Outer Limits 4x4 Board

Just thinking of puchasing a handheld GPS unit.

Which ones have you guys used.... which do/don't you recommend??

I was thinking along the lines of a Garmin or Magellan unit, just not sure which ones are the better units to use.

Now, all I basically want to use it for is recreational use. Bush walking & normal touring, but then I also want to use it a little in Navruns if i can(I want to learn!!!) I'll look at spending up to about $500 if I have to.

I hope that is enough info!!!

Cheers,
Brighty.

I have the garmin vista, and quite frankly have hardly ever used the majority of it's features.

The screen is a bit small now for my aging eyes as an invehicle unit, but then I bought it probably about 5 years ago or so when there weren't the number of options around that there are now, and the prices were insane.
I got the full Metroguide Australia CD to load maps into it, which are great for knowing where you are, but hopeless for navigation as it doesn't do directions or the like unless you painstakingly program in a "route" using the computer, and the maps don't include a lot of the off-road areas.

If I had my time over, I'd now buy one that has the ability to load the topographic maps that we use when off-road, because quite frankly until Alzheimers sets in, I'm way more likely to need to know where I am when off-road than when driving around town.

It's nice that I can take it on bushwalks, and measure the distance travelled etc vastly more accurately than any pedometer. I would prefer a much quicker easier "Trackback" feature. On this unit you have to save the track, and then select the track and choose which direction to use it.
And even then, if you were part way along a track it would be useless until you'd travelled quite some distance till it worked out that you'd already done half the track and picked up guiding you from where you are now. It's also not real flash in a vehicle in bushy areas, it loses the signal too easily in these conditions.

I think I'll keep this one as a great bushwalking version, and eventaully go to a laptop with map software loaded with downloaded/scanned topographics for use in the vehicle off-road. That's the way many in our club are going, and using external aerials mounted to bullbars or tops of snorkels etc to get much more reliable signal.
Whatever you end up using johnny appleseed www.ja-gps.com.au (I think) has the best advice and prices that I've been able to locate.

Ive got a Magellan Explorist 600 and cant fault it how ever the software provided by next destination leaves me wanting. I wont ever buy another one of there products nor recomend them.

Go the garmin thats what im going to upgrade too

ANY MORE INFO?????

I have been looking at the Garmin Legend.... anyone got one of these????
It seems to be a good unit and within my $$$ range.

I just bought a Legend off ebay for $230, got it delivered last thursday, so I havent had a real good chance to have a play with it yet.

I got it as a 2nd gps for the navruns and was mainly using the laptop the weekend with a little mouse style gps, the legend was for use outside the car. Did the job fine though!



This is site is pretty handy for more info, just do a search and it will come up with lots of goodies to read through

http://www.gpsaustralia.net/forums/