# GPS system



## btownslayer (Jun 23, 2011)

I am looking at buying a gps but cannot decide what brand or model to buy.. If anyone has had any good or bad experiences with certain gps systems your input would be greatly appreciated. Any recommendations? I have looked at the features on most of them and I am still not sure which ones I like or would use out in the field. Which features have come in most handy for you?


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## svmoose (Feb 28, 2008)

I would suggest Garmin. I have not used anything else for the past 8 years or so, but back then Garmin was ahead of the pack IMO. From what I hear, they are still a favorite. 

The feature I like the best is the simple set a point and navigate back to it later on. I don't really use the other stuff, and the basic unit does well for me. I suppose some maps would be nice to have, but the units do go up in price. Another nice feature would be a compass that updates without having to move. My unit is a bit older, and a lot of the new ones have this available in the basic units. If I were to buy a new one I would look pretty hard at the Garmin Oregon. I would probably splurge and get one with the preloaded maps and all that.

The main reason is for the touch screen (easy and instinctive) and the 3 axis digital compass (don't have to aim or hold the gps in a specific orientation to get a compass reading)

But there are a lot of options, and some are very affordable.


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## Fishrmn (Sep 14, 2007)

Garmin is probably the most popular and sells the most units. That doesn't mean that they are the best, or that they will be your choice. I've got a Rhino 530xc. It's a great radio, the gps is good. The features are okay. But the screen is too small. They've added too many toys that just aren't necessary. 

I've got two Lowrance units. I've owned two other Lowrance units. I prefer them for just gps situations. The Rhino has the added benefit of communicating with other Rhino radios and giving you the position of other Rhinos. To me, the Garmin units have always had bizarre controls. They keep trying to move the buttons to the side, or above the screen, or some other strange combination.

The only gps that I have truly despised was a cheap Magellan. It belonged to a friend of mine. It wouldn't acquire a position unless it was sitting absolutely still while powered up for almost 5 minutes. 

Good luck. Try them all before you decide.

Fishrmn


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## 2litl2l8 (Jan 16, 2008)

I have had a Garmin Vista C and loved it, they are cheap now and still do a great job for navigation. Now I have a Garmin 60CSX I love it, it is easy to use. Price has dropped as a new one (62 series) has come out. For free topo maps you can go to http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/ I have all the maps for Utah auto routing gets a little messy sometimes with the free topos but to me it beats paying the 100 bucks for Garmin's version. The 60CSX also has a removable micro-sd card as does the Vista CSX and i believe the noew 62's do as well I find this nice cause you basically have unlimited storage for maps. If you have any other questions let me know. The only thing I dont like about garmin is they seem to have a million different versions of GPS devices. I wanted an accurate GPS, that is why I got the 60CSX, I dont want satalite images, I dont want a camera, i dont want a radio....GPS that is what I wanted and the 60 series is just that. As far a features that I use, I use the hunt/fish feature alot when I am bored just looking at dates. I geocache with my kids and get coordinates form google earth that I think look interesting. I run as well so I use the info page that shows currant speed/distance traveled/time ect. My compass does not seem to be consistant tough so I do not trust it. The menu screens in the 60 series seems old, the new 62's have a more modern style menu.


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