GPS recommendation

Hi, I think I'm right in saying the 201 doesn't have a compass, you need the
301 for that. Also GPS's are best when used with PC software, eg Memory Map
or Anquet, so you may want to budget for that too.

I have a Summit, but if I were to do it again I may get a 301 or the one
Paul bought (see his latest thread).

I think a compass is a great idea, makes the pointer far more responsive.

Have a look at the comparisen section on the garmin site, that should show
you what each model offers. The basic choice is still mapping or
non-mapping, personally I would go for non and carry an OS map. By the looks
of your budget you will too, probably!

Hope this helps, if you want to know about the Summit just ask!

Cheers

Lewis

Thanks Lewis
I already have the maps and wouldn't be without them. I guess what I
need is something that gives me more info on where I am in relation to
the planned walk and how far I've gone and how far to the next waymark
etc.
I think I perhaps should have explained more why I need it and not the
functionality/widgets. It's for Rambling (surprise surprise) and
leading a group so I need some ideas as to whether I have got the
timing and distances correct so that I can schedule stops, and if
necessary short cuts etc (also planned). The latter will depend on
weather and terrain and fitness of the group. The idea of a GPS is to
let me compare the actual walk with the planned one and see if I have
distnces and timing estimates correct.
And yes - I think the mapping for me is more of a boys toy and
probably worth spending the money on other things. The 301 plus
software is probably out of budget at the moment abd I have tried the
comparison but it doesn't give enough information on what is different
between models.
Cheers

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

Quoted message said:

Hi, I think I'm right in saying the 201 doesn't have a compass, you need the
301 for that. Also GPS's are best when used with PC software, eg Memory Map
or Anquet, so you may want to budget for that too.

I have a Summit, but if I were to do it again I may get a 301 or the one
Paul bought (see his latest thread).

I think a compass is a great idea, makes the pointer far more responsive.

Have a look at the comparisen section on the garmin site, that should show
you what each model offers. The basic choice is still mapping or
non-mapping, personally I would go for non and carry an OS map. By the looks
of your budget you will too, probably!

Hope this helps, if you want to know about the Summit just ask!

Cheers

Lewis

In a recent message <[email hidden]>,
mal <[email hidden]> wrote.

[...]

Quoted message said:

I want to enter preplanned walks using a many as 50 OS 2-letter and
3(or6) easting/northing per walk.

The 201 will do this.

Quoted message said:

Must be able to store multiple walks.

The 201 will do this, storing the data as track logs.

Quoted message said:

Want to have a route shown so I can see how far between points I am
and get a rough idea as to how far to the next point (waymark ?).

Waypoint. Yes the 201 will do this.

Quoted message said:

Allow alternative routes per walk (ideally)

With a bit of fiddling the 201 will do this. You could store your main
route and alternative routes separately and switch from one to the
other.

Quoted message said:

Good battery life 10 hours minimum so I can use one set at most per
day.

I think you'd get ten hours from the 201, using Duracells or similar.
With fully charged NiMH cells I get seven or eight hours from my 301.

Quoted message said:

Compass (when I move is OK - but I've seen some reviews that suggest
that some devices don't have compasses although never seen a device
that doesn't)

On the 201 the 'compass' only works when you're moving. The 301 has a
built-in digital magnetic compass, but I rarely use this.

Quoted message said:

Connecting to a PC so that I can use a keyboard for the grid
references and download easily (USB preferred).

I believe you'll need a special cable to connect a 201 to the USB port
on a PC.

Quoted message said:

Distance/average speed travelled.

Yup! Okay for the 201.

Quoted message said:

Distance of planned walk (I know this won't be accurate as it will have
to be in straight lines and ignore height etc.) but it will be a guide
if I put enough points in. AND backtrack in case I get lost !

When you're using the 201 you'll quickly discover that it's much more
convenient to plan your route and save it as a track. You can have a lot
more track points than waypoints. Backtrack, yes.

Quoted message said:

I'd like to go for a fancy system with maps and all but it looks like
these cost money to get the maps on and I really want OS maps with
contours etc. so looks like a basic GPS is more what I am after.

Yup! For walking at least.

Quoted message said:

Last of all - cheap ! Will the 201 do the job (for £107) or is there
something that is missing. I might have forgotten something that a 201
owner would say...if only I had thought of .... ???

[...]

To me (not an expert, mind) it sounds as if the 201 will do want you
want. With some more too.

Regards,
Nick.
--
Nick Hopton and Anne Hopton
Caversham, Reading, England
<[email hidden]>

Well lets say you're going for the 201, it will let you plan a route, in
fact a number of routes, so you can build in a limited amount of flexibility
to your walk. It will also tell you distance to next way point (a route is
just a set of sequential way points) and how long it will take at current
speed.

A GPS is easier to follow than a compass bearing, because it will compensate
for any little detours you make. For example if you go tramping across
Kinder you have to jump up and down groughs and follow them round and up
this way and that. This makes following a compass a bit hard, as you end up
on a paralell line, but a GPS continually compensates for this.

The 201 will be a bit [censored] when you stop, as when you turn the unit round
the pointer will get confused because you aren't moving. I use the
electronic compass all the time. Just carry more batteries!!

And get a case, or you'll crack it first time out like me.

They are brilliant in bad weather, fog etc doesn't bother it at all.

When you plan GPS routes try to be flexible. Just having a set of strict way
points and route can get boring. Get the map out from time to time, and use
the two together.

I think you will end up with some SW. It makes them a lot more fun, but none
of them appear cheap.

Cheers

Lewis

Thanks to all for the help.
Interestingly I got advised by globalpositioningsystems to go for the
Summit. It does look like, apart for the compass (I can buy a 'proper'
one for £10) that I can get everything I need from the 201.
The main thing that worries me is the PC connection as I do not want
to use a serial port. These things are getting out of date nowadays in
favour of USB and I don't want to end up fiddling around with
converters and the like.
Like my Nokia - a device to USB socket would be ideal. Maybe Etrex
haven't got around to it yet on the cheaper models.
Also, like my phone, the extras seem to mount up - cables and software
(and taking Nick's advice) something to protect the thing !
Why can't they add £10 on and sell a package (OK I know the answer -
extra profit!)

thanks again - any other thoughts obviously very welcome.

P.S. Not advertising but I set a walk up using
http://www.trailgauge.co.uk/download.html

Rubbish instructions but it is good fun. Shame the area I live in is
so flat as the 3D flythough could be great. Rambling in the Alps is
called for !

Nick Hopton <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

In a recent message <[email hidden]>,
mal <[email hidden]> wrote.

[...]

Quoted message said:

I want to enter preplanned walks using a many as 50 OS 2-letter and
3(or6) easting/northing per walk.

The 201 will do this.

Quoted message said:

Must be able to store multiple walks.

The 201 will do this, storing the data as track logs.

Quoted message said:

Want to have a route shown so I can see how far between points I am
and get a rough idea as to how far to the next point (waymark ?).

Waypoint. Yes the 201 will do this.

Quoted message said:

Allow alternative routes per walk (ideally)

With a bit of fiddling the 201 will do this. You could store your main
route and alternative routes separately and switch from one to the
other.

Quoted message said:

Good battery life 10 hours minimum so I can use one set at most per
day.

I think you'd get ten hours from the 201, using Duracells or similar.
With fully charged NiMH cells I get seven or eight hours from my 301.

Quoted message said:

Compass (when I move is OK - but I've seen some reviews that suggest
that some devices don't have compasses although never seen a device
that doesn't)

On the 201 the 'compass' only works when you're moving. The 301 has a
built-in digital magnetic compass, but I rarely use this.

Quoted message said:

Connecting to a PC so that I can use a keyboard for the grid
references and download easily (USB preferred).

I believe you'll need a special cable to connect a 201 to the USB port
on a PC.

Quoted message said:

Distance/average speed travelled.

Yup! Okay for the 201.

Quoted message said:

Distance of planned walk (I know this won't be accurate as it will have
to be in straight lines and ignore height etc.) but it will be a guide
if I put enough points in. AND backtrack in case I get lost !

When you're using the 201 you'll quickly discover that it's much more
convenient to plan your route and save it as a track. You can have a lot
more track points than waypoints. Backtrack, yes.

Quoted message said:

I'd like to go for a fancy system with maps and all but it looks like
these cost money to get the maps on and I really want OS maps with
contours etc. so looks like a basic GPS is more what I am after.

Yup! For walking at least.

Quoted message said:

Last of all - cheap ! Will the 201 do the job (for £107) or is there
something that is missing. I might have forgotten something that a 201
owner would say...if only I had thought of .... ???

[...]

To me (not an expert, mind) it sounds as if the 201 will do want you
want. With some more too.

Regards,
Nick.

The message <[email hidden]>
from [email hidden] (mal) contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Interestingly I got advised by globalpositioningsystems to go for the
Summit.

Profit margins are probably higher on the Summit. :-)

As a long time Summit user there have been 3 things that have absolutely
incensed me about it.

The first is that it positively gobbles up track points to such an
extent that the memory can be filled in as little as 3 hours walking.

The second is that for years Garmin robustly denied there was anything
wrong in the way in which it squandered track points.

The third is that having finally got an admission from Garmin UK that
the way track points were used was not a design feature they still had
absolutely no intention of correcting the bug in the software.

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 39 summits
New - 22 (Marilyns 8, Sweats 5, Outlying Fells 11)
Repeats - 17( Marilyns 6, Sweats 12, Wainwrights 11)
Knackered knee - 4 times

In article <[email hidden]>, Roger
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from [email hidden] (mal) contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Interestingly I got advised by globalpositioningsystems to go for the
Summit.

Profit margins are probably higher on the Summit. :-)

As a long time Summit user there have been 3 things that have absolutely
incensed me about it.

The first is that it positively gobbles up track points to such an
extent that the memory can be filled in as little as 3 hours walking.

The second is that for years Garmin robustly denied there was anything
wrong in the way in which it squandered track points.

The third is that having finally got an admission from Garmin UK that
the way track points were used was not a design feature they still had
absolutely no intention of correcting the bug in the software.

And to add insult to injury they did fix the same issue with the plain
yellow eTrex and the Euro eTrex.

I would not buy any of the older eTrex products as they are highly
unlikely to have any development work or bug fixes done on them now.

I recently got a Geko 201 and am very happy with it. The only thing that
may not match the original posters requirements is the battery life -
people get about 8 hours out of a set of 800mAh NiMh cells. If he is
happy to use alkalines then he will get the 10 hours he wants.

--

Dominic Sexton
http://www.dscs.demon.co.uk/

Roger <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from [email hidden] (mal) contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Interestingly I got advised by globalpositioningsystems to go for the
Summit.

Profit margins are probably higher on the Summit. :-)

As a long time Summit user there have been 3 things that have absolutely
incensed me about it.

The first is that it positively gobbles up track points to such an
extent that the memory can be filled in as little as 3 hours walking.

The second is that for years Garmin robustly denied there was anything
wrong in the way in which it squandered track points.

The third is that having finally got an admission from Garmin UK that
the way track points were used was not a design feature they still had
absolutely no intention of correcting the bug in the software.

At risk of repeating myself Roger, you would like the Vista.
--
Gordon

The message <[email hidden]>
from Gordon <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

At risk of repeating myself Roger, you would like the Vista.

Maybe? But I would also like one of those colour thingies that Paul had
just acquired but in both cases the cost is putting me off.

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 39 summits
New - 22 (Marilyns 8, Sweats 5, Outlying Fells 11)
Repeats - 17( Marilyns 6, Sweats 12, Wainwrights 11)
Knackered knee - 4 times

Quoted message said:

At risk of repeating myself Roger, you would like the Vista.

And the 60CS ;-)

--
Boo

The message <[email hidden]>
from Boo <boo@spam_me_no_spam.net> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

At risk of repeating myself Roger, you would like the Vista.

Quoted message said:

And the 60CS ;-)

Are yes, the colour thingy that I referred to earlier but at the risk of
repeating myself cost is a problem. And cost is a significantly worse
problem today than it was earlier in the week when Standard Life (spit)
finally confirmed that the shortfall on the policy to repay my mortgage
was more than £1000 - a far cry from the surplus (not guaranteed of
course) of £17000 they conned me with 18 years ago. Yesterday my washing
machine gave up the ghost after 25 years and replacing that may cost as
much or even more than a new GPS. Then there are the other replacements
just over the horizon - 10 year old car, 12 year old fridge, 15 year old
central heating boiler, 300 year old hovel ........

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 39 summits
New - 22 (Marilyns 8, Sweats 5, Outlying Fells 11)
Repeats - 17( Marilyns 6, Sweats 12, Wainwrights 11)
Knackered knee - 4 times

Boo <boo@spam_me_no_spam.net> wrote

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

At risk of repeating myself Roger, you would like the Vista.

And the 60CS ;-)

...and the 280SE
--
Gordon

The message <[email hidden]>
from Gordon <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

At risk of repeating myself Roger, you would like the Vista.

And the 60CS ;-)

..and the 280SE

Nah, don't like Mercedes. Might turn my urw cap round and get an Impreza
though.

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 39 summits
New - 22 (Marilyns 8, Sweats 5, Outlying Fells 11)
Repeats - 17( Marilyns 6, Sweats 12, Wainwrights 11)
Knackered knee - 4 times

Roger <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from Boo <boo@spam_me_no_spam.net> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

At risk of repeating myself Roger, you would like the Vista.

Quoted message said:

And the 60CS ;-)

Are yes, the colour thingy that I referred to earlier but at the risk of
repeating myself cost is a problem. And cost is a significantly worse
problem today than it was earlier in the week when Standard Life (spit)
finally confirmed that the shortfall on the policy to repay my mortgage
was more than £1000 - a far cry from the surplus (not guaranteed of
course) of £17000 they conned me with 18 years ago.

Commiserations. I had a life insurance policy with them which I took
out when we bought this house in 1961. I enjoyed seeing the terminal
bonuses added each year during the boom years, then after my wife died
and they suddenly reduced the terminal bonus from around 300% to 220%.
I immediately decided to take the surrender value, and spend it on
replacing my car with an almost new one. It proved to be the smart
thing to do.

Quoted message said:

Yesterday my washing
machine gave up the ghost after 25 years and replacing that may cost as
much or even more than a new GPS. Then there are the other replacements
just over the horizon - 10 year old car, 12 year old fridge, 15 year old
central heating boiler, 300 year old hovel ........

I have had a series of failures since I have been a bachelor, washing
machine, cooker, and now the microwave oven is making funny noises..
At least when you are the sole user the wear and tear is less, but now
whenever I buy anything new I wonder by how many years it will outlast
me. My daughter studies every appliance I buy with great interest....

I passed on my 12 year old TV to her when I got a new wide screen/flat
screen set, having discovered that the old set was not compatible with
the DVD player technology, at least as far as displaying my jpeg
photographs, (sorry, snapshots). ;-)

The consolation was that the new set was far superior and considerably
cheaper than the one we bought 12 years ago.
--
Gordon

Roger <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

The message <[email hidden]>
from Gordon <[email hidden]> contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> At risk of repeating myself Roger, you would like the Vista.

And the 60CS ;-)

..and the 280SE

Nah, don't like Mercedes. Might turn my urw cap round and get an Impreza
though.

:-)
Don't tell P.S.
--
Gordon

On Sat, 7 Aug 2004 08:29:48 +0000 (UTC), [email hidden] (Chris
Malcolm) wrote:

| But I've never yet found a GPS in a skip.

Don't hold your breath ;-)

Dave F

The message <[email hidden]>
from [email hidden] (Chris Malcolm) contains these words:

Quoted message said:

I've rarely bought a fridge, washing machine, or TV, because I've
found that rich fashionable people throw out perfectly good ones often
enough to keep me supplied. Of course that means I sometimes find that
it isn't a perfectly good one, and have to look out for another
one. And I sometimes find that they threw it out when it stopped
working, the problem being that the fuse in the mains plug died.

Scots seem far keener on buying new items than Brits in general and
Tykes in particular. Skip diving doesn't seem at all worthwhile in my
area and that is only partly because it is half rural. The only stuff I
have seen in a skip worth anything was a considerable quantity of good
quality suitcases but I declined the temptation firstly because I still
have several suitcases dating from when I left home 42 years ago and
secondly I couldn't remember the last time I had actually used a
suitcase for the purpose it was intended.

Quoted message said:

I know some impecunious ex-students, struggling hard to remain poor
enough that they don't have to repay their student loans, who run
computer systems built entirely from bits salvaged from skips.

I found a computer plus printer hidden in the brambles once but being a
honest citizen I reported it to the police who took them away. No doubt
the product of a robbery but I sometimes wonder whether they were ever
returned to their rightful owner.

Quoted message said:

But I've never yet found a GPS in a skip.

Quoted message said:

You must get your priorities right :-)

Yes, but what is more important? Replacing a washing machine that is
past repair or replacing a GPS that contains an infuriating bug that
Garmin won't repair?

--
Roger Chapman so far this year 39 summits
New - 22 (Marilyns 8, Sweats 5, Outlying Fells 11)
Repeats - 17( Marilyns 6, Sweats 12, Wainwrights 11)
Knackered knee - 4 times

Chris Malcolm <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I took out a mortgage a decade ago, when financial optimism amongst
insurance companies was both high and obviously silly to anyone old
enough to have watched the rise and falls of the money market. I
suspect one of the things that happened was that young optimistic
perspective-free kids. who were by and large the only ones who knew
how to operate computer spread sheets, managed to hypnotise older
financial managers with computer wizardry. It did allow those of us
who wanted to put as much money as possible into houses rather than
dubious financial "products" to put in rather more than the finance
companies would have permitted if they hadn't been so starry eyed.

No, that doesn't mean I'm in good financial shape :-( it means that I've
weathered some unexpected disasters in less poor shape than would
otherwise have been the case.

That sums up my position, though I cleared the mortgage as soon as I
took early retirement.
I look at escalating house prices in trepidation, and I live in a fairly
modest 3 bed semi-detached house which I could not afford if I was
starting over again!

We paid £1875 in 1961, and a neighbour's house went for £120,000 a
couple of months ago, with only electric storage heaters, very old
double glazing, and overdue for a rewire, which I had done about three
years ago.
--
Gordon

The message <[email hidden]>
from [email hidden] (Chris Malcolm) contains these words:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The first is that it positively gobbles up track points to such an
extent that the memory can be filled in as little as 3 hours walking.

Quoted message said:

If you can tolerate the poorer tracking in poor conditions of battery
save mode, it does significantly reduce the trackpoint usage. I find
battery save mode gives just as good tracking as normal mode in most
of the conditions in which I want a tracklog.

I tried battery save mode when it was suggested to me before but the
resultant tracks were a bit bitty and zigzaged a good deal more than I
had so I reverted to standard.

--
Roger
Looking North over the Aire Valley (and Marley Gasworks) to Rombolds Moor
Top Posters killfiled on sight