Im interested in buying a new or used GPS unit to use while atving/being outdoors. Can anyone suggest a good one that can have topo maps uploaded to it. Sharing any experiences with GPS is much appriciated... ty

 

I bought the Garmin Etrex at Meyers in Troy, Ohio
for $119.00 plus tax.

Awesome unit, with full download capability from the Garmin website, as well as numerous other options.

I've used it quite a bit... very simple to use...not a lot of confusing bells and whistles.

Even tryed it on the plane on my way home, and it was bang-on accurate, we were crusing at 38500 ft.
at 540 mph, I was impressed.

Best bang for the buck....

 

Mr. Rockerc ,I have used a garmin 1200 for over a year now- fantastic piece of equipment. See garmin.com for more info. The etrx as talked about by r34 is a great new addition to their line up being very small . also , casio makes a wrist watch gps for about $350.00 I think.

 

r34, I would have never thought to try my gps from a plane- thats pure genius.

 

R34,

I too own a Etrex unit and would be interested to know what information you have downloaded from the Garmin website and why?

I use my unit while hunting and have been very pleased with it. I bought it to replace an older Magellan unit that was a piece of junk.

 

Springdrl...
Well, as you can see, I'm from Canada, and I was hoping to download some Topographical Maps for the Rocky Mountains cause I Quad there fairly often, and am forever getting totally lost.
Unfortunately, they only have maps for the major highways and provincial park areas, but its only a matter of time, before they become available.
It was kind of nice to see that Garmin has a handle bar mounting bracket for the Etrex, and the 12 volt adapter as well, so that will be the next thing that I buy.

When I was in Troy, I met a guy from Fort Worth, Texas while I was there, a real decent guy, but unfortunately didnt own a Quad.

KaiserSosei....

I was kind of surprised that it worked on the aircraft, cause I thought that the fuselage would prevent the communication with the Satellites, but I held it up to the window for the whole flight and it worked great.
The Captain spoke on the intercom, and said "We are currently cruising a 38500 ft", and as I said before, it was right on the money.
The Longs and Lats were flipping past so quickly, that it was hard to read.
I will be back in Ohio in the next couple of months, so I'll probably bring it again for something to do while flying.

 

Go with Garmin, the Magellan unit I purchased, is OK. Garmin GPS's have more features & better customer service.

My next unit will be a Garmin with the mapping function.

 

I've owned both the Megellin and Garmin. Which ever you decide to purchase, I suggest you ask the dealer for classes on how to use it. There are several sports stores that will have classes going on especially during hunting season. Try one of the major stores like Dick's, Cabellas, Gander Mountain, etc. It will be a small fee for a very good cause. I'm sure they will be happy to help. All of us should have these things, or at least one in a group should have a GPS and if you know how to use them, remember to practice even when you're not on the trail because you never know when an emergency will arrive... And try to have one person bring a cell phone too... I really want you guys to pay attention to this 'cause it might be me you're saving.
Chuck, Suzuki KQ 300, GPS & lunch...