GPS

[elkoholic]

Any suggestions on a good GPS unit?

[planebow]

I have a Garmin vista but if I gould get a new on it would be the eTrex 20 or the 30

[dotman]

I have an etrex 20 and it has everything you will need and then some extras. Add some huntinggpsmaps to it and it is an amazingly affordable tool.

[Swede]

It depends on what features you want and your budget, but I prefer Garmin for their ease of use.

[ElkNut1]

When choosing a GPS pick one with electronic compass, you will be glad you did, it's worth the extra 100.00 bucks! At present I use a Garmin 130, it does well & I've had it for years with no issues! I'd like to upgrade though to a 530, they lock in much quicker than the 130, don't get me wrong the 130 is an excellent GPS!!

ElkNut1

[>>>---WW---->]

Garmin all the way, mainly because HuntingGPSmaps.com plat map chips are compatable to any Garmin that has a micro SD slot in it. I have an older Garmin Legend HCX. The screne is a little small but I can zoom in and put on my specks and do just fine with it. If I ever get a newer one, I have no idea which one to get. But you can bet your boots it will be a Garmin.

[one_elk]

I have used the Garmin 62st for the past 3 or 4 years it has worked great for me. Electronic compass, Barometric altimeter and quality antenna are all features that are important to me. But whatever GPS you decide to purchase, I would make sure it is compatible with the HuntingGPS chip. Used the HuntingGPS chip this year and worked great for telling what was private and public ground….

[Broken arrow]

Garmin all the way. I have the Oregon 450 and I love it. But it can't replace a map and compass when it comes to security in not getting lost.

[MTLongdraw]

I have an Oregon 450 and I love it. If you want to spend a lot of money there is a new one out (think its called the Montana) you can upload images so its basically like having google earth on your GPS. There sweet but spendy.

[eltaco]

I'm using a Garmin Oregon 300, which I don't think they even make any longer. I've had it for 3 seasons now and I am WAY impressed with this unit. I actually just saw a flier for Cabelas saying that the 450 will be on sale for $199 over the Thanksgiving holiday. That's a phenomenal unit for a great price, IMHO!

The ONLY downside to the Oregon series is the screen now seems small since my smartphone is so large in comparison. That said, the Montana is basically an Oregon with a larger screen... but the Montana is HUGE! You can use birdseye software on the Oregon (and I highly recommend it) so you have satellite imagry at the ready when in the field. I've used the satellite imagry to find some of my best hunting spots and wallows... it really does come in handy in the field and gives you a great idea of what hidden clearings lie in the middle of the trees.

[BobcatJerry]

I have the Garmin Rino 530 hcx and just recently upgraded to the Garmin Rino 655T. It basically has a 5W radio in it with a small camera that creates a waypoint whenever you take a picture. It worked great and I was happy with it. It is a touch screen and works well with gloves on and It has all the features of the Oregon and Montana, but the radio is the main difference. You sacrifice some screen for the radio compared to the Montana or Oregon, but if people in your group also have the Rino, you can actually see their location on your screen, and even send messages to them. Seeing their location is really worth it to me. Has weather radio and weather maps too. Due to the lower resolution on the screen, I was unimpressed with he birdseye map of my hunting spot in Idaho. The view of my farm in Ohio isn't bad. Like to see how it looks on a Montana or Oregon.

[WapitiTalk1]

I have a Lowrance Ifinder HuntC which IMO, is the best I've seen. Problem is as many know, Lowrance stopped making GPS units several years ago. Really like mine for many reasons. It's never failed and the mapping software I have on it covers all the bases.. RIP Lowrance GPS.

[one_elk]

I have a Lowrance Ifinder HuntC which IMO, is the best I've seen. Problem is as many know, Lowrance stopped making GPS units several years ago. Really like mine for many reasons. It's never failed and the mapping software I have on it covers all the bases.. RIP Lowrance GPS.

Hey Phantom:

It may just be your lucky day becasue Lowrance is indeed still, or has started again, making GPS units. I won one at the Denver Sportsmans show a couple of years ago and it seems to be a great unit, it is thier safari unit...anyway you the lowrance GPS untis at the url below....



http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Products/Outdoor/

[WapitiTalk1]

I have a Lowrance Ifinder HuntC which IMO, is the best I've seen. Problem is as many know, Lowrance stopped making GPS units several years ago. Really like mine for many reasons. It's never failed and the mapping software I have on it covers all the bases.. RIP Lowrance GPS.

Hey Phantom:

It may just be your lucky day becasue Lowrance is indeed still, or has started again, making GPS units. I won one at the Denver Sportsmans show a couple of years ago and it seems to be a great unit, it is thier safari unit...anyway you the lowrance GPS untis at the url below....



http://www.lowrance.com/en-US/Products/Outdoor/

YES! Thanks for letting me/us know.. My IFinderHuntC is still going strong but I do like the Lowrance GPS units.. I use mine hunting, and, on my boat in the nasty WA wet weather and it has yet to fail me.. Thanks again..

[bowpackerrob]

I have a Garmin astro 220, great little unit. If I was going to upgrade though, I would go with the Montana series. I especially like the bigger screen as i have gotten older.

[Les Welch]

I have the Garmin 550T that I absolutely love.

[ElkNut1]

Les, that's the GPS I have my eye on!! Does yours have the touch screen?

ElkNut1

[Chukarhunter]

I've got the Garmin Montana. The only reason I got it was because it had a huge screen, and the older I get the worse my eyesight gets. Don't like having to put on "cheaters" to see the gps! Anyway, I like everything about it except the weight. It's not a lightweight unit. But for me, it's worth it. Even has a camera built in (which eliminates the weight of carrying a separate camera). This unit actually does a lot more than I will ever need (just don't tell my wife!). Great mapping, birds eye satellite, fast satellite acquisition, and will even acquire satellites in heavy cover (I've acquired satellites while playing with it indoors!!)

[dotman]

Just found out I'll be doing some product testing for Garmin, what exactly this means I don't know yet but should be fun. Guess this is another positive on living in KC.

[horseshoe]

i too like the garmins. however, a few years back i bought a magellan closeout at wally world with national geo "topo" included. it is the nuts! the topo is actual usgs topo maps for the entire usa! since then, nat geo sold this business and magellan now offers it as a $30/yr subscription. a real good deal as you can download as many maps as you care to! these topos, as do the actual usgs topos, show wooded vs open terrain, water, trails etc. the maps i have seen used on some rinos do not have the woodland/open shading and i really miss that feature. the maps on the rinos do, however, show some additional details such as some horsetrails & springs, etc.

there may be more comprehensive units and mapping options out there, but, i am not a real techie and find these units and software more than adequate and simple to use and inexpensive to boot.

magellan offers units and the maps online and even sells some refurbed items at good discounts.

oh ya, i have not tried it out but a satellite subscription is also available as well.

[G Posik]

I use a Garmin Colorado 400T. I have had this thing for years and really beat the snot out of it. It has preformed without incident. I have installed HUNTINGGPSMAPS on it and just updated the TOPO maps. If I were to update and get a new GPS unit it would be the e trex 30.

Glenn