Entry Level Handheld GPS

[Inselaffe]

I think I might get a simple handheld gps
Most important is low price (new shrouds etc etc are more pressing)
Really I am mostly worried about finding my way back to the entrance of the mile long winding cut through the mud flats to my harbour if the fog comes down. Also there is a busy shipping lane down to Wilhelmshaven.
I don't plan to do any navigating with it (I like paper and compasses, its fun too learn), more for peace of mind just for a position.
I have searched threads and seems that a Geko 101 was 'too flimsy' and garmin 72 was a good deal- maybe, but its still more cash. Do I really need WAAS or whatever the euro version will be, especially when the sandbanks shift etc.
Also I thought of a standard Etrex?
other brands - Magellan?

Any ideas? Am I missing something?
It's just so easy to say 'its only another x pounds.....'


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[gjgm]

garmin 72 is very good;its easy to use and a good screen . Battery life is much higher than the old xl12. think it floats, and is waterproof-ish too.But the standard charts are useless for our use, unless you want to know how far to tokyo or something equally pointless. You dont need a garmin mount.. a portable phone holder costs about £5.
If you have dsc radio, you will want to connect into that with the gps.. keep an eye on those cable prices !
Have a look at some; ease of use and screen quality are very important when your bobbing about on water , as opposed to huntin' and treckin'

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[snowleopard]

I've been shocked to find that GPS sets are bucking the trend of electronics to drop in price. You could buy a basic handheld for around £60 6 or 7 years ago. Today they are more than double that even allowing for inflation.

manufacturers seem to be foisting more and more useless features on us to justify higher prices when most of us would be happy with a cheap and cheerful box that just gave lat & long when we buy a backup set.

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[fireball]

My little etrex (the yellow base model) - got it for £99 a few years back ... still the same price ...
not bad for basic nav, but the big limitation is only being able to display 1 bit of information at a time - heading/bearing/speed etc etc ... would be better if you could display that all on one page - like the 72?

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[dickh]

The cheapest etrex seems to be on ebay seehttp://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....-) [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

 

[graham]

I have a Magellan Sportrak handheld .Does everything it is supposed to holds about 10times more waypoints than I will ever need can be programmed for routes.(could be usefull going up a winding channel in fog back to your mooring.

Best part is it came with a bracket and power lead to allow it to be run off the boats 12 volt batteries. When you unclip it from the bracket it automatically goes onto its own batteries.

Cost me £139 from Marine Scene

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[machurley22]

I too like the Garmin 72. Took it to Greece a few weeks ago and was amazed to discover that it had the Greek lights in it! It may even have the whole world. How do they fit all that stuff in a handheld?

Dave

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[jhr]

Me too

I've got the Magellan. Seems fine (though I'm told the Garmin is a little more intuitive). The mounting bracket is extremely handy and, once attached to the boat via sticky backed velcro, makes me wonder why you'd want anything bigger or more complex. Being able to run it off the ship's power saves ££££££££ in batteries.

<hr width=100% size=1>Je suis Marxiste - tendance Groucho

 

[newboater]

Hi, All you really want from a GPS is a position if you usually navigate the proper way by chart,I bought a Megellan gps pioneer 6 years ago for £99 it is still going well,I recently bought a Garmin 72 because I was sailing up from Spain and wanted a bit more info on screen,both gps units work well,but like all electronics now they give you many times more than you need,why I have no idea, who seriously uses it all? Don`t spend too much.Bye.

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[nwclegg]

I have the Magellen Sportrak too - I paid £125 to include lighter power cable, stand and PC cable. I think its fine and would endorse the value of using the pre-programmed route. It also has mulit displays showing COG, Log bearing to mark etc..

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[reginaldon]

Thanks Incelaffe for asking the question. I too have been waiting for the prices of H/Hs to come down, I only need to know where I am at a given time. Maybe Aldi's or Lidle's will run a special offer!

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[Solitaire]

I've used the little Etrex for many years, but as age creeps on I needed a bigger screen,partciularly for night work, so have just brought the Garmin 76. The etrex is still going strong but the 76 has disticnt benefits.

<hr width=100% size=1>Boating is <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.powerboattraininguk.co.uk>Serious Fun</A>

 

[Guest]

I user a standard eTrex with PC - and I have only one wish ..... that the eTrex had external antennae capability which it does not. But otherwise its a great little piece of kit in a very small package - drives the PC charting software nicely and is as accurate as I need .... (takes me round the rocks safely without WAAS / Egnos etc.)

<hr width=100% size=1>Cheers Nigel ..... <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.geocities.com/solentlifeuk/>http://www.geocities.com/solentlifeuk/</A>

 

[Guest]

eTrex has power and data cable combined just like the rest and works fine - why pay more ?

In fact - there are a few bargains with eTrex ..... as I believe its superceded now and out of production .....

<hr width=100% size=1>Cheers Nigel ..... <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.geocities.com/solentlifeuk/>http://www.geocities.com/solentlifeuk/</A>

 

[FullCircle]

I have had Garmin 72 for 2 years now, and have it on a cradle just inside the cabin on the bulkhead,and couple it into a NASA Clipper GPS repeater on the other side of the bulkhead. The Repeater is large and I can read it at a glance from the helm, and stays lit at night.
The Garmin IS waterproof and floats. The cables (are) expensive, but it does mean you can hook the unit into your 12v system, which keeps the batteries fresh for emergency use. I also take it home and added all my waypoints into a freeware program called EasyGPS, and upload,download routes.
I liked the intuitiveness and the size of the screen while still being able to get it in your pocket.
Night light on the screen is pretty good, but the map feature except for general tracking is too small to be if use.
I also interfaced it with a Yeoman GPS Plotter this year because you still use the paper charts.

Now down to 139 pounds in UK chandlers. ( I paid 159 pounds for the bare unit)


<hr width=100% size=1>Jeanneau 35 - only 13,272 lbs displacement, not even 6 tons,what a lightweight!!!

 

[Andy_Hampton]

I would recommend the etrex strongly. It's tiny, robust, accurate, easy to use and frugal on battery power. OK I wish I could see bearing, heading, and speed on the screen at the same time but you can't complain at the price (less than £90 if you shop around). The Garmin data and power cables are a rip-off but check out www.gpsbitz.co.uk (no vested interest) where they can be bought at less than half the price.

Andy

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[Solitaire]

Re:Wow!

Thanks for telling me (us!) about that EasyGPS site. Just what I've been looking for. I can now transfer extrex waypoints to the new 76. Brilliant!/forums/images/icons/smile.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Boating is <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.powerboattraininguk.co.uk>Serious Fun</A>

 

[William_H]

Etrex is fine but better if you get a power cable if you want to run it continually My only beef is that the speed and time readout is a bit small to read at a distance especially with long distance corrective sunglasses. The directional arrow to waypoint is big and ok which is what you need. I glued velcro to the back and stick it to another piece screwed to the bulkhead. The gecko base model loses its waypoints when you change batteries so would be hopeless. goodluck will

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[Burnham_Bob]

I have a Garmin 12 - just the basic one and they currnently retail around £130.....can't recommend it highly enough..........its useful getting the cigarette lighter power supply if you have a 12v on the boat as batteries get eaten....

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[Inselaffe]

Lots of thanks for all the info & opinions,

I am edging towards an Etrex, because its enough and cheaper, oh and I like yellow!

But what about these 'Factory refurbished' garmin 72's? I saw one for only a tenner more than the etrex. Anyone had any experience or heard anything or could hazard an educated guess as to whether they're a good idea or not?

Cheers

Leigh



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