I have been looking to buy a GPS unit on ebay. Which unit would you recommend for trail riding? Price is always an issue with me.
Thanks,
Haynes

 

I have the garmin 76s. It has all the bells and whistles, and I love it. You can go cheaper, if you just want to get from A to B. I would check out gpsdiscount on the net. Their prices are pretty low and I've order 2 or 3 things from them and got them in 3 days. They ship out the same day you order.

 

Go to any store that sells and demo's them and play with as many as you can. See if you have a preference for screen and navigation.

I have an expandable memory unit, but, I recommend at least 24MB base memory. Otherwise, you may be too limited to the map area you can carry. Unless, you don't want a mapping unit that is. For example, almost all of the state of wisconsin is around 16mb of memory.

Unfortunately, the hand held Lowrance units are not as waterproof as the others. I would stick with Garmin or Magellan.

My recommendation is the Magellan Meridian Gold or Platinum with a Ram mount.

Use price engines like pricegrabber to get a market price then check E-Bay. I got a great deal at Compu-Plus on mine. The deals come and go, so, shop around.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img] Hey Haynes1111, Like you i have given a lot of thought & did quite a bit of looking around at different GPS units & for me its gonna be a Garmin Rino 120, probably from Ebay or the discount place mentioned on another post. Its got a radio & i like the way you can send your position to any Rino user within a certain area. Plus Map Source is downloaded already. Take a look at it & see what you think about it & the features it has. Also like the Garmin 76S. JMO.
Happy Trails, Jerico1

 

Howdy guys,
I work at a store that sells g.p.s. units. It seems to me that the Garmin units are a little more user friendly than the Magellans. The Magellans have a lot of bells & whistles on them. I use a basic Garmin Etrex. We sell it for $99. I use it to prevent getting lost in the woods. Where I used to ride there were hundreds of trails and after an hour or two they all looked the same. The Rhino does have the capability of sending your location to another unit. I think the radio is a 5 mile range if you are on the right channel. My suggestion would be to go to the websites of Magellan and Garmin. I think that would help answer your questions about the different units. Have a goodun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

First, a shopping referral. Safetracks . And a good research site HERE .
I have a Garmin V. It comes with full software, PC cable and cigarette plug.
Second, I shopped hard. Came across the above. Good people. I was ready with my credit card when he asked me to wait untill Monday when the Garmin new price authorization would be in affect. It came down from $398.00 to $320.00! Shipping was fast.
About ebay . I looked hard there too. The best I could find was $409.00 before shipping. You gotta be careful with eBay.
Third,, About the GarminV. I have never owned or operated a GPS. I am right at home with the GV. Well, I did play with a co-workers Garmin "Vista" for one day. The one button does all is REALLY nice but I was thinking of the mounting method of the Vista to my ATV. See HERE . Scroll to the bottom pic. I took this pic while my scratched screen was being fixed.
A Story
I got the GV home and dropped it. Scratched the screen. Called Garmin and cried on their shoulder. They said send it in and we'll fix it under warranty. They also flashed it up to the latest firmware and sent me the latest software number. No hold time on the phone (Before Noon) and they called me to inform me of the latest software.
As for Safetracs. They could have took my $$ but advised me of the price drop. I called them at first asking questions and the sales person realizing I was new to a GPS asked me to go and try several to make sure. Now again. I was ready with the CCard and they knew it.
About The V First it will fit into your shirt pocket but it's not how you will want to carry it. The battery life is excellent but it takes 4 AAs'. The Mapping is top notch, and reception is great. It has plenty of memory without the hassle of cards. I am not a WORLD TRAVELER so I don't need that much anyway. It has the BEST resolution in class. I like it in the horizontal display setting. Water proof rating is high. Garmin customer support is great.
Go fondle one.

 

Haynes,

once you pick one let me know. i get all garmin products wholesale. you can check me out on ebay.

ebay userid: hundredspkballer

 

I would check out www.maptech.com

Here's my setup:

HP IPAQ 5455 w/ bluetooth
Maptech Pocket Navigator software
Emtac Bluetooth wireless GPS receiver - www.emtac.com - but purchased through Maptech.
Otterbox - www.otterbox.com - Armor 1600 & 3600 Units
Otterbox kit 019 shock mount kit
Complete PA & Northeast TOPO coverage maps for Maptech Terrain Navigator.

This setup gives you complete moving topo maps, terrain data, tracking, etc. I have a garmin gps also, but if you really want detail and color, this is the way to go. You will need two 12v plugs on the ATV.

 

I have 2 Garmins an older eMap and a new eTrex legend and they have both been great! I love the downloadable and how they interface with the different PC software I run. The eTrex is nice and small, water resistant, durable and very easy to use.
I've been so happy with the Garmins I’m getting ready to buy 2 Rino 120s to replace the old units on our ATVs. That way we don't have walkie talkies and gps units to drag around.

Do be careful with prices on eBay as sometimes you can get better deals at retailers. I got my eTrex from a store because at the time there was a $50 rebate that I could only get through an authorized dealer. So with the valid rebate the price was better than anything on eBay.

 

I have the Etrex Legend. Love it. Nice maps, nice trip computer. I mount mine in the lid pocket of my cooler bag. Out of the elements great reception. I took it on a flight to Vancouver over the Rockies. I followed on the onscreen map, I kept track of the altitude, speed and course. VERY cool!!