GPS which one

[carco]

New D/A on way and trip south maybe to 4-wheel ATV's. Which GPS system is best, which is best bang for the $ buck. Does it matter on road for 1/4 mile runs vs in woods to find a location 4 wheeling as to which GPS??? Thought with all the RV pullers here that I might glean a little info even if off subject somewhat. Thanks . bob....

[Tough Guy]

I have the Magellan Sportrac map...

It is a versatile GPS with a reasonable price tag.

https://www.magellangps.com/en/products/


Cheers

[Barra]

Better late than never... You won't go wrong with a Garmin unit. The Garmin 12 or 12XL are both outstanding basic units. If you're looking for a full up moving map unit, the Garmin GPS V or the Street Pilot V.

If money is no object and you want a multi-purpose GPS checkout the Garmin 196. It has aviation, maritime and land modes. I own one of these (I'm a pilot) and it is just outstanding in both the aviation and the ground mode. I can't speak for the maritime mode, not being into boats.

Garmin's customer support is outstanding. Their units are easy to use and database updates and software updates are likewise easily done.

They also have a neat comparison feature on their webpage where you can rack and stack their various GPS models against each other. http://www.garmin.com/outdoor/compare***p

For more general information you may want to check out http://www.gpsinformation.net/ Alot of good info there.

I've used GPS for several years now, including on extended 4wd trips into the Australian deserts and mountains. And I use GPS regularly now when I fly.

Also if other factors apply, Magellan is a French company (owned by Thales).

[carco]

Thanks, Tough Guy and Barra, I ended up w/ a Magellan Sportrac pro. Failed to recognize the French connection or prob would have purchased differently.
I do have questions : How accurate is the distance meter on a GPS? Are all the GPS distance meters as accurate as the next? My 93 K20 odometer reads about 1.5% slow compared to the GPS over a 60 mile run, MPH is almost dead on number. My 02 C6500 reads about 3 MPH slow not sure about the mileage yet. Thanks ! ..bob.......

[Tough Guy]

The "distance meter" I believe is fairly close, with WAAS the GPS is accurate to within 3-7 meters 95% of the time...Most GPS receivers have the same capability, however I did notice during my research to purchase a GPS, that Garmin was more inaccurate with the lower cost receivers...

Cheers

[RLAM]

Tough Guy:
How did you deturman the milage accurasy for your GPS ?(pardon my lousy spelling, wish we had spell checker) I use a Garmen venture combined with a laptop and map source software. So far I am really happy with it.

[Barra]

RLAM,
Now that selective availability is turned off, most low-end GPS receivers will give you 10-15 meter accuracy. The WAAS capable units will be a bit better, 3-5 meters.
Probably the best way to check the accuracy of your GPS is to take it on a measured course. Go find the local high school track, which is probably a quarter mile track, and walk around it (or run if you're feeling athletic). Compare what the GPS tells you for covered distance vs how many laps you did.
Similarly for speed calibration, use a measured course, time yourself as you cover it, and do the math.
David Wilson http://users.erols.com/dlwilson/gps.htm has a very good treatment of GPS accuracy.
I hope that helps.

Cheers!

[Turbine Doc]

Remember to use the same datum as your map or nav system makes a big difference of knowing where X marks the spot, not too big a deal driving it's a PITA trying to hike with unmatched GPS and map datums.