What is a good GPS?

[scubaseven]

Are any of them very accurate?

ie within 1-2 feet when bush-walking?

Something that is reliable, accurate, and if possible water, or splash proof.

[frenchy_84]

No handheld GPS receiver will give reliable accuracy of under 1m, however why would you need metre accuracy when bushwalking? While some units do have better antennas to allow for better signal strength, IMO I would choose a unit based on its features, user interface and price.

Search through the forum and you will find plenty of topics are GPS units on the market

[Strider]

No cheap handheld GPS receiver will give reliable accuracy of under 1m

Fixed

[frenchy_84]

No cheap handheld GPS receiver will give reliable accuracy of under 1m

Fixed

No single frequency (recreation user) Handheld GPS unit will give reliable accuracy under 1m. regardless of price.

[Strider]

No cheap handheld GPS receiver will give reliable accuracy of under 1m

Fixed

No single frequency (recreation user) Handheld GPS unit will give reliable accuracy under 1m. regardless of price.

Correct. But a handheld DGPS will

[Ent]

Ok I will bite. What is a DGPS??????

Cheers

Ps just incase I need to know exactly where I am not meant to be!

[frenchy_84]

DGPS stands for Differential GPS, which is single frequency GPS which uses a corrections service to increase accuracy. Not surveyor grade GPS (they use dual frequency (and its actually called GNSS rather than GPS but that will just confuse matters further)) however it produces decimeter level accuracys. Often used for forestry, asset management (councils, Hydro poles etc) or GIS mapping.

[Ent]

Arh thanks for that. I was familiar with using a base station on a construction site to improve accuracy as it gives a known reference point. So the upshot is. with increasingly cheaper electronics can a GPS relying only on satellites get any more actuate?

When comparing my in and out plots with the Garmin 62s most are within ten meters. More than good enough but be nice to be even better.

Cheers

[Strider]

The correction usually being applied from a terrestrial-based known location. But anyway, back on topic!

[sthughes]

Yeah for all that look at a Leica Zeno GG02plus, but at thousands of dollars and 2.8kg it might not be worth it.

For all you want but accuracy more like 5-10m any of the newer Garmins will do the job (Etrex 10/20/30, Oregon, Dakota, 62). As I assume would Magellans etc.

[scubaseven]

Yeah for all that look at a Leica Zeno GG02plus, but at thousands of dollars and 2.8kg it might not be worth it.

For all you want but accuracy more like 5-10m any of the newer Garmins will do the job (Etrex 10/20/30, Oregon, Dakota, 62). As I assume would Magellans etc.

Yeah, might just stick with a Garmin.



Thanks.

[sthughes]

Well in that case this topic is worth a look: http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=9560

Personally I'd either go bare bones (eTrex 10) if just after a spit out of co-ordinates, or otherwise go to the eTrex 30/62s level of features with maps, compass etc. so the map and compass can be buried in the pack.

[geoffmallo]

Garmin Oregon series. Waterproof, maps, reliable.

[sthughes]

Yeah actually the new Oregon 450 is getting good reviews. I had heard mixed reports from the original Oregon series but they look good now. I'd seriously consider that. Has a nicer interface and not much more $$. Just a shame battery life isn't up there with the Etrex 30.

[phan_TOM]

Not to mention the price, $600 for the 450 and a whopping $750 for the 450t. Nice looking screen though, wonder how it works in the weather, with gloves etc?

[sthughes]

More like $350 online

[phan_TOM]

That'll teach me to not shop around Still, I see ja-gps has them for $480 and $650 respectively, if you can get one for $350 buy it!

[ULWalkingPhil]

As already mentioned, if you want accuracy to within one to two feet your going to need to spend a few dollars for a heavier unit.

I suggest a Twonav Sportiva GPS at only 124grams inc battery. You can use digital topo maps, you can even scan your old paper maps. Accurate to within 5 and it's waterproof

[sjf]

DGPS ... As if you would even consider carrying one of those hiking !! Seriously, why would you need accuracy of less than +-10m ... Gps just help you stop being lost or find something ...

Garmin etrek have never let me down, batteries last for days, and the tracks are pretty easy to work with. I am sure the other brands are equal. Personally, I go for a simple over lots of features such as wireless, cameras etc ... After all, you just want the gps to show you where you are, or where you are going !

[scubaseven]

Got it down to two:

Garmin Oregon 450T or the GARMIN ETREX 30

Any reason why I should choose one over the other?

I like the longer battery life, but apparently it is a bit slow?!

Also, do they work like car GPS units? Or do you have to preload maps for everywhere you go?

[phan_TOM]

It's only slow if you load custom maps. I think the processor isn't powerful enough to deal with raster images (I'm sure it helps with the great battery life though) but otherwise it's fine, I'd even say fast eg to start up, acquire a fix, etc. I'd also say custom maps are totally unnecessary once you get some others loaded onto it. The etrex comes with the worldwide basemap loaded but it's pretty vague so you should have a look at shonky maps, openstreetmap & contours australia which should be more than adequate. I have the contours Aust and shonky loaded and they work great together, nice and fast too!

As for deciding which one to buy, I'm biased but i guess it comes down to your individual needs in the end... If you're after one for your car I would probably be going in an entirely different direction

[photohiker]

Also, do they work like car GPS units? Or do you have to preload maps for everywhere you go?

They can work like Car GPS units, but the screen sizes are too small for that, and they have no voice prompting. Car GPS units come with Pre-Loaded street mapping, whereas hiking GPS often come without useful maps and you have to add maps to them.

The Garmin Montana (4" screen, voice prompts via the in-car bracket) can do both, but it's getting to be a bit big and heavy for a hiking GPS... (7.48 x 14.42 x 3.64 cm, ~300g)

[scubaseven]

I dont intend to use it in the car, just wondering how they work.

Thanks for the info.

[slparker]

I just got a new garmin Montana online it does everything... I got the Montana over the Oregon because of the rechargeable battery ( I use it daily for bike training) although you can fit it out with standard batteries. It has topo maps loaded for skiing, walking etc and has a mount in the car for turn by turn nav in the car. It's my first real gps, I'm so used to just using map and compass that it'll take me a while to get used to it I reckon, the topo maps on screen with electronic compass look like a handy feature.

As for a gps accurate to a foot.. Unless you're landing a cruise missile onto a nuclear facility in Iran you probably wouldn't need that level of accuracy...

[walkinTas]

.... As I assume would Magellans etc.

Magellan's newer explorist series, the 510, 610 and 710 claim and accuracy of 3-5 meters and for $50 extra you get the topo maps of Tas or the state of your choice. See the 510 compared with the Oregon 450t and with the eTrex 30.

Two advantage of the etrex 30 are the longer battery life (25hr) and the lighter weight (save 50g).

[SPNRCastiel]

Funny nobody mention Garmin's GPSmap 60 series. I've got a Garmin GPSmap 60csx. I like it because it uses AA batereis so you can replace them easily, has a micro SD card slot, its not a touch screen and its also splash proof/resistance. I would like to mention this model is like 5 years old and there is the newer version, Garmin's GPSmap 62 series. One other thing with GPS make sure what maps are capable with it and what software does it use.

[Ent]

Hi

Interesting on the weekend wander to Reynolds Falls when running out if daylight navigating back to the campsite by head lamp and GPS. Here the best accuracy is a handy thing. Along with an interface that you do not have to argue with.

The Garmin 62s was about five to ten meters accurate but at night that is quite a distance by head lamp. And as for the interface. They have tried to make it as hard as possible use.

I am afraid that Garmin need to look long and hard at their interface as it is rather terrible. Yes you can do what you need to but surely there is a better why.

Cheers

[geoffmallo]

One option that no body seems to have mentioned is an iPhone or Droid with Motion X app or similar. Before I get shot down in flames it depends on what you want to do with it, and how much you want to use it.

Back up nav solution for when the cloud comes in making a resection a little hard? get the iPhone out, read your UTM or use the pre downloaded maps (open topo, shonky etc).

I've found I take my Oregon out less now I have the iPhone. Not that I use it lots for nav but there is a place for it. Especially if you are already carrying a phone in case of emergency.

I wouldn't use my phone constantly for nav all day long on a a multi day trip. The battery life just isn't there, even with a backup battery/charger. But if I only use it occasionally for checking where I'm at, or more likely working out how much further I need to go then it's a good option.

[slparker]

good point geoff, I have a garmin phone with gps in it as well and for 90% of my uses for a gps it's fine. Most of my GPS usage is cycling/mountain biking/driving and for this it's pretty good except when I'm in hilly areas, back of beyond in which case it's not so great (relies on phone connection to load maps).

I take it walking/skiing as a backup (if i get navigationally challenged and i can turn on the phone and use the GPS to get a grid reference) but I recently got a real GPS so I'm hoping it will supplant the phone now. I found battery life was my biggest bugbear... I would be cycling out the back of nowhere, check my position and realise my phone was nearly dead.

[sthughes]

Yeah I use my iPhone 4s in a Sea Line waterproof case and rareley take my Garmin these days. I find it quick and accurate and if I put it on airplane mode when not using it the battery lasts fairly well. But I do have some intermittent high battery drain issues, and can't turn it off ever since I dropped it in a river unprotected a couple of months back