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Pravus
 
location:
Chicago Area
Gender: Male
Now the two key words for tonight - "caution" and "flammable"...
 |  |  |  | GPS?
< on 3/1/2006 8:12 AM >
|  | | | Does anyone know a place to get good deals on GPS units.. I've been looking at the Lowrance Ifinder Pro, if anyone has anything to say about this company or unit I'd be delighted to hear feedback since I really haven't heard much about them.. Mostly I found'em around $160ish I'd be happy as a lil kid in a candy store to find'em $140 or lower..
I was also looking around at some of the low end mapping Garmins like the Legend, But I like the design generally better of the Pro.. I also looked in at some of the Magellan units but I really just don't like thier products, not sure why..
If anyone has any feedback on another good unit I should check out please speak up, I am looking for something around $140ish that has mapping, I can care less about color or greyscale.. Also it'd be nice to find out that has a basemap included, of some sort.. (which I think 'most' do)
[last edit 3/1/2006 8:14 AM by Pravus - edited 1 times]
Live to Serve, Serve to Live.. |
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el nerdo
         
Chief UER Lackey
Gender: Male
What are you, from the Department of Know'm Sayin's? You takin' a Know'm census?
| |  | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 1 on 3/1/2006 2:36 PM >
| | | | Try and find one that is easily connected to your PC.
The eTrex Legend is a great little unit.
I'm using a DeLorme Earthmate connected to a laptop. Works fantastic.
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Raticus
 
Moderator
location:
Tyler
Gender: Male
Ratus exploricus abandonae
| | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 2 on 3/1/2006 3:34 PM >
| | | | I use a Garmin etrex Summit, I think it's about a $200 unit something like that. But it has a magnetic compass and some other little features that are nice if you get out in the wooded areas or somewhere that you can't get a good GPS signal. The mag compass still works and will often get me out of a bind and save me walking around in circles. It also hooks to a computer very easily.
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools speak because they have to say something. |
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Jester
location:
Vancouver,B.C. Canada
Gender: Male
Always just out of sight...
| | | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 3 on 3/1/2006 4:16 PM >
| | | | Is a GPS worth $200 if you get into wooded areas and then don't have any signal ? Sounds like a fire extinguisher that only works underwater...
It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf. |
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Yuichi Kanai
location:
Oakland, CA
Gender: Male
| | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 4 on 3/1/2006 4:38 PM >
|  | | | Posted by Jester
Is a GPS worth $200 if you get into wooded areas and then don't have any signal ? Sounds like a fire extinguisher that only works underwater...
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It's got to be better than a Brunton compass I have that doesn't tell me the truth. Yeah, the needle moves and all, but it's wrong.
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Pravus
location:
Chicago Area
Gender: Male
Now the two key words for tonight - "caution" and "flammable"...
| | | | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 5 on 3/1/2006 5:00 PM >
| | | | Posted by Jester
Is a GPS worth $200 if you get into wooded areas and then don't have any signal ? Sounds like a fire extinguisher that only works underwater...
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It happens, like when I am in the city my buddies GPS is totally worthless unless we go stand on a bridge, then theres enough of the sky visible to get a signal.. But it also doesn't matter because his base map has the basic layout of the city so it pretty much reverts to a electronic paper map.. *shrug*
Also it would seem that most GPS units worth thier weight in salt can connect either by USB or COM ports (I think garmin still uses COM ports, not sure though)
Live to Serve, Serve to Live.. |
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el nerdo
Chief UER Lackey
Gender: Male
What are you, from the Department of Know'm Sayin's? You takin' a Know'm census?
| | | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 6 on 3/1/2006 5:26 PM >
| | | | Posted by Pravus
It happens, like when I am in the city my buddies GPS is totally worthless unless we go stand on a bridge, then theres enough of the sky visible to get a signal.. But it also doesn't matter because his base map has the basic layout of the city so it pretty much reverts to a electronic paper map.. *shrug*
Also it would seem that most GPS units worth thier weight in salt can connect either by USB or COM ports (I think garmin still uses COM ports, not sure though)
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Most GPS units that are USB are actually not... they're serial devices that use a MAX232 level convertor to connect to a USB cable.
(Basically, it's the same thing as those USB-to-Serial adapters you can get)
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Raticus
Moderator
location:
Tyler
Gender: Male
Ratus exploricus abandonae
| | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 7 on 3/1/2006 5:57 PM >
| | | | Posted by Jester
Is a GPS worth $200 if you get into wooded areas and then don't have any signal ? Sounds like a fire extinguisher that only works underwater...
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Those things are great though if you have an underwater fire. If you'll notice in my post the GPS that I have also has a built in magnetic compass so that if you can't get a signal you can still get a bearing on where your headed. To me, yeah it's worth $200. I've been 2 miles back in the east Texas forrest and not been able to get a signal and this thing has saved me from walking miles out of the way.
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools speak because they have to say something. |
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Jester
location:
Vancouver,B.C. Canada
Gender: Male
Always just out of sight...
| | | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 8 on 3/1/2006 5:59 PM >
| | | | Posted by Raticus
Those things are great though if you have an underwater fire. If you'll notice in my post the GPS that I have also has a built in magnetic compass so that if you can't get a signal you can still get a bearing on where your headed. To me, yeah it's worth $200. I've been 2 miles back in the east Texas forrest and not been able to get a signal and this thing has saved me from walking miles out of the way.
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I don't recall questioning the usefulness of a compass, just of a $200 compass holder...
It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf. |
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Raticus
Moderator
location:
Tyler
Gender: Male
Ratus exploricus abandonae
| | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 9 on 3/1/2006 6:18 PM >
| | | | Posted by Jester
I don't recall questioning the usefulness of a compass, just of a $200 compass holder...
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Dude, your missing my point. The original question from the guy was whether or not a less expensive GPS is worth the money. A little more money will give you a GPS that IS worth the money. My GPS has a compass BUILT IN. When the GPS looses it's signal, it will still function as a guidance to get you out of a situation. It's not a freakin compass taped to the backside of a GPS.
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools speak because they have to say something. |
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el nerdo
Chief UER Lackey
Gender: Male
What are you, from the Department of Know'm Sayin's? You takin' a Know'm census?
| | | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 10 on 3/1/2006 6:52 PM >
| | | | Posted by Raticus
Dude, your missing my point. The original question from the guy was whether or not a less expensive GPS is worth the money. A little more money will give you a GPS that IS worth the money. My GPS has a compass BUILT IN. When the GPS looses it's signal, it will still function as a guidance to get you out of a situation. It's not a freakin compass taped to the backside of a GPS.
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He didn't miss your point.
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Jester
location:
Vancouver,B.C. Canada
Gender: Male
Always just out of sight...
| | | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 11 on 3/1/2006 7:01 PM >
| | | | Posted by Raticus
Dude, your missing my point. The original question from the guy was whether or not a less expensive GPS is worth the money. A little more money will give you a GPS that IS worth the money. My GPS has a compass BUILT IN. When the GPS looses it's signal, it will still function as a guidance to get you out of a situation. It's not a freakin compass taped to the backside of a GPS.
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So how much does your unit with BUILT IN compass cost in comparison to a unit without the compass, and you *gasp* buy a seperate compass ? Just because something is BUILT IN does not make it better or necessarily a better purchase.
It requires wisdom to understand wisdom: the music is nothing if the audience is deaf. |
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pyro
location:
Toronto
Gender: Male
| | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 12 on 3/1/2006 8:53 PM >
| | | | If you happen to have and wouldn't mind lugging around a laptop there's a version of Microsoft Streets and Tips that comes with a USB GPS unit for about $140. Simply turn on your laptop, open the program, turn on the GPS feature and pow. Personally when I go UE'ing I carry a magnetic compass from my satellite dish (to set up the angles).
"[emo kids] are like homeless people with thier hand out only its pitty they want and not money." -boutdatlonestar |
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Raticus
Moderator
location:
Tyler
Gender: Male
Ratus exploricus abandonae
| | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 13 on 3/1/2006 9:07 PM >
| | | | Posted by el nerdo
He didn't miss your point.
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Yeah, your right. He didn't. I'm at work today and didn't take time to read it that closely. I don't know if it's worth the difference or not. In economics they taught us that price is based on a few things, but one of those it the buyer being able, and willing to buy it. For me it was worth it. That way it's just one less gadget I have to keep up with.
Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools speak because they have to say something. |
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Vinny
location:
city watershed wilderness area of Frederick, MD
Gender: Male
| | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 14 on 3/1/2006 11:55 PM >
| | | | Well, here is something to consider: Some GPS receivers (GPSrs) work very well under forest cover, even under HEAVY forest cover, and others fare VERY poorly under such cover. It is largely due to antenna design and to receiver sensitivity/design. In general, the Magellan SporTrak Pro and the Garmin 60CSX are reputed to be the best for use under heavy forest cover, although the Magellan Explorist series is not too far behind the SporTrak Pro.
We live in a heavily-forested wilderness area in Western Maryland, and we use the SporTrak Pro, and it is quite amazing in such situations. I have used our SporTrak Pro under heavy forest cover all over the US, including ID and WY, and also under forest cover in India and Nicaragua, with excellent reception. Of course, place us -- along with the GPSR -- in the downtown area of a big city, replete with many high-rise buildings nearby, and then even most forest-ready GPSrs will give up, due to lack of signal. However, the new Garmin 60CSX is reputed to work fairly well in such urban high-rise settings, due to a newer, hotter chipset and, it is claimed, due to a new antenna design. Both models (SporTrak Pro and the 60CSX) which I mentioned above have internal maps and can connect to your PC via a serial/USB cable.
BTW, the SporTrak Pro was discontinued by Magellan in December 2006 and thus its street price has dropped to about $130 to $150 on discount websites and on ebay, and a bit more elsewhere. The Garmin 60CSX is very new and very expensive.
[last edit 3/1/2006 11:57 PM by Vinny - edited 2 times]
with care,
--Vinny
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Bry
location:
Goose Creek, SC
Gender: Male
hehe, you looked
| | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 15 on 3/2/2006 12:31 AM >
| | | | I dont remember the price, but I got a Garmin eTrex Legend at Best Buy for a decent price. It works. Its definitely not the best I've used; but it easily hooks up to the computer for loading maps, geocaches, waypoints and that sort of thing. I've never had a really bad time with it, but it does loose quite a bit of signal under trees.
The Decoy till 11-18-2006 |
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Explorer Zero
| | | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 16 on 3/2/2006 3:51 AM >
| | | | I have been in some really dense forest even double canopy with my Magellan Sport Trak and the worst that ever happened was I lost 3D fix, intermittently and accuracy was degraded by just a few meters over the 9 meters they claim.
Thats close enough for most uses. In the shadows between tall buildings downtown forget it you'll be lucky to get a fix at all, too much metal.
I have found the Magellan Meridian built in compass to be almost worthless you have to recalibrate it every time you change batteries. If you want advice on a compass I use a $15 Silva wrist compass, on a nylon GI watch band its always ready and really hard to loose has a white face you can see by star light.
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Servo
| | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 17 on 3/2/2006 4:31 AM >
| | | | I have a Magellan SporTrack Pro and consider it indespensible for navigation. It sometimes can be bitchy about getting a signal, but once it has a lock it never loses it outside, even under heavy cover. It's nice to be able to chuck a 20-some waypoint hitlist of potential locations into it and drive off to some unknown city for the weekend. It also has a pretty damn good battery life and is waterproof/floats.
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Pravus
location:
Chicago Area
Gender: Male
Now the two key words for tonight - "caution" and "flammable"...
| | | | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 18 on 3/2/2006 7:59 AM >
| | | | If I had a laptop I would hardcore get one for that, but sadly I lack a laptop *frown*
As for a compass, I have a pretty accurate compass anyways so I am really not to concerned with it having a build in one..
Also the reason I am stuck around 140ish is my brother got me a GPS for christmas (along with one for himself) but he didn't really take too good of a look at them.. They are the Garmin Forerunner 201, which has ALOT of BS I don't want to have to deal with, plus a larger handheld is more then fine with me.. So basically he is selling them on Ebay and we are trying to find something we can kinda swap for them.. Which leaves us in the neighborhood of around $140 unit..
Does anyone have anything to say about Lowrance, are they good quality, rugged, will they last, is the basemap any good at all?
Live to Serve, Serve to Live.. |
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Explorer Zero
| | | Re: GPS?
<Reply # 19 on 3/2/2006 1:17 PM >
| | | | Posted by Servo
I have a Magellan SporTrack Pro and consider it indespensible for navigation. It sometimes can be bitchy about getting a signal, but once it has a lock it never loses it outside, even under heavy cover. It's nice to be able to chuck a 20-some waypoint hitlist of potential locations into it and drive off to some unknown city for the weekend. It also has a pretty damn good battery life and is waterproof/floats.
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Mine did the same thing at first. I downloaded the most recent firmware which helped it acquire a fix much faster.
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