Which GPS to Buy

[CajunRebel]

Hello,
I would like a suggestion on which GPS unit would work best for hunting and fishing in the dense woods and swamps of Louisiana? There are so many different makes and models it is totally confusing..LOL. I really don't need a touch screen just something that will hold a position and track well. I'm not into finding toys and plastic animials like in geochaching. I was considering the new e-trex-20 or something like it. Any help on this is appriciated.

[Seldom]

Etrex 30's about 250USD at Amazon.  You might want it for the 3 axis compass.  It works while you're standing still.  Also GPSmap 78s (way more bucks but it floats).  You may want to investigate Garmin Custom Maps.  If you can find paper or raster marine  maps for your area you could convert them to use on the GPSrs.

[Boyd]

Do you actually dislike touchscreens, or are you just assuming that they increase the price. The Oregon 450 is often found for $250. It has a touchscreen that is much higher resolution than the eTrex and is a mature product with most of the bugs worked out, unlike the brand new eTrex line.

[Seldom]

Do you actually dislike touchscreens, or are you just assuming that they increase the price. The Oregon 450 is often found for $250. It has a touchscreen that is much higher resolution than the eTrex and is a mature product with most of the bugs worked out, unlike the brand new eTrex line.

Personally, I abominate touch screens, because I feel that to use them effectively I need to use a stylus.  I get way more typing errors with a touch screen than with buttons.  But I can understand why others may have other points of view.

[Boyd]

Have you used an Oregon? You really don't need a stylus, the buttons are all big. But I agree touchscreens have their downside too. I have a Magellan Triton 1500 and you really need a stylus for some things. There's a tiny one, like the size of a toothpick, tucked into a slot. Unit is based on Windows CE and in fact the same hardware with different firmware used on their pro GIS model which ran Windows Mobile.

Garmin's interface is much more "finger friendly" - but I suggest going to a store like REI and playing with different models to see what suits you best.

[CajunRebel]

Thanks for all the advice. Its not that I dislike a touch screen I just don't think I need one. I'm still not sure which gps to get. I heard that the vista hcx is also a good unit as well. So many choices, just don't want to get burned. I also heard some good and bad thigs about the DeLorme Pn-60. So at this point I am almost back to square one. Just want a gps that works well with the fewest problems. I guess thats a lot to ask for. Like I said I just hunt anad fish no geo casching for me.

[Boyd]

Do you think you will ever want to use aerial imagery (like google earth satellite views)? If so, the old eTrex models like the vista can't do that but the eTrex 20 and 30 can, as can the Oregon.

[maps4gps]

FYI - DeLorme uses a different format that Garmin.  None of the mapsets offered here will work on their units. 

[Seldom]

Have you used an Oregon? You really don't need a stylus, the buttons are all big. But I agree touchscreens have their downside too. I have a Magellan Triton 1500 and you really need a stylus for some things. There's a tiny one, like the size of a toothpick, tucked into a slot. Unit is based on Windows CE and in fact the same hardware with different firmware used on their pro GIS model which ran Windows Mobile.

Garmin's interface is much more "finger friendly" - but I suggest going to a store like REI and playing with different models to see what suits you best.

I OWN and Oregon.  That's why I hate touchscreens.  I spent one vacation geotagging film photos by naming waypoints to match film frames (R1F13). Switching between the alpha and numeric keyboards was a killer (for me). 

[CajunRebel]

Boyd,
The aeriel view would would be very useful. The woods and swamp lands in Louisiana have very heavy cover and in a lot of time the sky will be obstructed by the trees and brush. I need a unit that will lock on and hold its position in these conditions. With the addition of glonass the etrex may be the best choice. I just don't know. The last gps I had was a magellan tracker. It did not work well in the woods for hunting, but it was good for navigating the waters of the bayous and swamps. I still have it but it is very obsolite, time for an upgrade.

[Seldom]

Boyd,
The aeriel view would would be very useful. The woods and swamp lands in Louisiana have very heavy cover and in a lot of time the sky will be obstructed by the trees and brush.

If your raster image is nothing but treetops, they'd have to be pretty distinctive treetops for an aerial view to be useful.  A georeferenced raster of a paper map of waterways or land features could be really handy though.  I just got an Etrex 30, and so far I'm pretty happy with it.  Unfortunately, where I'm using it there's next to no water or tree cover, so I don't know how my experience would transfer to yours.

[babj615]

There is a reason the Garmin Oregon 450 is a top seller in the handheld GPS arena.

And, no, it is not just because I own four Garmin Oregon GPSr's....

[Seldom]

There is a reason the Garmin Oregon 450 is a top seller in the handheld GPS arena.

And, no, it is not just because I own four Garmin Oregon GPSr's....

And that reason is?

[babj615]

There is a reason the Garmin Oregon 450 is a top seller in the handheld GPS arena.

And, no, it is not just because I own four Garmin Oregon GPSr's....

And that reason is?

...probably because it is almost always on sale somewhere, and by far is Garmins "Best Bang for the Buck" handheld mapping GPS!

The 450 specifically is the unit I see others using far more than any other unit, even the 60csx, which is old and outdated, and lacks many, if not most of the features the Oregon 450 offers.

[Boyd]

If your raster image is nothing but treetops, they'd have to be pretty distinctive treetops for an aerial view to be useful.

Really depends on the imagery. If you look at my own house on Google maps, it's useless. I live out in the woods and it's just a sea of green treetops. However, look at the excellent NJ 2007 orthoimagery and it's completely different. These were taken from airplanes, not satellites at 1 foot per pixel in the winter and you can see pretty much everything.

This is the same imagery that Garmin is using in my state. Bing maps has their own imagery, and it was also taken in the winter. Google's is terrible, it also has a huge area that is way underexposed. IIRC, they attribute this lousy stuff to the USDA. Your mileage may vary.