Buying a GPS

[mercanucaribe]

After checking two Gander Mtn. locations and an REI and not finding the elusive Sportrak, I've checked eBay and found a local one for $160 (the usual eBay price) buy it now, as opposed to $240 retail. I've done research and it turns out this device can get 0.5 meter accuracy with WAAS, whereas most units are 2-3m. Should I go for it? Speak now or forever hold your peace!!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...em&category=94876&item=5786000760&rd=1

 

[brian_riendeau]

The .5 Meter accuracy with WAAS in realtime is BS, they just say that to make their GPS look better than a Garmin.

That Sportrak is pretty decent. Garmin and Magellan have both been making GPS devices for a while so they are fairly solid. I would say most people find Garmins easier to use and more durable. Garmin will also replace a GPS if you manage to get water inside of it, I do not beleive Magellan does this. Garmin has some new color models that are very nice, take a look at the Legend C if you can devote some more money to this purchase. Use a black and white Magellen and then a Legend C back to back, the devices are in completely different classes. Especially when you load base map data onto a GPS, you will really want a good screen that update quickly.

 

[Bootprint]

Hold off, unless you really need it.

Go for something a little more modern.

But if you do go for it, it's not a bad little unit and remember you'll have to purchase detailed maps.

I've had a Magellan 315, Magellan Meridian Plat, Geko 201 and just picked up a Garmin MAP60c.

 

I've got a Garmin (sig) and I love it. I've heard better things about Garmin's build quality than Magellan's. But check out the forums at http://www.geocaching.com for more info.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Why do you need a GPS, unless you travel a whole lot in areas you don't know.

To me its just a pretty toy to look superior to everyone else driving around you looking at their maps

 

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
Why do you need a GPS, unless you travel a whole lot in areas you don't know.

To me its just a pretty toy to look superior to everyone else driving around you looking at their maps

See sig.

 

[cKGunslinger]

The ones I program are better. Then again, they are usually attached to AAMRAMs and JSOWs.

 

[cKGunslinger]

Geocaching sounds pretty cool. I wish I had the time.

 

[brian_riendeau]

I am a Geocacher. PM me to find out how to get involved.

Ah, a fellow owner of the trusty Garmin Legend I have one myself, and I have a Legend C and a 60CS that I can use from work when I want to. To date my Legend has survived despite my efforts of strapping it to an RC car at 40mph, having it fall off the roof of my truck (multiple times, once at speed), getting left out in a snowstorm which required me to unbury it, rammed into a tree, and dropped in multiple liquids. Still works great!

Anyway, I love using the Legend C, but I have a feeling it would break more easily from the increased weight. The color screen and speed of the C is awesome.

 

Originally posted by: brian_riendeau

I am a Geocacher. PM me to find out how to get involved.

Ah, a fellow owner of the trusty Garmin Legend I have one myself, and I have a Legend C and a 60CS that I can use from work when I want to. To date my Legend has survived despite my efforts of strapping it to an RC car at 40mph, having it fall off the roof of my truck (multiple times, once at speed), getting left out in a snowstorm which required me to unbury it, rammed into a tree, and dropped in multiple liquids. Still works great!

Anyway, I love using the Legend C, but I have a feeling it would break more easily from the increased weight. The color screen and speed of the C is awesome.

:thumbsup: Just got mine last week but I'm loving it already.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: brian_riendeau
The .5 Meter accuracy with WAAS in realtime is BS, they just say that to make their GPS look better than a Garmin.

That Sportrak is pretty decent. Garmin and Magellan have both been making GPS devices for a while so they are fairly solid. I would say most people find Garmins easier to use and more durable. Garmin will also replace a GPS if you manage to get water inside of it, I do not beleive Magellan does this. Garmin has some new color models that are very nice, take a look at the Legend C if you can devote some more money to this purchase. Use a black and white Magellen and then a Legend C back to back, the devices are in completely different classes. Especially when you load base map data onto a GPS, you will really want a good screen that update quickly.

They don't say .5m. They say 3m. This review site says .5m, in their location.

Other tests show that this stationary accuracy is not achieved at the expense of position lag at highway speeds or in overshoot on sharp turns. We consider the Sportrak Pro to be the most accurate consumer GPS receiver that we have reviewed. Magellan Engineers have confirmed that our results are consistent with their data though they do not GUARANTEE accuracy to the level we have experienced in our review unit. Subjective evaluation of the sensitivity would be that it's above average. The most dramatic results of the Pro's performance was under moderate tree cover. Magellan seems to have overcome this general problem with hand-held receivers as can be seen in these plots

I should say what I want it for. I'm going to teach myself Arcpad on an iPaq. So I absolutely need a GPS that outputs in the NMEA standard protocol, and doesn't interpolate its readings to pretend it knows where it is. I also want as good an antenna as possible, especially since most of these units don't let you connect an external one. The Magellans all have quad helix antennas whereas most Garmins have a crappy patch antenna.. Basically a square of metal. The only disadvantages of the Magellans that I know of are supposedly lesser durability and the low res screens.

 

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe

Originally posted by: brian_riendeau
The .5 Meter accuracy with WAAS in realtime is BS, they just say that to make their GPS look better than a Garmin.

That Sportrak is pretty decent. Garmin and Magellan have both been making GPS devices for a while so they are fairly solid. I would say most people find Garmins easier to use and more durable. Garmin will also replace a GPS if you manage to get water inside of it, I do not beleive Magellan does this. Garmin has some new color models that are very nice, take a look at the Legend C if you can devote some more money to this purchase. Use a black and white Magellen and then a Legend C back to back, the devices are in completely different classes. Especially when you load base map data onto a GPS, you will really want a good screen that update quickly.

They don't say .5m. They say 3m. This review site says .5m, in their location.

.5m is with averaging...which is a procedure the GPS device performs when you're stationary to obtain a more accurate readout. If you're moving around, then you'll most likely get the 3m standard of WAAS...though if you're standing still, averaging will kick in.

 

[mercanucaribe]

.5m is with averaging? Don't the other recievers in that review use averaging? Hmm... Either way, I'd rather have a unit that can get to .5m accuracy by standing still than one that can never be that accurate. According to the article, all newer Magellans have averaging, yet the Meridian Gold wasn't as accurate.

Edit: I don't want a color unit. The price difference between a monochrome and color GPS is enough to buy an iPaq, which I plan on getting eventually for Arcpad.

Edit again: http://gpsinformation.net/mgoldreview/sportrak-pro-survey.html
How do you interpret the graphs?

 

[drpootums]

Magellan eXplorist 300. I got it for $200 at a local FleetFarm. It weights 4 ounces, has a 4 or 8 MB built in detailed US and world base map, waterproof, easy on batteries, has a barometer and thermometer, has a compass and a backlight, and finds satelites pretty quickly with good batteries in it. The only problem is that you cannot add more map data into it.

However, it's pretty cheap, and i've been happy with mine.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Bump

 

[mercanucaribe]

Thanks a lot guys. I hesitated and someone bought it within hours. Probably one of you! :|

 

[mercanucaribe]

I got a Sportrak Color for $194 and it's great. I can get 3-4 high strength satellites in my 1st floor (out of 2) apt, and it tracks my 1 meter movements in my room. Battery life is at least 10 hours with the backlight on 2400mah AAs.