GPS

[Geetch]

Any recommendations on brand or features to look for?

[Duck Nitz]

All my research points to a Garmin 76CS. THey can be had for around $550 @ Cabelas but I saw em' on Ebay for $425.00. Check out Garmin's website and lokk at the feautures of that thing, then ask all the folks on here. THey'll tell you that the 76CS is worth the extra dough. Save up!

[deepdweller]

i love the garmins brand

[B.S.D.]

Garmin GPSMap76 is a good one. Around 300 bucks, its waterproof and floats too!!! Very user friendly.

[MIKE CRAIGHEAD]

I have a garmin V and it is great to take in the woods or mounted in the truck. I got it at best buy for around 300 dollars. It is not color but my dad has one that is color and the batteries die so quick that it is really only good in the vehicle. I take mine pretty much everywhere.

[WetDawg]

Features to look for depend on how you plan to use it. On land (woods or city?)in the boat or both? Do you intend upload maps? Download tracks? Uploads routes?

Do you want a mountable unit hand-held?

Best all-around unit in my learned opinion:

Garmin eTrex Vista $234.95 @ http://www.thegpsstore.com/

[Rubberhead*]

Here's what I'd look for in a modern GPS unit:

1) USB instead of the stanard serial interface. It take nearly an hour to load 24MB of maps into my Garmin Vista using the serial interface but I can load 56MB of maps into my Garmin GPSmap 60CS in about three minutes using the USB connection. In addition, they don't put serial ports on computers anymore.

The list of USB GPS units that I know of are Garmin GPSmap 60, 60C, 60CS, 76C and 76CS. The GPSmap 76 and 76S do not have USB interfaces.

2) Color screens. As far as I know there are no downsides to the color screens on the Garmins. They have better resolution, and better battery life. All of the USB GPSs above except the GPSmap 60 are color units.

3) Tidal predictions: All of the above mentioned units have tidal predictions.

4) Barometer and electronic compass.

Based on this list I would narrow my choices down to either the Garmin GPSmap 60CS or GPSmap 76CS. These units also have autorouting.

[Swamp Rat]

I have to throw in my hat with the Garmin GPSMAP 76CS. I have the Fishing Hot Spots and City Select map sets and love it. Easy to read and use. As Rubberhead indicated, USB capable. LOTS of memory (important if you are traveling a long ways and use auto-routing).

I took mine to Washington (DC) last week, having loaded the map sets I needed into it. I had it route me from my house to my neice's apartment in the middle of town (I have NO knowledge of downtown DC) - it took us STRAIGHT to her doorstep. Slick. While walking around, if we got hungry, we could bring up the list of nearest eating places and have it map us to it. Same with ATM machines, Metro stations, attractions.... it was awesome.

For hunting, it does it all. I have my better spots saved in it and it is flawless at getting me there - even in pea-soup fog (my primary reason for taking the plunge).

I recommend it.