Before I buy a GPS...

[mqqse]

Any suggestions or recommendations?  I've read a few threads here and found some good information, but I'd love to hear a few last minute suggestions.  I'll probably spend between $149-300.  I primarily hunt in my home state of Missouri, but could easily be headed to Colorado next year.

[Mike Bolin]

I hope someone jumps in soon, 'cause I have the same question......I read something about a GPS that is also a two-way radio. When you key a radio your position shows up on the GPS screen?!?
That could come in handy if your hunting partner tends to wander off! Mike

[bendbig]

I have a Garmin e-trex sells for $89-$99 very easy to use. Used it for 18 days all day long on an elk hunt in New Mexico last year on the same batteries then used it all deer season at home, never changed batteries.Very simple to use and very user friendly doesnt have all the bells and whistles of some but well worth the $$.

[Chris Surtees]

I am no GPS expert but my whole family has the systems you are talking about. They are the Rino line from Garmin and are the only units I will use from now on. The GPS/radio combo is so much handier than carrying both.

Of course as with any line you have a basic model that is around $150 and then there is the top end models that are around $450 or so.

I have not noticed any diffence in tracking or operational ability between my Rino and old Etrex. For me the real plus is the combo.

Hope this helps,
Chris

[Steven Mullins]

I've got the etrex as well.  I really like the unit, and I wouldn't go in the woods w/out it.  I hunt mostly in LA where it's flat, however I have made a few hunts to MO where it's also gotten alot of use.  It's never let me down, and it's very easy to use.  If you get the etrex, spend the extra $20 and get an instructional DVD or VHS, it will help tremendously.  I've also heard the Rhinos are good systems, just couldn't come off the $$$$ when I got my etrex!  Good Luck.

[pine nut]

I had an old Garmin that I neglected to remove the batteries from and when I called about repair and found the cost.  Garmin said I should consider newer technology and much betterchip and capabilities of a Garmin Etrex-H.  It is largely the same as  the old Etrex but with a high capability of finding the satelites in dense woods.  Mine is on the way as we speak.  It was to be released early Sept. but is coming early.  Other than what their customer service guy told me I know nothing.  Just passing it along FWIW.   I think it was about $104 and change including shipping. Good luck.

[mqqse]

Etrex users, do you have to buy additional software for maps?  Anyone use/recommend units that have a slot for an SD memory card?

Thanks for the comments, keep 'em coming.

Chris

[Matty]

I use an etrex. i hunt colorado. I highly trust it. I wander off and it always get's me me back.. The only thing i dont like is sometimes it gets a weak signal in  canopy of trees but I guess they all do.  If the radio type marks your buddy that would be a sweet perk.

[Biggie Hoffman]

On the higher end, they now have a unit that actually downloads an aerial of where you are but I looked at them and they're not very clear. I'm hoping another year and they'll have the bugs worked out. In the meanwhile, I juust bought a Garmin 60CSx It has excellent aquisition characteristics even under most canopies. I'm very pleased with it.

[BarryOnly]

Mqqse, I have the Magellan Explorist 500 with downloadable maps and SD cards for extended memory.  The downloadable maps are a godsend if you do a lot of exploring or use it for navigating.  I use mine for navigating lakes in a kayak and trails while mountainbiking (you would be amazed at how small of a trail is recorded on these background maps.  The maps are also incredibly useful to find small lakes when looking for a place to fish.  For me, the GPS would not be nearly as useful without the background maps.

As for SD cards, I have a 1 GB card in mine and I have the eastern half of Canada saved in mine.  It is useful for me since I go back and forth from Nova Scotia to Ontario several times each year, and make many stops in between.  If you aren't going far, the SD card option is not very necessary.

[NDTerminator]

When it comes to GPS units, you can go from simple to wildly complex, so it's important to decide how much GPS you need.  Much like computers, the capability you buy now will be eclipsed and obsolete next year.

I've used a Magellan Sport Trak Topo for the last several years.  This is about a mid-level capability/cost unit. It's perfect for my needs, that of a GPS to mark hunting/stand locations, downed game, off road travel routes, and so on.  The accuracy of the topographics is freaky, it even shows sloughs and prairie trails around my farmstead.

This is a great unit for outdoors use, but you probably want more capability if you intend to also use your unit for road navigation.  The Sport Trak shows roads and does the job, but the function is fairly basic compared to stuff that's now available.

When out hunting in say, the Badlands, I power the GPS up, mark my starting point in the morning, cross reference that with a compass & map, then shut it down and put it away. To find my way back at the end of the day, I just power it up and hit the "Go To" button back to my marked starting point.

Going in when it's still dark, it works fantastic for following a pre-saved route to a stand.

Early Goose Season starts next weekend up here.  In the next several days, I'll be marking spread locations in fields around my farmstead. Makes it a snap to go right to the exact spot in a several thousand acre stubble field I want to set up in before light.

It's literally the cat's rear end for, after  killing a deer at last light in about half section of CRP, coming straight back to it with the game cart to bring it out in the dark.

Ever followed a blood trail in the dark, had to go get help/decide to stop and take it up in the morning? Just mark the location with you GPS and follow your back track right to it when you return.

These functions have saved me a world of work and headaches.

What ever unit you get, make sure it has 12 channels.  8 channels (if you can still even find one) were always cheaper, but tend to constantly lose the satellites. Mid- to upper level 12 channel units will hold the satellites even under tree cover.

Also, if you use it for hunting navigation, ALWAYS carry a couple extra sets of batteries and a compass in case it goes belly up...

[Curveman]

"Garmin 60CSx It has excellent aquisition characteristics even under most canopies. I'm very pleased with it."

Ditto. If you hunt in deep woods, this is the one to get. I gave my Etrex Vista to a friend. What is also cool about the 60 is that you can slide SD cards into it with topos already on it. No need to download anything.

[Rick McGowan]

If I was willing to spend the $300 right now, I would get the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx also. I talked to the Garmin guys earlier this year and he recommended it for the "high sensitivity receiver" which is much better under a tree canopy or in deep canyons. It also has the barometric altimeter and electronic compass and expandible memory. Its selling for $450 all over, BUT REI has them on sale now for $100 off PLUS a $50 rebate from Garmin, so you can get it for $300 until labor day.

[Biggie Hoffman]

Dang! See what happens when you're impatient. I paid $550 for mine at Bass Pro.

[PowDuck]

I've had an eTrex (old yellow, now a camo model) for several years and always had great service out of it. It's simple to use and not loaded down with unnecessary garb. It gets me where I want to go and back to the truck.

However .......... after Rick's post I'm really looking at the 60CSx as a new toy.

[Biggie Hoffman]

Powduck, I have the Etrex too but have been disapointed in reception in the woods. Other than that, it works great and for $99 a bargain. I still carry it in my pack as a back-up and use it out west to mark the truck when I leave it.

[Rick McGowan]

The thing that annoys me(among other things), is they only put the stuff you really want on the top of the line ones, so you have to pay for all that other garbage you never use. To get the high sensitivity receiver, altimeter and real compass, I also have to be able to get roadmaps of France or some other horrible place!

[James Wrenn]

I have the GPSMAP 60CSx as well.It never looses signal lock and is very fast to aquire satalites.I have a large card in it that allows me to have all the maps for diving any where I ever go.I still have room for any topo maps I would want to put in.I bought this model because of the routing features so I could use it on the road as well as in the woods.I think I saved enough on gas to pay for it in the first few months by being able to get to places without riding all over looking for them. :)I love the way by useing the map source software I can send my info to my buddy to veiw in google earth as well.So much easier to talk to someone over the phone about your latest scouting adventure when they can see everything as you talk.  

[ejes]

I've had an Etrex Summit for several years.  I got the Summit model for "just in case I went to the mountians", which might be what you are looking for too.  For the price, it works pretty well and I like the extra little features that come with it over the base Etrex for little extra cost.  I, too, don't have the signal acquisition of the more expensive models when in thicker canopy, which can be annoying.  But to tell the truth, I just don't use the GPS features much at all.  I use the compass on it more than anything, but generally I   just use a regular compass most of the time .  I do use it in the Rockies as more of a   safeguard/backup to mark waypoints every so often, my start location,check altitude and barometers readings.  The barometer feature seems to be pretty accurate and can help in predicting the weather a little.  I also use the sun and moon info a lot for legal shooting hours.  Sometimes I'll use it to mark good fishing spots or mushroom honey holes.  Really, I look at more as sort of a useful toy, but if you know you are going to the mountains and want to use it for driving too, plus you are able to spend the $300, I too would go with the GPSMAP 60CSx and be done with it.  My wife wants a in dash GPS in the next car we buy this month, but with the cost of the updates for them each year, I figure it makes more sense to buy something I can move from car to car like the 60SCx and be able to use it in the woods when we take the kids hiking. they're getting older and want to take more trips like that, so the ability to use it for the driving and hiking is appealing.  The dang in dash adds $1000 to the car, so I think I have her convinced to to this since I can get the GPSMAP 60CSx for around $315 and a good RAM mount for it.

[joebuck]

We all must have talked to same Garmin guy...I bought a 60 cs too last year...What I DO NOT like about these new GPS is that they give you an Arrow against a compass dial to direct you to your waypoint (truck or stand).. I like the old way of the GPS giving me a compass heading like 283 degrees to my truck...That way you can take your hand held compass then walk that heading...these new GPS with internal compass can take several seconds to lock on and give you a false direction.........also Mqqse..learn how to mark your waypoints in the UTM fromat not Long/Lat because it's so easy to use a 7.5 topo with it to pin point yourself on the topo from your current position given in UTM