Which G.P.S.

Dogwood Creek

Dogwood Creek

New member
I have been thinking of a G.P.S for coyote hunting, and know little about them. A friend has shown me how to maximize my time afield, by marking predetermined stand sites. Here in the east that is a huge benefit. We have to contend with tresspass rights, very fickle wind, and all sorts of terrain variables. By selecting high percentage sites in advance, you can save valuable travel time from stand to stand. I would be gratefull for any help you guys can give in relation to the various features avail. on G.P.S.units. What to look for & what to avoid. Thanks.
 
Depending on how much you want to spend will depend on alot , you can get a Garmin Etrex or Ghecko for $100 anywhere. They have 10 waypoints that can be saved if memory id right , also are very small and fit in your shirt pocket. I use a Garmin GPS72 which is a bit bigger and has alot more features, It sells around $150+ . The latest is the GPS 76 I believe and is about the same as the GPS 72. If you want the basics , waypoints , compass and travel then the Etrex and Ghecko are hard to beat. I have owned the Etrex and is a great unit for the money, you can get them on ebay for about $80 or so , they also hook to a laptop with an extra cable aswell. The garmin website has about all the info you could need. IMHO stay with a name , Garmin is one of the best and their prices are hard to beat. I have owned a few different ones and have always been happy with Garmin , if you have an Academy close , they usually have about 10 different models on display ,BassPro or any major outfitter should also have a GPS section as well . Once you pick one out and make your purchase , play with it around the house and such and find out what your battery life is. It bites to go out and have battery failure in the middle of a stand or after dark when you cant find your truck.
 
Thanks for the info guys! You have been a BIG help. Now I can make an educated decission for a change. I usually have to do things the hard way,lol!
 
I would recommend the Garmin V....it is being replaced by the 76 I believe, and can be had on close out for around $250. It is an excellent unit.
 
My advice is to go to www.garmin.com and look around. Once you find one you like go to Ebay and take a look for it and save a ton.

If you want 2-way communication, I'd recommend the Rino's. I use the rino 120 and wouldn't go hunting without it. For the money, you can't beat the Garmin Etrex Legend. It's just as good as my rino, minus the 2-way comm. But if money is not a problem, take a look at the Garmin 76CS or the 60CS.

Garmin's website has a really cool feature where you can compare any number of units. It'll line them up side-by-side and show you which has what features, etc. Try it out.

Another feature available on most GPS units that is a must for hunting IMO is mapping software, such as MapSource TOPO. Whichever unit you buy will determine what software is available to load on it. The difference between having mapping software loaded, and just using the built-in maps on the unit is night and day. Load the software.

Good luck.
 
I use an etrex and have the maps on my computer. With the right cable you can download set points from your GPS to your computer or upload set points to your GPS.
 
I would also recomend extrex by garmin. My dad has 1 it is easy to operate and you and can load the maps from your computer. That is what we use when we go to a new area we r not used to. Hope this helps
 
Garmin E-trex Legend. Its simply the best unit I have seen and used. Flawless integration into my mapping software.
 
I have used both Garmin and Magellan. I decided to buy Magellan. I purchased a Meridian Gold from Amazon. I have had mine for about a month now. It is a fantastic unit. I am still learning about all of its great features. I use it for Geocaching as well as hiking, hunting and auto use for driving directions. I love my MeriGold !!
 
I use the Garmin eTrax for varmint and turkey and have found the holster to be of great value. Clip on belt, vest strap and forget it.
Garmin etrax
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Garmin GPS Holster:
BE100Black.jpg
 
I have a Garmin Etrex, bought off a friend for $75. It's definitely entry level. It doesn't work well-strike that-it doesn't work at all under a dense canopy of leaves. But, if you want basic waypoint, route, and traceback capability, it does it. As long as you're not under a canopy. It is small, light, cheap, and the batteries seem to last a while. If there's a way to program in coordinates and create a waypoint, I haven't found it. If there's a way to display your current coordinates(without marking a waypoint and viewing the waypoint), I haven't found it.
Hmmm, maybe I'll go read the manual again.
Jim

ETA: Ok, I've reviewed the manual and I can do those things! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif
 
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