Hand Held GPS's

[Concord Bob]

I am currently looking to get a hand held GPS to use while I am out fishing the Delta and other areas. I am not looking to spend big bucks since I don't need a ton of bells and whistles on the device.

Does anyone have any opinions regarding a hand held GPS that may be worth buying ?

Also is it worthwhile at all to get a hand held GPS for marking routes and spots on a watershed like the Delta ?

Any and all thoughts are appreciated.

Bob

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Hi Bob

I have very poor sense of directions myself and don't really know the Delta very well so I have a GPS on my boat.

I am a Garmin GPS fan but not sure what software is best for navigating the Delta?

I got a combo 'fish finder/GPS' with a big screen so I could really see where I was going.

I know a hand-held would be versatile so you could take it anywhere.

Someone will probably come on here with some good advise for you.

[Scott V]

I currently have the Garmin 60CS but it is outdated but I love it and have used it everywhere. If you are willing to spend the money I highly recommend the Garmin 62st, it is the one I plan on getting by the end of year. Not only can you get any type of maps for it but it has 500 megs of built in memory and also accepts mini sd cards which you can get maps on, this way you can get the city maps on the sd card and then get topo or waterway maps and install them into the memory. The GPS also does turn by turn direction for when you are driving, it is what I use the most. I can't wait to get my new one.

PM me if you have any questions.

[Dean Y.]

Bob,
I just started looking into a handheld unit too. If I can get what I want, I'd like to spend less than what the 62st goes for so I'm looking into lesser or older models offered by Garmin. I'm also looking seriously at the DeLorme PN-60 - there's also a PN-60w w/SPOT technology that allows you to text via satellite and of course send out a distress call if necessary.

Garmin and DeLorme users can get very attached to their devices as geocachers and adventure riders seem to have strong preferences for these manufacturers. I just started looking into these devices, but from what I can tell, there seems to be some consensus that Garmin's software is more user friendly than DeLorme's. However, DeLorme has better deals on additional maps as you won't have to spend as much additional $ adding extra maps to your unit. If you're on a budget, seems like you're likely to have to spend more in additional $ with the Garmin for maps. I've read and heard directly from friends that Garmin's tech support is not all that great. Don't know about DeLorme's... But, on things like tech support YMMV.

Scott, have you anything from DeLorme lately? Or, considered the PN-60 or PN-60w?

[Scott V]

Scott, have you anything from DeLorme lately? Or, considered the PN-60 or PN-60w?

I have had to deal with the DeLorme software on my old Lorance GPS in the past and did not care for it. It probably has gotten alot better, but once I switched to Garmin I never looked back.

[mar]

I’ve been using the Lowrance i-Finder H20 with a Navionics chip out in the Delta. No complaints so far. I can punch in waypoints and record a track. It runs on AA batteries and can be plugged in to a 12V receptacle. It has saved my butt countless times while navigating new waters. The track-record function has also allowed me to fish out 2 rods out of the water! The unit has already paid for itself :-)
I think the model that I have has been discontinued but you can still find them online. I recently found one on craigslist for $40! No, I didn’t buy it because I haven’t had a problem with mine. Just another option.

[DFrink]

I have an older Garmin E-trex Legend that I use. This model doesn't have as nice of a display (you download topographic maps to it, and it's not a color display), but if you are good with reading maps you really don't need it. For using as a way point storing device on water (the delta) it would work great. You can probably find one for pretty cheap now (I paid almost $400 when it was new).

[Concord Bob]

All:

Thanks for the input on the Hand Held GPS's. I will keep shopping and hope to have one soon.

[Concord Bob]

I ended up buying a Garmin Legend HCX. I believe it will suit my purposes. I didn't want to spend a ton on my first GPS.

Now I have to figure out how to use it.

As far as maps go, I guess you have to purchase the US road map to use the step by step directions ?

I saw the base map which was included(or some piece of it). I'm a bit confused about the maps.

I assume the marine maps(not the lakes) are only good if you are out in the ocean ?

Well I will keep reading the directions.

If anyone has any suggestions in regards to good maps to load up on the GPS I would appreciate your thoughts.

Bob

[Pound]

Even though you bought yours Bob, maybe someone else might look into this one.

I give 2 thumbs up on the Garmin 60csx (just like the CS, but with expandable SD memory card slot). I load both city/street as well as topo maps on the 1gig SD card (bought separately and both cannot load the whole country but more than enough for any trip). It is water and shock proof, runs a long while with the 2 AA batteries but also can be hooked to a 12v and external antenna and has a color screen.

I think it is discontinued and replaced by the 62 series.

Not the cheapest, nor a huge screen, but does everything for me that I want for fishing and driving. It’s even seen the bottom of the Trinity and still has kept on ticking!

[Concord Bob]

Thanks for the comments. Yes I elected to get a lower price unit. I also bought the Garmin North American roadmap. When I read the directions for any of this, I'm not sure really how to use this GPS.

Do you download the maps to the card from the Garmin North American Map Program ?

Thanks

Bob