GPS

[Sigarms]

That unit has really good reviews. And, I have found it on Amazon for $275. Interestingly, REI, where I am a long time member, wants $399.

I think I might go with that unit.

I read here someone had a Nuvi 350 and it "died" right at a year. He got one sent to him at no charge because it was right around the time the wrty ended (1 year wrty).

I have the exact same unit (350) and after 18 months, it died as well.

They "did me a favor" and instead of charging me $170 to send me a refurbished unit, they only charged me $100. Honetsly, still not too happy over that.

Love the unit, however, I'm curious if this refurbished unit will die after a limited amount of time as well.

Funny how they never write that up in a review

 

[RonMar]

We bought the 60csx last year. Can't remember the price but I surely don't think it $399. Thats alot of money. And we bought the GPS at REI.

We have used it in the car for trips. I had setup a bunch waypoints which was nice when the family was asking for the next bathroom break. It was nice to see our actual speed during the trip when bathroom breaks were included. Well I thought it was nice to know, the wifey and kids did not like my telling them to hurry up.

Wifey had borrowed her company's 60csx and it worked very well around the house. One of the reasons we bought the GPS was to help find our property lines in the woods. We know the location of the pins but getting between the pins is the trick. Both my dad and I have used the compass to do this and we end up going off on an angle. Figured the GPS will allow me to put up flagging and eventually figure out the straight line between pins. At least once the leaves drop.

One our our neighbors works with GPS systems and mapping software. He helped us down load the plots from the county GIS so we can see our property lines on the GPS display.

Later,
Dan

Well it may help you from straying too far from the lines, but it probably only has a plotting accuracy down to 10's of feet. The fault is not in the receiver, but in the tiny antenna they have to use to get a pocket sized consumer package. The basic survey units I have seen use an antenna on a pole, with the GPS unit itself mounted along the length of the pole at a comfortable height. Those antennas are 4"-6" in diameter. I escorted a USGS surveyer to some remote sites I work at last year. He was validating geodetic marker locations across the state of Washington to measure geologic stretch and compression across the state by plotting the movements of these markers in relation to one another. The real precise antenna units, which he was using, can give accuracy down to the size of a quarter. That antenna was about 18" in diameter and cost several thousand dollars just for the antenna. It also takes hours of sampleing to refine the exact location to that degree.

Here is an accuracy/repeatability test for you. Out in your open yard, with no cover(ideal conditions), place a marker like a coffee can lid. Set the GPS on it and allow it time to take a good fix, then mark that spot as a waypoint in the GPS. Now walk away a hundred feet and use the GPS to navigate back to that spot. Another test would be to put out 2 markers and pull a string between them as a straight line. Now plot and save both their positions, then try and navigate from one to the other and see how close the GPS can keep you to the line. Walk away from the line and see how close the GPS can return you to the line.

 

[dmccarty]

Ron,

I know the handheld GPS is not going to be that accurate but I don't need it to be. I just need it to keep me roughly on the line so I can connect the pins. I know where the pins are located, its just finding the line getting through that brush. The model GPS we borrowed had property lines in our area stored on board. I could walk one of our lot lines which is somewhat in the trees as well as our road while watching the GPS plot my movements. When I was at a corner the GPS showed me at a corner. It was close enough for what I need.

This is not going to be walk the line one time deal. Its going to take lots of flagging and measurements. But once its close enough I can start clearing the brush on our side of the line, repeat, until I work my way to the line. I'm doing the same on two N/S boundries where the pins are closer spaced and I don't need a GPS. One boundry was just redone by a surveyor so it was a bit easier to do but its still work clearing that line. Finally got the tractor out on both lines. After a few years of work I can see from pin to pin. The brush/woods is thick.

I do have an extenral antennae. Not sure how much it will help but I'm going to try it out.

Later,
Dan

 

[RobertN]

Looked at REI today. The have the Garmin 60CSx bundeled with the 2008-Topo map for $334. I did not want to spend that much, but it is a pretty good deal... Have to think hard about that one.

 

[bigshovel]

That's a steal. I paid that much for just the unit.

Brad

 

[Donman]

I use the LG EnV from Verizon with the $9.99 per month Navagator GPS which I use a lot because it is always with me. It has the stereo speakers that are loud enough to hear the turn by turn voice directions even when the truck stereo is playing. Sometimes I have to laugh at the pronounciations of some street names though. I use it as a phone directory sometimes with the "find nearest places" feature which lists nearby places in different categories I can choose. I can also use it walking or biking and it will also show longitude and latitude coordinates. If the phone rings while in GPS mode I can answer and when finished it switches back to GPS. It uses airtime only during the initial "finding destination" mode after which the stored information is used with the internal satellite sensors to guide to the destination unless a wrong turn is made and it has to recalculate. I never have to buy any update maps because it is always up to date including summer construction detours and traffic accident detours or alerts. I like the EnV because it has the 2 1/4 inch screen and the full keyboard for typing in addresses. I also have a Garmin 18 on my laptop but I never use it anymore because the phone is much handier and always with me.

 

[tillerkiller]

Looked at REI today. The have the Garmin 60CSx bundeled with the 2008-Topo map for $334. I did not want to spend that much, but it is a pretty good deal... Have to think hard about that one.

In order to have the unit route you on city streets (like a gps just for your car would do) then you will also need to purchase the CityNavigator maps (I think the NT version), if they do not come in the package that you are looking at. Don't get the Topo maps confused with the CityNavigator maps, they are completely different.

I use a Vista Hcx most of the time, both on the road (with the CityNavigator map) and offroad and I am thoroughly pleased with the unit and with Garmin's support whenever I have called them. My wife has a C320 (a car unit) that has been used extensively, if it quit tomorrow I would run right out and buy another, I really can't figure out why it even still works because it has lived such a rough life. (dropped out of the car onto the concrete, brother in law borrowing it, his kids fiddling with it, etc...)

Car gps units are becoming so cheap now that maybe you should get one of them also for the car because the handhelds signal you through a series of beeps and melodies for turns and warnings, but the car units say "TURN RIGHT IN TWO-TENTHS OF A MILE" which is easier to comprehend, however the car units do not do you much good in the woods, which is why I have the handheld and she has the car unit.

Get the high sensitivity receiver on whatever you buy, it is worth the extra money.


When you get a gps, go here http://www.poi-factory.com

then go here http://www.geocaching.com

and then we will never see you again because you will be on an adventure!

 

[archerynut]

How did you wear out the Rhino? Did buttons fail, screen fade, or?

Started to eat batteries in less that ten minutes, don't know what was wrong, all were fresh batteries of different brands. couldn't figure it out so I upgraded.

 

[RobertN]

Looked at REI today. The have the Garmin 60CSx bundeled with the 2008-Topo map for $334. I did not want to spend that much, but it is a pretty good deal... Have to think hard about that one.

I went and got the bundle today at lunch... Will post more when I get to play with it a bit

 

[RobertN]

I went and got the bundle today at lunch... Will post more when I get to play with it a bit

I tried to load the Topo map CD in my PC last night. It will not read it; I use various CD's all the time without issue. I brought it in to work; I can read it fine...

I have read issues where Garmin only allows a single installation. I do not want to load it on my work PC, and find I can not load on my home PC later. So, as of now, it has no maps loaded...