Lets talk GPS

[Southwind]

O.K. I'm not ready to hang up my compass but I am ready to buy a gps.

So, how far I am ready I'm not sure.

Let's hear about what we like and don't like. Best of the best, best value, etc,etc..of course it's for hunting so a unit best fits the OYO hunting life is what I want.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

I've been using the old Garmin Legend and just upgraded to the newer one with a color screen. It's the Legend HCx and I got it on amazon.com for $152 to my door. That was cheaper than the old one I was using and included the USB cable to upload/download off the computer and the CD to install the Mapsource software. The topo of the entire US is not much more than main roads and stuff, but I have already loaded some free stuff off the net onto the computer that is very good and I'll eventually load that into the GPS. I also just bought the microSD chip for Wyoming for it last night that has a lot better topo and other stuff on it with the main thing being landownership so you don't trespass on private property. That was $79 from GPSMaps and there is no S&H charge. It also included an insert the chip fits in so I can use it in my StreetPilot that's in my truck that takes the regular size chip. Satellite acquisition is real fast compared to the old one too. For the little money I spent, I'm real happy with it and it's more than I will probably ever need.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

The only GPS I currently own is a wrist mounted Garmin Foretrex 401 that I use for work. I have been looking at getting a GPS with mapping capability that I can load public land/topo maps, and the research I have done leads me to the Garmin GPSMAP 62s. Does anyone have any experince with this model using the public land maps?

 

[pseshooter300]

In thinking of picking up the garmin 62s

 

[Bowhuntrben]

I have and use both the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx and 62st. Both are good units, but the 62st is definitely better. The 62st has much better graphics, and I suspect it works much better with the maps from GPShuntingmaps (plan to test those out this fall). I think the compass works better with the 62st as well.

 

[Jwill]

I like the Delormes. The mapping that comes with them is really good and they're pretty simple to use.

 

[1_pointer]

If someone's in need of a very basic GPS, I have a relatively unused Garmin that I'd let go for $30. I have two of them and the other's never not got me back to where I wanted to be.

 

[jones39]

I have been looking at upgrading to the Garmin 62stc. Does anybody have any experience with this unit?

 

[Bowhuntrben]

jones39..I have the 62st. Looks to be the same minus the camera. It is a great GPS. I have my doubts whether the camera would be too great, but it would also mean you wouldn't have to carry a separate one.

 

[jones39]

Bowhuntrben,
The only other difference I see with the 62stc is that it has more internal memory than the st. Do you think that is an issue or do you have enough memory with the st?

 

[Corax]

I recently upgraded from an etrex and foretrex to the GPSMAP 62st. I got that over the Montana or the Oregon because of the push buttons vs the touch screen. I find touch screens can be iffy and did not want to worry about using one with gloves, etc.

They all are accurate - the newer ones will lock onto satellites sooner and in heavier cover (which is important).

As you noted, keep packing your compass and a paper map.

 

[Bowhuntrben]

jones39,
I have not had an issue with the 62st for memory. However, I have not loaded a lot of tracks onto it. I do not have near enough waypoints to do anything. Also, I have a separate chip for each location I go. With this unit, it is real easy to just put waypoints right on the memory card so they don't take up any of the internal memory. It has been a while since I tried, and I don't remember, but I don't think I was able to do the same with tracks (could be wrong). What I was able to do was to make my own map to overlay on the other maps you have on there. For example, you can create trails from tracks you have already created and use some programs to turn them into an img file you can copy over onto your card. I did this when I went to Colorado this past fall. I have Delorme TOPO USA and was able to take the trails off of that and use them to make a map. This way I didn't have to look up each specific "track" because they all showed up on my GPS when I had that layer turned on. I also used it to put the boundary of the GMU on my map.

It has been a while since I did it, but I used this site to figure out how to do it. The map making tutorial doesn't look like it is coming up for me right now, so maybe it is not working anymore, or maybe it is my internet acting up.
http://www.gpssledmaps.com/

I have also created a tutorial in word from my understanding of it if you want it in the future.

I guess if I were you, I would go ahead and get the 62stc, that way you don't have to worry about it unless you take a lot of pictures. For not a lot of extra money, it seems like it may be nice, too, to be able to take pictures that are already geotagged, so if you find a water hole you want to remember or something else, you have a picture of it with coordinates. Without having used it, I can't say how good the pictures are, but they should be plenty good for this.