Which GPS units are best for hunters?

supaarcher · 05-17-2005, 07:10 AM

Just curious what GPS units you hunters tend to like best? Mine is getting a little outdated and never gets signal in the woods. I know the newer ones have alot of cool features.

ANy info?

kshunter · 05-17-2005, 08:20 AM

Go with a new Garmin, they're the best. There was a post not too long ago about GPS units, and the only way to go is with Garmin. Garmin has over 70% of the handheld GPS market, and there's a reason behind that. Good luck!

rick_reno · 05-17-2005, 03:32 PM

Garmin is the best, their customer service is excellent. They quickly address bugs in the units and fix them with SW releases. I'd also recommend something with color, I'm using a 76CS now and color is a huge improvement when viewing topo maps on the unit. I'd also look for one that floats - you never know when it might end up the water. Many of them come with memory to load maps into, 24mb will hold more map than most of us can walk. Mine has 115mb, it holds Idaho and parts of WA/MT I'm liable to wander into.

Roseaukaine · 05-17-2005, 07:24 PM

Sorry - but GPS signals are weak; therefore, if there is a dense canopy overhead your GPS will have trouble tracking sattelites -- regardless of the brand name. All the better to bring in a compass for backup! To answer your question regarding brand-names --- Garmin is by far the better unit on the market IMO -- I have four handhelds; a Garmin Etrex (yellow), an Etrex Venture, a Magellan Meridian Platinum, and an older Magellan GPS 315. For the price and features you get -- Garmin wins hands-down. I find the Magellan series are easier to operate for begginners, but once you get experience with them - Garmin has the most useful features. My favorite one so far is the Etrex Venture - small, yet powerful, easy to use, and all the features that you will need as a hunter! The best price I have found on any gps is at www.gpscity.com. Good luck!

Sniper151 · 05-18-2005, 12:43 AM

I purchased a Trimble Scout Master 6 years ago and found nothing that compares. Trimble is not a toy but the same technology and systems used by the military. I sent it back two time for updates and the latest version is available to download on cell phones. Great outfit and excellent service.

supaarcher · 05-18-2005, 03:46 AM

Do any GPS units have a built in compass so you can stand in one spot and point it in a certain direction and see what direction everything is? Or do you always have to be moving 3 MPH or whatever it is?

I currently have a Garmin GPS 12, it works ok for marking points and getting to points, but I would like to have one that you can load maps on rather than looking at a blank screen. mIne is useless in the woods, it can't tell me which direction Im walking because it never gets good enough signal. Im assuming the new ones are a little better than this right??

tkstae · 05-18-2005, 05:32 AM

Gota go with the Garmin. Haven't needed it for bow hunting, but it sure has saved me from a lot of cold lonely nights out Coon hunting.

Sniper151 · 05-18-2005, 07:37 AM

supaarcher, you will need to keep moving for the compass, or for that fact, the GPS to be an accurate tool. Living in Pa. with heavy foliage the only time a GPS is an advantage is in the fall or winter when the leaves are off the trees. I like to follow deer trails in the snow. You would be surprised how many of the trails intertwine with each other. This is a very good way to find a spot for treestand locations. I rely on a topo map and compass for my travels in the woods.

kshunter · 05-18-2005, 08:12 AM

supaarcher, Garmin make plenty of GPS units is the "electronic compass" feature, where you do not have to be moving for the compass to work. It works from your magnetic pulls, just like a normal compass. For Garmin, Geko 301, GPSMAP60CS, GPSMAP76CS, Etrex Vista, Extrex Summit, just to name a few, have this feature.

supaarcher · 05-18-2005, 08:52 AM

Hey KSHunter, Do you know if the ETrex Venture has the electronic compass feature? I was looking at them last night and thought that the Venture had what I need for a good price, but I want to make sure I get one with an electric compass now that I know they offer it. Its a pain when you gotta be moving to see which direction points are.