Choosing my first GPS

[Anonymous]

I'd appreciate some more experienced feedback.

I'm considering inexpensive (<$150) GPS models for:

1. car navigation with laptop and Map N Go, Street Atlas 2003. This
looks really useful since I car travel alot to unfamiliar cities and
need to find addresses and locations.
2. Day hike and return to starting location in unfamiliar areas more
"casually" and without a decent map. Saves getting a topo map and dead
reconning carefully in wilderness, or looking at the map in cities.
Seems to me like if you need a map to find your way (rough country
with limited trails), a GPS is just a convenience and insures against
getting lost. Am I missing something? I don't do multi-day deep
wilderness treks much.
3. Other uses?

Mapping features and memory look too expensive adding software, maps,
etc.

I'm considering the Garmin Legend at gpsdiscount.com, refurbished,
after rebate, it's $125 with data cable. It'd give a little map
memory to play with, WAAS (better for Street Atlas navigation?). Will
it receive well enough in a car?

I thought about the Dolorme Earthmate but learned reading postings
that a separate GPS would add standalone uses (without the laptop) and
perform better.

I haven't considered other choices than Garmin. I considered older
models, Garmin II+, 12, 12xl, on ebay, but they seem to go for as much
as the Legend I found which seems much improved.

Is the Legend a good choice? Will it do these things?

Many thanks. You really need the internet and groups to deal with
getting something like this!

-Allan

[ambystoma]

If you poke around you can get a plain meridian for that price range.
People were talking about an offer to get one for just $99 in this
news group. Then you can get an 8 or 16 meg SD card, and then get a
used copy of mapsend topo. All for about $150. The 8 meg card is only
$20 or so, and I got a used copy of mapsend Topo for just $30 on ebay.
People with the meridians tend to go overboard with memory, but
unless you need it for driving on long interstate trips, you'll never
use that much memory. I put all of vermont on my platinum, and it
barely took up more than a meg. So for $150, you can get a pretty
good mapping GPS. The meridian is a really good unit in my opinion,
and better than comparable garmen etrex or gecko units. You might
also look at the sportrak series. The low end model is only $139 or
so, and then for another $30 you could upgrade to the map series, and
again find cheap mapping software on e-bay, and have a mapping unit
cheap. But the meridian is way to go for low cost mapping unit.

[Jesper Lundorf Thusgaard]

Before you go for the Green Meridian, read this:
http://www.gpsinformation.net/mgoldreview/meridiandalaloss.htm

J;-)

"ambystoma" <amby...@attbi.com> skrev i en meddelelse
news:e88ebada.03022...@posting.google.com...

[Anonymous]

On Wed, 26 Feb 2003 18:16:00 +0100, "Jesper Lundorf Thusgaard"
<jesper...@thusgaard.com> wrote:

>Before you go for the Green Meridian, read this:
>http://www.gpsinformation.net/mgoldreview/meridiandalaloss.htm

Interesting. But it seems like this wouldn't be too hard to learn to
avoid. Also, the "Green Meridian" is the bright yellow Meridian, aka
Meridian GPS (not Gold, Platinum, etc)? Seems like they come in
yellow or easy-on-the-eyes green ?

[Anonymous]

Thank you very much. This does seem like a good option, to get a
starter non-mapping GPS that can become a mapping GPS with add-ons.

So, this would also work in a car cabled to a laptop running Street
Atlas to constantly show my position on a map? The Delorme site
seems to say the software supports third party (not Earthmate) GPS but
all the asterisks and notes are hard to tell it is a workable
solution.

I'm trying to get the Earthmate on a laptop feature with a standalone
GPS too.

Make any sense?

-Allan

[Dave]

I just purchased an eTrex legend off of ebay for about half of
retail...,

It works great in a car connected to MS streets 2002..., I've also
tried "geocaching" - I'm very surprised how accurate these things are.
I highly reccommend the eTrex Legend.

Hope this helps!

Dave

[Anonymous]

Could explain the benefit of this for car navigation? What exactly
does it do for you? I can't quite get a feel for how this would work
out in practice...

-Allan

On 27 Feb 2003 11:50:41 -0800, watch...@suissewatchservice.com

[Allan]

I've been investigating this advice.

Thank you! I'm now convinced the eTrex patch antenna is a weakness
and would buy the Meridian or Sportrak. Which one? I need to go to a
store to get a feel for the base maps. The 24 MB basemap in the Gold
Meridian is a temptation though much more than $150. But perhaps you
could avoid map downloads for many uses which seems very good.

I'm under the impression (from the US forest service sites) that
better signal strength improves accuracy (makes sense now that I think
about it) so the best antenna is key.

Interesting technology indeed.

-Allan

On 26 Feb 2003 08:43:58 -0800, amby...@attbi.com (ambystoma) wrote:

[ambystoma]

I have found that with my meridian platinum, (which has the same
basemap as the gold), the basemap is rather useless. I don't use mine
for driving, and use the topo software for hiking, so at the level I
am zoomed in at, the basemap isn't used, but instead the road data
from mapsend topo. In my opinion, the larger basemap isn't really
worth the money unless you really will be driving all the time with
it. For hiking or geocaching purposes, I think the basemap doesn't
make a bit of difference, but thats just my opinion

Allan <bo...@nospam.net> wrote in message news:<InpfPvhsLbQt9W...@4ax.com>...

[Russ Tanner]

I am very happy with my SporTrak Pro. I have used the Garmin etrex units. It
is true they loose signals in the trees very easily.

--
Russ Tanner
Palmer, Alaska
email address is spoofed, you'll figure it out!
http://www.tannersacre.com

"Allan" <bo...@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:InpfPvhsLbQt9W...@4ax.com...

[Allan]

I looked at the basemap a while in a store yesterday. Very basic,
limited. Likely useless. It had lots of San Francisco local streets,
but none in Minneapolis. In a park, it looks useless.

So I understand. For mapping, you'd have to download a map, so why
pay for a useless built-in map? That'd harsh and a bit simplistic but
often will be the truth I think.

I could stand squinting at those tiny eTrex screens! You need bright
sun to read those letters! <1/16" tall, 6 point?

The color Meridian is wonderful, but a $200 option, so forget it for
me.

The saleman was very partial to Garmin but couldn't explain why. I
think it was because he owns them.

The Garmin Geko 201 was interesting. Only $135ish, tiny!, simple, but
no mapping.

I think my favorite's the Green Meridian, with mapping software and
memory later, just what you said! Thanks again,

-Allan

[Gary S.]

On Sun, 02 Mar 2003 10:29:55 -0600, Allan <bo...@nospam.net> wrote:

>I looked at the basemap a while in a store yesterday. Very basic,
>limited. Likely useless. It had lots of San Francisco local streets,
>but none in Minneapolis. In a park, it looks useless.
>
>So I understand. For mapping, you'd have to download a map, so why
>pay for a useless built-in map? That'd harsh and a bit simplistic but
>often will be the truth I think.
>
>I could stand squinting at those tiny eTrex screens! You need bright
>sun to read those letters! <1/16" tall, 6 point?
>

The screen size is a limitation, but you can't get a bigger screen on
a smaller unit. (Some interesting things will hit the market in the
next 5 years, though, such as a heads-up display built into glasses).

>The color Meridian is wonderful, but a $200 option, so forget it for
>me.
>

Color is somewhat nice, but it adds greatly to cost, and subtracts
greatly from battery life.

>The saleman was very partial to Garmin but couldn't explain why. I
>think it was because he owns them.
>
>The Garmin Geko 201 was interesting. Only $135ish, tiny!, simple, but
>no mapping.
>

IMO, the Geko units are more of a price point choice, and deliberately
simplified for users who don't want or need to learn a lot about GPS.
Also IMO, most anyone adept enough to learn to use Usenet newsgroups
will be happier with the full featured models.

>I think my favorite's the Green Meridian, with mapping software and
>memory later, just what you said! Thanks again,
>

I got the Garmin eTrex Legend on their last rebate, and would suggest
considering it.

It has the basemap, which for my area has pretty much just numbered
routes and major local streets.

It can take up to 8 Meg of Garmin add-on mapping info.

Garmin, as opposed to Magellan, seems to have a larger community of
people who are working on alternate means to load your own mapping
data into them.

With the $205.00 price available at some online dealers, before the
current $50 rebate, the Legend is hard to pass up even if you are not
sure you will need the more advanced features now.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
------------------------------------------------
at the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

[Allan]

>>I think my favorite's the Green Meridian, with mapping software and
>>memory later, just what you said! Thanks again,
>>
>I got the Garmin eTrex Legend on their last rebate, and would suggest
>considering it.

Legend with serial downloads of up to 8 MB at 9600 baud, about 2 hrs.
Is this true?

This looks bad. The Meridian removable card, card reader, cheaper
memory later looks maybe better?

>
>It has the basemap, which for my area has pretty much just numbered
>routes and major local streets.
>
>It can take up to 8 Meg of Garmin add-on mapping info.
>
>Garmin, as opposed to Magellan, seems to have a larger community of
>people who are working on alternate means to load your own mapping
>data into them.

Hmm.. I haven't investigated map data sources much at all. The GPS
make you have matters a lot? Could you suggest a few search terms,
programs to investigate? I looked a minute at OziExplorer. We're
talking routes, waypoints but no "map in the GPS" here right?

Another big complex subject! Any key to a mapping GPS...

>
>With the $205.00 price available at some online dealers, before the
>current $50 rebate, the Legend is hard to pass up even if you are not
>sure you will need the more advanced features now.

$199 - 50 rebate now at amazon. With PC cable.

Thanks for your help!

[Gary S.]

On Sun, 02 Mar 2003 14:06:46 -0600, Allan <bo...@nospam.net> wrote:

>
>>>I think my favorite's the Green Meridian, with mapping software and
>>>memory later, just what you said! Thanks again,
>>>
>>I got the Garmin eTrex Legend on their last rebate, and would suggest
>>considering it.
>
>Legend with serial downloads of up to 8 MB at 9600 baud, about 2 hrs.
>Is this true?
>
>This looks bad. The Meridian removable card, card reader, cheaper
>memory later looks maybe better?
>

Potentially it would, but I would look at the current mapping products
before deciding.

>>It has the basemap, which for my area has pretty much just numbered
>>routes and major local streets.
>>
>>It can take up to 8 Meg of Garmin add-on mapping info.
>>
>>Garmin, as opposed to Magellan, seems to have a larger community of
>>people who are working on alternate means to load your own mapping
>>data into them.
>
>Hmm.. I haven't investigated map data sources much at all. The GPS
>make you have matters a lot? Could you suggest a few search terms,
>programs to investigate? I looked a minute at OziExplorer. We're
>talking routes, waypoints but no "map in the GPS" here right?
>
>Another big complex subject! Any key to a mapping GPS...
>

The basic idea is that only Magellan Mapsend can be loaded into
Magellan mapping GPS, only Garmin Mapsource can be loaded into Garmin
mapping GPS.

Some people have been working on alternatives where you could load
your own maps into Garmin units, but none of these is presently
plug-n-play.

[67516...@compuserve.com]

>
>Legend with serial downloads of up to 8 MB at 9600 baud, about 2 hrs.
>Is this true?

NO! It speeds up for maps, well, as leas the Vista does so I would
expect the Legend, too. The vista takes a bit under an hour to load
24 megs. So 8 megs - 20 minutes +/-

[Bill]

I own a Legend. The Vista-based estimate is accurate.

<67516...@compuserve.com> wrote in message
news:mg556vkmuvhv51unn...@4ax.com...

[Dale DePriest]

The assumption of a baud rate of 9600 is where the error lies.
Tracklog, waypoints and routes is done at 9600 but map transfers are
done at 115K if your serial port will work at that speed.

Dale

--
_ _ Dale DePriest
/`) _ // http://users.cwnet.com/dalede
o/_/ (_(_X_(` For GPS and GPS/PDAs

[Kf6vyh]

I sell both Garmin and Magellan, My choice is Magellan Meridan Gold.
Reasons include Expandable Memory you can a 128 mb card at Costco for about
$50.00, The Magellan TOPO software includes street names the Garmin does not.
The large size I am not a big fan of any small GPS.

[Kf6vyh]

>IMO, the Geko units are more of a price point choice, and deliberately
>simplified for users who don't want or need to learn a lot about GPS.
>Also IMO, most anyone adept enough to learn to use Usenet newsgroups
>will be happier with the full featured models

While we have not recieced or Geko 201 order, As I read the info on the Garmin
web site, the Geko 201 does not include the Data cable, a $38.00 option. THere
goes the price point, for a few bucks more you can get the Magellan sport track
Map.

[Kf6vyh]

>The saleman was very partial to Garmin but couldn't explain why. I
>think it was because he owns them.

This could be because he owns one and is more comfortable selling Garmin. While
I sell Garmin and Meridian I have used both in the field and I own a Meridian.
The person I work with Owns a Legand, but has never used any Magellan models,
so he only sells Garmin. Myself, I sell Garmin and Magellan. If a customer
tells me he wants a Garmin. I sell him a Garmim. If he just ask about a GPS I
show him both brands, most times hewould buy the Magellan.

If you would like to send an E-mail it would be interesting for me to check out
this dealer. I like to know who my competions is as I am close to San
Francisco.

[Allan]

I looked at the basemap in the Gold and had the impression that most
of the time I would want to download a better map. (Add SD memory +
software). So I didn't see any advantage to the Gold versus the basic
model, other being a little "prettier".

So I'm set on the basic Meridian from my shopping so far.

HOWEVER! I read a disturbing comparision of MapSend and MapSource
topo maps that showed "distortions" of the lines on an area around
long island where a creek flows up and downhill on the Magellan map.
The Garmin map showed much more detail in the valley--the Magellan
seemed to crudely "round off all the detail" in the valley.

So now I'm worried about getting accurate maps to download. And the
proprietary format makes me quite worried too. So maybe I'll wait a
couple years to consider buying a GPS again. It seems you want a
whole suite of programs to create waypoints, up/down load tracks, etc.

I can't tell what I'm getting.

-Allan

[Allan]

Does the SporTrak Pro compute an ETA to the end of a route? Or a
selectable waypoint? I'm thinking I want to head out and be able to
adjust my speed to get back before dark. It seems the Meridian can
only do ETA to next waypoint in a route, not the endpoint. I can't
tell from the manual what the "speed" means when walking. (It varies
of course. What if you stop for lunch?) If you decide to pick up your
pace, can you reset it?

-Allan

[skramblr]

There are limitations because of a smaller basemap. Fewer roads = fewer
roads visible when zoomed out. The detailed maps are only displayed when
zoomed in. There is also loss of some city names and some other data. Not
enough to make the unit useless, but enough that if you are a gold user and
pick up the basic unit - you'll be wondering where some of these things
went. But I do agree that the price difference between the base and gold is
hard to justify (which is why I have 2 base units and only 1 platinum).

The maps appear to all be lacking something - both Garmin and Magellan. Some
areas are less accurate than others. Only maps from a specific manufacturer
can be loaded onto their GPS units. But this same lack of accuracy is seen
on some commercial paper maps as well. You just don't notice it, because you
don't have a GPS showing your actual location is 100 feet south. Another
issue is the maps on the GPS units is compressed to save space. This
introduces inaccuracies as well. The best part about the software is that it
is upgradeable. You can buy what is available now enjoying using a GPS and
over time new versions will come out that are more accurate (hopefully).
Then you just upload the new data. You can wait until the day where GPS
software is 100% accurate, but I think you'll be waiting for a very long
time until a consumer handheld unit can have that accuracy.

-Skramblr

"Allan" <bo...@nospam.net> wrote in message

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