What GPS

I have had a Garmin 111+ for about four years and it does everything I need from a GPS. It is the
type that can have maps uploaded to it and for me this is a MUST. I also make my own maps in Garmin
format to upload as public footpaths are not part of Garmin's mapping software. I can't comment on
other types as this is the only one I have ever owned. Another plus is 30+ hours of battery life in
battery save mode. Visit globalpositioningsystems.co.ukglobalpositioningsystems.co.ukOpen ↗ for info on this and other
models. Regards, Kenneth.

Michael Brockhurst said:

I'm seriously thinking of buying a GPS for walking soon. I want to use it with the computer and
maps so I can store OS reference points as I expect to reach them. Can you recommend me a best buy
by telling me about your, should you have one, and the satisfaction and reliability it gives you.

Many thanks, Mike

Web Site: www.walkingenglishman.com

Michael Brockhurst said:

I'm seriously thinking of buying a GPS for walking soon. I want to use it with the computer and
maps so I can store OS reference points as I expect to reach them. Can you recommend me a best buy

Best current models IMO;

Garmin Geko 201 (ultralightweight - uses AAA batteries) Garmin Geko 301 (same plus altimeter) Garmin
GPS76S (map model with altimeter)

Magellan Sportrak (very good accuracy) Magellan Sportrak Map (better value - free PC lead) Magellan
Sportrak Pro (more map memory)

Lowrance iFinder (map model, massive track & waypoint capacity)

Be aware that map models are only useful for driving, not walking.

My choice would be the Garmin GPS76S, many recommend the Geko.

Paul
--
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photosig.comuserphotosOpen ↗

Whilst the resolution may not be so high the Magellan meridians do offer a larger screen which is
more readable in the car if you do want to use it for more than walking. The magellans are a little
larger than the geko/etrex models to carry around. A compass might be useful (platinum/vista, etc)
but from my experience you should never rely purely on the GPS compass and so will have a magnetic
compass and maps as backup anyway.

Jon

"Paul Saunders" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Michael Brockhurst said:

I'm seriously thinking of buying a GPS for walking soon. I want to use it with the computer
and maps so I can store OS reference points as I expect to reach them. Can you recommend me a
best buy

Best current models IMO;

Garmin Geko 201 (ultralightweight - uses AAA batteries) Garmin Geko 301 (same plus altimeter)
Garmin GPS76S (map model with altimeter)

Magellan Sportrak (very good accuracy) Magellan Sportrak Map (better value - free PC lead)
Magellan Sportrak Pro (more map memory)

Lowrance iFinder (map model, massive track & waypoint capacity)

Be aware that map models are only useful for driving, not walking.

My choice would be the Garmin GPS76S, many recommend the Geko.

Paul
--
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Michael Brockhurst said:

I'm seriously thinking of buying a GPS for walking soon. I want to use it with the computer and
maps so I can store OS reference points as I expect to reach them. Can you recommend me a best buy
by telling me about your, should you have one, and the satisfaction and reliability it gives you.

Check

gpsinformation.netgpsinformation.netOpen ↗

for lots of general articles and specific model reviews.

I suggest you consider the Garmin Geko 201 or 301, unless you really want a unit capable of
displaying downloadable maps.

Important decisions are do you want a unit capable of displaying your track, waypoints, etc, against
a background of downloadable maps? Some walkers decide no (the maps aren't detailed enough for
walking), but car drivers often decide yes. Then, do you want a plain GPS unit, or do you want the
extras of magnetic compass and barometric altimeter built-in? Most users decide no, but hillwalking
navigation geeks sometimes decide yes.

I decided on a non-mapping unit with the additions of compass and altimeter, and got the now
somewhat outdated Garmin eTrex Summit, a model which has infuriated several folk here, but which I
still like and certainly won't upgrade until all the features I like about it, which include size
and ruggedness, are preserved in an improved model.

See

dai.ed.ac.uksummit.shtmlOpen ↗

for my impressions of my Summit.

You might also like to consider buying almost any cheap 2nd hand GPS as a device with which to learn
what you really want. Almost all of them do the really important things well, which is telling you
where you are in the map grid co-ordinates of your choice, what the direction and distance of
another point are, where you've been, where the next point on your route is, etc. The rest is bells
and whistles.
--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
["]http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]

Its really each to their own, but I use a Garmin eTrex Summit, which I connect to a laptop running
Oziexplorer for uploading / downloading data.

I delayed buying a gps for ages, as the price at the time was very high ( and the luddites on
various NG's were warning everyone about the dangers of walking off cliffs when relying on these new
fangled gadgets . . . .), and I didn't know if I'd find one useful enough to justify the cost. When
I finally did take the plunge, and managed to hook the unit up to the lappy, I immediately regretted
putting off the purchase.

My Summit is a constant walking companion now, sitting quietly on my rucksack, logging my walks. I
also use it day to day - it, amongst other things, helps me to locate my car after shopping trips to
Bimingham ( yes, seriously - the best and cheapest car parks are on the outskirts of the city, and
can be a bugger to locate if, like me, you're not too familiar with the city ).

I recently had a day out on Kinder, following a route From Edale that I'd totally programmed into
the Summit one night at work with the lappy and Ozi, and was very pleased with the results -
waypoints I'd entered from an O.S.
1:50,000 map scan were bang on, and the trackline I followed ( again taken from an O.S. map in Ozi )
was spot on . . . .

Perhaps its the technophile in me, but one of the things I enjoy about my walking nowadays is the
ability to load up my days tracklog into the PC ( usually whilst sitting in the pub with a cool pint
and steaming, smelly, sweaty feet ! ) and study the data - times, speeds etc.

--
Peace !

Steve Wilcox

"If Whisky Don't Kill Me I'll Live 'Til I Die"

[email hidden]

"Michael Brockhurst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm seriously thinking of buying a GPS for walking soon. I want to use it
with the computer and maps so I can store OS reference points as I expect

to

Quoted message said:

reach them. Can you recommend me a best buy by telling me about your,

should

Quoted message said:

you have one, and the satisfaction and reliability it gives you.

Many thanks,
Mike

Web Site: www.walkingenglishman.com

Paul Saunders said:

Be aware that map models are only useful for driving, not walking.

Many map models are also suitable for walking, such as the SporTrak range. My Garmin GPS V is useful
in the car and has exceptional properties suited to walking, such as the ability to store 50 routes
of up to 254 waypoints. It may not be as small or light as a Geko, but then I can comfortably run it
off rechargeables without worry. 😉

(Chris Malcolm) said:

I suggest you consider the Garmin Geko 201 or 301, unless you really want a unit capable of
displaying downloadable maps.

...and if you don't mind buying a fresh set of alkaline AAAs each time you go walking.

"Chris" <proteus1@gmxDOTnet> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

(Chris Malcolm) said:

I suggest you consider the Garmin Geko 201 or 301, unless you really want a unit capable of
displaying downloadable maps.

...and if you don't mind buying a fresh set of alkaline AAAs each time you go walking.

????

I use NIMH AAA's with my Geko 301. Why would anyone want to buy fresh Alkakines?

druifh

Chris said:

Quoted message said:

Be aware that map models are only useful for driving, not walking.

Many map models are also suitable for walking, such as the SporTrak range. My Garmin GPS V is
useful in the car and has exceptional properties suited to walking, such as the ability to store
50 routes of up to 254 waypoints.

Sorry, I phrased that badly. I didn't meant that the units themselves aren't suitable for walking,
merely that the included maps aren't, since they are just road maps. As you say, they are also
suited to walking. IMO, the map models tend to have more of the features that I want for walking,
like extra track and waypoint capacity, which is why I want a map model (i.e. for the features, not
the maps).

Paul
--
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wildwales.fsnet.co.ukwildwales.fsnet.co.ukOpen ↗
photosig.comuserphotosOpen ↗

steve Wilcox <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Its really each to their own, but I use a Garmin eTrex Summit, which I connect to a laptop running
Oziexplorer for uploading / downloading data.

I delayed buying a gps for ages, as the price at the time was very high ( and the luddites on
various NG's were warning everyone about the dangers of walking off cliffs when relying on these
new fangled gadgets . . . .), and I didn't know if I'd find one useful enough to justify the cost.
When I finally did take the plunge, and managed to hook the unit up to the lappy, I immediately
regretted putting off the purchase.

My Summit is a constant walking companion now, sitting quietly on my rucksack, logging my walks. I
also use it day to day - it, amongst other things, helps me to locate my car after shopping trips
to Bimingham ( yes, seriously - the best and cheapest car parks are on the outskirts of the city,
and can be a bugger to locate if, like me, you're not too familiar with the city ).

I recently had a day out on Kinder, following a route From Edale that I'd totally programmed into
the Summit one night at work with the lappy and Ozi, and was very pleased with the results -
waypoints I'd entered from an O.S.
1:50,000 map scan were bang on, and the trackline I followed ( again taken from an O.S. map in Ozi
) was spot on . . . .

Perhaps its the technophile in me, but one of the things I enjoy about my walking nowadays is the
ability to load up my days tracklog into the PC ( usually whilst sitting in the pub with a cool
pint and steaming, smelly, sweaty feet ! ) and study the data - times, speeds etc.

That sums up my enjoyment of a GPS, although I wait until I get home to study the route.

There is a lot of cr*p talked about not using a GPS for walking. :-)
--
Gordon

druidh said:

Quoted message said:

...and if you don't mind buying a fresh set of alkaline AAAs each time you go walking.

????

I use NIMH AAA's with my Geko 301. Why would anyone want to buy fresh Alkakines?

Garmin usually quote battery life figures assuming you are going to use the power-saving option with
alkaline batteries (ie the best-case scenario). With the Geko I think they quote around 12 hours. If
you want to use NiMH cells with normal GPS operation I would have thought even with newish and
freshly charged cells 8 hours+ operation would be doubtful. If you can guarantee this with 2
rechargeable AAAs with *normal* operation then I stand corrected. The reports I have read seem to
imply otherwise. I think the Geko is a very neat unit, but I also think Garmin would have been
better sticking with AA cells based on current battery technology. The NiCD and NiMH AAA
rechargeables I have used have never impressed me.

Thanks a lot guys. Super help. I'm off shopping now!

"Michael Brockhurst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm seriously thinking of buying a GPS for walking soon. I want to use it with the computer and
maps so I can store OS reference points as I expect

to

Quoted message said:

reach them. Can you recommend me a best buy by telling me about your,

should

Quoted message said:

you have one, and the satisfaction and reliability it gives you.

Many thanks, Mike

Web Site: www.walkingenglishman.com

Paul Saunders said:

Sorry, I phrased that badly. I didn't meant that the units themselves aren't suitable for walking,
merely that the included maps aren't, since they are just road maps.

Fair enough - although sometimes it's nice to know where the nearest roads are! ;-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I suggest you consider the Garmin Geko 201 or 301, unless you really want a unit capable of
displaying downloadable maps.

....and if you don't mind buying a fresh set of alkaline AAAs each time you go walking.

There are rechargeable NiMH AAA batteries and chargers available though the capacity's not as good
as the AA ones.

--
Boo

Paul Saunders <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Chris said:

Quoted message said:

Be aware that map models are only useful for driving, not walking.

Many map models are also suitable for walking, such as the SporTrak range. My Garmin GPS V is
useful in the car and has exceptional properties suited to walking, such as the ability to store
50 routes of up to 254 waypoints.

Sorry, I phrased that badly. I didn't meant that the units themselves aren't suitable for walking,
merely that the included maps aren't, since they are just road maps. As you say, they are also
suited to walking. IMO, the map models tend to have more of the features that I want for walking,
like extra track and waypoint capacity, which is why I want a map model (i.e. for the features, not
the maps).

That's why I bought the Vista, for the extra track capacity, but don't ignore the maps! A pocket
roadmap can be very useful in the car and for driving to walks, and they do include rivers, although
the accuracy of the course of a river I checked is a bit sketchy, except where it is close to
'civilisation.
--
Gordon

Chris <proteus1@gmxDOTnet.?> wrote

Quoted message said:

(Chris Malcolm) said:

I suggest you consider the Garmin Geko 201 or 301, unless you really want a unit capable of
displaying downloadable maps.

...and if you don't mind buying a fresh set of alkaline AAAs each time you go walking.

I find the Vista lasts long enough to use Duracell dry cells rather than the re-chargeables, now
that they are so cheap. In fact I brought some home from US, they are silly prices over there!
--
Gordon

Boo boo@spam_me_no_spam.net said:

Quoted message said:

....and if you don't mind buying a fresh set of alkaline AAAs each time you go walking.

There are rechargeable NiMH AAA batteries and chargers available though the capacity's not as good
as the AA ones.

I know - I have some. My doubt is whether two can reliably power a GPS for a walk of 8 hours or
thereabouts.

Quoted message said:

"Michael Brockhurst" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm seriously thinking of buying a GPS for walking soon. I want to use

it

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with the computer and maps so I can store OS reference points as I

expect

Quoted message said:

to

Quoted message said:

reach them. Can you recommend me a best buy by telling me about your,

should

Quoted message said:

you have one, and the satisfaction and reliability it gives you.

Many thanks, Mike

Web Site: www.walkingenglishman.com

Quoted message said:

Thanks a lot guys. Super help. I'm off shopping now!

What did you decide on?

<snip>

Quoted message said:

Garmin usually quote battery life figures assuming you are going to use the power-saving option
with alkaline batteries (ie the best-case scenario). With the Geko I think they quote around 12
hours. If you want to use NiMH cells with normal GPS operation I would have thought even with
newish and freshly charged cells 8 hours+ operation would be doubtful. If you can guarantee this
with 2 rechargeable AAAs with *normal* operation then I stand corrected. The reports I have read
seem to imply otherwise. I think the Geko is a very neat unit, but I also think Garmin would have
been better sticking with AA cells based on current battery technology. The NiCD and NiMH AAA
rechargeables I have used have never impressed me.

Some of the latest Nimh batteries are superior to alkalines especially in cold conditions. I use
750mah (Dynacell made by Duracell) Nimh batteries with my Geko 301. On a very chilly day (-5c) I got
over 8 hours out of the GPS while using all the bells and whistles a lot. The GPS was not in
"battery save mode" and the battery sppping electronic compass was left on guzzling the battery
while I had my lunch. Since I had just got the GPS, I was merrily prodding buttons, checking
altitude and ploughing through menus frequently. So, the 8 hours batery life I got was pretty much a
worst case scenario. In "*normal *" operation, I will get a lot more life out of it.

Also, AAA Nimhs weigh so little you can carry a heapload of spare ones and still weigh in a lot
lighter than a Etrex.

Cheers, Jiffy