skizilla
New member
Any one have experience with gps units any reccomendations. Why do many use barometric pressure when they have gps capability for altitude?
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GPS reccomendations
- Thread starter skizilla
- Start date
SKIQUATTRO
New member
what do you want to use it for?? Car nav, mountain biking, hiking, skiing???? that'll depend on what unit you get...also, do you want to switch between land (topo)/roads/marine navigation??
Sheik Yerbouti
New member
I'm looking for the same thing and per Consumer Reports and cnet.com the Garmin StreetPilot i5 is the best choice, budget wise, it's retail is 399, but you can find it much cheaper if you look around. That's the one I'm going with.
Here's the link for the review at cnet, plus they have some links for better prices that the 399.
StreetPilot i5
Here's the link for the review at cnet, plus they have some links for better prices that the 399.
StreetPilot i5
thaller1
New member
What are you using the GPS for and are you looking for handheld ( i'm assuming you are)..
Moved to gear.
The reason to have barometric is that if you're hiking in tree cover, or in any kind of ravine, you will not be able to get sufficient satellite signals for a good elevation fix. Since a GPS can do the math and determine just how accurate it is at any given moment, the barometric ones usually self-correct whenever they get a "lock" and rely on air pressure in between.
skizilla
New member
i am using it for hiking not driving
SKIQUATTRO
New member
i have the garmin etrex (simple) non-color screen..works well, simple, i've download the metrosource road atlas and use it for road and on the boat...I never really used it hiking, but after using it on the boat, i can download the route into the computer and save the trip/waypoints/speed etc...very cool, wish i had the color screen (it was a gift so the price was right!!)
riverc0il
New member
GPSMAP 60CSx
i believe garmin is running a $50 rebate on the X models through the end of the year. don't quote me on that, but i bought mine this summer at amazon.com on the cheap and am currently waiting for my rebate check (didn't send in the receipt until last month :roll: ). this is a really good unit, way more features than i will ever use. i opted for this unit specifically because of the new technology that increases satallite hits, you can even get a signal indoors sometimes. it works really well under thick tree cover and off the trail it keeps a good signal. software that comes with the GPS unit is worthless. i roll my own maps and use topofusion for software.
if you are going to be out in the open and don't require anything fancy or the best signal you can get, this unit may be over kill. don't buy more than you need. as mentioned previously, the barometric altimeter is great if your signal is suspect. it works best if you know your starting elevation or the current barometric preasure to start the unit at the right value. sudden changes in the weather can throw the unit out of whack, but for a short hike it has gotten me up and down 1500' verts almost to the foot. then again, i have had issues during sudden preasure drops, so it is not as reliable as the long/lat on a map.
watch out for the mapping software. it is usually $100 a pop and the base map is good for only highway and interstate. the garmin topo software is decent for the national park maps but it is only like 1:100k for the east topo, total crap. i can provide links for any one that is interested in "rolling their own" maps for free using some software and the net.
i believe garmin is running a $50 rebate on the X models through the end of the year. don't quote me on that, but i bought mine this summer at amazon.com on the cheap and am currently waiting for my rebate check (didn't send in the receipt until last month :roll: ). this is a really good unit, way more features than i will ever use. i opted for this unit specifically because of the new technology that increases satallite hits, you can even get a signal indoors sometimes. it works really well under thick tree cover and off the trail it keeps a good signal. software that comes with the GPS unit is worthless. i roll my own maps and use topofusion for software.
if you are going to be out in the open and don't require anything fancy or the best signal you can get, this unit may be over kill. don't buy more than you need. as mentioned previously, the barometric altimeter is great if your signal is suspect. it works best if you know your starting elevation or the current barometric preasure to start the unit at the right value. sudden changes in the weather can throw the unit out of whack, but for a short hike it has gotten me up and down 1500' verts almost to the foot. then again, i have had issues during sudden preasure drops, so it is not as reliable as the long/lat on a map.
watch out for the mapping software. it is usually $100 a pop and the base map is good for only highway and interstate. the garmin topo software is decent for the national park maps but it is only like 1:100k for the east topo, total crap. i can provide links for any one that is interested in "rolling their own" maps for free using some software and the net.
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