GPS choice

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Man Goat
27/09/2005 at 13:36
I am looking into buying my 1st GPS, I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations. I am looking to spend no more than about £150. I have only been looking @ the Magellan Explorist 100 but cannot find many reviews, is this ok as a starting point. It will generally be used for Hillwalking possibly mountain biking aswell.
Dave Mycroft
27/09/2005 at 13:41
Hi Shaggy,
the choice of GPS basically comes down to what you want to use it for. Models range from basic, sub £100, units that essentially just give you your location and can store a limited number of routes/watpoints internally through to units that combine with digital mapping software to show your position live on the map on screen. There is also the question of whether you wish to use the GPS in combination with a computer for route planning and recording.

If you can wait a week or so before making your decision there's going to be an OM Guide to GPS' coming
Airman
27/09/2005 at 13:49
Country Walking did one last month - they came out with the Garmin GPS 60 as the best buy in that price range. It's also compatible with all the different mapping software. One or two bargains on eBay for it at the moment too.
peter H
27/09/2005 at 14:00
If you can't wait a week or so, bear the following in mind. If you are going to use the GPS with a computer factor in the cost of the cable to link the two bits together. Many of the basic GPS don't include a cable the less basic models do include the cable.
The cost of cable can be such as makes buying the "better" model far better value.

I endorse what Dave has said. Decide what you want it for. Decide what features you need or want and find a decent shop that will let you play with a few units.

I am not persuaded of the advantages of relying on the GPS as a means of using digital mapping. The screens are too small. I am persuaded that the GPS in conjunction with a digital map on a PC is very useful. It is very simple and quick to plot a series of waypoints on a digital map such as Tracklogs and download these to the GPS.

There has just been a long discussion on the same topic at
http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.rec.walking/

I would suggest a quick search on hear or uk.rec.walking will yield more than sufficient info on peoples recommendations.

Alex Roddie
27/09/2005 at 14:03
I would recommend the Garmin eTrex any time. It's been out for quite a few years now, and only offers one saved route, but for basic GPSing it is still very good. Price tends to fluctuate, but I bought mine for £100 a couple of years back (I think they're more like £120 now).

Its big plus points are: long battery life, ease of use, rugged and water-resistant construction, and clear display of information. The drawbacks are (as I mentioned) only allowing one route to be saved, and apparently some people have had problems with conversions between lat/long map datum and OS GB ... not that I've noticed any discrepancy there.

The only problem I've ever had with mine is that, after nearly three years, the rubber rand-thing around the edge is starting to peel back. This started after a very hot day on Tryfan and I think the heat was too much for the glue to cope for. It's since solidified again, but whenever the weather gets hot the glue underneath the rubber becomes tacky. Something to watch out for!
Man Goat
27/09/2005 at 14:21
Many thanks to you all, I will be using it in conjunction with a PC. it would only be used for the task in hand on the day, maybe logging 2 routes etc for my normal weekends away. I think that I will wait for the OM review I have about 4 weeks before I make a decision but in the mean time I will pop into some outdoor shops for a Play & some demonstrations.
Bastard
27/09/2005 at 14:26
I have a Garmin Geko 301 which I've been very happy with although to be honest the 201 would have been fine for what I needed, but the 301 was a bargain. Certainly worth looking at anyway.

If you need to buy a cable to connect it to a PC don't buy the official manufacturers one as they are expensive. there are lots of companies that sell compatible cables much cheaper.
peter H
27/09/2005 at 14:45
Have a look at www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk.

They have a good amount of info on most units available and a "what's in the box" section. Reviews are availabler on some products and prices are competitive.
Doug M
28/09/2005 at 10:32
Depands how many days you'll be away for - I have the etrex summit and am glad that I can store a number of routes if, say, going away on holiday (I don't have a laptop) so can load up several routes before leaving.
Running Man
28/09/2005 at 10:48
If you looking at the magellan explorist range hang on a couple of weeks for the launch of the new explorist 210 as it has highspeed USB interface with a pc & compatible with mapsend software.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=explorist+210&btnG=Search&meta=cr%3DcountryUK%7CcountryGB
Muff
28/09/2005 at 13:09
I can recommend Tracklogs for software and the GPS hardware.

Download demos of the various makes of mapping software and try using them. If you have trouble downloading you can pick up demo CDs of Memory Map and Anquet in some outdoor shops, or get the companies to post to you. Also check the cost of the digital maps.

From personal experience I found Tracklogs the easiest to use. I could mark and save a route without looking at the instructions. I found the others too fiddly to use. Also Tracklogs use a "breadcrumb" method which saves memory and gives a lot of detail to a route.

I've got the Venture (Tracklogs £120) and found it a good bit of kit. Lost my map in the summer and used the Venture to complete the next ten miles. Mind you I had the route programmed in it, and had spare batteries. I will happily use the GPS for routes in the future (and buy a mapcase with a lanyard).

The venture also shows towns, major roads and the bigger lakes on the screen. It's not great detail but helps relate it to a map. I'm not sure if the basic eTrex has this. Tracklogs were able to answer my queries over the phone to help me choose a model. So thumbs up again. The only problem (?) with their software is that it couldn't be used with a PDA but I wouldn't want to carry one of those on the hills anyway.

Dave
peter H
28/09/2005 at 18:27
Dave, if you are getting a map case with a lanyard beware the lanyard supplied with the Ortlieb case. The Ortlieb case itself is fabulous, couldn't rate it highly enough. But the lanyard that comes with it is useless, it keeps detaching itself - the clips are not strong enough. For what they cost (they ain't cheap) one would think a decent lanyard would be included. Rant over.
Alex Roddie
29/09/2005 at 12:50
I found that with the Ortlieb case as well, but then again I never use the lanyards anymore (a friend of mine told me how naff I looked with a map hanging around my neck!)
Man Goat
29/09/2005 at 14:48
Dave,
I have an Outdoor Designs map case that has proven reliable, I generally just attach a lanyard to my rucksack waist belt and tuck the case behind my back system as it is away from your back.Works every time.
Paul Wilkins
30/09/2005 at 09:23
Hi,

Just brought a Geko 201 from ebay, brand new and cost me £75 including p&P, cant complain. Plus you can spend the remining £75 on mapping software, this make inputting routes a lot easier!!
Toxic Sherlock
30/09/2005 at 10:14
I have an etrex. Very good except it only takes 50 waypoints. IMHO this is not enough if you're using it with a PC.

I bought it for walking but have started using it for cycling and I need about 500 waypoints for a 70 miler if I'm downloading from a PC.
Ace High
30/09/2005 at 10:36
GPS on a budget? Easy peasy:

I use a Magellan Sportrak (c. £120) with data lead (c. £28) and a great piece of software called GPSUtility that you can download for free to try out (£25 to buy full version).

You can scan maps an calibrate them into GPSU or you can download small sections of map from OSGB for free and use a graphics programme to stich them together (very easy to do).
Muff
30/09/2005 at 10:38
Toxic (?)

Sorry to harp on about Tracklogs but their software overcomes the Waypoint problem. I'm not an expert but this is what I understand of it.

A waypoint requires a lot of memory as you input a name and lots of other detail. The Tracklog system just records points in space (I believe the GPS term is a Tracklog hence thir name) using up a lot less memory therefore you can record hundreds (I think thousands) of points. In practice this means you can design a route by pointing at a start then clicking on EVERY turn in a road/path/bridleway rather than having a straight line connecting two distant waypoints. You can still record waypoints if you want ie summits by name.

I've used this alone (no map see above) and the screen showed where I was in comparison to the route I needed to follow. ie I'm a few metres to the right! (there was no visible path on the ground). I would never have set out to do this but was amazed how accurate it was.

I think when you actually walk/cycle a route the GPS records individual points and the Tracklogs software merely uses this ability to store planned routes.

Try downloading their demo it will probably explain it better than I ever can. The description on their site is OK but it takes a bit of time before the penny drops. Or ring them as I did they were very helpful.


Dave
Toxic Sherlock
30/09/2005 at 12:21
I might give tracklogs a shot. I'm using Anquet at the mo. and even though the points are not named waypoints it still balks at more than 50. Can't remember what these sub-points are called - I probably confused matters calling them waypoints.

I think the Geko and higher level etrex units don't have this limitation - it's only the basic yellow unit like I have.

Mind you I only use it for when I'm lost!

I'm upgrading to an XDA with Bluetooth GPS so I can get realtime mapping - may sell-on the etrex if that all works out fine.
Muff
30/09/2005 at 12:35
Toxic

If you are getting an XDA (is that PDA?) you may want to check with Tracklogs, as when I asked their software didn't work on them. But it was something they were aware of and were addressing.

Ref the points, the Tracklogs site shows the etrex as able to save 10 tracklogs with 125 points per track and the venture (think thats what I've got) 10 trackogs with 250 points per track. Try the software you may be able to get away with using your etrex for your routes. You could always split a route into two or more tracklogs.

I'm afraid the terminology (waypoints, points, routes, tracklogs etc) is a bit confusing. It may be worth ringing them after you've tried the software.

Dave
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