hand held gps

anyone use hand held gps units like garmin etrex legend, if so do you like them and are they user friendly.

Yeah sir... I have a Garmin gpsmap 76cs. It is completely configurable and easy. Detailed map software can be expensive but it (the unit) will except maps for nearly all purposes. I use mine for road nav and hunting/hiking/fly fishing. One of the cool features available are trip computers, which can keep track of serveral stats such as speed, heading and ETA. I would suggest that you pick a unit that suits all your needs so do research. Oh and when your ready to make your purchase, and if it a garmin you desire then go to [url]www.gpsnow.com[/url]. They have the best prices I've found.
Hope this helps.

Andrew(apb) has the 76map also and does well with it. It kept me from spending the night in the fog on Cumberland. I recently bought the iFinder Hunt by Lowrance and discovered that the maps are INDEED pricey. I bought the MapCreate package as well for $100 and discovered(after the purchase of course) that I was only allowed to make 5 maps with that package. What I had intended on doing was making a map for each area I go on small mb MMCs. So what I now have to do is try to get the most map on a card as I can. As for ease of use, they probably ARE easy for a military engineer! I got a CD(extra 15 bucks) to help. I have finally got pretty good with it, but it was a true test. You can do it, but ya gotta have the right frame of mind. It wasn't as easy as I was lead to believe.

I use the Garmin eTrax Vista handheld and I love it. I have purchased over 300 worth of extra software maps for it as well.

I have it hanging around my neck with the lanyard and clipped to my life vest while on the lake.

I purchased the rechargable NickleMetalHydride Batteries along with one of those 15 min charges that can charge up 4 batteris AA at one time.

Yesterday I found a Video on how to uses the Etrax Legand GPS at the local Walmart on sale for only $2. After reviewing the video I learned more about my GPS than I already knew.

Pro for the portable Etrax units are many. About the only con is the small screen size. Sometimes I wish I had a larger screen.

I use my GPS in my truck to see where I am at on the road. I have the Mapsource MetroGuide North American V6 CD and it's very accurate and shows all the local roads in my area. It's much more accurate and upto date than any other road map digital software that I have ever used in the past. I also have the Garmin Mapsource Fishing Hot Spots CD v 4.00 and have the unlock codes for region 9 and 10. Each of those cost $100. Today the unlock codes will unlock a lot more of the maps area and lakes on the CD. In the past there were ten regions and each one cost 100 bucks for each regions unlock code. Today they have fewer regions and so each region covers more lakes and area. It's too bad we can't share unlock codes with each other. :(


I use my gps to make spots that I find on the lakes I fish. When I am fishing and see a brush pile or stump or submerged tree and catch a fish off it I put a new waypoint on my gps for that new spot. I then save from my gps to my computer for safe keeping.

I can use the PC to show the mapsource maps on the computer screen and even make new routes on the computer and then download those new routes to the gps.

The Vista has 24MB of internal memory for storing maps. I only use 10% of that and have KY Lake, Patoka Lake and all of the roads of Southern IN and NW Kentucky stored in memory at this time. Heck I may even have Rend Lake in ILL on there too.

I paided over 300 bucks for this Vista unit when it first came out. I have the cable that came with it that allows you to connect the gps unit to the computer and I have a power cable for when I need 12v power from my truck's cigarette lighter or the boat's cigarette lighter. I also have the small holder that mounts on the dash of my truck. That allows you to quick mount the gps on the dash and move it around 360 deg or up and down to any position to make it easier to see.

The unit has a built in backlight that can be adjusted to stay on for 1 min 2 min or for all the time. You turn the light on and off with a quick push of the power button.

The find button allows you to find and navitate to any waypoint and or route quickly and easily. I didn't know that button existed until last night when I view the new Video.

Check out GPS Outfitters for their Video Guides on using the Garmin etrex Legend or Vista GPS units. You will learn quickly how to use them. It's a lot easier to see someone do it in the video than to have to read the boring manual. And if you can find them at Walmart on discount it's well worth two dollars.

Regards,

Moose1am

I agree that you have to read the manual. But some of the things that I use my gps for everday are not that hard to figure out. Like making a new waypoint. That and zooming the map view in and out.

I have yet to figure out how to use the Routes or how to use the trackback feature. But then again I didn't read the entire manual.

I would highly recommend getting the VCR tapes that explain how to use the unit. The "GPS Outfitters" Video Guide series VCR tapes are pretty good and will show you how to use thing that I didn't even know existed on my unit. But they don't give you info on how important the map datums are. Those things you have to talk to more advanced users to help figure out. So the tapes are ok for showing the general stuff but they don't cover everything.

It's complicated but if can read and really want to learn how to use them it's doable. It will take a bit of effort though. The videos help ease the learning curve but it still pays to read teh manual. Take your time and learn things one step at a time.

Regards,

Moose1am

Moose is correct, between the manual, the cd/tape, and the good ol' trial-and-error it is indeed doable. My only gripe was really the surprise at the cost involved in the map-making endevor. It took me about two weeks of everyday involvement to get the hang of it. I'll not have to worry about finding my way back to the dock on my next nighttime striper trip.

I use the Garmin 76map that fishincreek mentioned. I believe they have had an update since I got mine. Also got the HotSpots map CD with it. You get to unlock one region, or pay more to unlock another region. The region I picked has portions of KY and TN on it. The unit is pretty easy to use. The maps allow you to track your position on the map. If you zoom in, you can see the contours on the map. I read portions of the manual when I first got it, then went out on the lake and played with it. I recommend getting familar with the unit before you really need it (i.e., you get fogged in). Try it out on a slow fishing day. Easy to set way points and backtrack on a route. As fishincreek mentioned, it can save you from spending a cold night on the lake! I also find it usefull for setting way points on areas that look good during the day so I can find them real easy again at night. The unit also has highway maps preloaded. Usefull for when you travel. Probably other maps that can be added to the unit.

Andrew

I have the iFinder H2O by Lowrance. It is the single best thing I purchased last year. The graphics are great. The contour lines on the chip are a fantastic tool. I like to use the maps on the chip and compare that with the Hot spots maps contour lines. Buy it you wont regret it.

i bought a map76 this year. best fishing purchase i've made except for the boat. especially right now since the lakes are so low. you'll see things that you would never know were there otherwise. just mark the waypoint and come back when the water is at pool and have a blast. simple to use. the mapping software is a must too. download all of your waypoints to your computer and you dont have to worry about your memory.