The first thing you need to decide is whether you want a unit that offers mapping or not. If you simply want a cookie trail of where you have been so you can get back, a less expensive unit is fine. That isn't as limiting as it sounds, you can still mark waypoints like turns and landmarks, and upload your trip data to software such as Topo USA and see it on a nice color map on your computer screen. Plus, they all offer real time data while you ride, such as direction and speed and even elevation. Personally, I like a unit that offers a background map, but the truth is, this is more useful when I am using it in my truck on the road, because most places you'll be riding your quad won't have any marked roads anyway. So it depends on all the ways you might want to use it and all the vehicles you might use it with. You probably do want to look for a water proof or at least water resistant model. I don't know about Michigan where you are, but here in the South 4 wheelin' means mud - thin as water or thick as Play-Doh, but you can bet on some type of mud. Its not so much that the mud itself will damage your GPS, its the fact that you need to hose it off to clean it. Also look for one that has a good strong mounting system because it will take a beating on a 4 wheeler. I have used many types and prefer Garmin, a lot because of the company itself. They offer Internet downloads of manuals, firmware and software updates, and when I had to send mine in for repair they did so very quickly and didn't charge me, even though it was long out of warrenty. There's a guy named Joe Mehaffey who has been reviewing and writing about GPS units since they first became commercially available. He has a very informative website on GPS hardware and software at http://gpsinformation.net/ that may help you decide on a particular model.

 

If it dosn't have a map program .....dont bother ....you will kick yourself in the a$$ later on .I have a magellan sport track colour .... with the Topo Canada map program.....it is a very nice unit with excellent detail and lake names on the maps!

 

Well I saw this post yesterday and happend to be at walmart and picked up the etrex. I played with it on the way to work and home and it looks like just what I needed. Thanks for the info, Now I just need to find a cheap GPS holder for my ATV!

 

I have the lowrance Ifinder hunt plus and love it you get the usa topo with it and you can put a 512 mb sd chip for big maps they have a color that plays mp3s too and a ram mount you will love it to

 

Hey tyler, I have a etrex too and need to know how to use the bactrack feature. Please be very specfic so I can follow. I'm not to electronis friendly. Thanks.

Noble

 

I use the Garmin Etrex Vista as well. I have the Garmin handlebar mount mounted on the left handlebar and use the 12V Cigarette adapter as well to the light pod to save on the batteries.

 

Thanks for all of your responses.
This is where my female blonde question kicks in.
I live in Mississippi, noy Michigan.........so i know all about the "mud riding".
That's my whole resaon for having a 4wheeler.
Her is the stupid question of the day: Will my 4wd styart to work again even if I install a GPS unit instead of the Polaris Speedo??????
I have the Sportster 700 2003 model

Thakns Guys,
Manda

 

No... :-) but you will have a far more accurate speedo with the GPS. My Polaris speedo is about 5-7 MPH fast.

 

Thanks for the help. I went out today and picked up
the eTrex Legend C at Gander Mt. I'll spend the next week
learning how to use it. Again thanks for the resopnse.

Jim[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]

 

Keep in mind that once the unit locks on to a signal, it retains it pretty well. So if you turn it on while in the deep woods, you may not be able to lock on (you probably will, but maybe not.) If you turn it on in a field, and then go into that same place, it will usually keep the signal it has. So don't think it has bad reception unless you lock it on before going wherever you are going. So if you plan on getting lost ([img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]) it is a good idea to turn it on before you leave if you are going into some thick woods.