GPS systems

[Budd Denny]

How many use the Lowrance GPS systems? I have used there products for a # of years and have always highly recommended them. Today I had ANOTHER power cord go bad. Between me and family members, and friends I know of 8 power cords going bad. I had one go bad while hunting in Maine and could not find a dealer to purchase another.
I wish they would come out with better power cords.
Today I am done with there systems. What systems do you fellas recommend, looking for a colored screen that excepts road system maps, that I can plot trails, old roads on.

[tntoutfitting]

Bud, go with a Garmin product; get one that compliments the Astro system (apples to apples, so to speak) so the guys in the truck are looking at the same screen as the guy on the ground if you are using radios.

Try the Garmin GPSMAP 276C. Nice big screen. Likely newer options but I have a few of those and they do what you want.

[Buddyw]

The Nuvi 500 and 550 can take TOPO maps and show plenty of the Forest roads and such out in the woods as well as naming creeks, streams etc.

I wish I would have waited to get my wife that one.. Now I have a 260 that isn't worth a damn in the Woods.

Buddy

[Nolte]

Budd,

I've had pretty much them all at one time or another since they came out. It really depends on what you are going to use it for.

Garmin I think has the best overall GPS. They have good maps, controls, menus and seem to link up fast. Had an XL12 when GPS first came out and now have an astro.

If you are going to use it a lot for fishing, I would go with Lowrance. The lake map products available and selection are second to none. Nearly all my buddies that really fish hard have GPS/Fishfinders that are Lowrance. I have an XOG for the car and it is pretty slick, but I don't know if you can find them any more. For $150 you got a turn by turn that could also handle topo and lake map applications. In addition it had a good power cord. Those H2O series power cords are junk, been through damn near a dozen of them. Great handheld though, still ticking after using non stop for nearly 5 years.

Magellan, I had the their original mapping GPS and it was very good at the time, but it was black/white and not nearly as good as any of the current GPS available. I had the meridian series and finally returned it to get a lowrance. Nearly every one we had went bad, where the battery connections would corrode.

[Budd Denny]

Looking for something I can also take out of the truck and carry in the woods with me. My Lowrance Expedition C that I use now is a great system does everything I want a GPS for but I'm just tired of replacing cords. Mine is turned on 24-7 in the truck, never shut it off, great reception. Don't care to use it for fishing.
Which Garmin system would you recommend just for hunting purposes, would like plenty of trail storage space. Don't need anything smarter than me, just for too and from along with plotting and saving trails. Also I do plan on getting a Astro system in the near future. If you are not tracking dogs with it does it screw em up while using my 25 watt truck radio?

[Nolte]

Budd,

I know you can turn on/off tracking on an Astro, but I don't know if it will still eventually burn them up. I think the GPS portion would have all the features you would need.

As for just a basic color mapping GPS, I'd look at something like the Oregon 200 which is new and has touchscreen controls. Or maybe something like the GPSMAP 60Cx. I have not had either one of these, but I think they would fit the bill for you.

In my truck, I've got my XOG set up that is on all the time. I leave the astro off. Once I locate a track to try, I fire up the astro and bump down my radio to lower watts. I've only taken my Astro out of the truck once and it worked great to find a couple dogs that were hung up on the river. Best thing was I KNEW what side of the river they were on. If we tree one, hopefully I'll have a dog in there and I'll check out the astro to find the quickest/easiest route to them. It sure saves a lot of guess work in certain places.

[Budd Denny]

The Oregon 200 and the Map 60Cx both only store 50 routes and 20 saved trails. That was one of the reasons I went with the Expedition C, 100 saved routes and 99 saved tracks.
I plot all trails I go down for future use. Has saved me lots of leg work and time. If only the power cords were good .
I just wrote Lowrance, maybe if I wine enough they will start replacing them for free .

[Nolte]

I know the new Lowrace products have a better power cord, but it looks like they have less tracks.

In the product guide for the garmins, I thought they had 50 routes and 200 tracks for the Oregon series.

Is it possible to store some of the points/tracks on an external memory card. Most times the topo maps don't take up all the space.

[Budd Denny]

Is it possible to store some of the points/tracks on an external memory card. Most times the topo maps don't take up all the space.

Something for me to check into . Thanks Nick............

[Budd Denny]

Finally got through to Lowrance today and told them of all the cords that I know of that have went bad and asked them if they could replace my cords when they go bad. She said they have never heard of cords going bad and it must be in the units . (funny, they are back ordered on replacement power cords)
BUT it would also cost me over $100 since the unit was over a year old. I told her exactly were they could stick their units in not such nice words.
(also was on hold for 52 minutes)

[Cat track]

Budd, she must of been confused. I just called Reeds in Walker and they are 29.00. Sounded like they had them in stock. As far switching brands i think i would stay with lowrance. I've tried them all and i think lowrance has them all beet as far as the operating system. Garmin seems like there is so many different menu's.