RockyG Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Hi All! I am looking at a hand held GPS. There are so many different types on the market that it is all a bit confusing. If you buy a hand held can it be used in the car when in the city like the in car type or are they different programs to the ones you use in the bush? Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weihrauchpower Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 I just bought a Magellan Explorist 500 last week and it has been great. I tried it out yesterday and keep finding more functions! You can use them in car (mine came with a stand and cig socket adaptor), just type in an address and and it'll give you the direction. It won't guide you around individual streets to your destination though like Tom Tom or any in car ones will. If your looking for a GPS for hunting and the occasional drive then go for a handheld. If you buy a starter pack you get the AusMaps included for a couple of hundred bucks instead of $400-500 when you buy separately. If you can get this one i found on Ebay for anything under $1000 you've done well! http://cgi.ebay.com.au/eXplorist-500-Magel...1QQcmdZViewItem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r2hunt Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 I have a Garmin GPSMap60CSx with a 2Gig memory card. Loaded on it is every road and 4WD track in Australia, 1:25000 maps with 20m contour interval Australia wide and every navigational chart from Tasmania to Borneo and as far east as New Zealand. Doesn't have voice prompting however it is colour is a great unit. Although you can buy them cheap on eBay it would be better to go through a dealer such as GPSOZ for the after sales service you will probably need if you've never had a GPS before. Good Luck R2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman_DJ Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 I have a HP IPAQ pda with inbuild GPS. It's a good all rounder in that I can take notes, surf the web etc. I have GPS software for in the car (TomTom, included with the IPAQ), for aviation and for bushwalking. The model I have has over 2GB internal memory and a SD slot to take more. Bluetooth and wireless. Touch screen, color etc. The catch is, it's not the best unit for dedicated bushwalking etc as it's not designed to be dropped on rocks or dunked in water etc. But for me, one unit does it all when I'd otherwise need 3 GPS's and a PDA. Like the others have said, moving maps are nice but batteries do run flat, electronics fail etc. The IPAQ I have, may be replaced with a newer model. http://www.cnet.com.au/pdas/pdas/0,2390355...39271368,00.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solvent Posted January 19, 2008 Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Rick, What do you want it for. I have several units and use them at work a lot. Like a lot of things you can get a unit that will do both as you ask - street nav and loc hunting waypoints, campsites, etc. If you don't live in one of the capital city's you will not need the street nav func. So, I would get one of the better H/H units. As prev mentioned Garmin are exc and all other reputable brands will prov VG performance; Magellan, etc. Don't be fooled by size, I have an Suunto X9i wrist computer and it will get the same 10fig (MGRS) that $3000 veh unit w/roof mount. Just takea a little while longer to get loc. So, come up with a budget and primary use and I'll be able to give more guidance. The Etrex series are probably the best size, quality and bang-for-buck on the market though - have a look at them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockyG Posted January 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2008 Thanks for your comments guys much appreciated. obviously there is a huge range of GPS units available and a lot of research is required to find one that suits my needs. The different mapping catagagies are interesting and something I did not know about. Thanks for your very detailed response Happy Jack and, no I would not buy a unit that had a games feature on it. My kids would flatten the battery quick smart. Rick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r2hunt Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 The GPSMap60CSx compass works on magnetic north. However given your changes in location as calculated by the GPS it will make corrections as you go. As stated by others, prior to getting a GPS it is better to learn how to navigate with a map, compass and protractor. Once you've got that under control then if you "need" a GPS then you will need to make some sacrifices on the options that are available 'cause a great "in-car" unit sux as a hunting unit and visa-vers. The thing I liked about the GPSMap60CSx is it's ability for colour mapping. With the 2Gig of memory I've loaded every 1:25,000 topo map of Australia, so I don't have to carry a truck load of maps wherever I go. I don't rely on it's accuracy as batteries do go flat and with the dither added into the signal their accuracy is not as good as most think. They make a great backup device or in my case a great map storage case. R2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick Posted January 21, 2008 Report Share Posted January 21, 2008 Has anyone tried one of these yet?? https://www.nextdestination.com.au/Pages/Pr...x?ProductId=244 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mozzie Posted January 25, 2008 Report Share Posted January 25, 2008 HEY I have a old garmin unit which has served me well . The big bonus is blind freddy could use it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiehuntress Posted January 27, 2008 Report Share Posted January 27, 2008 I've had both the Magellan & Garmin. I found the garmin to be more user friendly. I am now wanting to upgrade again & have been told by the fellas at the camping shop to give the Magellan 400 a go. Has anyone used this gps before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOGPIG Posted January 28, 2008 Report Share Posted January 28, 2008 i use the magellan 700 and find it great best value for money and ease IMO E trax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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