Picking out a handheld Gps unit

Brian Rippelmeyer

Brian Rippelmeyer

Well-known member
Ive been wanting to get one of these gizmos,what is good? what is bad? Ive seen the adds on Colorado,Dakota,Oregon etc.are these types ok to use in the boat,or is there a marine version, Ive never used one,so which is user friendly,any help would be appreciated,thanks Brian Rippelmeyer
 
Brian,

Check out the Garmin GPSMAP 76 series of handheld chartplotters. It will fit in your pocket and you can pick one up on ebay or craigslist cheap. I have a GPSMAP76 which is not the color screen but is a great unit. I also have the GPSMAP 176C which is portable but a little bigger screen and can be run on 4 AA batteries or plung it into a 12 volt power source. Also another great unit. Both of these come with me wheather I'm running a yacht with the latest and greatest electronics or just out for a hike. I have waypoints and routes stored for use up and down the East Coast in case I loose the main electronics while offshore. By the way, very user friendly.
 
Brian-I have a Garmin GPS map76cx, it is waterproof and I use it both in the boat and the car. It doesn't have as big a screen as a unit dedicated to either of the above, and since I had never had one before it has taken some getting used to to figure out how to do certain things. The documentation that comes with it is pretty bare boned, and the online help is also sketchy until you start to understand how the thing works. But it is a pretty nice piece of equipment, it runs on AA batteries for about 8 hours, and can also plug in to a 12 volt lighter. It has a color screen, and it is big enough to navigate with. It has a screen that automatically turns on the backlight after dark, you can put in an sd card for different maps(I have city streets for the car and bluechart for the boat). Garmin has pretty good software for the pc called mapsource which allows you to feed in waypoints or routes and then you plug the unit into your pc and it transfers them to it. It is very handy when you use coordinates you are getting online or from another data source, and is much easier than trying to enter info on the gps unit itself. I have never owned one before, so this is all of the experience that I have, but I think this is a good unit and it's versatile. Good luck and let us know what you end up getting.
 
I'll also endorse the Garmin GPSMAP 76 line. I've have several at home and work in b&W and Color. I've used them from the tops of mountain to the ocean and as far north as Scotland and as far south as New Zealand. They have always performed superbly.
 
Garmin is the way to go. I have had a Garmin GPS12 for over 10 years works great. Has gone every where with me hunting trips, europe never failed me yet. I guess one of these days I'll have to buy a newer model.
 
Ive been wanting to get one of these gizmos,what is good? what is bad? Ive seen the adds on Colorado,Dakota,Oregon etc.are these types ok to use in the boat,or is there a marine version, Ive never used one,so which is user friendly,any help would be appreciated,thanks Brian Rippelmeyer
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Go with a Garmin for a handheld. If you are looking for a boat and handheld use look at the Garmin 378/478. I have a 276c, which is the same case screen and battery, but isn't made anymore and is upgraded in the 378/478 - it has a screen much bigger than a 76 and has an internal battery that lasts forever (for a GPS). It weighs more than the 76, but if I remember right the screen is twice as big. The 378/478 comes with preloaded software, so you may be paying for more software than you want, but I really like the "big" screen in a handheld. It goes everywhere with me, it will change your life. Look at gpsdiscount.com, there prices were great last time I looked and the service has been very good.

I had one problem with my 276C and that is it leaked and died at 9 months, I hose the salt off it every time I use it. I had a new one in hand in a week and this one has been going for 3 years.

T
 
Do these models you're talking about have topo detail on them?

I have an old Rhino, but it doesn't have topo detail, and I'd like to upgrade.

Thanks,
Kirk
 
Brian,

I used the Megellan Sportrak Topo Color for several years. It's been very reliable as long as you keep 2 good batteries in it. got me through the fog one morning by following the previous track through the channel markers. it fits in your pocket. the color screen in small, but easily readable in the dark, not so much in the day. i've heard some people complain about them. i've not had a problem.
 
Brian,

For a handheld, my vote would go for the Garmin E-trex series, the Legend HCX to be exact. Make sure you are looking at a "HCX" which differs from a "HC". The "X" indicates that it has the improved antenna over the previous models. I've had mine inside a steel roofed and concrete walled structure and still been able to get a lock on the satellites.

I just tonight got a flyer in the mail from Cabelas. They have this particular model on sale right now already bundled with the topo map DVD and 128mb data card. Sale price is $200 and the flyer says it is available on line as well. I would recommend you buy a 2 gig micro SD card to replace the 128mb card. If you are loading topo info onto the GPS you will need the larger memory provided by the 2 gig card.

Be advised that the DVD topo is 100,000 scale. Not bad, but 24,000 scale shows more detail. I'f you want , give me a call tonight and we can talk in more detail.
 
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Another vote for the Garmin. I have an Etrex Legend as well. Mine is one of the original units and doesn't have the high-power antenna. It does a good job but there have been times when I wished it did have the better antenna. On the open water its not really noticeable. But in the woods looking for that deer stand or trying to find that little slough it would be handy. I also have a Nuvi 200 for the vehicles and it's great as well.
 
I have a Garmin GPS Map 76Cx. Bought it last year after a 10 mile, hairy, slow boat ride back to the ramp in the dark. This year, same ride was fun. Whenever I was in doubt as to which way the river was bending just checked the GPS. Unit is supposed to be waterproof and float. Haven't tested those features. Has preloaded tide tables which is handy for my late season hunting spots. Also use it for geocaching and hiking. For me, reading the manual wasn't enough. I had to use it several times before I began to really understand the features. I'm still learning how to get the most out of it. A bit frustrating at first but now I love it.

The preloaded map that came with it is garbage. Bought the US topomap which is a huge improvement but still only of soso quality in my estimation. For approximate shoreline and major land features the US topomap is ok. For running narrow channels, swamps, near shore, small islands ... the stuff that duck hunters do, use good nav charts/local knowledge and record safe tracks during daylight then you will have a reliable track to follow when visibility is bad or when slowing down to check charts is inconvenient. Safer to trust these tracks than the GPS maps (of course, need to be able to get by without the GPS in case batteries die, etc.). I tried out their marine maps in a store and wasn't too impressed so haven't purchased any.

Bought mine via Amazon for ~$150 less than what Cabelas and local stores were asking at the time. Good luck.
 
Do some of you know that if you turn "off" the Bluechart on the 76's that the inlake lands maps become more detailed.

I've used it in Ark, Ms & Fl & it's very accurate.
 
I love my Garmin Map 76 as well. I have used it many times to run rivers in the dark just as you would with radar. DO a reality check to make sure how accurate it is in your area. But mine has been hyper accurate in Florida, Virginia and Louisiana. Btw I just had one stolen from my truck and bought a used one in great shape on Ebay for $71.00. And there were dozens more on there.
 
I'm still using the same old Lowrance Global Nav 12 I bought in 1999.
It eats batteries 4 AA at a time, has a cracked screen and is a little slow getting acquired some mornings, but other than that it serves me well.
 
I have an etrex, a 76s & a Rhino. The newer models have more sensitive receivers but these are good enough.

Saw a color etrex on sale with topos of the USA for less than 200 bucks at Dicks.

For duck hunting I think topos are just fine. No need to spend more for blue charts (which I use on my big boat).
 
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