GPS advice

[kmdmac]

considering a purchase of a GPS unit. mostly for use in the woods navigating new trails, tracking of old ones, etc.

also like the benefit of street directions in the car.

I've checked out the Garmin web site. several units seem pretty good with different features.

not looking to break the bank, but don't want to waste $$ either.

any suggestions? what's the best line of TOPO maps?

kmd

[dabedob]

I purchased the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx. It works great on the trail and I also use it in my truck for on the road navagation. I wouldn't buy anything at the OEM website, theyr'e too expensive. I got my at gpscity.com With this unit you can add maps and do a lot more than say the Edge 305/205. But I think the big plus is the battery life in the 60CSx. I think you'd would be better off with this unit. Just my 2 cents.

[digger]

A gps for both automotive and trail use is not likely to be optimal for either. Garmin 60 CSx is a great trail gps. While it will do turn by turn road directions I believe that you have to buy City Navigator maps to make that work. A cheap automotive will do the same job better for not much more money. Garmin Vista HCx is a good low-cost choice for a mapping handheld with much the same functionality as 60Xxx. Edge series more for training though the newer ones ($$$) are mapping units. A few links for info:

Geomangear (http://www.geomangear.com/)
gpsfiledepot (http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/)
Topofusion (http://www.topofusion.com/)
mtbr gps forum (http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=144)

[Mongoose]

A handheld GPS isn't good for driving. It won't update fast enough, the screen is too small, the route takes a long time to calculate... It's fine for a road bike but not a car.

I use a 60CSx which has every feature I could need. The built in compass helps with route finding. The Edge series looks nice too if you're into training. It has a built in heart monitor I believe and other training feature.

[justwanttoride]

I've had the edge 705 for two months now and love it. i use both on and off road (not in the car), it has heart rate and cadence.

[stich]

IMHO, the best and most MTB friendly is the Garmin Etrex Legend (Blue one at walmart for $169).
Get the handlebar mount and the USB cable and you will be all set.

Does mapping in Black and White. Very conservative on batteries.
Has WAAS and 8MB of memory

Stich

[fishbum]

I agree with what others have said - it's hard to find a GPS that will do both auto and backcountry well. Screen size is a real issue with a handheld in a car...

Most modern GPS designs are using high-sensitivity chipsets that give great accuracy. WAAS improves accuracy by about 20-40%, and is a normal feature of modern GPS chipsets.

I'm baised, but I really like the DeLorme PN-40. Their maps are the best as far as I'm concerned (included in the cost of the PN-40), and you can layer (on the handheld) their map data, along with USGS Topo Quads, hires imagery, your own draw layers, as well as NOAA charts if you are a boater. They have a $29.95 annual subscription 'library card' to download all the imagery, TOPO quads, and other data you want for the one price. If you upgrade to their professional GIS software called XMAP you can scan in any map, register it to make it accurate, and cut the map and transfer it to the handheld...

And they're a New England company!

[simian23]

First, I agree with the other posters, handheld mapping GPS units make lousy car navigation units. The interface is designed to be used while holding in one's hand. As a result if mounted in the car they are very clunky to use. Further, the screens are small as in the backcountry the shape and appearance of the roads are not important - the bearing and track are. This doesn't take a good screen or even full color to show accurately.

I would strongly recommend getting a Garmin Nuvi 250 off ebay for about $100 and a middle-end model Etrex unit for bike navigation. The Nuvi comes with maps installed, has an SD card slot for more maps, and includes a car charger and car mount. I have a 270 - same model but with European maps too, as I travel there frequently. It is a fantastic, easy to use, durable device. My wife loves it - the ultimate user-friendliness test.

I also have an Etrex Vista HCx. I use it for week-long hiking epics, but for just local trail navigation or 1-2 day trips it would be overkill. A Garmin Etrex Venture HC can be had for about $100. It has the same receiver and screen as the Vista HCx, but has 24mb internal memory rather than relying on a micro-SD memory card. 24mb is EASILY enough to hold hundreds of square miles of terrain, tracks, and waypoints. Further, on a bike the electronic compass is almost totally useless, and the altimeter needs regular calibration - not too convenient while you're ripping through singletrack. Just be sure to get an HC unit as these have higher sensitivity receivers. Signal is so good I can walk around in my apartment connected to 5 satellites. I never lose signal even in the deepest forest cover.

As for maps...yes the Garmin Topo USA maps are expensive. But there are free options I wish I had known about earlier - maps with better detail that work well with Garmin devices and did I mention free? Check them out here: http://www.gameandfishnetwork.com/Content/pid=5.html.

There are many more free maps available here: http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/

[toddslacks]

This is my second season using an Edge 705. It has some pros and cons. It has a very good reciever and altimeter so it tracks very well. It seems to be pretty waterproof and durable. It is small and mounts to the stem nicely. It is definitely more training oriented. It'll track your heart rate and cadence and will show you it on a timeline with your speed and elevation. My biggest complaint with it is that while it can create "courses" that you can load back into the unit to follow, you cannot combine these courses. What i had hoped to do with the unit is to combine all my my rides into one big map so i can see all of the trails at one time. It cannot be done with this unit (I have contacted garmin to confirm). My understanding is that a unit like a 60csx can do this. If i could go back (and get my four hundred something dollars back) i would probably go with a 60csx. It is tried and true. Has great reception and it versatile. I have not put much research in others. As far as using one of these units in the car. It seems like a great idea in theory. In practice it doesn't make sense. For ~$150 you can get a very nice car GPS that comes with the appropriate mounts, car power adapter and software. The road software for my edge would be ~$100 and i would have to buy the car adapter and mount. It is not touchscreen, it has a small screen and i doubt it has a speaker that i can hear over my music like my car GPS has.

[kmdmac]

first off, thanx very much to everyone who has responded here. I've gain quite a bit of info reading your replies and following the links.

second, I have purchased a Legend HCx, on sale for $150, a 2gb microSD card for $16 and downloaded a number of free topo maps from gpsfiledepot

it really became obvious once I started reading and seeing the hand held units in person that they don't make much sense for auto navi. we'll handle that as another issue.

the 60CSx is likely the leader for those who are into the deep woods thing, however this eTrex should be just fine for what I need and there's plenty of headroom in the budget for a nuvi for the car.

thanx, kmd

[kmdmac]

oh, yea, third:

does anyone know of a freebee topo for Rhode Island & CT?

kmd

[toddslacks]

simian23, thank you for the free topo map suggestions. I downloaded them and they are great. I didn't need anything crazy accurate just wanted more than a blank map. Thanks again.