Wanting to purchase a GPS and would appreciate suggestions.

[Attila]

I would like to purchase a GPS unit but I don't want something that will require a computer science degree to operate. I want something simple and utilitarian. Do they make such a thing? I want it for backpacking, and for geocaching with my Venture Crew. Any help will be appreciated.

[KoreaScouter]

My son has a Garmin E-Trex, which is very simple to operate, cheap to operate based on battery life, and has features applicable to the type of activities you're talking about. You can get one for under $120 -- look online.

 

In my last job, we bought Garmin four Rino 110s for site survey and vulnerability assessment work. The great thing about the Rinos is that they incorporate both a GPS and a 2-way radio in the same unit. They also have more features, a higher resolution display, and a really neat feature is that if you have a group, and they're all using Rinos, every time you transmit, your position is automatically sent to everybody else in your group. You can get a Rino 110 for about $175.

 

If you go with just the E-Trex or similar unit, check the manufacturer's web site first. They make many models that look similar, but offer different features, such as more memory, ability to download maps from a CD-Rom, and so on.

 

One caution: GPS units are great, but are not a substitute for being able to read a map & use a compass. They can break, get lost, batteries wear out, and something most people don't know: the U.S. Government can "dumb-down" the accuracy of un-encrypted GPS units during times of national emergency. Your accuracy could go from 3 meters to 1,000 in the blink of an eye.

 

KS

[le Voyageur]

I second what KS said, a Garmin etrek is, overall, an excellent unit.

Mine can be mounted on my mountain bike to run fire/logging roads deep into the wilderness..

 

Also heed KS's advice about map and compass skills...won't do you a bit of good if you can't read a map..

[AK-Eagle]

I have a Garmin Etrex Legend. It works great execpt in the heaviest of cover where a map would be useless anyhow. Like some GPS models the Legend can be connected to a computer to allow the upload/download of maps, waypoints, and routes.

I also have the Expert GPS program. With it I can plan a hike upload that into my GPS and print out a topo map of just the area we are hiking. When we get back I can download from my GPS back into my computer and see what we actually did then once again print out a map and show the scouts the difference between what was planned and what actually happened.

 

Of course you need good map and compass skills to make the most of a GPS unit.

 

Phil Martin

AK-Eagle

 

[fotoscout]

I have a Magellan 330M. Great little unit after youve spent too many hours learning how to use it. This model is a few years old now and Im not even sure if they still sell it. I would not recommend this model to you.

 

I would suggest that you make sure that the model you select interfaces with a map program AND that your unit has the ability to display the map. Some of the cheaper units do not have this ability!!!