[Paul Cataldo]

Guys,
I'm looking to buy a GPS unit this year, to simply get me from my stand, back to camp, in areas I've never hunted before. I would like something decent, that works well. Most importantly, I want something that makes it EASY to plot a course to and from your stand, and I want it to be EASY to get back to camp, by using the GPS.
I have forgotten the proper term for this feature, but I was once told that it is nice to have a GPS that allows you to be on the move (walking), while the arrow points in the direction you need to go, to get to your destination.
Is this a magnetic compass? I forget what it's called.

Anyhow, I just want something that is not only easy to use, but I don't want to buy the GPS, and then find out later that there is a much better system that makes it so much more enjoyable to follow a trail to my stand. I realize this may be a catch 22 statement though. I don't necessarily want the most high tech GPS out there, but I certainly don't want a low end GPS that will leave me wanting something better right off the bat...
What you guys think???

 

[jde512]

Garmin Rino 120 has served me well over the past couple of years. The Rino models combine a GPS with a 2-way radio that allows you to transmit your position to your group. My elk hunting group used them in a wilderness area in Colorado last fall and it sure made it nice to keep track of where everyone was at. You can also download the topo maps into your GPS so you can pinpoint your location on the GPS and look back to your paper map for the big picture.

 

[Davik]

Gps

I have an entry level one...it's a Magellan GPS Pioneer...it's almost new in the box...I got it, tried it out, still got lost, and put it back in the box...I'd part with it for 70 bucks...it's a good unit, but I have another one that I can't use, and it's sitting on my bench needing a good home.

 

[Flix]

Hi Paul,

I have a Garmin eTrex Vista (mono) that I've been using for about three years. One feature I really like is the ability to upload topo maps for the area I'm going to hunt. The cheaper models will show you an X where you started (if you marked it) and where you are, but no terrain features. When you want to head back to your truck after dark and you pull out a your GPS, the most direct route may be unpassable. Having the mapping feature, as well as the ability to drop bread crumbs as you go are really helpful.

You may want to take a look at the DVD, GPS and Land Navigation. Here is the description from the back cover:

Learn to navigate like an expert! Whether you are new to GPS navigation or a long time user, this video is for you. Get the most out of your investment by combining the power of GPS, compass, and topographic maps into a powerful navigation system. Clear illustrations, tips for experienced navigators, and summaries of key points make learning to be a better navigator quick and easy!​

I think that the entry level models have the "bread crumbs" feature as well.

-- FLIX

 

[deergetter]

magellans are good easy to use gps's. and at a great price too.

 

[rooftop]

Lowrance

I ended up with the ifinder lowrance go2, It does everything the better models do except download maps. If you want to be able to download topo maps in the future make sure you invest in a model that can do so. I can easily follow my trail with mine and do everything else that you had mentioned. The features mine had over others when I compared were 16 channels rather than 12 and 50 hrs of run time which is about double the time of most units out there. In the end though do your home work and make sure your unit will do what (you) want it to do. :wink:

 

[Paul Cataldo]

While we are on the subject of land navigation, I would love to take a minute, to tell you guys my dilemma.
I've never really learned to use a map, or navigate with a compass, map, or any other info really.
What is the best way to get started??? I have always LONGED to learn map/compass skills, and I REALLY am serious about it.
What should one do, in order to learn everything he needs to know???
Maybe a list of EXACTLY what I should be able to do, would help me get started?
Anyone care to list a few skills that are needed for total land navigation??
I would LOVE to finally get started.
One question I've always had, is IF I want to take a map and a compass into the woods with me, WHAT kind of map is best, in order to navigate??? All I have experience with, is an aerial photo, and maybe a Topo map or two.
I don't think any of them had any technical info to them, such as latitude/longitudinal points/etc.
Help me get started guys! I'd be super greatful! I'm really good at this type of thing, once I get started off on the right foot! I just need a little help, due to my lack of experience! I'm still a young hunter, and just looking to develop skills that could one day save my life, or at least pay off by making navigation a heck of a lot more convenient...
Thanks for ANY help guys!

 

[mmckay2302]

The go2 GPS is a good unit and will do what you want to get to and from your rig or camp. You can pay up to many hundreds of dollars for a GPS but you dont have the time left to learn how to use them, just get a low end model which are easy to learn how to use. You have to practice using them so your confident they are working for you and by all means read the book before you use it and put it in your pack so you can refer to it for the first year.
As far as a compass goes, learn how to use it. It doesnt have any batteries and will always point to mag north, it wont lie to you. First lesson: You stop your truck and get out, take you compass out and take a reading. Say the road your on runs primarally east and west. You want to go into the brush which is north of the road. You walk in about two miles and kill a big buck and now how do you get back to the truck? You went in north but you dont want to come out the reverse (south) way because if you hit the road which way do you turn to get to the truck? 50 50 chance, always aime a few degrees off the headding so you have to eather turn left or right when you hit the road and always tape your self out so you can follow your track back for the rest of the buck. Learing how to read a compass is very important unless you like to spend your night out side trying to get back. Good luck with your hunt and always take a reading with your compass even if you have a GPS when you leave your truck.

mike

 

[SB XT]

Paul,

I am in you shoes. I too wanted to purchase a gps unit this year. I'm elk hunting in unfamiliar territory and have heard nightmares about guys wandering into camp at 4am.

This week I picked up a Magellan eXplorist 100. This unit would definitely qualify as a beginners unit. It normally lists for $100, but I found it at Boater's world of all places for $67. Hard to beat. It is pretty basic, doesn't have the ability to download maps, etc. However, it does what I need. It allows me to put camp as a waypoint, take off, then turn the unit on and it will guide me back to camp. It runs on AA batteries too. Like I said, pretty basic but it will do the job I need. I had a fancy one several years ago and didn't want to invest the time to figure the thing out.

I live in a suburb of Portland, OR. I don't know if all Boater's World locations have the sale on this unit, but I bet you could call the store and Portland and they would ship it to you or if you are really brave, you can send me a check and I'll get one for you. Let me know.

Good luck.

Keith

 

[homebrew]

Gps

I've got an eTrex Legend (mono) that works great. There is a setting that acts like a compass or you can track your progress and mark waypoints so you can navigate back. Topo maps are available also. A couple of points though before you head out. Buy a GPS and practice with it before you head out, especially if you are headed into new territory. The local REI here will periodically run classes on using a GPS. You may want to check sporting goods stores in your area to see if they offer something similar. Bring extra batteries or better yet a map and compass for backup!

 

[inatree]

woods?

Guys,
I'm looking to buy a GPS unit this year, to simply get me from my stand, back to camp, in areas I've never hunted before. I would like something decent, that works well. Most importantly, I want something that makes it EASY to plot a course to and from your stand, and I want it to be EASY to get back to camp, by using the GPS.
I have forgotten the proper term for this feature, but I was once told that it is nice to have a GPS that allows you to be on the move (walking), while the arrow points in the direction you need to go, to get to your destination.
Is this a magnetic compass? I forget what it's called.

Anyhow, I just want something that is not only easy to use, but I don't want to buy the GPS, and then find out later that there is a much better system that makes it so much more enjoyable to follow a trail to my stand. I realize this may be a catch 22 statement though. I don't necessarily want the most high tech GPS out there, but I certainly don't want a low end GPS that will leave me wanting something better right off the bat...
What you guys think???

If you hunt in the woods forget it! You will never acquire a satellite

 

[98Redline]

If you hunt in the woods forget it! You will never acquire a satellite

What he said.

I have a Garmin Legend CX and as soon as you get under the tree canopy...poof.....no more satellites.

I have heard that the Garmin Map 60C and 60CX along with the Rhino series GPS units have a better (external) antenna, but are still subject to outages due to tree cover.

Lastly, don't rely solely on your GPS unit for your navigation. If you are in country where getting lost is a possibility, always carry a compass and use it to get a bearing from a landmark back to your camp site.

 

[ButchA]

Er, uh, yeah... I have a Garmin eTrex Legend and really like it a lot. It is simply amazing and packed with features. BUT... if you find yourself in the thick woods, then yes, **POOF** - the satellites are gone and the GPS has a heck of a time trying to scan for them again. Then again, if you're in the woods on a trail, you're fine and it will track satellites all day long.

I brought my eTrex Legend with me last year to the deer camp and I mapped out the whole ridge and main trails for the guys, with coordinants, elevation, etc... then once we were all back home, we got on to the internet and checked out topozone and terraserver, and saw the whole mountain ridge and where are trails are. Pretty cool!!!

But all in all, I'd check out the Garmin eTrex line of GPS's. They are really great and packed with so many features. Plus, you can get the Topo CD's and download/upload straight to your PC from the GPS unit too!

 

[Diamond_Victory]

Paul, my suggestion would be to go into your local pro shop and play with 4-5 different GPS that they have in there. They will show what each one does and you can decide how simple or hard they are. I am on my 5th GPS and everyone has benefits and downfalls. I now have the Lowrance ifinder Explorer with a lake chip and a topo chip. You can either purchase a chip like I did or there is a disc to make your own chips for what ever area of the US you are going to hunt.

The Lowrance is easy to use and also has an advanced setting for when you get used to it. It also has a larger screen and buttons which helps simplify it. The only thing is it is a little bigger than most.

Etrex and Garmins are alright, I don't like the lack of detail and the screen resolution. Also in my opinion they were not as easy to use.

And personally I have not had the problem of loosing signal in the woods with my lowrance like I did with my etrex or garmin. I have been crawling on hands and knees in a bedding area for 30-40 yards and did not loose signal. But every area is different.

Just a little info. for thought.

Good luck.

 

[Aggie94]

Bring extra batteries or better yet a map and compass for backup!

Bring both - extra batteries AND a map/compass.

As far as which unit to get, the guys are right that say try out several and find one you like.

First decide how you're going to use it to decide what features you need. If most of your hunting is on a lease or in one area that you're just not familiar with yet, a simple one would probably do. All you may need is the ability to mark you're truck or campsite so you can get back. The base map (features and waypoints already programmed into the unit like roads, topo, towns, etc.) probably won't be that important. If you're going to be hunting a lot of different areas where you're almost always unfamiliar with the area, then I think the base map becomes more important and you'll have to look at what features are important to you.

I'm currently using a Magellan Topo sport for huntng and hiking. Its got a pretty good base map of the whole country with major roads, cities and 100 ft contour lines. Then I download detailed maps for the area I'm hunting in. The detailed maps have about every road known to man, towns down to some ghost towns consiting of no more than one rotting down barn and an outhouse, and handy features like springs and the countour lines drop to 20 ft increments. I used this one in Arizona on my elk and javelina hunts in areas I was totally unfamiliar with. The unit was great. And its not too difficult to use. I have personally always thought the Garmin units were a little more intuitive to use. But every time I've bough a GPS, I've talked myself out of the Garmin, opting for something cheaper.

Almost all units on the marked today have the "psuedo compass". This feature will tell you which direction you need to go and which direction you are going WHILE YOU ARE ACTUALLY MOVING. The faster you move, the more accurate the direction is. When you stop moving, its totally useless. Some, like one of the Etrex models, have an actual magnetic compass in them. So you don't have to be moving for them to accurately report direction. While this feature is neat, I don't find it worth the money. I always carry a compass anyway.

My father has a Garmin Etrex with the mag compass and altimeter. All in all, his unit and mine are similar in function except for the mag compass and the altimeter in his. The one drawback I saw when using his was that his did loose lock on the satellites in heavy timber a lot easier than mine did. I'm not sure how to explain this as neither one had an external antenna. Anyway, that is a risk to keep in mind, but I've had good luck with mine in this respect. I've used it a lot in timber in Colorado and in the Piney woods in east Texas.

As far as choosing a brand, find several that have the features you want and then find a store that has them in stock and play with them. Some brands will just be easier to use because the button sequences and menu layouts will just make more sense to you than another brand's. If you end up with one that is hard for you to use and is not intuitive to you, you'll find yourself forgetting how to do certain things with it or access certain features and it'll get frustrating. Another option is to find friends with some and see if you can borrow them.

As was said above, when you pick one, spend time with it to learn at least the basic features before you go out hunting. And don't depend totally on it. Have a map and compass with you and note where you start on the map and where you're heading so you can get back, even if the GPS batteries dies - or you trip on a rock and break the GPS. One more thing - when you walk away from your truck, don't forget to mark your location. I can't tell you how many times I've walked off only to realize after 1/2 mile that I forgot to mark the truck.

Good luck.

 

[mmckay2302]

Never had a problem acquiring the birds in the woods or in my house. I use an old eagle explorer, not as fancy as some of the new ones but perhaps a little bit more senstive. Just did a cold start and acquired four birds in less than 5 min in my livingroom. I have used this rig for many years and it has never let me down. I have an old megellan that does the same thing. I hunt in the pacific northwest in old growth timber (fur) and never had a problem. You dont always get what you pay for.

mike

 

[BigBirdVA]

If you hunt in the woods forget it! You will never acquire a satellite

When you get a GPS look for a little thingy sticking out of it. It's called an antenna. I've bought several with built in ones and you're right - hit the woods and it dies. I've used several with antennas and they do quite a bit better under the canopy than the no-antenna models. Any you can hit spots of no reception but with the higher end ones with an antenna you have a better chance.

 

[jde512]

The Rino series (as mentioned above) has the external antenna. While there are times that it's difficult to get a good lock on the satellites, if you turn to the screen where you can see the individual satellites lock on to your GPS, you can generally slowly turn around and watch different signals lock in. Once mine has a lock and is able to return readings, it has to be very, very thick tree canopy for it to lose the signal. It's best to get a reading when you can and then navigate with compass and a topo map.

 

[Flix]

As I said above, I have an eTrex Vista and have bought all the Garmin topo and nav chart software for it. I don't like that the Garmins require you to use their proprietary maps and doesn't have the a flash memory slot.

I looked at a Brunton model at the RMEF Spike Camp last year and was impressed that they will accept any maps and can accept additional flash memory. It also had a socket for plugging in an external antenna.

A friend who is an avid geocacher said a lot of those guys will run a small external antenna to the top of their pack or hat to augment the signal in dense cover.

-- FLIX

 

[Paul Cataldo]

Thanks for all the help thus far guys.
Keep em coming. I'm steadily reading along. Got to run for a few. Will be back later to post some more...