Basic GPS advice

[TexasStick81]

Hi guys,

I'm going to try and hunt a little public land this year. It's not a huge plot of land but I'm unfamiliar with it and don't want to mark my path to stand locations really.  In looking at GPS units.  I don't want to get way more than I'll need.  I want something reliable, easy to use, good battery life, and easy to mark spots and paths to get there.  There may be a few of us hunting the area so if there was some way to link them or share info that'd be great.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[awbowman]

Garmin Dakota 20 will let you share waypoints wireless.  Garmin also comes with software for you to load and unload waypoints as needed.

[Lamplighter]

I would get one with mapping.  I do just what you said you want to do. Since I hunt 8/10th to 2 miles in, I mark and save as a route, a trail in to my stand. I also time it out so I know what time I must arrive in the truck to make it to the stand early enough. Then I just put the little triangle on the route line and walk.  If I am zoomed in close, and I stray off course, I'll see the triangle icon stray off the line mighty fast.

No bright eyes, no ribbon, nothing. Maybe one or 2 bright eyes low to ground near the stand. This was critical in me taking one of my biggest to date on public land.

I have the Lowrance iFinder Hunt C, but it is long outdated and not available any more. If I were buying today, I would look at the DeLorme Earthmate PN series, and the Garmins.

Must haves for me would be TRUE 1: 24,000 scale topos and the electronic compass. Big color screen that must have " night ops " dim feature to the backlight.

[TexasStick81]

Thanks guys.  The "must haves" is really helpful as there are so many options these days.  Can you say why each is a "must have" for you?

[VictoryHunter]

My iphone works pretty well! There are several apps specifically for hunting that you can save waypoints and notes for each location.

[Lamplighter]

The 1:24k scale topos :  being an old school hunter, having used topos back in 1982 ( 18 yrs old) I learned how deer use land features and became good at picking excellent spots from topos and later field checking them and confirming I was right.  You cannot see the detail on 1:100,000 scale so the 1 :24k is a must.

The big color screen obviously 49 yrs old now, reading glasses, I need to see. Certain topo features are also color coded.

Night ops light dim is very important because at 4:30 am in the woods a bright light will destroy your night vision. It spooks roosted turkeys too.

Electronic compass is active with you standing still- very important.

The DeLorme Earthmate PN-60 looks like something I would buy, and I would get the map pack subscription.

[NBK]

A "must have" for me is the ability to download topos from a PC or SD card.  It's a feature I use often when navigating new areas and scouting.

[TexasStick81]

I'm appreciating the comments, keep them coming

[McDave]

Tristan, I've wondered about the iPhone apps.  Are they true GPS, or do you have to be within cell phone range to use them?  If they are true GPS, does that mean a GPS is built into the iPhone, or is the GPS somehow downloaded along with the app?  I often hunt and hike outside of cell phone coverage, and always use a regular GPS, but the iPhone would be convenient as a backup if it works.

[eflanders]

In my opinion one doesn't use half of the features offered in todays models enough to justify the cost of many of them.  I use to get a new GPS every year because I thought all of the new features, etc. would be quite useful sometime.  Reality is (for me anyway) was that I basically use the most basic functions all of the time and virtually never use all of the other things.  If you are using the thing to basically just find your spots, just get a basic unit. It will be easier to use when you really need it.  If you will be using it to scout a new area, you are better off just using the computer as the details are far easier to see.

[fivebears]

I would definitely get one with the ability to upload topo maps of your area.You will easily understand why when you begin using it.I have the Garmin 60C and it works great but I'm sure you can by more affordable ones with the mapping ability.A GPS is a great tool,good luck with your search.

[AR RidgeRunner]

Just bought a used DeLorme PN60w on ****. I love it so far. I may never use all the features but it works great. Main thing in my opinion for a hunting GPS, especially for finding your stand in the dark is an electronic compass so you don't have to be moving for it to know your location and point you in the right direction, topo maps and a high sensitivity receiver. Some units will lose reception in any kind of tree cover which is useless where I hunt. I turn mine on when I'm scouting or hanging stands and save the tracks. I can then just follow the track the marked stand location in the dark. Like having an electronic trail.

[McDave]

Those tracks are pretty neat. One time when I was elk hunting in New Mexico, I sat down to eat an apple.  I took off my shooting glove, and put it on the log next to me rather than in my pocket, like I should have. Some time later, I noticed I didn't have my shooting glove anymore. No way I could have found my way back to that log again.  But I remembered that I had turned on my GPS while I was at the log to see where I was.  There was one track where I had turned the GPS on, like this: .  but once I found it, it was enough to get a GPS bearing back to the log and my glove!

[TexasStick81]

Thanks for all the feedback guys

[Eric Sprick]

Originally posted by McDave:
Tristan, I've wondered about the iPhone apps.  Are they true GPS, or do you have to be within cell phone range to use them?  If they are true GPS, does that mean a GPS is built into the iPhone, or is the GPS somehow downloaded along with the app?  I often hunt and hike outside of cell phone coverage, and always use a regular GPS, but the iPhone would be convenient as a backup if it works.

I have The Cabelas ReconHunt app for my iPhone.  It's now called Trimble Hunt I beleive.  Does not require cell service etc. to work.   Pretty happy with it and does a good job, especially for the one time $4.99 it cost.  There is an upgrade to an Elite version that is a few bucks a month, thinking about it.  May want to check that out.

Eric

[awbowman]

Love the i-phone apps but you had better have a battery charger for the  I-phone.  They won't last the day

[ScouterMike]

The more expensive mapping GPS will work but I know I would much rather have a basic GPS (today's models are just as accurate and as good reception plus longer battery life than most more expensive GPS) and a good map of the area and a compass of course.

Invest in a good mapping program instead of GPS maps and use the GPS to show you where you are at on the map.

I done alot of land nav training for scouts and explorers and JROTC units and the GPS map combo method using UTM coords gets better field results every time. You do need to learn to read the map though.

Of course if you want to afford it the mapping GPS are cool, but not needed with a good map.

[AMB]

I'd get a garmin.  The rhino series are radios too and your buddy's location show up on your gps and vice versa.

[Bjorn]

I got 2 Garmins when my son almost got lost 2 years ago. They have good battery life and we carry spares. Mostly we just use the basic features to find our way back to the truck or camp. It takes a bit of practice but well worth it.

[Lamplighter]

Everyone should know how to use good paper topos, how to orient them with a compass, and how to use the special 7.5 minute ruler, But-

when you are trying to sneak in to your stand 2 miles back in the swamp to hunt that huge primary scrape you know about by that doe hangout, at 4 am, you don't want to run any white light and can't afford time wise to get off course. You are following the creek by moonlight to the spot you marked to detour off of it, then run your low red light to avoid stepping on sticks, all the while following that pre-set route on the screen. Fooling with paper maps at 4 am breaking the no bright light rule will work against your sneak stragety.  Before gps we laid out bright eyes and used a dim light.