Recommended GPS units
April 16, 2008 by newyorkoutdoors
Here’s an article by Java Joe, the FLTC Mapping Guy with his recommendation on Global Positioning System units:
First: There are two types of GPS units: Automotive and Field (for hiking and trail running). I will discuss both:
Automotive:
These give turn by turn instructions to a location (address, intersection, closest restaurants, etc.) both visually and vocally and are MUCH easier to use for this purpose than a field unit. However, unlike field units they do not create a bread crumb trail or allow creation of waypoints off road. I have experience with Garmin, Magellan, Tom-Tom, and Mio. Go with Garmin as they are the easiest to use. In ease of use, they rank as I have listed above from easiest to impossible (the Mio; I spent 40 minutes with a Mio and could not figure it out). My un-techie wife had no trouble figuring out her Garmin StreetPilot and loves it, as she can’t read a map.
Recommendation: Get the Garmin Nuvi 200 ($159.99 at www.amazon.com.) Compared to the more expensive Nuvi models, it does not have an mp3 player, blue tooth, voice recognition, etc., but do you need these? I don’t. And unlike the older Garmin StreePilots, it allows entry of latitude and longitude, such as coordinates of FLT trailheads. By the way, these trailhead coordinates (340 of them) are in my updated April 2008 Main Trail End-to-End Excel spreadsheet, now available on the FLTC website www.fingerlakestrail.org. From the home page click “Plan a Hike” on the left, then click “End to End” and follow the instructions for the Excel spreadsheet. A similar Excel spreadsheet for end-to-ending the branch trails should also be available there within a week.
Field (for hiking):
For my GPSing of the Finger Lakes Trail I use a Garmin GPSmap 60CSx (a color display unit, $285.97 at www.amazon.com) with external amplified antenna (~$30, important under canopy, if you want accurate odometer readings). I have the tiny external antenna Velcroed to the top of my hat. For uploading all roads, contour lines, streams, etc. to your GPS unit, and downloading tracks and waypoints to your computer, Garmin MapSource Topo (~$90) is a must. At least five of us in the Cayuga Trails Club have this 60CSx.
Joe Dabes, FLTC GIS Guy
