Opinons on Garmin GPSs

ibAdam · 05-14-2003, 4:41 AM

I tried to search the old forum but kept getting booted over to the new forum. Anyhow, I'm looking to buy a Garmin GPS. I don't know much about these devices and this will be my first one. I'm thinking of the eTrex family in the Garmin line up. In particular the Legend model. I'm more or less looking for a multipurpose GPS. One for road trips, camping, hiking, calculating my 929s speedo, etc... Does anyone have any input on these and also a good place to buy one. I see they now have a $50 rebate on some of the eTrex series.

ConqSoft · 05-14-2003, 7:02 AM

Here's a Garmin Comparison chart.

(PS - The only way you'd get 'booted' to the new forum is if you clicked 'Forums' on the top menu of the site. * *Searching still works fine over there.)

ConqSoft · 05-14-2003, 7:08 AM

A couple places to check pricing:

http://www.tvnav.com/
http://www.thegpsstore.com/

ibAdam · 05-14-2003, 7:25 AM

ConqSoft,

Thanks for the replies. I checked out both sites. The tvnav site looks to have better prices but just judging by the 'quality' of the webpage it looks to be a small shop or business. Do you have any experience with them?

As for the old forum booting me back. I was trying to get to the search option. The way I use to do it was select 'forums' then I'd look for the 'message search' link. However when I now select the forum link it re-directs me here. What I do now is just select the 'login' link then the message search pops up. So its all good.

ConqSoft · 05-14-2003, 7:35 AM

Did you see this? http://forums.fireblades.org/cgi-bin....1;t=320

Yes, I've gotten all my stuff over the years from tvnav.com.

Critz · 05-14-2003, 7:42 AM

which gps system you have conq?

ConqSoft · 05-14-2003, 7:47 AM

GPSMap 176C

Baketech · 05-14-2003, 8:15 AM

Not bashing the Etrek, but I know some folks that have them, and they seem to be more suited to hiking and biking.
They do not have 'zoom' buttons, which means you have to fiddle with it a lot....so you arent looking at the road.

IMHO, its hard to find a unit that works well for both hiking and motorcycles...

I have the GPS76S, which I use for boating, MC, and car trips....its a bit big for hiking, but I have done that as well.
It probably works best for boating - waterproof, and floats.
The display is vertical like the Etrek and cannot be electronically rotated....his is the only downside for MC use, because it blocks the tach a bit.
At 8mb, its a bit memory limited, but you can still get in enough maps for a reasonably long trip.

I would like to have a 'more better' unit for MC's and leave the 76s for the car and boat, but $$$$$

ibAdam · 05-14-2003, 8:33 AM

Baketech,

Thanks for the input. As for the eTrex I think they will be OK for me. I'm not really going to be using them while riding my bike. Although I will to calibrate the speedo but thats only once or twice. I'm trying to keep the cost low and so far the Garmin eTrex Legend is about $155 after rebate. For me thats pushing the price limits I want to spend. the nicer models your talking about are beyond my limits.

What are you talking about with the zoom buttons. I'm assuming this is just some buttons that allow you to zoom in and out of your current location on a map? Also whats up with 'The display is vertical like the Etrek and cannot be electronically rotated'? What does that mean.

Yeah I know I'm technologically illiterate.

Baketech · 05-14-2003, 8:40 AM

On the Etrek, you have to enter the screen menus to get to the zoom command....so it takes several keystrokes while looking at the screen to zoom the map in and out.
Some models have dedicated 'buttons' on the housing to zoom in or out with a press, no need to look at the screen....very handy and safer while on the road.

As far as the display goes, the vertical orientation means that the display is taller than wide. It seems that landscape displays work better on MC's because they dont block the gauges or interfere with windscreens.
Some units allow the graphics to be 'rotated' so you can view them in portrait or landscape....unfortunately not mine.

If you go with Etrek, make sure you get the model that has a basemap, and ability to load detail maps....also the electronic compass is nice for hiking.

Tank69 · 05-14-2003, 3:14 PM

I borrowed my bud's Etrex VISTA to do my speedo calibration and, with it being small, it worked great mounted in my tank bag. The $280+ price tag is a little steep, but worth it if you hike, bike and motorcycle, it's probably worth it.

TraumaOne · 05-14-2003, 5:35 PM

I have an etrex Vista and love it. The RAM mount places it perfectly so it doesn't block anything. It is a tad low in my vision so I have to look down to see it but otherwise it positions great. It DOES have zoom in/out buttons... dedicated for the map. Mybe the cheaper ones don't,

I like it, but it sounds like that might be out of your price range, but I can at least report good things from the Garmin. also try gpscity.com

pdccd · 05-14-2003, 6:14 PM

I had a Vista and liked it, but I was a little disapointed in the maps provided and the cost of buying better ones, not to mention I would enjoy a color monitor. Magellan just came out with a handheld color but it still looks primitive and I don't know anyone with one to compare it. I would like to get the GPSmap 76s next, but I know as soon as I buy it , they'll come out with a color one. Here's some sites I found with good prices .I don't have any experience with either retailer yet though.

* * * * * * * * gpsnow.com and gpsdiscount.com

G-Force Junkie · 05-14-2003, 9:48 PM

I have the Legend and am very happy with it. It's too small to be really effective while riding, but thats not really what I got it for. It sounds like the etrex would fit what you need, if I was planning on using it mainly as a driving aid, I would go with the bigger ones.

Mike

TraumaOne · 05-14-2003, 9:55 PM

Quote:

pdccd : I had a Vista and liked it, but I was a little disapointed in the maps provided and the cost of buying better ones, not to mention I would enjoy a color monitor. Magellan just came out with a handheld color but it still looks primitive and I don't know anyone with one to compare it. I would like to get the GPSmap 76s next, but I know as soon as I buy it , they'll come out with a color one. Here's some sites I found with good prices .I don't have any experience with either retailer yet though.

* * * * * * * * *gpsnow.com and gpsdiscount.com

Yeah, if you get the extra maps, they are quite handy... altho I had my GPS lead me right into a river while trying to bypass a road under construction... the GPS showed the road continuing on but my car does not do the James Bond underwater thing. I wanted to take a picture but by that point we were on a dirt road and in the middle of nowhere and my wife thought she heard deliverence music being played, so we high-tailed it

Diesel954 · 05-15-2003, 9:12 AM

A buddy of mine has one of the high end models, I think it is a streetpilot III or something like that. Pretty sweet. Shows lots of detail all the way down to alleyways.

gautamde · 05-23-2003, 12:10 PM

I have the Street Pilot III. I bought it primarily for my Car but works great on the bike with handle bar based RAM mount. I hook it up to my helmet speakers and get turn-by-turn audio talk from a very sweet lady inside the GPS . The screen autotmatically changes the color combination based on day or night. Although I am not particulary happy with the accuracy comoared to the Acura Nav that I had before, its still a great product.
I bought it on Ebay from electrified.com for $799.00

jetbdude · 05-23-2003, 12:17 PM

I have the gps12 http://www.garmin.com/graphics/gps12PIC.jpg

I'm using it for mostly for hiking and it works well.

Check out that site for good hiking trip Geocaching

HondaGal · 05-23-2003, 12:56 PM

This is a pretty cool new GPS.

Jungleboy · 05-24-2003, 6:37 AM

Hey guys! I havnt really had anything to do with GPS before and if I got one would just be using it if I did a high speed run and was just wondering if the unit has to be mounted somewhere externally on the bike to be able to transmit and receive its signal or will it work just as well if you put it in the trunk?

Jungleboy · 05-24-2003, 6:45 AM

Also for measuring speed it is obviously measures the time between 2 points, How far apart are these points and and how many times per second or minute does it send and receive signals? just wondering what distance would you have to cover at a certain speed to get an accurate reading?

nhfirefighter13 · 05-24-2003, 8:33 AM

Quote:

Jungleboy : Hey guys! I havnt really had anything to do with GPS before and if I got one would just be using it if I did a high speed run and was just wondering if the unit has to be mounted somewhere externally on the bike to be able to transmit and receive its signal or will it work just as well if you put it in the trunk?

Not an expert here but I do know that they will work (sometimes) inside buildings...depends on how much metal you're surrounded by. I'd imagine that it would work well in a tank bag or in the trunk.

ConqSoft · 05-24-2003, 8:43 AM

Quote:

Jungleboy : Hey guys! I havnt really had anything to do with GPS before and if I got one would just be using it if I did a high speed run and was just wondering if the unit has to be mounted somewhere externally on the bike to be able to transmit and receive its signal or will it work just as well if you put it in the trunk?

The antenna needs to be out in the open.

ConqSoft · 05-24-2003, 8:44 AM

Quote:

Jungleboy : Also for measuring speed it is obviously measures the time between 2 points, How far apart are these points and and how many times per second or minute does it send and receive signals? just wondering what distance would you have to cover at a certain speed to get an accurate reading?

Once it gets a lock on at least 3 satellites (when you turn it on), it is accurate all the time, in real-time. No certain distance to cover.