Which GPS unit for me?

[TX mountain hunter]

I'm running out of time to buy a GPS and still get the maps in before my mid-September hunt. I'm looking for a GPS that will load fast, and be user friendly. I'm planning on using this unit to hunt public land in multiple states over the next couple years. Therefore, I would like the unit to be SD card compatible so I can buy some cards of the public / private overlays from the links through this website.

I was looking at the Rino units, but my buddy has talked me out of those due to the limited range of the unit to unit location communication feature & the limited radio range. We would like to be able to see where each other is at for more than just a mile or two.

Bottom line I guess, what is the most affordable unit I should go with so I still have money for extra batteries, charger, maps and other accessories (which accessories should I focus on?).

Thanks!

[junior71]

Originally Posted by Huntin Fool

I'm running out of time to buy a GPS and still get the maps in before my mid-September hunt. I'm looking for a GPS that will load fast, and be user friendly. I'm planning on using this unit to hunt public land in multiple states over the next couple years. Therefore, I would like the unit to be SD card compatible so I can buy some cards of the public / private overlays from the links through this website.

I was looking at the Rino units, but my buddy has talked me out of those due to the limited range of the unit to unit location communication feature & the limited radio range. We would like to be able to see where each other is at for more than just a mile or two.

Bottom line I guess, what is the most affordable unit I should go with so I still have money for extra batteries, charger, maps and other accessories (which accessories should I focus on?).

Thanks!

I would look into the recon app for cell phone for 6 bucks. My son just got it on his i_phone
And it works great!

[TX mountain hunter]

Will that app work several miles back in the middle of nowhere? Most of the places I will be going in to will not have any cell phone reception. Will it show the public land private land overlays?

If so, do you know the full name of the app? Thanks.

[TX mountain hunter]

Sorry for the double message. Trying to write this on a stupid iPhone.

[hoovertx4]

I use a delorme pn60, it comes with all the maps you need and you get free aerial photo downloads also, its easy to operate also.

[junior71]

Works without cell signal and shows private vs state/blm.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/cabelas/reconhunt/prweb8191010.htm

[solitude]

Thumbs down on the recon smartphone app. Tried it last year, and I was not impressed. Smartphone GPS antenna are not as robust as a dedicated GPS unit. Horrible reception in forested areas... poor acquisition speed. Battery life on the smartphone with the GPS running is poor as well. And, you'll need some way of recharging your smartphone in the field on multi-day hunts.


I'd stick with Garmin or Magellan that use standard AA batteries. I use the eTrex 20, which has expandable memory. Don't waste your money on a more expensive unit... unless you need other built-in features, like camera, 3-axis compass, wireless sharing, etc.