Best GPS for Mountaineering?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 9:30 pm
Any suggestions on a good handheld GPS for use Mountaineering? Obviously looking for something lightweight and reliable....
Thanks all!
Thanks all!
Climbing, hiking, mountaineering forum
https://www.summitpost.org/phpBB3/
https://www.summitpost.org/phpBB3/best-gps-for-mountaineering-t49595.html
Could you expand on just what you mean by your comment?Day Hiker wrote:Beware of Garmin's Colorado (and Oregon) models because, unless Garmin has recently fixed this, they don't accurately keep waypoint lat/lon information. I bought a Colorado a while back, noticed the problem, and contacted Garmin. But they didn't give a shit and said they would address it if it became a problem -- as if keeping the location of your waypoints is not one of the most basic and important functions of a GPS.
MtnHermit wrote:Could you expand on just what you mean by your comment?Day Hiker wrote:Beware of Garmin's Colorado (and Oregon) models because, unless Garmin has recently fixed this, they don't accurately keep waypoint lat/lon information. I bought a Colorado a while back, noticed the problem, and contacted Garmin. But they didn't give a shit and said they would address it if it became a problem -- as if keeping the location of your waypoints is not one of the most basic and important functions of a GPS.
twoshuzz wrote:I'll second the 60CSx. Spendy, but I love mine.
squishy wrote:I want one for driving and hiking, which would that be? I get more lost while driving...
MarthaP wrote:I have yet to go anywhere with anyone relying on a GPS who actually got us to our proper destination.
Day Hiker wrote:MarthaP wrote:I have yet to go anywhere with anyone relying on a GPS who actually got us to our proper destination.
You need to hike with me then. I've been using GPS extensively since 1997, and I have become very familiar with how to use them. More importantly, I know how much or little to trust them and when to completely ignore them!
dan2see wrote:I use a Garmin eTrex Summit. I think it's the best GPS you can carry. It doesn't have built-in map, but that's not very useful anyway. I mean, when was the last time you need help to discover you were on the summit?
Day Hiker wrote:MtnHermit wrote:Could you expand on just what you mean by your comment?Day Hiker wrote:Beware of Garmin's Colorado (and Oregon) models because, unless Garmin has recently fixed this, they don't accurately keep waypoint lat/lon information. I bought a Colorado a while back, noticed the problem, and contacted Garmin. But they didn't give a shit and said they would address it if it became a problem -- as if keeping the location of your waypoints is not one of the most basic and important functions of a GPS.
Yes. It is still accurate, like your photo shows. The problem is something different.
Upload a set of waypoints from computer to GPS and then download them back to the computer. Compare the coordinates to the original, and they will be off by a small amount. It IS only a small amount, but it is for EVERY waypont, EVERY time. So, if you're like me, and you manage your waypoints on the computer and upload to the GPS for the region you're going, that small offset is going to give you a significant drift over time, and it's going to be for every waypoint.
Personally, I don't see why any change in lat/lon should be considered acceptable. My two other Garmin units, the GPS-V and 60CSx, keep the coordinates intact, at least down to the 5th decimal place in degrees, which is the precision of the display, and there is no drift over time or with each download. With these units, I have uploaded and downloaded waypoints hundreds of times, and the coordinates remain the same.
To store waypoint lat/lon information is such a basic function for a GPS, and the fact that the Colorado screws this up is an indication of crappy work by Garmin on this unit. Keep in mind that I have no agenda against Garmin as a company, as I am endorsing another one of their products, the 60CSx. Although, it was annoying that their customer service had no interest in checking out an issue that would have been so easily reproduced by them. Just upload, download, and compare.
islesrule7 wrote:Any suggestions on a good handheld GPS for use Mountaineering? Obviously looking for something lightweight and reliable....