I'm looking into getting a new GPS handset. I've got an old Garmin eTrex and it's screen is starting to play up.
All i really need is to add routes to a unit, for both touring on road (about 100 miles a pop) and for off road routes. I see lots of fancy models are now available with mapping overlays and smart features, but i'm not sure i really need them.
Can you use Google Earth to make waymarks and upload them to a handset? This would seem like a sensible thing to do rather than get Memory Map or similar?
Any advice would be most grateful received. 🙂

There's an easy fix for the screen problem [presuming lines here]

http://californication.mtbguru.com/2005/11/20/deconstructing-the-garmin-etrex-vista/

also – Garmin will do a reasonable fixed price repair [they usually just replace]

Unless of course you want a new one – in which case – ignore the above

Ooh. That looks worth a try. But i do also want a new one. Preferably with a USB connector too, and one that works on a Mac.

You can use http://www.bikehike.co.uk/ to create routes. Free, and has OS maps as well as google maps, so you get the google maps goodness of being able to make the track follow roads and seeing road names, but the OS maps for planning off road routes.

Joe

joemarshall, damn that is a brilliant tool. Thanks for the heads up!
Are Garmins still the best handsets out there?

Garmin is £42 iirc and yu basically get a fully refurbished unit with 12 mth guarantee