Very Basic GPS?

I don't use / need a GPS for trail hiking or bushwhacking in the Adirondacks. I've never felt a need for more than a map and compass. But...my avocation is "looking for cliffs," meaning exploring the woods for new climbing cliffs. In that game, I've had a couple situations that have made me take an interest in getting a very basic GPS unit. In one case, I found a small rock tower (20' wide, 40' high) that looked like it might be fun to climb, in a jumbled, complex area of hills. When I returned to the general area later in the year, I could not "re-find" the rock. I was probably within 500' of it, but just couldn't find the exact spot. I thought a GPS might help with that. The other case is when I find a nice spot, that I can easily refind, but I want to communicate it to other climbers who are not adept with a compass, and who rely completely on GPS. I can describe the spot, but they can't find it without the GPS coordinates.

So I have begun shopping for a basic unit. (This is for my birthday, but in a reversal of the usual discussion on these threads, she is more than happy to buy it; I am the one who does not want to spend more than necessary on my new "toy.")

I have searched these forums, and the web, extensively. Most of the discussion is about high level features I don't need, like fancy functions and software, or about super precision, whether one unit is 12' off vs another unit being 15' off, which I don't care about.

All I need is a device to "mark the spot" reasonably well, so I can find the spot again, and tell someone else where it is.

I've looked at a couple inexpensive units, like the Garmin GPS 80:

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=GPS80-PB-R&cat=GPS

and even the Bushnell "Backtracker" (which got poor reviews).

I am looking for any recommendations for a solid, reasonably well made, but very basic GPS unit under $150.

Can anyone offer any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

Tom

I use a Garmin eTrex, which may be hard to find. I think it has been discontinued.

It works quite well for 'marking a spot to find it later. There is a built in function called 'GoTo', but I don't fully trust the electronic compass. It is probably more reliable to compare present coordinates to the coordinates.

I bushwhack in NH using map & compass, but the waypoints gathered in the GPS unit are helpful for post-mortem. ("How lost was I?" )

Battery life is decent. Sometimes there is difficulty getting signal in sheltered valleys, but not often.

You can get a Garmin eTrex H on Amazon for under $100.

Yes....I am not expert but this is the one that came to mind.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=144&pID=8705

Yeah, there was a very basic Garmin one that lacked the click-stick and sold new for like $100, it is perfect for the person who just wants to mark a spot. It could be the one that Barbarossa is talking about. I would just compare the cheapest Magellan/Garmin/Delorme/Lowrance and just make sure it has that feature (which I can't imagine any GPS unit not!) and then after that, compare which one has the best reception under tree cover and see which one floats your boat, i.e. you like the color

Jay

Hi TCD,
When I was shopping around for a GPS this summer, I narrowed down my choices to the Garmin eTREX Venture HC and the Garmin eTREX Vista HCX. I ended up choosing the more expensive Vista for the expandable memory and for features I rarely use.

The Venture HC is on sale at Amazon for $114.99 (if you click on the "Click Here to See Price" link). My friend Rols of VFTT highly recommended it to me. Here is the URL: http://www.amazon.com/GARMIN-010-00632-00-Venture-HC-Receiver/dp/B000PDR230/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1226062384&sr=8-1

Good luck in your decision,
Marty

Marty

You probably already have this figured out, but anyway, from your post all you need is a unit that will give you the bearing and distance to your waypoint.

No mapping, no altimeter, no electronic compass, no nuttin'.

Your compass, which you can update regularly from the gps, will do the rest.

I think even the most basic ones come with a cable for up and downloading to and from your computer, which I do think is good for error prevention.

I too have the vista cx color.has a compass even if you walking and barometer...ive never regreted spending the xtra for it.

I have a magellin meridian platinum that I'll trade for a beer or two (NOT Bud Lite!) at the next get together. It works fine I just do not like it as much as my Garmins.

Wow! Super! Thanks everyone, for all the help, so quickly!

I think I have the information I need now. Thanks again!

Tom

Basic GPSes are not all created equal. One area where there are significant differences is the ability to receive signals in poor locations (in narrow valleys, under trees, etc).

The aforementioned Garmin eTrex H is probably as good as any (and has a high sensitivity GPS chipset)*. It can store waypoints and execute a "goto" on a waypoint (ie give you a heading and distance which you can follow with a compass). It can also link (RS-232) to a computer for software updates, waypoint managment, and plotting on a computer resident map.

* I recommend that you not consider any of the pre-high sensitivity units. The difference can be very significant.

While IMO a mapping GPS is much more useful than a non-mapping unit, this unit should meet your stated needs.

Doug

Thanks, Doug.

The most basic GPS's will give you your coordinates in UTM.

If you have software that will make a Topo map with a UTM grid (such as NG TOPO), then you can use an overlay such as this to find your exact postion.

Brunton makes a compass with a corner tool for 24k maps.

The only issue I can think of is that the basic gps's might not tell you what datum they are using. You have to use the same one when printing the map.

Remix said:

The only issue I can think of is that the basic gps's might not tell you what datum they are using. You have to use the same one when printing the map.

Click to expand...

All the basic units that I'm familiar with allow the choice of a datum in a menu. It might not be obvious how to navigate to it (e.g., Garmin's eTrex uses a path through "Units" to get there.)

You can make your own grid overlays (UTM, MGRS, lat/lon) by using the Free Tools available on MapTools. The web site owner also sells tools and has some excellent free instruction pages re: navigation. (No, it's not me.)

EDIT: I just looked at the link that Remix provided -- it's a reseller of the MapTools stuff.