# Handheld GPS



## spork (Jan 21, 2012)

etrex10 does all I need - for cheap.


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## DavidA (Mar 13, 2007)

Etrex 20 - can add maps via microSD so pretty useful on land as well. Waterproof, rugged and a battery miser.


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## Nativeman (Sep 6, 2005)

BigGee said:


> Garmin GPS 72H. Very reliable, batteries last for ages, it floats and is fairly rugged. USB interface comes with a CD for interface and user manual etc.
> 
> I've managed to destroy one in my work but that was no normal accident and it took an almighty impact to damage it.
> 
> ...


This...


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

I'm not really up to speed on hand held GPS devices but will just make a few comments to hopefully add to the back ground info you will use to make your decision.

I have a very basic Etrex legend which still works but which I can no longer connect to my pc due to the obsolete rs232 connection. The device does everything I want it to do but not being able to capture data which I can then download is a bit of a problem considering I use it for work also.

When I look at possible replacements I need to remind myself that even the most basic of the newer models will probably do more than what my current one does. This is another way of asking you to consider what you want it for.

As someone has suggested, they're all as accurate as each other, it's just the features that vary.

Do you think you would want to log where you go and then put those maps onto google earth etc on your pc?
Might you want to read the display in the dark?
Do you want/not want a touch screen?
Is battery life important?
How many waypoints etc might you want to store?
Would you want to be able to transfer data back and forth from pc? eg. fishing info today, road trip/rock fossicking info tomorrow?
Water proof?
Floating?
Size of display?

I hope this helps, I know it's hard to know what you want/need if you've never owned or used one before.


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## yaker (Aug 29, 2005)

.


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

yaker said:


> Barrabundy said:
> 
> 
> > I have a very basic Etrex legend which still works but which I can no longer connect to my pc due to the obsolete rs232 connection. The device does everything I want it to do but not being able to capture data which I can then download is a bit of a problem considering I use it for work also.
> ...


Yes, I did buy one of those but was told it might work or it might not and it didn't. I was told that the issue was with rs232 not being supported by windows 7 home. If I wanted to upgrade to windows 7 professional it apparently would work.

Seeing as a new GPS is $200-$300 I haven't bothered.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

What Geoff said Gatesy, but consider the Garmin 72 sc. It comes loaded with all the marine maps (about $ 200 worth), so the unit is not so expensive after all. Check Whitworths etc for specials.


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

kraley said:


> If you just want to put marks in just use your phone.
> 
> No reason to get a dedicated device anymore.


I use my phone when I get stuck at work. I'll be in the middle of a paddock and see a patch of weeds I need to deal with. I have an app called "send lat-long" which allows me to save my position (which I then name with the farm/block number) and then navigate back to it at a later date.

The problem with this particular app as opposed to a proper GPS is that the map is always in North up orientation rather than direction of travel.

If you're somewhere featureless, you can head a long way in the wrong direction before you can notice you're going the wrong way.

There may be more suitable apps than the one I'm using though.


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

Ken's right as long as you have phone coverage the GPS in the phone is done to a couple of meters accuracy, you can even get the navionics apps with all the available marine charts in them.

Then get a lifeproof or Idry case for your phone

Cheers Hedgy


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

eric said:


> If you are just looking for GPS marks, sure.
> 
> But if you regard the GPS as a safety device, get a stand alone unit. If you have everything tied up in one unit like an iphone, you're only one act of dumb away from losing all communication, locating ability and camera. That's not enough redundancy for me.


I concur with Eric....wise words IMO. Many people today rely totally on one electronic device. So great is the reliance on 'technology', that some people today do not even keep a hard copy of such simple, yet important data such as important phone numbers (I am aware of Icloud etc). When/if the device fails, they lose everything.

Total reliance on _*just one*_ electronic device may possibly cause you considerable pain at some stage.


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

If all you want to do is catch fish, just take me with you and I can guarantee the fish will be anywhere that I'm not. Works every time without fail, just ask anyone I've taken fishing.


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## ArWeTherYet (Mar 25, 2007)




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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Gold. :lol: :lol:


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## spork (Jan 21, 2012)

lmfao


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## smigel (May 23, 2013)

I use an Etrex10 work for me & I like when I get home plug it in to comp & google earth will plot where youve been.

Smigel


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## avayak (May 23, 2007)

Hi Mike, just a tangential thought. What is your sounder like? Have you considered a combo unit? You can log sonar fles and create your own contour charts. Ask MrX what he thinks. Another nice feature is that you can scroll the sonar back and place a mark on baitballs etc.


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

> "Wondering what people are using for handheld GPS's? &#8230;.I was looking at either the Magellan Explorist 110 or the Garmin Etrex 10. Do other people have these or are you using other brands or more expensive models etc"


G'day Gatesy.

I've tried (and broken) a few handhelds over the years - from basic b&w models, up to an expensive unit with touchscreen, mapping, electronic compass and altimeter.

The only features you need for offshore fishing are:
- a simple way to mark or enter waypoints; and
- one screen that displays an arrow for direction to your chosen waypoint, distance to it, and a speedo.

Even basic units have tracking.

Computer connectivity adds a weakness for waterproofing, but it is handy for managing your waypoints.

Colour is a waste of money, and sucks battery power.

An inbuilt map is expensive, and next to useless on such a small screen. Easier to figure out where you are in relation to your waypoints (eg northern end of the wall is 100m northeast, so I'm at X).

I miss my altimeter - very important piece of info when fishing from a yak.

My favourite is the Garmin Foretrex wristmounted.GPS navigator.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-AU/AU/outdoor/wrist-worn/foretrex-301/prod30025.html

The 301 is good. The 401 has an electronic compass.



> "I am getting ready to start fishing and want one so I can poach Keza's, PaulB's, SBD's and Avaryaks marks"


Poaching their marks is one thing, but do you want poach their charts? Get yourself a Lowrance HDS combo unit, and contribute to sonar logging/mapping.


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

MrX said:


> > I miss my altimeter - very important piece of info when fishing from a yak.


Yeah out on the ocean 0 feet above sea level and then maybe 5 ft above depending on the waves, :lol:


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

The altimeter is essential for navigating to my launch spot in the dark. I enter "ramp" as my waypoint, and follow the arrow. When the altimeter reads zero above sea level, I launch.


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

Fair enough, I tend to wait till the water is knee deep and launch.


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Good point bildad. My foretrex is strapped to my wrist, so I'm often waist deep before it reads zero.



> " or just buy a torch :twisted: "


You haven't thought it through, Gatesy. There's no need for a torch if your GPS has a backlight - you can read the altimeter in the dark.

I hear the big kings are starting to arrive for summer, so you better get back soon - with new fishing gadgets.


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## Dave73 (Dec 3, 2006)

Gatesy I only got myself a GPS a few months ago, Garmin GPS MAP 78 base model, was $200 odd at BCF. I've used it only a handful of times and still in gumby mode, so the following may be my own experience only, not those of a skilled practitioner.
I downloaded one of the free map software, forget which, ShonkyMaps or Street maps for Garmin, (whichever suits a Mac user)... It's great, I have a coastline and street maps now.

It's pro's are as expected, it finds places, tracks & marks the spots you want. 
It's interface I find frustrating & a bit cumbersome. I never really considered what this would be like, having never had this before.
It's like having a smart phone and then going back to your very first nokia.

Entering marks is great but naming them is manual, scroll the cursor across the screen and down to select each letter, like sms was 10 years ago. IT SUCKS :twisted:

The standard menu of marks are more for Geocaching, hiking, camping, shooting & all round boating. I'd like to delete 70% of them and maybe bring a handful of new ones in. (no bears, ducks, or abandoned mine shafts or campsites) 
I'd like to be able to upload custom graphics to extend the ID menu. 
I dont know if you can preset marks or descriptions, so the most used ones appear first, that would be most handy too.

I've mounted it on my RTM Disco which is a very wet ride, the unit's resistance to water relies on the rubber seals holding up, time will tell. I'll be more comfortable once I've found a way to keep the splashes off.

My initial feelings are I probably should have spent the extra money and got a Dakota 20 for the interface, (as per Bildad advised me) or another one geared more towards fishing / boating.

Cheers Dave


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## Dave73 (Dec 3, 2006)

(another gripe) - The screen is at the bottom of the unit, with the buttons above it. Have a look at a picture. 
It feels upside down & your hand blocks the screen when using it. WTF Garmin?


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

Hey Dave did you ever get that Battery and fish finder working?


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## Dave73 (Dec 3, 2006)

bildad said:


> Hey Dave did you ever get that Battery and fish finder working?


Yes mate, thankyou!! Used yours and then finally got the battery holder delivered from Fleabay, and works a dream. Only been out once, but good to see the install successful.

Cheers ;-)


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## paulb (Nov 12, 2006)

I've got the newer model EtrexH, but find the 2" screen hard to read. I don't need maps or colour, but give me a 3.5" screen. I could use my mobile, but prefer to preserve the battery on that on case of emegency (plus my GPS's are frequently dunked in the brine, or slimed by kingfish). Gatesy I'll sell you my GPS complete with marks for a very inflated price, so I can buy a unit with a bigger screen...... :lol:


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Tonystott said:


> MrX said:
> 
> 
> > The altimeter is essential for navigating to my launch spot in the dark. I enter "ramp" as my waypoint, and follow the arrow. When the altimeter reads zero above sea level, I launch.
> ...


Easy to do at Longy launch.


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

> "if your GPS is mounted above deck, means that you submerge your yak on launch"


Good point Trev & Tony. Yet another reason why the altimeter is an essential safety item for kayak fishing. You can use it to check if you are submerged.


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## gbc (Feb 16, 2012)

I've slowly worked my way up the levels, rather than down them, but I also use handhelds for more than just kayakking. I started out with the original magellan gps 2000 (not y2k compliant, but 10 years old by then) - I still have it somewhere. We then had a succession of the issue prone garmin 72's, and my most recent is the 78sc.
I concur the menu and interfacing is oldschool and a bit cumbersome.
Apart from that, I often use the colour screen and the bluechart mapping to search out new places to fish both in the kayak and in the stink boat. The other good thing about the more expensive models is the inbuilt gyro which will tell you exactly where to cast to your mark when not moving which I find invaluable when comparing with the old school cheapos which drive you insane when turning around trying to hit a mark.
The ability to expand memory and add cards as well means mine has the complete bluecharts of aus/nz, the oztoppo set of streets and topo, and I have loaded shonky into it as well to make it a pretty useful gizmo in the 4wd as well as the boat and the kayak - the toppo is especially good for hunting on new properties.
The flash version is about double ($600 vs $300 odd) in that range, and personally I find a lot of value in having the colour screen, mapping and gyro, but if you just want to head to waypoints and not much else I would think it a waste of the extra $300.
If you're into cycling, there's a company in the states (the heartrate watch company) who've made an iphone bike gps and app which comes with a waterproof case and rechargeable battery extender - 3 x battery life? - which would turn your phone into a pretty viable gps using the watermaps app or similar.. I carry mine in the boat in a waterproof case but have found I'd rather keep the phone for calls and emergencies, but that might change if I could extend battery life as the phone is by far the most user way to gps and use charting.
P.S. The thought has never occurred to me to use an altimeter in a boat.....


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

Just got given a Garmin Extrex10 for my birthday. Since I don't have a smart phone it will do for tracking waypoints for bait reefs etc. Of course I also killed my phone this week and even tho I have no real use for a smart phone there don't seem to be any suitable alternative at present.


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## boertjie (Oct 8, 2013)

My 2cents....

I have been using the Garmin GPS 60 for 7 years now. Never failed me and it's a very fast and durable unit. It's build for marine and hunting.

they are really cheap aswell... see link.... http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Garmin-GPS-6 ... 1e7f702d3e


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