GPS shopping - What's the best for all purposes? (Off-roading being one...)

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LUV24BY

LUV24BY

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Sep 8, 2008
Threads
32
Messages
270
Location
Kirtland, OH
Well, we took our first trip on 11/9 with a buddies hand held Garmin 73C handheld GPS. It was slick, and now the wife and I are hooked!! SANTA BEST BRING US ONE!

So, my question is this - with the 80 series, what is the best type of GPS for driving on and off-road, and something that can be taken hiking too!

I was looking at the Garmin 760 or 780 series. These are for the car and for also carrying around with you when your not in the car.

Here's a 760:
nuvi760rf-thumb.jpg


Here's a 780:
0065_garmin-nuvi-5000.jpg



Can you recommend a good, multifunctional GPS to me? Is a NUVI best or a actual Hand Held? I am new to this GPS market and don't want to get burned by some dork salesman @ Best Buy. If a NUVI, where do you guys mount yours?

Yes, to answer your 'WHY THE HELL IS IT IN TECH', I believe this belongs in 80 Series Tech because it has to due with mounting and is specific to my 1993 FZJ80.

Thanks!
 
most of the ones I have seen are either for hiking or for on road driving, I have 2, a magellan 500 for hiking that has topo maps and a cheapo tom tom for on road driving. I could not find one that has both and would run topo maps. Maybe somebody else can give some better input. Good luck.

Noah
 
Yes, Topo maps are exactly what I was hoping to find in a all inclusive GPS. The 760 & 780 shown above only differ by the features available - and IMHO Topo maps are more important to me than some MSN link capability......

Found a slick website - perhaps someone could chime in with more info, thought I would pass this along: www.gpsnow.com



John
 
I can recommend the Magellan Explorist 500 for marine charts and geocaching. Topo maps on Christmas list.
 
damn pricey and a really small screen. Is that a good idea for driving? I also know nothing about GPS...at all and I too hope this stays in the 80 section because I need to find one and then learn how to install it into my LX and then making sure it doesn't walk away.
 
NLXTACY said:
damn pricey and a really small screen. Is that a good idea for driving?
Click to expand...

Have you considered using an old laptop for navigation? Those little handheld GPS screens drive me nuts.

I use the National Geographic TOPO! software when navigating on the trail

This is my setup (mount can be swiveled over the console allowing a front passenger):
 
Overland Journal's Editor's Choice is the Garmin 276C. OJ says, "The Garmin 276C is a rugged workhorse suitable for serious overlanding. I'm looking forward to many more years of exploration with it."
 
unwiredadventures said:
Have you considered using an old laptop for navigation? Those little handheld GPS screens drive me nuts.

I use the National Geographic TOPO! software when navigating on the trail

This is my setup (mount can be swiveled over the console allowing a front passenger):
Click to expand...

I want something that will allow a functional pass seat, so I am more looking for the mount on the windshield or the dash.

Thanks for the thought though!

John
 
unwiredadventures said:
Have you considered using an old laptop for navigation? Those little handheld GPS screens drive me nuts.

I use the National Geographic TOPO! software when navigating on the trail

This is my setup (mount can be swiveled over the console allowing a front passenger):
Click to expand...

If I did this I would have to mount my shotgun on the side of the console and add some plexiglass barriers behind the front seats.

I do like the big screen idea especially for topo maps.
 
NLXTACY said:
damn pricey and a really small screen. Is that a good idea for driving? I also know nothing about GPS...at all and I too hope this stays in the 80 section because I need to find one and then learn how to install it into my LX and then making sure it doesn't walk away.
Click to expand...
You are askign about Rino?
if yes then yea screen is small but thats because it is handheld too. I works great for driving I have one for over a year ( I have older version) plus it doubles as two way radio that you can take outside the car.
 
Well, I just pulled the trigger on the Nuvi 760. I should be getting it in a few days.

I had a hard time choosing also, but I needed one that would work in all three vehicles for road tripping and in the 80 for offroading. The 760 will upload garmin topo on an SD card, then you just scroll through the menu and switch from onroad to offroad.

I have a garmin 60csx and the screen is too small for driving. It is a great hiking gps, but sucks for driving. You almost have to stop to look at the screen while offroad and if you try and look around (on the screen), you quickly loose your way. Again, screen is too small.

I also didn't want a laptop in the cabin, I have tried that before and it is a pain in the a$$$. 80's aren't exactly overflowing with room and to ask your passenger to suffer more, didn't make sense to me.

I purhased my nuvi on ebay for $245 with free shipping. It is factory refurbished and comes sealed in the box with a full factory warranty.

I will let you know how it goes.

Jack
 
RedTacoma said:
Plus if you get another one to your wife you will always find each other quickly
Click to expand...

Why on earth would I want to know where the :princess: / wife is?? I thought the whole point to marriage was trying to LOOSE them!! :lol:;):p:lol:

John
 
locrwln1 said:
Well, I just pulled the trigger on the Nuvi 760. I should be getting it in a few days.

I had a hard time choosing also, but I needed one that would work in all three vehicles for road tripping and in the 80 for offroading. The 760 will upload garmin topo on an SD card, then you just scroll through the menu and switch from onroad to offroad.

I have a garmin 60csx and the screen is too small for driving. It is a great hiking gps, but sucks for driving. You almost have to stop to look at the screen while offroad and if you try and look around (on the screen), you quickly loose your way. Again, screen is too small.

I also didn't want a laptop in the cabin, I have tried that before and it is a pain in the a$$$. 80's aren't exactly overflowing with room and to ask your passenger to suffer more, didn't make sense to me.

I purhased my nuvi on ebay for $245 with free shipping. It is factory refurbished and comes sealed in the box with a full factory warranty.

I will let you know how it goes.

Jack
Click to expand...

YES! Thanks for that Jack! I too have been looking on eBay. I liked the fact the 760/780 series have the SD slot. If you throw in a 4 GB card, that's a butt load of maps, POI's and waypoints.

Please either PM me or post up your findings. Refurbished sounds good if it's done right. Fry's Electronics though has tarnished my opinion on so called 'refurbished' items.

John
 
RedTacoma said:
cf-lg.jpg

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=146&pID=8523#
You get topo, driving and two way radio in one unit
:D
Plus if you get another one to your wife you will always find each other quickly
Click to expand...




Thanks for posting that up. I might need one for my bike if I join a local DualSport club like I want to :D


I've got a thread up about small, dual purpose(on/ off road) GPSes if you'd like to poke yer head in Motorcycle tech and talk about it?

Motorcycle GPS.


Up until now, I've been contemplating some form of an E-Trex cause my Garmin C-330 has spoiled me with turn-by-turn directions, re-routing and points of interests. I didn't know there was a Rino.


:cheers:
 
Get a double din Kenwood unit that runs Garmin navigation. Then get a cheap handheld unit for hiking. That's what I did :)


gps1.jpg
 
Ive bought the Garmin 60CSX, heres the link:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=310

I love it. It works for me because I use it for the on-road,
off-road trails, and on water(for fishing).

Its a very rugged unit, unlike the nuvi units. Ive dropped it many times and i dont have to worry about it breaking. Its got a nice seal around the battery cover for water.

The most important option is that it has expandable memory, so you can add many different kinds of maps to it if you get a larger micro sd card. I have the road maps for California at the moment.

Also, another good feature is that you can download the waypoints into your computer so that if you loose the unit, you dont loose your precious saved data.

The only negative about this unit is that it does not have voice commands. At intersections, it beeps and shows the guidance.

Also, the screen is small compared to other units, but you get used to it.


Harry
 
I didn't read all the way through this so maybe it's a repeat, but you can upload Garmin MapSource Topo maps to your Nuvi. I have a Nuvi 650 and I use the preloaded maps for regular driving. When I hit the trail, I enter the settings and switch to topo maps which have had just about every trail in them. Even if the trail is not there, having the topo lines is great. The install was easy and tech support can help you if you need it.
 
1973Guppie said:
most of the ones I have seen are either for hiking or for on road driving, I have 2, a magellan 500 for hiking that has topo maps and a cheapo tom tom for on road driving. I could not find one that has both and would run topo maps. Maybe somebody else can give some better input. Good luck.

Noah
Click to expand...

Like 1973Guppie I could not find a dual pourpose unit that I liked and bought the cheep tomtom for on road and a good magellan for the trail.

On road I found that most of the bells and whistles offered are realy distracting and for everyday use I shut the voice and other alerts off and just run on the map view instead of 3D

Off road I appriciate a good built in compass and altimiter along with the waypoint tools but best of all is the "tracks" that show not only where you are but where you have been allowing you to back track if needed. Also battery life and or the ability to use standard batterys like AAs can make a huge difference if you are walking.

I payed less than $300 for both my units and only need to buy maps for the Magellan.

Just my 2c.

Mark
 
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