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Meon
Guest
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 Posted:
Thu Dec 09, 2004 10:01 am Post subject:
help selecting a GPS for a non-techie |
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Helo,
I need help selecting a handheld GPS as a gift. The unit will be used
by a gentleman in his 50's who is not particularly interested in
spending a lot of time learnig new technology. This GPS will be used
for hiking to somewhat remote lakes in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Ideally it would have:
(a) a larger screen that would be easy on the user's eyes
(b) preloaded with topo maps of the area
(c) waterproof or at least water resistant
(d) Easy for a novice to use.
By the way I already have a copy of Delorme's Topo USA v.4 if that
will be of any use for adding local maps.
Any suggestions? |
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sawers
Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Dec 10, 2004 6:18 pm Post subject:
Re: help selecting a GPS for a non-techie |
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I use a Garmin e-trex legend for a similar purpose and find it to be
absolutely fantastic. I would say that none of the handheld units have a
partucularly large screen and I don't recall any being preloaded with topo
maps. The legend is waterproof for total submersion for up to ten minutes
and I have out in every condition imaginable, including a few spills on
kayaking trips, that have done it no harm....
"Meon" <meongoogle@xemaps.com> wrote in message
news:1102568517.314082.90960@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
| Quote: | Helo,
I need help selecting a handheld GPS as a gift. The unit will be used
by a gentleman in his 50's who is not particularly interested in
spending a lot of time learnig new technology. This GPS will be used
for hiking to somewhat remote lakes in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Ideally it would have:
(a) a larger screen that would be easy on the user's eyes
(b) preloaded with topo maps of the area
(c) waterproof or at least water resistant
(d) Easy for a novice to use.
By the way I already have a copy of Delorme's Topo USA v.4 if that
will be of any use for adding local maps.
Any suggestions?
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Guest
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| Posted:
Fri Dec 10, 2004 11:42 pm Post subject:
Re: help selecting a GPS for a non-techie |
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The Magellan SporTrak Topo has built-in Topo maps of the entire U.S.and
is waterproof.
Check it out: http://www.gps-planet.com/maspto.html
phochief |
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David Lee
Guest
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| Posted:
Sun Dec 12, 2004 2:16 am Post subject:
Re: help selecting a GPS for a non-techie |
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Meon wrote...
| Quote: | Helo,
I need help selecting a handheld GPS as a gift. The unit will be used
by a gentleman in his 50's who is not particularly interested in
spending a lot of time learnig new technology. This GPS will be used
for hiking to somewhat remote lakes in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Ideally it would have:
(a) a larger screen that would be easy on the user's eyes
(b) preloaded with topo maps of the area
(c) waterproof or at least water resistant
(d) Easy for a novice to use.
By the way I already have a copy of Delorme's Topo USA v.4 if that
will be of any use for adding local maps.
Any suggestions?
|
I can only speak of Garmin etrex receivers but I AM a gentleman in my 50s!
I have both a basic yellow etrex and an etrex Vista. The maps I have for
the Vista aren't much use for walking (no topographic maps available for
the UK AFAIK), but even if they were the screen is far too small to be of
much use on its own (uless you have the eyesight of a teenager). I find
the basic, cheaper, unit much easier to use on the hill. Your friend may
well be happier to continue using his paper maps anyway and use the GPS for
determining position, speed etc etc. You can still upload waypoints and
tracks into the basic etrex before leaving home which gives you bare-bones
mapping of your intended route which you can follow using the Trackbak
facility or else set up a route between waypoints. Used in this way I find
the tracks on the basic etrex easier to follow (lower resolution screen)
ans also find that the Vista display has a much slower response rate (it's
having to do a lot more processing). At the end of the day you can still
download your actual route onto your computer from the basic unit, to see
where you have actually been.
My suggestion would be to consider the basic etrex and throw in a data
cable (if your friend has a computer) and a copy of Dale's book ("A Gps
User Manual: Working With Garmin Receivers"), available from Amazon. He'll
also need some software but GPS Trackmaker is free and Ozi Explorer is
shareware ($85 to unlock the full features) - both packages allow you to
work with scanned maps and tracks and waypoints.
He'll have a tremendous amount of fun with a basic etrex, without having to
put in too much effort sorting out how to use it.
David |
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