Handheld GPS for $100 - $150 ?

[Lunker777]

Hey everyone

 

I want to get a cheap handheld for tracking speeds when trolling and to mark some fishing spots.

 

Whats a good cheap entry level unit for doing those things ? Ive looked around the BPS site and see that there isnt much to chose from in that price range but there are a couple.

 

Any one using a cheaper garmin chime in on this and let me know your experiences please ! Thanks !

[Fisherman]

We use the Garmin Etrex models at work, they're reliable, accurate and pretty easy to use, cost around $100. Although they are not battery hogs, they don't have the option of plugging them into a cigarette lighter receptacle.

[CLofchik]

We use the Garmin Etrex models at work, they're reliable, accurate and pretty easy to use, cost around $100. Although they are not battery hogs, they don't have the option of plugging them into a cigarette lighter receptacle.

 

+1

For a basic speed/waypoint unit you can't beat the econo Etrex. I get about 8-12 hours from a pair of rechargeable AA's and they are waterproof. Only cons are they aren't expandable so all they are capable of is speed/location/waypoints.

[holdfast]

I'm not saying any Particular Brand. But a GPS, that has a MARK, GOTO, NAV, buttons on the GPS will save you allot of time and frustration. My Etrex does not have these buttons so consequently I have to flip through pages, sometimes half a dozen just to find my grid or mark a land point. However My Magellan 315, its old, if I push the Mark button I have my Landmark recorded automatically in numerical order. If I press my Nav Button, my first page will show what Ive put in as a default. For example A Grid, Your Speed, Distance to, or Bearing any thing you want.

 

 

[Handlebarz]

the one I have is the older model Magellan Sport Trak GPS it has been great for me and is still coming in handy I love the fish/hunt for cast on it and moon phase you can save many weigh points I dont know how many but I have used mine for 5-8 years now and its not full yet. The only reason it does not get used daily now is because I have the Lowrance unit but I still bring it out each trip just incase I hit some old spots or on bad days look for some old marks that I might not find with out it. I picked mine up a wally world for less then $200 back then.

[rickster]

I like my etrex for some of the back country lakes

best i have got out of it is navigable to within 15 feet

not bad for a hundred dollar handheld

[ohhenrygsr]

Garmin Etrex for sure

[Dabluz]

Any GPS will give you your speed. Even an old Garmin 45 or an old Lowrance GlobNav 200 gives you all you want. However, you can't see a map on these GPS's. But they sure can tell you everything else. You can find one of these old GPS's for about 20 dollars on Ebay or better yet, go to Geocaching.com and ask anyone on this huge site if anyone has one to give away...lol.

 

Some of these old GPS's have neat stuff too. The old Garmin 45 could tell you the times for sunrise and sunset anywhere on the planet on any given date. Great for planning a long portage to some remote lake for early next summer. It is as accurate as any one of the new GPS's on the market today. It even had a detachable antenna that I could attach to my baseball cap while walking in the woods. The Garmin 45 would be stowed away inside my jacket.

 

My old Lowrance GlobalNav 200 could track from the back seat of my Suzuki Sidekick and get it's position through my basement window. Yes, it was a bit faster than the Garmin 45 that used an 8 channel sequential receiver because it had a 12 channel parallel receiver.

 

Anyway, if you want a GPS that tells you where you are, how to get back to where you started and tell you everything else in between plus have the capablities to hook up to your home computer so that you can record your outings in detail, you only have to spend about 20 dollars.

 

The only difference between the old GPS's and the brand new ones is the fact that the newer ones have colour screens with more pixels, have mapping capabilities and are more sensitive. However, the added sensitivity also means that they also pick up reflected wavelengths (weak messages from the satellites that are reflected by mountains and buildings etc) and this means that there are more induced errors.

 

With my very old Garmin 45, I was almost consitently within 5 to 45 feet.

Edited September 23, 2009 by Dabluz

[Thrasher]

I looked long and hard before i bought mine. I had the garmin etrex, and it did the job for trolling speed and basic waypoints. I wanted one with a few more options like color as I find it much easier to read, especially when trolling at night. I also found the mapping capabilities a huge asset when fishing. There's a ton more memory for keeping tracks on the page, again hepful when trolling, over a week long trip. i also hunt making the mapping a must. Go to gpscity.com They have the best prices by far! plus their shipping is free, and because they're in alberta, you don't pay PST!

Thrasher

[Twocoda]

I'm not saying any Particular Brand. But a GPS, that has a MARK, GOTO, NAV, buttons on the GPS will save you allot of time and frustration. My Etrex does not have these buttons so consequently I have to flip through pages, sometimes half a dozen just to find my grid or mark a land point. However My Magellan 315, its old, if I push the Mark button I have my Landmark recorded automatically in numerical order. If I press my Nav Button, my first page will show what Ive put in as a default. For example A Grid, Your Speed, Distance to, or Bearing any thing you want.

 

 

 

 

 

that 315 is a new unit compared to my trail blazer...exact same unit different name...i have another unit too but use the trail blazer more for the sheer convenience of its functions

[Dabluz]

I think I remember that there are even some GPS's that do not indicate low speeds very well. Some even don't indicate speed below 3 mph. However, that's easy to find out real quick by just taking the unit outdoors, waiting for the GPS to acquire a position and then you just start walking around a little.