Handheld gps

[eddd]

I've played around with the idea of getting one of these before, but I'm getting to the point where I think I'll need one...if it can do what I'm asking.

 

I'm getting ready to do some back road traveling in Nevada and Utah. I'll be traveling dirt roads in some really desolate areas. I have the Road and Recreation Atlas for each state, and I use those to plan the trip. My concern is when traveling on these roads signage can be sparse to nonexistant. The biggest challenge occurs when I come across crossroads and it isn't clear which way to go.

 

I want to be able to use the gps grids on the atlas and the gps to ensure I'm heading in the right direction. Some of the travels will be on my dual sport and some in the truck.

 

Easy to use features, good battery life, reasonable price are all important, but even more important is the maps. This is where I really need help. I'm not clear as to what comes preloaded and what needs to be purchased. Another concern is the detail available in these remote areas.

 

Thanks for your suggestions and guidance.

[johnlt]

Ed, I use my 276C for dual sport GPS. I have it "bike powered" but it also has a battery that's good for about 8 hours which is the best I've seen. I loaded Garmin TOPO maps onto the memory chip and can get 2 or 3 states worth of maps on there. With all TOPO maps, the issue may be currency. Any roads that are new within the last 20 years may not be on the TOPOs. Not sure what other TOPO charts are available. I am actually quite surprosed at how many dirt road are included in the latest version of City Navigator. It includes pretty much everything I ride. For instance, it has that road from the end of the paved road in Capital Reef NP that climbs up to Rt. 12. That's a pretty tough road but it's on CN. The problem with all of them is that you have to zoom way in to get the detail layer and loose perspective. When you zoom out to get perspective, the detail goes away.

[elkroeger]

If I understand your needs, what you're looking for is a unit loaded with topo maps, rather than just streets. I'm inclined to say that if you get the topo maps for your current gps, you'd have everything you need. A handheld isn't going to do much more. Battery life perhaps would be the biggest difference, but what does that matter, if you're not really leaving your vehicle?

 

For me, travelling dirt roads with gps and paper maps is really a visual thing. I look a the screen and compare that with what the paper map looks like. Go back and forth a time or two, and you should be able to narrow down your location on the paper map. It helps to keep good track of your odometer readings. And sometimes you have to take the fork in the road and decide later, after a short distance, that it was the wrong one. [Edit: to avoid not knowing your location (or being plain old lost), you should check your location regularly, and more frequently when there are few landmarks.]

 

You mentioned using the grids printed on the paper maps. I do this a fair amount with 7.5' USGS maps, and I'll say it's a bit of a pain in the butt. You have to get your map datum and your coordinate system to agree between gps and paper. And transferring the gps data to your paper map usually requires a ruler and a pencil, depending on how exact you need to be. Most people use UTM for this type of work because the grid is quite a bit smaller than most, and it's metric (and thus, easier to use), but it's not printed on a lot of maps. Indeed, many atlases and maps don't have any grids marked on them, or they're way too large scale to be of much value. The bottom line, really, as I see it, is that working this way with paper maps and gps isn't practical for anything but foot travel.

 

Having said that, however, I would encourage you to try it. Here's a great website that explains all of that stuff in detail. Click on the tutorials:

 

http://www.maptools.com/index.html

 

 

[dirtrider]

Morning eddd

 

There are a lot of GPS units available that will do what you need.

 

Kind of depends on what you want to spend, if you want to ride using the GPS as constant guidance, & what type of mapping you want to buy.

 

I do a lot of what you are asking, like traveling desolate roads in remote areas with lots of road direction decisions.

 

My GPS of choice for that is the Garmin 60CSX. That unit can take both the latest NT road mapping & 24K topo maps. Can work hand held or be powered by the motorcycle battery. Is really water proof & fairly shock proof. Big plus for me is the 60CSX has a built in MAGNETIC compass. Most GPS units have a compass ability but a lot are just electronic based off the satellite information. This works good while moving but once you stop for a time won't read correctly again until you start moving again (makes it difficult in remote areas while sitting still trying to decide what direction to go next).

 

The 60 CSX also has a great antenna & superior satellite reception so works positively great under heavy tree cover or very cloudy skies (something a lot of cheaper GPS units don't do well on). The 60 CSX also seems to have some sort of built in inertial navigation so will keep on track for a while even under impossible tree cover with total loss of satellite reception due to overhead obstructions.

 

To me the downside of the Garmin 60 CSX is a smaller screen that has a lot of reflection to it & it isn't a cheap unit. But so far I haven't found a better GPS for off road, back road, remote area exploring. The 60 CSX also has great track handling ability, fantastic track back (get you back out of tough spots that suddenly end at a river, or lake, or canyon. The track back allows EXACTLY going back out the way you came in (only appreciated if you get into an area that ONLY has one way back out & that being EXACTLY the way you came in).

 

The 60 CSX isn't being made anymore but there are still lots of new ones around. As for mapping choice, the 60 CSX only comes with a world map installed so you still need to buy the NT (on road routable) mapping & some sort of topo map is you want fine off road detail. I personally like the 24K topo's as those are routable but some of the Topo's available are free.

 

It looks like the newer Garmin Montana or Dakota might work but I haven't spent any time researching those as I still really like my 60 CSX.

 

Hopefully you get a lot of suggestions on different GPS units so you can make an informed decision based of a lot of personal likes from different users.

 

The other thing to do is to call some of the commercial off road ride guides. Most are pretty specific on what type/brand of GPS they request or require to go on their off road rides based on their past experience with riders using different units. (the 60 CS or 60 CSX is usually near the top of the list) but I bet there are others they are allowing now.

 

Some of the marine GPS or Plotters are also pretty good off road but are more involved to learn to use & a lot only hold limited road type mapping.

 

 

 

 

 

[wbrissette]

For off-road adventures, you really can't beat DeLorme, their latest is the PN-60. I have the older PN-40 and used it along with my Zumo last year when I went traipsing through NM, CO, AZ, and UT. The Zumo beats the DeLorme hands down when it comes to roads, but the DeLorme is awesome for off-roading. I haven't seen any GPS that works well in both situations. The DeLorme will work on the road, but it's pretty limited there in my opinion. The Topo software (PC only) that comes with the DeLorme unit is awesome, for an additional amount (I think it's $40 a year), you can download B&W, Color, and a couple of different USGS map sets. These can then be over-layed on the GPS screen, so you not only get the images Delorme creates, but various images as well.

 

Wayne

[BerndM]

For off-road adventures, you really can't beat DeLorme, their latest is the PN-60. I have the older PN-40 and used it along with my Zumo last year when I went traipsing through NM, CO, AZ, and UT. The Zumo beats the DeLorme hands down when it comes to roads, but the DeLorme is awesome for off-roading. I haven't seen any GPS that works well in both situations. The DeLorme will work on the road, but it's pretty limited there in my opinion. The Topo software (PC only) that comes with the DeLorme unit is awesome, for an additional amount (I think it's $40 a year), you can download B&W, Color, and a couple of different USGS map sets. These can then be over-layed on the GPS screen, so you not only get the images Delorme creates, but various images as well.

 

Wayne

 

I couldn't AGREE more. The DeLorme (IMO) stomps all over the Garmins in the mapping that is available and for a MUCH lower cost.

There is a version of the PN-60 that will link to a matching emergency locator device.

 

Check it out here

 

http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10460&minisite=10020

[JR356]

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=435018&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&storeId=11151&storeNum=50157&subdeptNum=50177&classNum=50179

 

Handheld Garmin unit,same inside as a Garmin 60Csx,in a waterproof case that floats,unlike the 60,which does not float.

Need to add mapset such as Garmins Topo or City Nav NT.

REI has topo on sale now.

 

JR356