RE: [Philmont]: GPS units

> From: Jason A. Cotting
> My brother just got the Garmin Geko 201. It has all you need
> and is really
> tiny. If I could afford a GPS I would be getting this one,
> it's under $150.

I just got a Garmin Geko 201 for $115 from gpsdiscount.com.
>
> The Etrex are pretty cool. A friend of mine has one and it
> has all kinds of
> stuff pre-programmed. Such as where the eating joints are at
> in the town

There are a half dozen models of etrex, from a very basic one (I had one
until I replaced it with the very light Geko) to versions with maps.

There are two features to consider as to need that affect the price.

WAAS, which provides some additional averaging for accuracy, which
is real important in geocaching. My etrex didn't have it, my Geko
does. There have been some caches that the extra accuracy sure
would have helped.

MAPS, which provide a look at your terrain and potential routes.
If you want to use the GPS as a routefinder, this is essential. If
you just want to find a point in space, it is surplusage. I use
it to find a point in space only, and haven't found a personal
justification for the maps.

Other considerations:
The Geko 101 does not have a computer interface. There are so many places
to download waypoints from, it really is essential to have, as entering them
is a PITA.

The Geko comes with games :-) Which can make a scout really happy :-)
while making the scouter to whom the Geko belongs unhappy :-(

Garmin makes a model called the Rhino which includes an FRS radio.
They have an interesting feature in that you can send from one Rhino
to another the location of your Rhino, which makes finding each other
easier. Don't know how well it works.

I use the GPS for geocaching (sporadically, I'm certainly not a serious
participant) and for hiking (more useful on day hikes than backpacking),
particularly to track mileage and find my way back to base camp (no, I
don't depend on it, rather I use it instead of the map in my pocket unless
I need the map). Since I use it primarily for hiking and backpacking,
I decided that I wanted the lightweight Geko (also, my dad wanted a
GPS to look for stuff he was interested in, and I took advantage of the
ready market to sell my etrex).

It is always nice to be able, whereever I am, to pull up a waypoint
at Philmont and be able to tell exactly how far away I am from scouting
paradise :-)

Regards
Don Roberts

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Received on Mon Jul 28 09:35:24 2003