HAndheld GPS tips?

[youngvedder]

Hey all,

 

 

Started to look into a handheld and wanted to see if anyone had any suggestions or tips for what I should look for.

 

I've started to look at a few Garmin's which look pretty good (Vista HCx, Venture)

 

Main purpose is to help me find the backlakes!

 

Thanks in advnace,

 

Yv

[ld17]

I bought a lowrance expedition c. It has a nice big screen and it's colour. If you have the money spend the extra and get colour. I got a good deal on mine from bass pro. A few friends I know all use lowrance and the map chips are all compatable that's why I went that route. If you go garman you have to buy a garman chip. If you have gps on a boat or plan on getting one the unit on the boat would have to be garman for the chip to be compatable. If this is not the case then I don't think it really matters. Sounds like the garman will be a nice unit. I'm happy with mine works good no problems, and I've used it while ice fishing and the cold does not affect it.

[holdfast]

Get the cheapest GPS that you can afford. Who cares right now if you don't have a Map source for it. I have two. E-Trex and a Magellan. Overall the Magellan is the easiest to use. Its an older 315. Your main Buttons are right there. GOTO, NAV, MARK. Just press the Button. The E-Trex drives me crazy because I have to scroll through Pages and Pages to get my Grid, mark a Land Mark, or find the GOTO. There are a lot of Magellan haters here, but trust me, The Army uses them, they're tough and simple. The only problem is they eat power. Buy Lithium batteries.

 

I only use my GPS for grid now, to where I'm going and the Distance from. Otherwise Map and Compass. Everything else is just a Bonus that I hardly ever use. Hope it helps.

 

Of Note. This is a Major Pet Peeve of Mine. A Person that holds on to his GPS, Head Down and following the Arrow, totally oblivious to every thing around him. I Failed a lot of would be Patrol Commanders because they lost control to what they are supposed to do. Pull it out of your pocket once in a while while your navigating and enjoy your surroundings.

Edited April 29, 2009 by holdfast

[holdfast]

One Last thing. Be Proficient with map reading and compass other wise you will be in a world of hurt if you only have a GPS Looking for Back Lakes

[spinnerbaitking]

Expedition C also been happy with it like the bigger screen also,

Richard

[Radnine]

I have an H2Oc. While I am sure it is a terrific unit it is a pain in the to get to know. They should run a course on them (like good photo shops do when you buy a digital camera) when you buy one. Actually the only thing that keeps me even remotely calm when talking about mine is the fact the the kid at Grimsby tackle ran me through a bunch of features on mine.

H2Oc = lots of features, HUGE learning curve.

Jim

PS. I'm also still pissed at the fact that they are useless until you buy a card, which is as much as the unit itself. It's a principle thing.

[smnaulls]

And good luck finding a chip or card that even shows the back lakes.. I was quite disapointed with mine..

H2Oc

Scott

[dannyboy]

I have been using the Garmin GPSMAP 60 with Topo Canada maps and it has worked well.

With MapSource on the computer I make waypoints and upload them to the GPS, I also print the corresponding maps to take along.

 

Once I am ready to start on the water or in the bush I use the GPS to get heading and distance, set the heading on the compass get a bearing and go.

Like Holdfast said - keep your head up and pay attention to your surroundings.

 

If you are bushwacking for lakes; streams can be good to follow if it isn't too marshy and use some flagging tape on the way in to make the backtrack quicker.

 

Dan

[Viscount]

My Garmin 76CSx is fantastic. Upload your own maps, waypoints etc. Make your routes on the software and upload to the unit. Very easy to use, lots of buttons...

Color screen is a must in my opinion. On a gray screen, a line could be a road, topo-line, shoreline, highway, trail, creek....

I wouldn't buy one without the "S" feature for the electronic compass. Without it, the compass needle won't point the way unless you are moving. Stop and pull it out to take a bearing and it will send you the wrong way everytime. This will drive you INSANE! Start moving and the needle spins the other way, then you have to take a NEW bearing. Then you end up like people Holdfast has seen - blindly following the needle while walking (in circles).

 

 

The 76CSx recieves full signal while zipped up in the pouch on my belt under my fall hunting clothes. The eTrex hung around my neck. If it was tight to me with my coat half zipped I could walk for hours while it was searching for signal. Made backtracking almost impossible and when you try to save your route, there are sections missing.

[holdfast]

Just a quick story on the Compass aspect. I always go out in the Bush with a Compass. Me and My Brother In Law who was also my boss, a Sgt, went out to look for a back lake. Yup and he is very competant with a GPS. Anyways after bombing in the woods for about four hours we found the lake. But we had an hour maybe of Daylight. We were thick in the bushes and he tryed to get a reading. After a few trys he said lets go this way. I had a feeling it was wrong. We both agreed we had to go South East. Out came my compass and sure enough he was wrong. Also, Batteries died when we were up North. Out came the Compass again. In the Arctic you will Die if you are lost.

[xeon]

Whats your budget?

[Reef Runner]

I have a Garmin Venture HC; not an expensive unit but a good value. Colour screen, waterproof, durable and good battery life....all sought features. Downside: No compass, no memory card slot and the bluechart hydrographic maps are pricey . This being said, however, I can get by with a regular compass for bearing reads and upload only the map section I will be using that particular outing. Be prepared to take a hit to the wallet if your looking for depth charts. Further, the inland waters are largely absent from the hydrographic maps (bluecharts americas). If your purpose is bushwhacking, a good topo map would suffice. Like other Garmin unit holders here, I too have Mapsource topo Canada. There is also a freesource that was pretty decent and an easy web find: Ibycus. A simple internet search can lead you to the site. As valuable as a gps unit may be in some instances such as laying a track, bringing you to a particular shoal, etc....there is no substitute for a standard compass paired with basic map proficiency. After all, paper never runs out of batteries! Hope this helps in your deliberations.

 

reefrunner