Guys,
I can't thank you enough for the time you've spent on this thread.  I will confess that even though I  carry a compass, I do not know how to use it to the fullest (*gulp*), but, it is on my list of things to do and will get done sooner than later.


Hat's off to you all,
Chris

I've used two Garmins.  The E-Trex Legend and the Garmin Rhino.  The Garmin Rhino is tops in my opinion.  It incoroprates two way radio and GPS.  The biggest feature is its capability to locate and identify the person caling you on a similar unit.  Their position is automatically  marked on your screen with distance and heading markers.  It worked superbly on an elk hunt in Arizona with my son.  He was almost out of range when I called him and the only words he heard were "blood coming our of both sides".  Because he had an admediate bearing on me by my transmission he was back with me without any difficulty.  The Garmin Rhinow is tops in my book.

BD,

+1 on the UTM.  I switched to it from lat/lon a while back, and I should have done it much sooner!

UTM:  FWIW,  all the older USGS topo maps are tic marked for UTM.  I grid mine out with a straight edge and a pen.  However the last few USGS maps I purchased had the grid printed on them already.

zilla,

Yes, exactly...and if you custom print them at REI, print them on your own software at home, or order them from a place like MyTopo, you can customize the grid overlay.  Boy, do we have it nice these days, or what?

Does anyone use a Mac?  Have you found a GPS compatible with that?

Thanks!

lt-m-grow, you are right, the vista HCx does have the high sensitivity receiver, that model is not even on my brochure. I dosn't have the double helix antennae of the 60CSx, which is an improvement on the patch antennae used on the vista line. I talked to THREE of the yuppie hiker types at the REI store today, they said don't mess around just get the 60CSx. The Garmin engineer back in January told me the same thing basically.

I will take a meduim priced (FAST lock on) GPS with a 7.5 paper topo map versus a High dollar GPS with High dollar software maps any day.

Reason...That topo is what 24" by 24" and that gps LCD is 2" by 3"

UTM........UTM.........UTM.........TOPO........TOPO........TOPO.......

You can reference tons of more reference off a 7.5 topo than a 2" by 3" screen

Use both. It doesn't have to be either/or.

If you're in deep cover that double helix atennae is preiceless.

Curveman... I was refering to I rather use a decent WAAS GPS WITH a 7.5 Topo.....THAN....a high priced GPS with software downloaded.

Map is bigger than a 2 x 3 lcd..

Curveman... I was refering to I rather use a decent WAAS GPS WITH a 7.5 Topo.....THAN....a high priced GPS with software downloaded.

Joebuck,

I only meant I have the download and the map.  and the compass.  

I was wondering if anyone has tried one of these??

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/standard-pod-wrapped.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=0314_gps-search_redir&rid=&indexId=cat21350&navAction  =push&masterpathid=&navCount=1&parentType=index&parentId=cat21350&id=0045004

I was shopping on line at American express...and I can cash in some of my points and get it free.  Tom nor I have ever owned GPS amd I am not sure if this is a good deal or not.  It sells at Cabelas for 299 but I can get it free by spending about 44,000 of my points on it.

Thanks for your help.

Okay...if no one has tried the Bushnell Onix
200CR...is it one you would want to try???  Is a Garmin or other brand better?  Do you know if it is user friendly or a pain in the petuna???

Dina look here

  http://www.gpsreview.net/bushnell-onix-200/  

lots of info on them if you google Bushnell Onix GPS

Personally I'd stick with a Garmin

I you type in comparison of hand held gps's you'll get all kinds of info.

Depends on if you want basic or fancy smancy. Basic will get you back and forth to anything. Fancy smancy will get you back and forth and let you download form your computer, tell you the weather and wipe your nose when it gets runny  ha ha Some you can load with streetmaps software and use in your truck for navigation and to find restaurants and such.

Cool....thanks Mickey!

Quoteuse in your truck for navigation and to find restaurants and such.

**find restaurant serving good biscuits-n-gravy after 10 AM**

Now that would be a GPS !

GOT THAT RIGHT JEFF! LOL