Handheld GPS Unit For GeoCaching

I would put color in the "nice to have but not essential" category, but it is unlikely that I would buy a grayscale GPS because by the time you get to that price level the unit is missing other "must have" capabilities. That's just how the price/feature set scale works.

What is essential for extended outdoor use is a transreflective display, so that you are not trying to overwhelm sunlight with battery-hungry backlighting. Most true outdoor GPS units feature this display type, while many multipurpose or portable automotive units rely on backlighting.

Having looked at the current crop of Garmins that step up from where my GPSMap 60C was when I bought it. I don't care much for features and pricing, nor map pricing, so if I had to replace the GPSMap 60C, I would likely buy DeLorme's Earthmate PN whatever model is current. I like DeLorme's maps, and the other displayable data, and capabilities are very close to what I'm accustomed to using.

A big difference between using a good outdoor GPS, and the GPS in a phone or portable auto navigation device, is that the outdoor GPS uses as many satellites as are available, evaluating them statistically and telling you how well it is doing, while the phone or auto GPS will use the minimum number required for a fix, then put you at the nearest place it expects you to be (where the map data has placed a road, e.g.) and tell you lies about accuracy. It doesn't have fixes to enough birds to estimate error in your location, which changes constantly over seconds but averages out better over minutes and hours. Geocaching often requires the better understanding of uncertainty in the whole GPS system.

DeLorme PN-60 is current, at $300 it is a bargain compared to GPSMap 62st (for removable storage and included topo maps) at 50% more. Closer to your price range I recommend Etrex 20 which improves on capabilities of my 10 year old GPSMap 60c for about half the price. Can't recommend Etrex 10, not because monochrome, but because it lacks removable storage, meaning you would have to load map data piecemeal. 100K Topo maps for Etrex cost $99 putting total into DeLorme PN price range, larger scale maps, 24K or better, are $99 to $129 per regional set for the U.S. Over the years, I've paid Garmin a lot more for maps than for hardware, but a lot of that has been for outside the U.S. where royalties are higher.

No matter what people claim (6 inches ?) the accuracy for an instantaneous GPS fix on the best of receivers is <15 meters GPS only, <2 meters augmented by WAAS for 95% confidence. Many vendor quote much smaller numbers using 50% confidence, flip a coin, is it right or not? This gets narrowed down statistically by occupying a site longer, and improved by differential GPS where two receivers linked together are reading the same birds at the same time. One is on a known location, one on location to be measured, and GPS is measuring the vector between, which averaged out over hours or days, can be confidently measure to millimeter scale.

Most caches are hidden in places that become obvious at the 2-15 meter range. But not always as obvious as the clue box on Amazing Race.

WoodGlue wrote:
Wow, thanks everyone for your input!

I am going to be partial to a dedicated GPS unit as I am in the truck (I use a TomTom VIA 1605 for RV's) Plus I do plan on eventually geocaching where there is no cell service available.

So, paperless is the way to go...

Is a color display necessary or not (just a nice thing to have?)

WoodGlue

Also look at the DeLorme PN-40

I have a netbook laptop with Streets & trips with GPS on it and can put caches on it and this is good to use in areas that you may not know very well. When I get close to the cache area I park than have the hand held GPS take me right to the cache. The map on my laptop covers a good size area and shows several cache hides just an other tool or fun toy.

RicJones wrote:
Another vote for the Etrex.

My $50 (close-out sale) eTrex can lock on to as many as twelve satellites at the same time. The accuracy is +/- 6 inches (15 cm) when locked on to only ten.

Wow, thanks everyone for your input!

I am going to be partial to a dedicated GPS unit as I am in the truck (I use a TomTom VIA 1605 for RV's) Plus I do plan on eventually geocaching where there is no cell service available.

So, paperless is the way to go...

Is a color display necessary or not (just a nice thing to have?)

WoodGlue

Another vote for the Etrex.

I have an old black and white Garmin Etrex Legend works just fine.

They are all real good these days.

Even my old marine units work well enough to get a person on top of a cache. All the unit has to do is point correctly and read out feet to where it thinks you want to be.

There are two smartphone apps called c:geo and GPS Essentials. They only need the network to collect maps if they are needed, but we only use the maps to get in proximity, then it is "follow the arrow".
Oh, And Both apps are free.

Matt

WoodGlue wrote:
I'm looking for advice or input about a handheld GPS unit to be used for basic geocaching.

I guess I'd like to stay under $150.00 if possible.

Any advice?

WoodGlue

I have a Magellan explorist GC handheld GPS and it's OK finds all the caches that I go after, their may be better ones out their but I paid $100.00 for mine. Get one that is paperless so you can have the hints to finding the cache, that way you don't have to make notes.
I know people that use a smart phone and like them.
If you haven't gone to the geocache,com site go check it out, it's a lot of fun geocaching, we do it while camping.

dbbls wrote:
I use a Garmin, Oregon 450

I have a 450 - love it. But the eTrex 20 is also a very nice unit and cheaper.

Most cell phone 'GPS' apps use the cell network for maps, location services, etc. They don't work if you can't reach the cell network.