" that you'll see when your son gets a bit older. :ylsmoke:

Pete,Crawler... thanks. I'll check into those recommendations and see if it fits his highness' requirements. Turn by turn nav is not what he's going to need.

[pnwadventurer]

I just recently picked up a Magellan Explorist 500 LE with MapSend for less than $200. The only cables it came with at this price was a USB cable. I have the car charger. The lithium battery is on order.

As a GPS novice, I'm pretty much able to figure out the important functions. It works well even sitting on the console of my Land Cruiser. I'm happy with the purchase so far.

http://www.pnwadventures.com/outdoor-gear/my-new-gps/

Steve

[OverlandZJ]

Anyone happen to know what the last version of MapSource was for the Garmin GPS V?

Is there much of a difference within the versions themselves?

[JDCrow]

my son and his buddies all have TomTom Ones. They love them.
They have bluetooth and can interface for text messeging.

Their favorite feature is the fact they can plot where each other are when they are running around.

About $299 at Best Buy

[cshontz]

I'd wager the current Mapsource products still works on the V, but don't quote me on that. I think Garmin's website has a Mapsource compatibility chart if you poke around. Handheld GPS devices seem to age much more slowly than most consumer electronics - I personally still consider the GPS V to be new.

[OverlandZJ]

I'd wager the current Mapsource products still works on the V, but don't quote me on that. I think Garmin's website has a Mapsource compatibility chart if you poke around. Handheld GPS devices seem to age much more slowly than most consumer electronics - I personally still consider the GPS V to be new.


Looks like your right again Chris, seems i can upgrade the V's software downloading directly from Garmins website.

:beer:

[OverlandZJ]

Bought one. :wings:

Won the ebay auction for a new unopened Garmin V today. Spent a bit more, but it is new. My son will be thrilled because he will have it for a trip to the Canyon on Memorial Day weekend.

Thanks everyone for your input!