.jpg) I'm debating which one to get. I've read great reviews on both and have used a demo satmap which was great.
Anyone got a particular reason why one above another?
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 No bainer - go for the tried and tested model, Satmap !
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Mmm but I'm a big fan of Garmin never been let down and have a feeling id prefer it. I'm going to try and get one from works testing pool
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The satmap is a good gps
I have used one for the last 3 years the software is updated a couple of times a year . However it is expansive and the maps are extra but I would not be with out it .
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I have used a garmin 62st fairly extensively and it's excellent. It's a friends one and has full uk maps.
I have been looking to buy a gps myself and I have settled on a garmin Oregon unit. I like the largeish screen and the relatively small size of the unit. I like the price too, they go for as little as £120 depending on the model.
I have played around with an Oregon 300 a bit and it was very good. Slightly slower loading than the 62 models though.
I like the look of the satmap, does seem a little bulky though and isn't waterproof like the garmins.
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 I have the previous garmin model, the 60CSx. Its a pretty good bit of gear, but the principle reason for getting a garmin was that I could add my own map data to it. There are several sources of high quality mapping, some of which is auto-routable, some of which has contours and other useful things, all available for free as a result of the openstreetmap project. The satmap has a much nicer screen. It is bigger (7x5.2cm vs 5.6x4cm) and higher resolution (320x240 vs 240x160 of the garmin). This combined with the fact you can get nice OS maps on it is a pretty major plus point for most people. The two are about the same size (satmap is a little shorter but wider) and weight (satmap is 30g lighter) and have pretty similar battery lifetimes (though the satmap needs 3 batteries to the garmin's 2). I'd upgrade to another garmin if I managed to destroy my current model, but given that it has a high quality GPS chipset and a very robust, waterproof casing I think I've probably got a few more years use out of it yet 
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Brilliant buys thanks I completely Agree about waterproofing and maps but I think I'll take satmap out again and then try and borrow at garmin
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 Ive been using the Satmap for the first time this week with the Lake District 25K mapping card and had no real problems.The best thing was that I charged the LiPol battery with my tent based power supply every night and it easily lasted a days walk. Satmap is really quite bulky and clunky to use and the screen is pretty low resolution by todays standards.The 25K maps on my Android Viewranger look simply gorgeous in comparison ! I also found the protective case is a bit of a faff and ended up making a neck strap out of para cord  Satmap could do with a hardware update in my opinion. Whether the existing maps will work on a future 'Satmap V2' is any ones guess.. possibly it's the reason why they are still selling such out of date hardware ? Satmap makes sense if you religiously plan you routes beforehand and follow them as programmed into the unit. Trying to scroll around the map and zoom in or out is frustrating and I found I reverted to my Nokia Viewranger for such purposes . At least the Nokia 5800 is small enough to take along for the hell of it ! Somehow the Satmap ticks all the boxes but is not a joy to use. Then again I got it along with all the UK 1-50K landranger maps second hand on Ebay for less that what I paid for my Garmin 60 CS all those years ago ! If you intend to use a GPS along with a Map then save your cash and get a cheap Garmin from eBay. I think you'll want to take a paper map with you even if you get the satmap unless you take the time to programme your routes in each time you go walking.
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 hae you tries the satmap with togglable maps i.e. you scroll out on your 25k map and switch to a 50k one and vice versa. if you regard the satmap as a gps with a map and not as a map with a gps you quickly learn to scroll about effectively. it's nice to have larger paper map for a lookover though.
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http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/modules.php?f=133&sid=6913538afab2b40f85f504af4fcf9042&file=viewforum&name=Forums
Go to this forum and you will find lots of information about the sat map devise.
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 I used to own a Garmin Oregon 350......and sold it and bought a Satmap.
The Satmap blows the Garmin away, better screen, better battery, better interface and more functionality. The screen on the Garmin was too small to really see the detail of 1:25k's but was ok for 1:50k.
The only thing that I miss about my Garmin is the touch screen, if the Satmap had a touch screen then that would be the ultimate GPS.
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I have the Garmin model. It finds a position much faster than my old Magellan GPS but the screen is a bit too small, you can't see enough of the map. I have never used a Satmap but the main thing that put me off buying one was the reports of water leaks and the screen fogging up. Early on bloggers were also complaining about it freezing up, that is not what you want when you really need it to work rather than just messing around.
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The software up dates have stopped the freezing of the system and the outer screen can easy be replaced by the end user when needed and I have never had the screen fog up yet.
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 I wish someone had told me that the SatMap isn't waterproof, I've had mine out a lot in lashing rain over the last couple of years and never had any problem but I've never tested it by immersing it in a bucket of water.  Then again, it was sold as weatherproof, whatever that means, and, I believe, it still is.
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i stuck a piece of zogg (i think that's what it's called) film over the screen to protect it. never had a problem with rain so far. should it be lashing down it's what pockets were invented for. i hate touchscreens. peanut butter and jam finger prints don't make them attractive and you need two hands to operate them instead of just one.
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One of the reasons I bought a Satmap was the fact that it has buttons and not a touch screen. Satmap is easy to operate with thick gloves on (tried and tested past winter)
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I've not had any lockups except for a problem that I think related to a worn out NIMH AA cell. I did have a problem with water getting under the screen protector.. pretty annoying but not annoying enough to get the tissues from the emergency dry bag LOL ! I've also lost the rubber cover from the USB port. The simple solution is to stick gaffer tape over it though, I've stuck a piece on the back cover to enable this whilst in the field. I've actually just bought another 'mint' Satmap from Ebay for £200 with 4 maps and 2 screen protectors. I might stick my original one up for sale if anyone is interested, I could throw in one of the new screen protectors.
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