GPS units, What do you use ? Options

[Dead Deer Walkin...]

I'm looking for your opinions on GPS units you have experience with and how well you like(d) them. Thanks in advance for your responses !

[PixController]

Hey Jamie,

I'm looking at the DeLmore Earthmate PN-20 right now. What I want is a good GPS to mark the locations of my trail cameras but have an interface much like Google Earth with the color aerial photos. The only GPS's on the market today are the DeLmore and the Bushnell Onix 200/400. From all I've read the Bushnell's have tons of issues are are not worth it yet.

More Info on the PN-20

When you pick a GPS make sure it has a good GPS receiver, which most do today, but the most important feature of all is make sure it has a good Map package.

I'll let you know how the PN-20 works out. I'm excited to try it and interface it into my trail camera stuff.

[Dead Deer Walkin...]

That one seems to have all the features I have been looking for. Thanks for the link Bill.

[Captiveone]

Bill,
A lot of the highere end GPS units will do just what you want.. The key is getting an interface GIS program that allows you to import any aerial pics/ satellite imagery or other base maps you may have.
Are you familiar with ESRI? www.esri.com/forestry

[PixController]

Hey Pete,

This was the only GPS in my "price range" that could display aerial color maps, which is what I wanted. Looks like some of these other GPS units are really nice, but come with a big price tag too. Sure is cool stuff!

[deerventilator]

DDW,
Can you describe in a little more detail what you are looking for?

handheld
color
lake maps
etc.

[wildebeast]

I use a Garmin 60 Cs and it works great in the timber, can mark all my trail cams and could find them in the dark. I don't use a map on mine but do download the locations onto Google earth or the USGS map on the computer. Two AA batteries last a year and I use rechargables in mine.

cliff

[CO_Bowhunter]

I have an old, ancient, large Garmin 12XL. It works "okay" but if you are in heavy timber on a North slope, it takes forever to lock onto 3 or more satellites.

I love the DeLorme maps and would consider a DeLmore Earthmate PN-20 if I was in the market for a GPS.

But for most of my GPS work I find that Google Earth works for me and it's free!

[deerventilator]

Just want to mention again,
Ecamtracker is still up and running and free.

http://www.ecamtracker.com/

[Camera Trap Codg...]

I'm a little late for this discussion, but here's my 2 cents worth. I bought a Garmin GPSMap 76Cx last summer to replace a really slow Standard Horizon Magnum. I'm a Mac user, and I needed something that was compatible with MacGPSPro -- which is a very nice mapping program.

The Garmin is a pleasure to use, and picks up signals without any problems, even when I'm in deep wooded ravines. I record tracks and waypoints and download them to USGS topo maps. I keep an ongoing waypoint database of all camera sets on and around my property, and these I can download on the local topo. I record trails as tracks which I also download on the topo.

When I was cam trapping in Pt Reyes National Park last summer and fall I would have lost cameras if it wasn't for the GPS. Even when I was within a few yards of the cam, it sometimes took me a half hour to find it -- the trails through the brush were like a rat maze.

I also bought a west coast topo chip for the Garmin, so I can see land features when I am using the GPS. That's a useful feature because you can find roads, trails, mines, and springs etc.

You can download California topos for free off of a central database kept at UC Davis. (This is probably available for other states too.) All you need is a long and lat, and MacGPSPro tells you the name of the quadrat. But I still want to learn how to use the Google maps.

[deerventilator]

Have you looked at ECamTracker?

[Willy4003]

I use a Garmin Etrex Vista C, got it about 3 years ago and I can be in a dense swamp surrounded by ridges and it'll still get me out, no problem. Comes with a map package, but I bought the topos to go with it. Small and a bright screen, can't miss my cams.

Oh, and Bill, I've used Ecamtracker and love it. Should use it more religiously.

[dgl1948]

I have a Garmin Etrex Legond Cx and realy like it. I purchased Garmins mapping program so I could put detailed Topo maps on it. In order to do this I put a 2 GB in to replace the 64 meg that came with it. (2 GB is the max it will take) The detail on this topo map is outstanding. I just cannot get over the detail. There is so much info that I could only load the topo map for Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The standard map of North America still says loaded (It in itself is very good). If I want or need the topo for other areas I could put it on another card or overwrite the one I have. When I see Topo USA on a 1 Gig card it makes me wonder just how detailed they are. I am sure that I would not find my way back to some of my cameras without it. They are easy to mark and save the trail to them for future use.