Recommend me a GPS

[garrett]

Recently I've really been thinking about buying a GPS. I have little firsthand experience with them and I'm not really sure what features to look for and which features really make a difference.

I was browsing www.gpsnow.com which Robinhood posted in another thread here, but that is Garmin only. Is Garmin generally the best brand?

I'm looking for a handheld unit. The 2 bestselling handhelds on gpsnow are the Vista Cx and the 60CSx. The main differences between the two that I can see (other than $100+) are screen size, 'standard reciever' vs. SiRF reciever, battery life, and connections. The Vista has USB only... though that doesn't really matter to me... What's the need for a serial port anymore? Is this a different serial port than the oldschool ones?

So I guess my main question is about the 'standard reciever' and SiRF? Is the SiRF worth an extra $110?

Any other brand suggestions/websites to look at?

Thanks!

[Good Times]

If I had to do it all over again (gps technology wise), I'd look into either the Garmin 276c or the Lowrance Baja 540c.

Screen size makes a BIG difference when you're using it a lot. I know it's not quite a handheld unit but I think the 276c may be close to a "handheld". Anyway I've seen the 60 series and those look pretty solid so I'd say that'd be a good backup option.

[marko3xl3]

I'll tell you straight up, I am not knowledgable on portable GPS units as the only ones I have researched are in-car units.

BUT, recently I sourced a PDA GPS for free (yea boi! ) and I love it. The thing is, I am not sure if it's the "first GPS in my life" love or "it's really that good" love.

Yes it's an older unit (4-5 years, Garmin iQue 3600) but it's still packed with a bunch of features, plus you can use it on the road as well as biking or walking or wherever else. On top of that, it's also a PDA and you can load all kinds of Palm apps on it.

Currently, Garmin's newest PDA model is the iQue 3000 (they go backwards as far as model numbers), so maybe you should check that out.

I am planning to do a detailed write-up of features etc. of mine, but I am not sure how much interest there is in them.

[Robinhood4x4]

Garmin and Megellan are the two biggest companies and I wouldn't hesitate with either one. I only know about Garmins so that's all I can talk about.

Back in the bay area one of the guys in my wheeling club worked for Sirf. He went out to REI and tried out their 60csx and said it acquired the satellites inside the building. Now that is saying something because you usually need line of sight to the satellites for a GPS to work. Likewise, if you are in the middle of a forest, canyon, or big city with sky scrapers, a normal gps won't always pick up the satellites and it'll be real sporadic.

Yes serial port connection means the old school plugs. GPSs have only recently stepped up to USB and I'd suspect that a few people out there might prefer serial because their beater laptop they have mounted in their truck doesn't have USB. Otherwise, there is no reason to get specifically look for serial port connection.

The bigger display is nice. I have an old B&W Legend and it's better than nothing. I loved the thing when I first got it.

Keep in mind if you want detailed street maps or any topo capability you'll have to buy the cds separately. The city maps are the most usefull because you can use your gps to look up restaurants, gas stations, shopping areas when you're in an unfamiliar city.

The gps forum to search is www.geocaching.com

[Piett]

I've got the Garmin 60CS, I bought it from gpsnow.com. It is the forerunner to the 60CSx. The improvements of the 60CSx over mine are expandable memory and the SiRF chip. When I am in the woods I have still been able to get good GPS signal when compared to Robinhood's older Legend. I think it only came with USB.

I considered the 276C at the time but did not like the placement of the buttons at the top since my hand would cover the screen while using it in the truck. I also wanted a more rugged model since I wanted to be able to carry it with me on occasion. I've never had super reliable experiences with a PDAs so I didn't want to go that route.

I have never ponied up to get the really detailed street mapping software but at 64mb I ought to have enough capacity to hold a decent part of CA but more would be better. It isn't as nice as a dedicated car model for day to day use but I wasn't looking for that. At this point I might be more likely to consider a car model but they don't do that same things that this does and I don't know how well they handle trails as far as the built in maps go. I have been satisfied but my current desires have shifted somewhat so that a car model might have been good too.

Geoff

[jrallan26]

I have a Garmin 60sc. Its a great unit but its not for me. I dont need a handheld. I want one that I can see very well. The screen is too small.

Ask yourself what do you want to do with it?

My next one will be a Garmin 276.

[waskillywabbit]

Lowrance makes the largest touch screen and a buddy of mine has one...it is very nice but not sure how well it would hold up in the elements on a trail rig, but for the street it is a sweet GPS.

[Goin]

I have a Garmin Nuvi 350 and love it. The base maps are very good on road and rarely let me down. It is easy to use and the display size is just fine for me despite larger displays coming out since I bought it. It has an internal battery and MP3 player unlike most navigators in this category. It touts itself as a travel assistant, but I rarely use those features. I have loaded the Garmin Topo software onto it, although Garmin does not advertise that it is compatable (shows maps, but does not navigate well when topo maps are on display). Also, I have all my fishing spots saved as custom points of interest. A down side is that it will not leave a "breadcrumb trail" when offroad, but the wealth of Point of Interest info makes up for it (includes phone numbers).

[xcmountain80]

Look for a marine applicable unit, that way it will hold up to the harshest conditions (shock, water, submersion). Oh what kind you ask why a Garmin 276C to be exact. This thing is badazz.I dont know that you would want to go for some of the touch screens they offer size wise, they get huge.

Aaron