[tiny terror]

How important do you guys think it is to have a GPS system with you when you're out and about? I'm getting some pressure from the family about it (I'm assuming it's because of James Kim and his family getting lost in Oregon.... and I have a really poor sense of direction).

 

[Odhinn]

I have never used them, I always carry a surveyors compass, a portable altimeter, and a USGS topo map of the areas I am in. Although it would be nice to have GPS. They are good to have if for anything a safety backup.

 

[Tiburon]

I have to say I love my GPS. I get lost so easy its not funny my girlfriend makes fun of me cause she has a great sense of direction. I have a Garmin Nuvi 350 I bought it about 6 months ago before I left Circuit City. I got that one because of its size, the fact its portable, and I liked the fact it had an SD card reader on the side for upgrading maps. I used to sell them and would rcomend getting a garmin over the many other brands that are out there. might cost a little more but it will last longer and is one of the easier units to use. Right now you can pick up a Garmin SP340 farily cheap. its a touch screen, has the entire USA & Canada and tells you the name of the streets. It also hold a pretty large number of addresses in its memory, and has a search menu that will find business by name or type (such as motels or resturants) If you're looking for a trail GPS you have an option of getting the Topographical maps to add on to any of the GPS's or you can pick up a cheap handheld one for the same price as the software, A Garmin Etrex goes for like 100 bucks vs. 150 for the map software its a fancy compass that remembers where you've been, can save locations and help you get back to where you were. The etrex is made for hiking or fishing but will work just as well for trail riding. Go into your circuit city and play with em, most are on display, theres a 14 day return policy and a 15% restocking fee so make sure before you buy one its something u want. but most places will waive the fee if you upgrade to another one.

Hope this helps you

 

[Geeps]

I bought one for my wife's car a few months ago. I don't think I would travel without one now.

 

[whiteyj]

They are only as good as the operator. They are not going to do you a bit of good in the back country unless you can read a map. The GPS alone won't get you anywhere.
Not to mention as long as the batteries last!

 

[Scotty355]

They are only as good as the operator. They are not going to do you a bit of good in the back country unless you can read a map. The GPS alone won't get you anywhere.
Not to mention as long as the batteries last!

I must disagree, I have an old gps that shows the route you have taken so you can backtrack in case you get lost, I take it with me when I go exploring with my quad and also use it to mark hunting spots, it is accurate down to a couple of feet. I even used it to check my speedometer on my bike when I changed the gearing. The batteries last a long time. I would vote for getting one.

 

[Tiburon]

****** have u even used a GPS? thats why they are there dude, so u don't have to know how to read a map. I'm not saying you shouldn't know how to read one. My GPS shows me the map, my location, and direction of travel. And its acuate down to a few feet, I can save a location anywhere in the world and get there again just by hittin a few buttons.

 

[amerijeep]

Don't need a GPS. I know the countryside 'round these parts.

 

[tiny terror]

You should change your avatar to superman

 

[kg4kpg]

I use them and am waiting on a new one now. Keeps you legal when you don't upgrade the speedo gear. Check out http://www.geocaching.com Geocaching is a game using gps to find hidden containers with all kinds of stuff in them from small toys to coins, money...you name it it may have been in a cache. They are all over the country.

 

[KA5IVR]

I think GPS's for vehicles are very handy to have. I just bought my 4th GPS, a Garmin 60CSx. This one is fantastic and the memory can be expanded to 2 GB. That means I can load the whole State (Texas) with detailed maps and not just a few counties. My old ones, I had to load up the area I needed before hand.

Paper maps are not much good unless you know where you are or have the knowledge to tell. The GPS will tell you where and in what direction to go. If Mr. Kim would have had one, he would have knew where his car was and in what direction and how far the town was that he was heading to. It might have made a difference.

I normally run my GPS in Offroad mode, because I want to know how much farther and how long will it take. "Are we there yet"? Turn by Turn is nice if you totally do not know the area or where the address is you want to go.

I'm not sure about this new GPS with the colored screen, but the others do not like cold temperatures. I tried to use one in WY one winter, but I could not see the LCD display unless I warmed it up inside my coat for awhile. GPS's like the Street Pilot are nice to have in your car, but it is not portable. The 60CSx does both, but the screen is a little smaller and is non-touch. What I do with GPS's, portable types are better for me.

Once you learn to use it and trust it, you will wonder why you had not purchased one earlier.

 

[amy]

What about the cel phones with built in GPS? Have any of you used them? Is the GPS in them any good?

 

[tiny terror]

Do you buy maps or subscribe to a service?

 

[amy]

Are you talking to KA5IVR, Tiny?

 

[tiny terror]

I posted while you were posting, that was a general question to the GPS using guys

 

[amy]

Okie dokie.

 

[JeepCrawler98]

I have a Garmin GPSMap60CS - the precessor of what KA5IVR has. I have it loaded with turn-by-turn capable street maps for the whole state (which works beautifully I mgiht add) AND topographic maps for the whole state as well. My dad has a GPSMap60CSX, upgraded with a 1Gb chip, and it has topo for the west half of the US, and turn-by-turn road maps for 3/4 of the US.

Whoever said GPS's are useless is sadly uninformed. A higher end gps will not only show you a track and your position, it will show the "map you need to look at anyways" as well.

Even low end GPS's will leave a track of where you've been which proves VERY usefull when exploring new areas. When going on trails which you don't know - you can download and exchange waypoints/routes with other people (which I frequently do) to get their exact location, taking the guesswork out of finding places. It'll tell you how long it's gonna take you as you go, points of interests, etc.

the GPS is the compass and map of the 21st century, get one! I had the same "meh it's more or less not that great" 5 years ago, and today, I wouldn't dream of living without it.

That's not to say that you shouldn't know how to read a map and triangulate your position off of landmarks using a map - technology is complex and can fail. But GPS's are the way to go!

 

[Tiburon]

What about the cel phones with built in GPS? Have any of you used them? Is the GPS in them any good?

Do you buy maps or subscribe to a service?

only cell phones charge you a service fee for GPS. The phone service is pretty lame, if you think about it where are you gonna put your phone when you're driving around? and a little tiny screen? Coolness factor is a strong 6, Usablity factor is a weak 2.

GPS is a free service thanks to our millions of dollars spent on cool military stuff to blow people up. The GPS's of today are lightyears ahead of 4 or 5 years ago. mine is a NUVI 350 , its a little bigger than a pack of playing cards, has a big enough screen, It talks, it even talks in different accents, I have mine on the australian chick. You can purchace extra services if you want like the traffic alerts its like 12 bucks a month but only works in the bigger cities.

If you're looking for the best deal on a GPS that has the whole USA, talks to you, is a color touch screen, AND has a battery which makes it portable I say get a SP 340
its the best bang for the buck without a bunch of bells and whistles.

 

[Tiburon]

I posted while you were posting, that was a general question to the GPS using guys

I hope u don't mean 'guys' as in men... I sold more GPS's to girls then guys, we all think we can find our way anywhere. Its only when I mention the MP3 player and picture viewer features on some of em when the guys started to consider it.

 

[tiny terror]

I think I've decided that those have an issue with me being out and about should pony up the cash for a GPS toy because I've got too many other things I want/need/covet (though, they look pretty cool).