gps help please

[spiritwalker]

hello

im in the market for a GPS only trouble is im not sure what one to go for firstly i dont want a mega expensive one just good quality. If i describe what i would like it to do maybe someone can enlighten me..

i would like to get a GPS coord figure for an area of bounty (ie edible plants) which i can save (or scribble down) on my mac / pc if i really must. I would like some sort of map software (either a free one or paid) which would take the said reading and mark it up for me. Would also be good if i could mark lots of way points and use said map software to show my route / distance too.

So will they do what i am after and if so what models do i need to look at?

it doesnt have to have mapping on screen just a grid ref would be enough as long as i could put them on a map back home with some sort of software

Cheers in advance (this is one area im clueless on)

 

[spiritwalker]

er mods maybe i should have put this in the gizmos section :-D

 

[bri66]

hi the basic garmin etrex gives you 10 or 8 figure grid refs.,accurate to 3x3m,no good in forestry though,Brian

 

[Pcwizme]

The Etrex H from garmin is about £70 in Go Outdoors and is fantastic, and does work in forestry now due to its updated areial ( the H stands for High Power or something like that) I use mine all the time, especially when out on the bike as it logs my routes and then when home plug it in to the pc and down load all the points on to GCSK (GeoCacheing Swiss Army Knife) which is a simple to use and free bit of software to store the locations and all that.

 

[*Big Beast*]

I use a comination of Memory Map and a GPS, I can plot a route,record a route, share the route, and the GPS unit i use lets you tag photo`s on google earth so taking a picture of flora/fauna can be marked on the route on M.M. & tagged as a picture on google earth, it works well.
M.M. is not cheap but the GPS unit i use was £26.00, and i use a net book but you can use a windows mobile phone i`m told for the M.M.

 

[spiritwalker]

what gps are you using for £26???

 

[jonajuna]

most windows touchscreen phones (that have gps) will run memorymap very well.

i have a htc touch HD with mem map, beelineGPS (all the function of trad outdoor gps units) and tomtom for satnav on the road with 'cameraware' to alert me to accident blackspots the road (you can tell these areas without cameraware, they put "safety cameras" at said locations)

so one unit takes me to my outdoors, plots me in real time onto an os map in my hand, gives me all the gps data i could want..... cameraware has another function to saving my license.... it will upload your gps location at intervals of your choosing, to a googlemaps driven webpage, so SWMBO can see where i am when im out and knows when to put the kettle on for my return

the touch HD is £30 or less per month on contract and you can get its big brother the HD2 for £5-£10 more

beelineGPS is £20 i think and cameraware is quidware.

memorymap sadly is lots, tomtom depends on the level of mapping you want

 

[*Big Beast*]

what gps are you using for £26???

bluetooth GPS combined with a net-book and memory map.
this is the GPS unit; http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/iBlue-747A-66...ics_GPSSystems_GPSSystems?hash=item563b7c9ce6

 

[lostplanet]

Another vote for Garmin Etrex H Make sure it's the H version, Ebuyer and amazon are doing them for £69.99 at the moment. read the reviews on amazon for more info.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-eTrex-Handheld-GPS-Navigator/dp/B000PDV0CE

After searching around for more info I always seem to end up back at the Etrex H. I think i'ts because it is so simple, cheap and still allows you to use your map reading skills to some degree.

sweet spot is also buy a non garmin data cable (will find link) can't find link.

Etrex H is definitely on my christmas/birthday list.

Rather drawn out but helpful video review below,

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2135354118611899161#

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2135354118611899161#docid=-3774968911404690784

 

[spiritwalker]

cheers for the info peops im in two minds whether to just get the etrex or perhaps a couple of models up...

Really like the look of the dakota 20 but its pricey for something that might end up in my fad drawer :-D