GPS- What are you using?
- Thread starter just eric
- Start date
SunTzuNephew
Explorer
Garmin everything...In the vehicles we have Nuvi 750's which I bought on sale from Amazon the beginning of this year.
Handheld: A variety of Garmin E-trex and newer.
Boat: Garmin Again
Airplane: Integrated Garmin avionics, Garmin handhelds.
USB for use with laptop? Garmin.
I have the first GPS I ever purchased, a Trimble handheld that cost me in excess of $2K in 1990. I used it in Desert Storm. It still works, but it's big, heavy, and slow. The $90 yellow E-trex I bought almost 10 years ago is head and shoulders better than the Trimble, and the newer ones better still.
Handheld: A variety of Garmin E-trex and newer.
Boat: Garmin Again
Airplane: Integrated Garmin avionics, Garmin handhelds.
USB for use with laptop? Garmin.
I have the first GPS I ever purchased, a Trimble handheld that cost me in excess of $2K in 1990. I used it in Desert Storm. It still works, but it's big, heavy, and slow. The $90 yellow E-trex I bought almost 10 years ago is head and shoulders better than the Trimble, and the newer ones better still.
S
Street Wolf
Guest
TomTom 1 XL
Garmin GPSMAP 378
and laptop based GPS program 'iGuidance'
Most Garmin's are utter junk truth be told.
Garmin GPSMAP 378
and laptop based GPS program 'iGuidance'
Most Garmin's are utter junk truth be told.
jim65wagon
Well-known member
In truck - Garmin Nuvi 780
Hiking - Magellan Meridian Gold with Topo maps (mine)
Garmin Etrex Legend HCx with Topo maps (wife)
The Nuvi in the truck is very good at finding an on-road destination.
The handhelds work very well for hiking. Both handhelds when set up correctly can do on-road routing, the Garmin Etrex is miles ahead of the older Magellan in that respect. We used to (before the Nuvi) use either of the handhelds for routing while driving, but they can be a PITA to try to read and use while rolling (ie unsafe at any speed)
Hiking - Magellan Meridian Gold with Topo maps (mine)
Garmin Etrex Legend HCx with Topo maps (wife)
The Nuvi in the truck is very good at finding an on-road destination.
The handhelds work very well for hiking. Both handhelds when set up correctly can do on-road routing, the Garmin Etrex is miles ahead of the older Magellan in that respect. We used to (before the Nuvi) use either of the handhelds for routing while driving, but they can be a PITA to try to read and use while rolling (ie unsafe at any speed)
I've got a TomTom one and a Garmin yellow etrex.
I'm currently looking for a new gps, and I'm looking more towards the colorado, oregon and dakota? series, as they can take imagery or usgs topo maps. Also the vector topo maps (non garmin brand) are avail for free or you can make them yourself.
EDIT:
The etrex continues to work as advertised, the TomTom works well, but I've never been impressed with the battery.
I'm currently looking for a new gps, and I'm looking more towards the colorado, oregon and dakota? series, as they can take imagery or usgs topo maps. Also the vector topo maps (non garmin brand) are avail for free or you can make them yourself.
EDIT:
The etrex continues to work as advertised, the TomTom works well, but I've never been impressed with the battery.
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off-roader
Expedition Leader
High end Tomtom for street use (~$450-500). Love it's customizability. Everything from my vehicle icon (I can put an image of my own vehicle if I want) to the voices are fully customizable (again I can put ANY voice I want). Highly recommended. I can also change the map myself as well as add create or add databases for locations of just about anything from scenic viewpoints at a nat. park to stores like Home Depot, REI, etc.
MS Streets & Trips 2009 w/ USB GPS receiver (sirfstar III) on my laptop is used occassionally in my 4x4.
NatGeo topo (hi res topo maps) is used off road on my Laptop. Unfortunately there aren't that many providers of high res. mapping software for gps units like the Garmin or Delorme, etc. It's one key reason garmin isnt a primary off road gps for me. I'm also going to buy the Overland Navigator software for my next trip outside of California.
Also have a Garmin Etrex Legend & lots of fresh AA batteries as a backup.
MS Streets & Trips 2009 w/ USB GPS receiver (sirfstar III) on my laptop is used occassionally in my 4x4.
NatGeo topo (hi res topo maps) is used off road on my Laptop. Unfortunately there aren't that many providers of high res. mapping software for gps units like the Garmin or Delorme, etc. It's one key reason garmin isnt a primary off road gps for me. I'm also going to buy the Overland Navigator software for my next trip outside of California.
Also have a Garmin Etrex Legend & lots of fresh AA batteries as a backup.
jcbrandon
Explorer
I've been using a Garmin Colorado 400t for the past year and a half. I like it a lot. The interface seems to be a "love it or hate it" feature. I like it. The Colorado comes in a variety of flavors. The 400t comes preloaded with US topo maps.
My daily driver and backcountry truck has a factory navigation system and I've found it surprisingly useful. It gets me to the trailhead nearly every time. And I've found that a lot of the numbered Forest Service roads are included.
My daily driver and backcountry truck has a factory navigation system and I've found it surprisingly useful. It gets me to the trailhead nearly every time. And I've found that a lot of the numbered Forest Service roads are included.
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1leglance
2007 Expedition Trophy Champion, Overland Certifie
I have a garmin etrex color unit as backup and geocaher....I do think it is important to have some kind of handheld for emerg use.
However the screen is toooo small for street or trail nav.
So I run a globalsat $40 usb puck into my $250 acer 10" screened laptop with $99 delorme topo (for trail & street) and $95 Oziexplorer loaded with USGS topo & arieal photos (for trail).
This setup has given me the best setup I could want for overlanding and it worked for 24 days straight on the Continental Divide Expedition.
However the screen is toooo small for street or trail nav.
So I run a globalsat $40 usb puck into my $250 acer 10" screened laptop with $99 delorme topo (for trail & street) and $95 Oziexplorer loaded with USGS topo & arieal photos (for trail).
This setup has given me the best setup I could want for overlanding and it worked for 24 days straight on the Continental Divide Expedition.
xpdishn
Adventurer
We use the Garmin 76CSx - it does everything we need of it. Plug in an address and it will get you there. No talking but beeps tell you when new instructions appear on the screen. Also great for hiking. It's water resistent, I know you can drop it into water, but don't know how deep it can go without ruining it.
You don't need an external antenna with it. It acquires satellites even inside the house, so when out on the road we just put it in a small storage unit on the face of the dash. We slave it to our laptop that is loaded with NatGeo TOPO software. We have real time mapping and routing and can't live without it now. (We could, but it's so nice, I had to say that)
We've had it so long, I don't know if they are still available.
You don't need an external antenna with it. It acquires satellites even inside the house, so when out on the road we just put it in a small storage unit on the face of the dash. We slave it to our laptop that is loaded with NatGeo TOPO software. We have real time mapping and routing and can't live without it now. (We could, but it's so nice, I had to say that)
We've had it so long, I don't know if they are still available.
