Good GPS for AATVs?

[salamander]

In the trees

Anyone have hands on experience with the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx or the Garmin Map60CSx or Map72CSx in the trees and how was the reception? (these models claim to have good reception and accuracy under tree cover)

[lewis]

Viking: The unit you are referring to is it the eTrex? The one i have is the 2007 version with color screen and works, so far very well in tree cover.

lewis

[ygmir]

Hi Lewis,
I'm not real sure I remember, I think it was E-trex.......and another Garmin, I forget the model......
sorry, my lack of brain cells is showing.........

[ygmir]

Lewis:
is it heavy tree cover? What kind of trees?
I only ask, since, here, it's heavy with oak and pines, mostly pretty tall.
It seemed it needed a pretty darn clear, unobstructed view of a fair amount of sky........especially for an altimeter reading.
I'd sure like to find one, though, that works.......like I'd want it to anyway........hahahaha

[Robio_8x8]

Tree cover

I would imagine this would get worse after a rain fall when the leaves are wet

[lewis]

I would say moderate cover, i have tall pines and some other hard woods gets pretty thick in areas had to do some trimming to get in a lot of the areas. This is a undisturbed area. Only removed small growth. I'll have to take a picture and let you compare. I hope i didnt buy a pig in a poke. So far it does well. The color screen works great. Have seen the black and whites not good.

lewis

[salamander]

Lewis

Could you clarify which eTrex you have; is it the Vista or Legend model; is it the HC model or the HCx model -- thanks for the info

[xrover]

GPS Best to haves

I've gone through 6 gps units to get to what I think are the must have features for a GPS and currently own a Garmin 60CS which meets them all. Most of the new voice command units are NOT well suited for trail use. All GPS will come with a base map which is the basic roads, lakes, towns etc, so the Topo maps are an extra. Some outlets offer a discount on the Topo maps when buying a GPS. Prices are dropping regularily as the competition is fierce. So in no particular order:
1) software and maps for your area - which means Garmin or Magellan in most cases - they have the govt issued 1:50000 digitized for downloads. There are better maps out there by 3rd party such a Fugawi and Ozi-Explorer
2) SD memory slot - so you can download maps and log tracks and routes
3) 15-20hr replacable battery life and/or power port - lot's of battery life but able to power with 12v
4) color screen - sorry my over 40 eyes can't tell an elevation from a river from a route line - color screens are now very good in sunlight - trust me on this one
5) handheld unit - if not designed as a handheld unit then it won't work well when you need to get off your machine and search for a trail or track when in deep stuff (and gets you back to your machine) - and this happens more than you would think - all handhelds will vehicle mount as well
6) vertical orientation - may be a redundant statement as most handhelds are vertical as oppossed to horizontal - much easier to carry and the antenna naturally points up in a fixed position
7) optional external antenna port - so you can put a more powerful antenna on your machine to give better accuracy in thick tree or cloud cover
8) mini-usb port so you can upload and download from your computer - if you pay a $20 a year google subscription, you can even upload them to Google Earth (unfortunately where I ride the satelite resolution sucks)

As for mounting - I use Ram Mounts - many options for mounting and you can have different mounts on different vehicles (argo, bike, 4x4, daily driver). They also sell a magnifier that sits above the GPS screen to give a larger image for when on the move.

Check out these Canadian site as I have always found them to have a wealth information:
Garmin GPS, Edge, Magellan GPS, TomTom GPS, SPOT Messenger, Nokia GPS Central Canada GPS Sales
Radioworld Canada : Radioworld Canada Amateur Ham Radio GPS Marine VHF SSB radios Shortwave Wideband Radio Scanners CB FRS Central Toronto Ontario Canada

[lewis]

It is the eTrex HC series. Hope that helps

lewis

[LarryW]

So I have been looking for a gps for trail use but occasionally road trips and on smaller inland lakes. I have never owned one and I no basically nothing on them. I don't need anything fancy but want the good features. Around$200 or less.

Looks like the Garmin 60CS and eTrex HC series are good. Any other recommendations?

[bcsteve]

You might want to have a look at the Garmin 76 serie. The 76 has the same guts as the 60 but a different layout, higher waterproof rating and it floats. They are about the same price as the 60. I bought one just before hunting season this year and was very happy with the ease of use and reception. I now bought a RAM mount and a 12V cable to hook it up to my Frontier.

[LarryW]

All the maps I have seen are around $100 +\-. I originally thought they where free . So I am shocked. Where do you go for maps? Are there free ones? I havent bought any gps yet just researching still.

[boncrshr]

I have the Garmin 60Cx and am very happy with it. The TOPO SD card was 79 bucks I think.

Also for you current GPS users, I have been using software I downloaded from GPSexpert.com, it is very cool because it interfaces with Google earth and you can transfer waypoints and routes back and forth. There is a 30 day free trial.