Hand Held GPS Geocaching
A Great Hobby
Geocaching is a great way to spend an afternoon, a day, or a weekend. This activity seems to be taking the nation by storm and is responsible for the rising popularity and availability of GPS and auto navigation systems on the market today. Many people aren’t simply purchasing minimal systems that guide them to their coordinates with beeps and blips but investing in complete systems that can provide much more useful tracking and mapping utilities.
Regardless of whether you are purchasing the bare minimum system when it comes to geocaching or investing in a top of the line auto navigation system that has all kinds of bells and whistles, I am fairly certain you will find that geocaching is a great activity for many reasons. Everyone who participates in this activity has something special that they enjoy and appreciate about it. Below you will find some of the more popular reasons that people choose geocaching as a fun way to use their GPS devices.
1) Being a kid again. You heard correctly, this is my personal favorite reason to participate in geocaching. I remember going on treasure hunts as a child and drawing out intricate maps and pretending for days, even weeks on end that I was a pirate in search of some rare treasure. That treasure usually ended up being holly berries or a rather large pinecone, but it was the thrill of the hunt that was important.
2) Enjoying the great outdoors. You may argue that one can do that anytime and wouldn’t really need geocaching in order to do so. You would be correct, however, geocaching can take you hiking, biking, swimming, and mountain climbing in search of one little prize stash. Most of us wouldn’t tackle all of those things in the course of an afternoon. In other words it’s a way to experience the great outdoors only intensified.
Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver
Retail Price: $169.99
Amazon Price: $123.54
4) Being a part of something bigger than us. I remember watching Treasure Hunters on NBC last summer. They were all off in search of a specific treasure but kept getting clues at different destinations along the way. Geocaching might not have a million dollar payoff but there are little treasures along the way and many people participate which makes the hunt thrilling and fun at the same time. By participating you are one of many people who will tread the same ground and seek the same treasure. It is a unifying experience in many ways and can be excitingly competitive.
If you have never experienced geocaching, I hope you will at least consider this fun and thrilling pass time as you check out possible auto navigation systems and other GPS technology that might be good for you and your family. Geocaching is one of many ways that auto navigation systems can bring more life to your daily living.
I’m looking for a GPS/Nav device which works with latitude/longitude coordinates?
Almost every new suction-cup-to-the-windshield GPS Navigation system I’ve played with only lets you specify a destination by City/State/Zip/Address, not by latitude/longitude, and doesn’t show current latitude/longitude coordinates.
What brands/models actually use and show coordinates in addition to a visual representation of the road you’re on? Almost all handheld GPS receivers do this, but none meant for automotive installations, and I consider this an important feature for some of the work I do.
The Next Generation in Handheld GPS Navigation
Does anyone know how you get more detailed maps in the Magellan eXplorist XL GPS?
I want to get my son a handheld GPS for Christmas so he will have maps when he travels in the Military but the unit I am testing only has my region loaded in it.
It won’t help him one bit to have Oregon maps if he’s stationed somewhere else (which he will be).
I don’t know anything about adding maps into the units. I am sure it’s as easy as hooking up a cable but:
Where do you get the maps to begin with?
Is there a download site?
Do you have to buy the maps?
Where would you buy them?
How much would they cost?
Would they have detailed maps of countries such as Iraq (because I know he will end up there eventually)?
Using a gps for marking property lines?
I want to buy gps but need to know if I can do the following – will a handheld unit allow me to mark property corners (A – B for ex.), then plot a straight line from A about 3/4 mile through the woods to B? If so would the unit alert me if I am off (or on) that imaginary line? I want to do this for a fairly accurate idea of my property line(s).
The Next Generation in Handheld GPS Navigation
What’s the best way to know mileage without an expensive $150+ gps device?
I live in California. Am near some beautiful trails. I’m obsessed with precision, though I love it. I want to run on and take advantage of the trails, but I need to know how far certain distances are. There’s no mile markers. Buying a garmin 305/405/handheld would work b/c there’s no cloud cover but can’t really drop like $100 or more on gps device atm. I tried using google/yahoo/ maps to test the distance but it’s a trail (no streets) so it doesnt’ really register. I never know how far I run. Sometimes it’s 20 min. Sometimes 2hours. I know gps eventually would solve this problema most effectively, but wondering if anyone else had ideas. I’ve thought of asking local trail-goers the distances but again, there’s few markers on the trail to identify where I’m talking about.
I’ve tried pedometer’s, too. They never prove to be accurate.
Magellan GPS Units
How do I find the best GPS for mountian riding on horse back to document campsites?
I am an avid mountian horse back rider and am interested in purchasing a handheld GPS. I don’t even know where to start. I am looking to use it to mark campsites that aren’t necessarily well known to others and also where people have been who have left all their trash and belonging because they were too lazy to pick it up. How does gps work anyways. Can you mark your own spots and name them? Do you have to have a map that already has that location on there. If any help can be provided I would greatly appreciate it.
DeLorme GPS Units
Iam looking to buy a gps system?
I have a few handheld ones for on the tril syuff, but a few months ago we purched a mallgen road mapfrogot the # after it(gps), and it stoped turning on, when we sent it back to get a refund we had to pay alot about $100, so Iam not wanting a mallgen
Iam looking at garmins now
which garmin for on the road would have the best value for themost features?
Tiger has a GPS for any Sport or Hobby
Finding artificial reefs with gps coordinates?
Whats the best method for finding artificial reefs when you have the gps coordinates?I,m not sure I,m doing it right.I had the coordinates of a near shore reef and we used a handheld and followed longitude and latitude as best we could till we were pretty close dropped anchor but did,nt feel any structure on the bottom with our bottom rigs.This made me think we were not in the right place.Maybe the rock pile that was supposed to be there was washed away from Hurricane Katrina.We were trying to fish reef FH10 Ms gulf coast. Thanks for any knoledge you may have on this subject
Magellan GPS Units
What does GMRS/FRS mean in regards to handheld radios?
In describing hand held portable radios, the catalogs go on about all the features with abreviations ie: GPS (Global positioning satillite?) but What about VOX, FRS, GMRS?
Tiger has a GPS for any Sport or Hobby
