I was given a Garmin 38 Personal Navigator and don't know anything about them or how they compare with other brands. Anyone have any experience with this model?

there is no subsitute for quality

I have a Garmin GPS 12 and it works great. Garmin makes very good units. If I remember correctly, the GPS 38 is an older model that doesn't feature the 12 channel tracking that the new models have. This makes it slower to acquire the satellite signals and get a lock on your position. It is also slightly less accurate although it is plenty good enough for hunting navigation. My brother has a GPS 38 and it can take up to several minutes longer than my GPS 12 to lock into a position. In certain situations, I can get a signal lock with mine but he can't with his. Usually due to heavy tree cover. No big deal, really. If someone has given it to you then you have a very good, basic GPS that can help you navigate.

HuntingNet Member since Spring 2001

Thanks for the info. I sure needed one this past season, a GPS would of been a huge help.

there is no subsitute for quality

I still use my Garmin 38 and it hasn't failed me yet. It is slower than a unit with 12 channel tracking but not so slow that it is inconvenient. Eventhough this is a "basic" unit it has more functions than I (and I suspect many others) will ever use.

Last Saturday (16 Nov 02) me and Dad went caribou hunting. It was pretty foggy (100-300 meters visiblity) but Dad said it was supposed to clear. I had already logged a waypoint in the area we wanted to hunt. It was a little hill over looking a small valley. Using the Garmin 38 and my suunto compass we got there safe and sound eventhough we couldn't see the hill until we were practically standing on top of it. (BTW, the fog did lift and we bagged a decent sized woodland caribou stag.)

Dad bought a Garmin 38 around the same time I did. He uses his mostly for recreational saltwater fishing (handlining for cod) in the summer. Some of the shoals and under water ledges he fishes are pretty small but the 38 finds them. His gps has seen a lot of hard use knocking around in the boat for the last few years and its still dependable.

A GPS works best when used WITH a map and compass, so don't stop bringing a compass now that you have a GPS.

Hope that helps.