Viewing 31 posts - 1 through 31 (of 31 total)
  • Which budget trail GPS?
  • hora
    Free Member

    With easy to download maps (of most trails?) and easy to follow?

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    OS map and a compass?

    druidh
    Free Member

    You want a mapping GPS? That's not "budget"

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    geoffj
    Full Member

    Memory Map or Quo + Garmin eTrex H + Paper map of where you are going + USB to serial convertor

    The SatMap Active 10 is pretty good, but not budget. The Garmin Oregon 300 is not great.

    deft
    Free Member

    Don't need memory map, just http://wtp2.appspot.com/ and a free copy of EasyGPS 🙂

    geoffj
    Full Member

    deft – very good!

    tinribz
    Free Member

    And one of these, seen em go for <£50, or an XDA Orbit.

    abductee
    Free Member

    Garmin etrex legend hcx

    Look at the number of waypoints per route before you buy. 250 is barely enough.

    http://sites.google.com/site/talkytoasteruk/ukmaps

    free topo mapping but it does require 170MB mapping memory (micro sd card)

    http://www.bikehike.co.uk/

    plot your route on bikehike

    http://www.easygps.com/

    upload it to the garmin with easy gps

    Solo
    Free Member

    I've an ex-company windows smartphone.

    I've a free version of MM.

    Job done.

    S.

    abductee
    Free Member

    What happens if it rains and the battery runs flat after a couple of hours and you can't read it in sunlight and you can't get a handlebar mount though.

    Ambrose
    Full Member

    Abductee- you work around those problems by taking them into consideration prior to the ride. Just like you would take a mapcase, learn how to use a compass properly, learn how to use catch features and other appropriate methods if you were navigating traditionally.

    So you take a spare set of hig power batteries, look at the screen in the shade and carry the unit in your pocket. It's hardly rocket- science. Although I suppose the technology to put the GPS satellites into position IS rocket science, quite literally.

    Hora- FWIW I've just traded in my old eTrex legend for null[url=http://www.memory-map.co.uk/road_angel_adventurer_satnav.htm]this[/url], A Roadangel Adventurer 7000. I already have a lot of Memorymap coverage so I was getting a bit fed up with not being able to use it when I was out and about. The £50 trade in suited me just fine as my Garmin eTrex was getting a bit tempremental to put it mildly but it has had seven years of hard use.

    How about you buy/ obtain the cheapest possible working GPS unit and then use it to then get the £50 discount? Ebay is your friend

    hora
    Free Member

    I'm almost fainting at the prices -£230 for a Roadangel Adventurer 7000?!!! 😯

    Garmin eTrex Legend HCx- Im liking the look of that one.

    uplink
    Free Member

    Etrex are good & easy to use

    Just be aware that you don't follow a map – as such – you either follow a line on the screen or the compass needle, it's very intuitive though
    You also need to either pre-prepare a route or use one someone else has done

    The waypoint issue is really a non-issue as you can simply upload routes as tracklogs
    Memory Map is available very cheaply [ 😉 ] from the usual sources

    crotchrocket
    Free Member

    I went for the free bikehike.co.uk & Garmin geko 201 option.
    plan the route on the site, DL & UL to Geko.

    you can't create a new plan on route as only the track sits on the Geko, however if you print the map from bikehike & carry it, you know where you are & where you need to be – the rest is old fashioned navigation 😉

    imp999
    Free Member

    I planned two routes on Memory map and put them on my old Summit as Tracklogs for our trip up to the NY moors and was really impressed with how easy it was to follow.
    Went wrong twice – once when I had the scale(zoom) wrong and once where I was unable to see a turn was required due to the scarry speed I was doing on some rough stuff.
    Got the Summit mounted on my bars and can read it easily.
    I had nice big prints of our route from MM to hand round our group too, which was handy.

    hora
    Free Member

    Garmin geko 201? – a good price as well.

    Scienceofficer
    Free Member

    I have the Geko 301. Just got a few more bells and whistles that the 201.

    Its the smallest, lightest GPS unit I'm aware of, but it can struggle under tree cover. I understand the high sensitivity etrex is much better in this regard.

    clubber
    Free Member

    Hora, I have a Garmin Etrex H for sale… drop me an email if you might be interested. I may also be able to sort you out some mapping software.

    abductee
    Free Member

    Just pointing out the differences here. Please don't take is as a personal attack on whichever unit you own.

    The Geko and Etrex H don't do mapping the Legend HCX does and it has a colour display which displays the topo maps properly It's easy to read in sunlight and has longer battery life than the monochrome model it replaced.

    The Geko and Etrex H do 125 waypoints per route the Legend HCX does 250. I find this feature very important. Your mileage may vary.

    The Geko doesn't have the high sensitivity receiver. It will lose signal in woods and deep valleys. I own the Legend CX and it does this.

    H=high sensitivity C=colour X=micro sd card slot

    Barometric altimeter and magnetic compass on the higher models reduce the battery life when turned on and I don't really see the benefit

    Scienceofficer
    Free Member

    handy to know.

    I find using waypoints to be a pointless waste of memory and limiting. I always upload tracks.

    mikewsmith
    Free Member

    nokia e75

    TenMen
    Free Member

    I've got an eTrex legend, I can highly recommend it.

    abductee
    Free Member

    scienceofficer
    If you upload a route and select navigate it will tell you the bearing and distance to the next waypoint. If you upload a track how do you follow the track? Do you try to make the little arrow stay on the line on the map display?

    Scienceofficer
    Free Member

    The same can be done with a track, but rather than a straight directional bearing to the next wayppoint (which may not be the same direction of the actual route) it re-traces the track one has prepared prior to going out on the ride. I follow a dirty great direction arrow, and keep it pointing straight ahead. The pre-drawn track isn't displayed at all.

    I find that navigation the way I describe reduces map stoppage time over the waypoint technique, which is really just re-creating the map and compass methodology.

    abductee
    Free Member

    Sounds good. Do you do this by selecting the saved track and then selecting TracBack?

    smudge
    Free Member

    Ive got the whole of the UK in MM so would prefer to stick to this if possible. Could I upload a particular map onto the card for a Legend HCX?

    if not does anyone use MM on a gps
    thanks

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    to the guy that said e75 – what software you using on it ?

    got googlemaps and nokia maps on mine and neither are any good for mtb …..

    abductee
    Free Member

    smudge
    You cant upload the maps from memory map but you can plot a route on it and upload that to the gps.

    The Etrex uses vector graphics not bitmaps like those on memory map.

    To upload maps to the GPS you need to buy the Garmin Mapsource products or use one of the open source mapping solutions like talkytoaster.

    smudge
    Free Member

    Thanks Ab's

    Scienceofficer
    Free Member

    Yes, on the Geko you can use 'Navigate to..' from the beginning point or the end point.

    ooOOoo
    Free Member

    Trail rat – You can use Viewranger on symbian phones.
    Being using it for 3 years and it is the tits on toast.
    You can download OS map tiles over GPRS now which is REALLY useful

Viewing 31 posts - 1 through 31 (of 31 total)

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