buying a gps

[Guest]

ok, i finally got some extra $$ and have been planning on buying a gps for some time now. was gonna get one for christmas, but plans fell through and what not. the wife even agrees with this purchase too (the guy at gander mountain did quite a job of selling her on it ).

 

i basically am looking for a low end mapping unit. does anyone have a gps and if you do, can you give me some info on what features are the best?

 

basically we want it for vacation time, and to try some geocaching and what not. of course i will be marking all of the holes that people take me too, and posting them on here for all to see too (J/K of course). but it would be nice to have while exploring both new and old water. it is just harder than hell to use a map sometimes.

 

right now i am looking at getting the magellan sporttrak series. i think it it the sportstrak map that is around 199.

 

if anyone can give me some info, please do. i would greatly appreciate it.

 

sean

[Steeldrifter 0]

Sean i have a older (about 8-10 years old) magellan GPS45 and it only has the basic features but works pretty nicely,i am not up on the new GPS units but my friend mike (fishynutz on this site) has a etrex and he knows alot about GPS units so i'll give him a call and tell him jump on site when he can and give you some info.

 

SD

[Guest]

thanks SD, i appreciate it.

 

another point of interest i forgot to put on there is the availability to expand the memory (if needed). from what a guy at work has told me, he can put most of northern MI on his base card. dont know if this is neccesary or not, but i would hate to take off on vacation and not have enough memory in it to find "new" spots to throw a fly into.

[Guest]

I have the Lowrance Ifinder Plus. It retails for 400, but Bass Pro had it for 249. It came with the software and works like a dream. It will show every bar, baitshop, cat house and restaurant.

 

John got me a 256meg chip and I can load several states

[Guest]

just what i need, something to show me every bar boy if i told sarah that, she would surely put her foot down. unfortunately it would probably be on top of my head

 

i might have to look into that one. especially if it comes with software. it scares me that i have to pay another hundred for more mapping software for the damn things.

 

how big is that one ralf? and dont worry, i will leave it home when i fish with you. dont want to you cut my tongue out and take my toy away too!!

[Guest]

http://www.lowrance.com/Outdoor/Products/iFINDERPlus.asp

 

Joel just bought one on line at the same price

[NEMIsportsman 0]

Can't say enough about the unit! Had Garmin GPS 12 for several years and it was decent, but it would be like comparing the Wright Brothers plane to the Space Shuttle.

 

You won't regret getting it. The Plus package is not real easy to find, but if you are interested send me a pm and I can steer you towards one...

 

Thanks again to Ralf for talking me into getting it...he is quite good at helping people find ways to invest their disposable income!!!!!

 

 

jp

 

 

 

 

Display

• 240 x 180 (v x h) pixel resolution

• 3'' (7.6 cm) diagonal display size

• High contrast Film SuperTwist

• White LED backlit screen

• 16-level grayscale

• Excellent direct sunlight and low-light/night viewing

 

GPS/Mapping

• Precision 12-parallel channel GPS+WAAS receiver

• Antenna port for connecting optional external GPS+WAAS antenna

• Dual processors for higher speed screen updates and scrolling

• Dual Easy/Advanced operation modes

• Built-in, detailed Lowrance background map featuring interstate exit services

• 1,000 waypoints/1,000 event markers/99 routes

• 100 savable plot trails/10,000 points per trail

• Multiple map zoom ranges, 0.02–4,000 miles

• 42 graphic icons to mark special spots

• Internal back-up memory

• Easy point-and-map cursor navigation/route planning

• Secure Digital (SD) and Multi-Media Card (MMC) capable, up to 512MB

• Includes Mapping Accessories Pack that contains MapCreate™ mapping software, one 16MB digital MMC memory card, and an MMC/SD card reader with USB connector

• Also compatible with optional FreedomMaps™ and Navionics® electronic charts

 

Plus

• Cigarette plug power adapter

• Waterproof, floating travel pouch for all-weather operation

• Operates up to 12 hours or longer on two AA batteries (not included)

• Full one-year warranty

[pacres 0]

Been using a lowrance for a while, an even dunked it once with no ill effects, although I wouldn't recommend trying it yourself.

The rep was also telling about some new canada altitude maps being released sometime this year. Right now the best available is a city street level map (In Alberta anyway). A GPS will surely make hiking through the woods more enjoyable.

[NEMIsportsman 0]

• Also compatible with optional FreedomMaps™ and Navionics® electronic charts

 

 

Ralf did you know this and/or are you familiar with either of these?

 

That navionics software seems like it would be alright if there is a lot of detail?

[Guest]

Nope, sure didn't.

I'll tell ya, you really don't need any additional detail. This thing shows every ditch.

What a treasure to walk into a hole without having to float an entire section.

Ideal for floats as well. I check mine every couple of hours to see how far along I am. At that point I can either slow down or fish a little faster. Great for new water.

It saved our ass a couple of times.

 

BTW, it's more fun to spend your money..LOL

 

Wanna buy a 4 piece GLX? Never been fished

[NEMIsportsman 0]

QUOTE (Shoe @ Jan 27 2004, 04:53 PM)

BTW, it's more fun to spend your money..LOL Wanna buy a 4 piece GLX? Never been fished

 

I see how you are....you badmouth the rod in one thread and try to sell it to me in another???!!!

[Guest]

 

Oops.

It's a great rod, but not what I originally bought. Kinda like buying a Vette and then they give ya Caddy.

 

[Guest]

I like Ralf's but if you can't afford that one I enjoy my Rhino. It does what I want and has the radio. I'm disappointed the software is extra though.

[FishyNutz 0]

Hey guys I worked at a place called Dick's Sporting goods..we only sold garmins and even tho that was the case I did all the homework and bought the Eagle top of the line at that time....What a mistake....I was so impressed with the detail and its basemap but with reality watch what happened. I had a hunting area that was displayed including what was a walking trail 4 years before that was now a two track.... It was on the base map and I couldn't wait to get up there and use this tool. I got there fired up the G.P.S and the bastige wouldn't aquire satelites worth a damn under anything that resembled trees. Not exactly a great hunting or fishing tool..unless you stay away from trees????

I have since enjoyed garmins and like all G.P.S's they don't always aquire under heavy foilage and all but by far after asking a lot of customers they are why I bought Garmin...I enjoy the ETREX top of the line but the screen is little small I am an eyeglass wearer....When walking in with all my gear fogging my lenses is aprobif I can't seeits small screen...The previous garmin I owned was a GPS 3Plus and they now have a GPS 5 in that series...By far it aquired better than my ETREX

and thats because it has an external antenna...On the rivers tho the ETREX should be great, compact expandable if you buy the upper models and very durable. garmin also has the upper models loaded with every conceivable naviagation marker in North America not a bad deal if you hit any bigger water.

[Guest]

well, i went down to cabelas yesterday and looked at some different units. with the recommendation that shoe gave on the lowrence ifinder i went with the intention of purchasing that unit. i had called earlier in the week to see if they had any of the plus units in the store, and they told me that they wouldnt have any instore until mid march sometime. not soon enough for me, but with that in mind i knew if i didnt at least check the bargain cave before i purchased one, i would kick myself.

 

they had a few units in the cave. a couple of magellan sporttrak maps (another one i was looking at) and some garmin etrex series. they had on ifinder pro in there marked down to 139. after looking at that unit and playing with it for a while, i went to the main gps area and asked them about the software package. they did have one, so i told the guy my dilema and that if he could come down in price on the used unit i would buy the whole package. he went to the computer to see how low he could go and came back with a great offer on it, that i couldnt pass up.

 

ended up purchasing the ifinder pro with the accesory pack for the same price as the ifinder plus package. not to bad in my mind considering that the ifinder pro retails for 199 and the acc. pack is 124.

 

so far i like the unit. still need to play with it to get some idea of what i am doing, but after reading the book and seeing what was online for help, i am getting an idea of what to do.

 

thanks for all the help guys, i appreciate it.