Anyone use GPS?

[DEERSLAYER]

I am suprised at the lack of views and responces in the GPS, maping , etc. forum. Do many of you use a GPS?

[Eastern Yooper]

I use it all the time on my boat: I have every buoy in the St. Mary's river from the locks down to Lime Island, including around Neebish & Sugar Island. I've got the edge close to shore where the reeds protrude out programmed in. Several small islands marked for duck hunting. The drop-offs marked for walleye fishing. Navigational hazards plotted as well.

Lots of spots marked in Munuscong bay: Underground channels, weed edges, rock piles, and so forth.

Ditto for Little Bay De Noc: Lots of hot spots, reefs, drop-offs etc.

I can navigate my boat in the fog (and have done so several times). I can ice-fish, snowmobile on the bays and safely get to or from the bay if weather conditions are bad (blizzard).

But I don't use a GPS for hunting. I never saw any sense in marking 'Uncle Homers hotspot' and so forth. Plus, I don't feel the map cartridges are all that accurate, at least from the models I've seen. Too generic and not specific enough.

[Robow]

I'm looking to get a GPS soon, I didn't know there was a fourm for this until now.

[Chuck]

I must not be able to read....... I dont see a forum for gps and mapping???? which one is it?

[toots]

I use GPS for boating. Before that I had loran. I use it on Saginaw Bay. It can save your day. I would use it for hunting If I hunted remote areas. Farm country hunting is pretty easy to get around. toots

[DEERSLAYER]

Chuck,

It's in the "out and about" section. You have to scroll way down to see it. The section reads:

"Mountian Biking, Hiking, GEO caching, GPS usage, Maps"

[Michigan Hunter]

I use GPS all the time. Have used them for 6 years. I now have an eTrex Legend mapping and have every blind and buck rub marked on property I hunt in the Thumb. I can walk up to my blinds in the dark or fog within 15 feet. I also hunt out west and CA on thousands of acre ranches and cannot even start to hunt them without GPS. Once you get one and use it you find it is necessary for a safe easy hunt.

[Mainspring]

Funny...I remember in the Army when a guy had to have a "Secret" security clearance to play with a GPS. Does that make me old???

[Big Shooter]

I agree with michigan hunter; I hunt the remote areas of the U.P. and do alot of still hunting and scouting and would'nt be caught in the woods without one. When you can hunt 4 square miles without any roads or 2 tracks with the total security of not getting lost, it somehow makes you a more confidant and capable hunter. Also anyone that fishes the great lakes without a gps or marine radio is tempting fate!

[KEN W.]

I've got a gps and had finally figured out how it worked about the last day of muzzleloading season of 2001 but them I put it away for the summer. I got it back out before bow season and I still have'nt refigured out how it works again yet. Its a garmin 315 and to me the instructions are kind of confusing or I'm just an idiot. I do know that it eats batteries like no tomorrow. 2 AA bateries last about 3-4 hours use max. I should learn how to use it because I'm fishing in Canada this spring and I would like to mark the camp and the fishing spots.

[flyrod4steelhead]

I have been wanting one for a couple of years now, and my wife finally bought me one for christmas. I can't wait to use it. I have the Garmin Etrex, the yellow one. My dad and freind both have the same one, they do not go hunting without them. If it wasn't for my dad's GPS last year, I would not have shot my 8pt. I will use mine for both hunting and fishing.

[sfw1960]

Not usually huntin' 'Slayer , but fishin' it's ALWAYS on.....
:D Robert:D

[walleyeman]

I would not leve home without it. I don't use it to much hunting, but in the boat and Ice fishing it is like a old friend when it starts to snow and blow or the fog rolls in.:eek:

[WALLDADY]

I use a Garmin 12 . It is basic and very easy to use both on the water and in the woods . I bring it with even if Im hunting /fishing spots that Im familiar with . Conditions change , and it WILL keep you from getting lost .

Good Luck and Safe Trips ............. Walldady

[RJF]

I won a GPS handheld Garman Model at an Albion Elks Club Walleye Dinner. Mark Martin was a guest speaker. I have not used it off the boat. I even took it to Florida, and rented a boat for an afternoon of snorkelinig in the Florida Keys. It performed very well. I found the exact spot on the reef, as well as the way home. It is always turned on, when the boat is in the water. A very good indicator of trolling speed.

I'll watch the forum for tips.

[quest32a]

i have the etrex legend, i have a car mount and the extra software. i love it, i haven't used it much in the woods but i have used it to find some places(outings) and it has helped me find my way around a few times. good investment.

[DEERSLAYER]

Is the E-Trex or any other GPS' set up with pull down menuse (kinda like Windows) like my Rino?

[Big Game]

I use a Garmin GPS 12 when I'm hunting. Both deer and when hunting with my hounds. I mark where the truck is parked and am able to walk right back to it. I also mark all the trees that the dogs treed on. When I get home I upload them to DeLorme Hunt n' Map. It is some good software that is affordable. I would like to get a better GPS someday that has two tracks on it. That way when at the tree I can tell where the nearest road is to walk out to. Sometimes it's easier to go to the closest road then drag back through however you came in to the tree. My uncle has the Etrex Summit and I played with his, but it doesn't show two tracks. Can anybody tell me what model shows most two tracks?

[Dawg]

I have the Etrex Vista from Garmin. I believe the only difference from the Legend is case color/material and memory capacity (Vista 24Mb and Legend 8Mb). This essentially limits how much material you can upload from Garmin MapSource CDROMs. Currently I have detailed road information for the entire state which includes most 2 tracks and several prominent footpaths loaded. I tried a friends topography CD but found it clouded an already small viewing area, for my uses. Would like to try the Fishing HotSpots CD but none of their software is cheap.

I use it wherever I go. Instant extreme detail road maps for anywhere in the state. Advanced information on the highway, listing which specific businesses and services are available at any exit (a huge time saver with a diesel engine). Easily the best gadget I own.

In the woods the uses are equally as diverse. Certainly not a necessity, but for me there is no going back. I always carry a compass as batteries are not infallible and in forests before the leaf drop they can be rendered useless under a dense canopy. I use them to mark prospective new spots and sign, kind of a pocket journal. I have used them as an aerial aide in tracking deer, it gives you a static reference of where you have walked, how far, how long it took. Another means of predicting destinations crossing points, etc.

It also has pull-down menus and is very easy to navigate.

[Michigan Hunter]

Dawg, I have the eTrex Legend. You can find two tracks but it gets costly. I hunt West Coast, Montana, Colorado, Alabama, and Michigan. If you get the eTerx Legend it has a fair maping built in. But you need to get Metro Guide CD and Topo Maps CD. That gets you into $200. more than the cost of the eTrex. But when I am in the south, the Metro Guide CD shows all the two tracks in the area I am hunting in. Even some that the guides were not even aware of. Out West I use the Topo Maps because they show the two tracks in the mountains and ranches I hunt on. With MapSource (the pgm you load into your computer) you check between either CD and it will show which one is going to show the two tracks. Then you load that series of maps into the unit and go hunting! All in all I have not been disatisfied with them and with this group of materials I have it all. I even use it while traveling to my destination and find it invaluable when going off route. I can find my way anywhere! By the way, Metro Guide even gives you street names and addresses! But you can only load in 8 meg which is maybe 3/4 of michigan. But you load for the areas you will be in and that's OK.

[bbentley]

The GPS is essential to navigate in vast areas without landmarks or at night or if the fog rolls in etc... but when you are on foot, they are worthless without a good compass. Here's why. The GPS is updated every one second by the satellites. When one is in a boat (or in their driveway walking) and traveling a constant track, it is quite easy for the instrument to give one a proper heading to a point. If, however, you are maneuvering through the woods and changing headings every step to avoid brush and other obstacles, the headings will be bad. You'll wind up "chasing your arrow" because by the time the GPS gave you a heading, you've already changed yours.
I flew a combat aircraft in the Air Force and we trained to navigate in a featureless desert if shot down (ie Iraq). Pull out your GPS, pull up the waypoint you want to go to (always save your parking spot for wilderness hunts), get a magnetic heading (not a true heading), turn your GPS off, pull out your compass and travel in that direction...after about a half mile, pull out your GPS and update the mag heading you're following. Hope that helps. GPS units are great...don't leave home without one....and a compass.

[FASTRNU]

I bought the cheapest Etrex. I also got the lighter adapter and dash mount. I put it on my snowmobile and marked the motel we stay at. I also mark gas stations along the way. It does work very well.

[Chuck]

I have a compass all the time. Im amazed at how every year I run into a peed off hunter who does not know where the road is. I got lost once when I was 14 and after that I always have a compass and havent beeen lost in the woods since. I dont always know where Im at but I know how to get out.:)

Im wondering though how much would a unit be? are there less expensive ones that still work ok?

I was thinking of the family pitching in to get my dad one for his bday. He has hunted the same swamp for over 20 years and still gets lost once in awhile going in in the dark. He goes in about 1 1/2 miles or more so its easy to do. He dosent use any tree marking devices either. I think he would think its a toy till he used it.

[Dawg]

There are a few different new models on the market promoting different advantages. For example some have larger screens which would be easier to read (not knowing your fathers age). One new model also contains FRS radio which is another great toy, it broadcasts users location to others who are on the same frequency, he can get some help dragging a brute 1.5mi.

For the purpose of getting in and out it's a great tool. We rented a shanty on Black Lake last Saturday about 1 1/2 mile out. Using the GPS we were able to follow our own tracks out in very low visibility within feet of our original path.

http://gpsdiscount.com/ (http://)

has several different manufacturers represented and gives a detailed description of current models. As far as inexpensive, I don't know what price range you are looking for. I have found their pricing very competitive in the past.

[quest32a]

gps software...............
if you can find it go to one of the internet software sharing sites ie kazaa. and you can find any software you want. im not a big fan of kazaa, for the simple fact you sometimes download more programs than you need, so make sure all of your virus software is up to date and your computor is protected. but currently i have 150 worth of gps software burned to a disc that i downloaded.

[stelmon]

I use a GPS all the time. Especially in the St Clair area:D :p

They are a very nice tool sometimes but can be a pain

[Hunt4Ever]

I use GPS almost everyday and I trust my life and the life of others to it.

A wonderful tool for those who know how to use it.

[TheFlyfisher]

Yes, I have a Garmin E-Map and use it on my boat. Also it is a lifesaver when traveling. Add the Mapsource to it with Metro Guide U.S.A and Waterways @ Lights and you got everything. I really like it for hiking as well. I like Metro Guide alot because when traveling on the expressway it gives you residential street names, highways, and interstate exit service. Also food, drink, lodgeing attractions, and restrauants. Never got lost with it.
Mike

[Michigan Hunter]

Flyfisher: I have the eTrex Legend too. On a recent trip down to Alabama I just had to take a side trip to Jack Daniels Distillery. Going there and back to the Interstate was a breeze using the GPS. I have 12vdc power cord and a cellphone window mounting bracket and followed it no sweat. When stopping for food or an evening room it showed all the places I needed to know and how far. Then once down in Alabama for the hunt, I had the lodge and hunt blinds all located and could follow the two tracks back anytime. Like they say, use it and you will not believe what you can do with it.

[Melon]

I have the Garmin ETrex Venture. I have a couple of the add on cd's with such as recs and waterways. I use it for mainly fishing. Also works great hooked up to my laptop with Microsoft MapPoint while driving. Tells you exaclty where you are on the map.

[sausageman]

Get caught one time in the fog off Grindstone and you'll never leave port without one again. Even the simplest, cheapest model can save your ***** any day. I use a Sport trek on the boat and found a clamp type cell phone mount works great with the hand helds.

[krt]

I have an e-trex legend, also. I've used Garmins in the past and that's one of the main reasons I stuck with the brand. One of the biggest "cons" I've heard about Garmin is you have to buy "their" software and it's not cheap. I'm satisfied with mine except regarding the waas feature. I would suggest that you not buy a gps for this feature alone. I've spent a lot of time in the middle of houghton lake (to eliminate obstructions) trying to lock on to one of these two waas satellites with no luck. I called the company and they said I probably never will. These two satellites are so low on the horizon that you will have to be in the right part of the country to lock on them. I guess they were originaly put up there for airplane navigation, not for land use.

Anyway, I use mine on land and water all of the time. The only time I can remember having problems navigating with it is in the summer when the leaves are thick and I happen to be in a woods with a canopy so thick that you can't see through it. In the fall hunting or spring mushroom hunting I've rarely had a problem. Good idea carrying a compass though, because you never know when the batteries will fail(depending on usage), gps will die, or you simply can't get a lock on.

Surf the net for prices. When I bought mine, the prices ranged from $200 to around $250. Someplaces also ship for free.

[Michigan Hunter]

krt: I also have the eTrex Legend and seem to always lock in on WAAS everywhere. In Michigan I lock on the Atlantic one and in California I get the Pacific one. It seems to bring the accuracy down maybe 30-50%. I have had accuracy down to 12 feet at times. Did you enable the waas in the Main Menu? It has to be enabled to work.
You are right about extra cost for CD's but I am satisfied with mine very well. I have the Topo maps and Metro Guide and use them all the time. I find Topo shows two tracks in the woods and Metro Guide is invaluable traveling or simply around town. I have been using Garmin for years... (had Garmin 38, Garmin 12 and now the Legend, also Garmin 160 Fishfinder in the boat)

[WALLEYE MIKE]

I use it all the time on the boat and at times on the ice. I don't leave home without it!!!!

[William H Bonney]

I have the Garmin 76 emap, its a great unit. And it floats.
MY main concern when I was looking for one ,, was EASE of use.
I didn't care how much it costs, just was it easy to use.

It does take a bit of getting use to, when you're lost, it seems that I just don't want to "trust " it.

But its always DEAD ON.

What an amazing developement in technology

[rabbit whacker]

I use mine quite a bit. I take whenever I go some where new.

[gman12]

I'm like KEN W. I have a Magellan 320, it also eats AA batteries, still haven't quite got it all figured out. Anyone know of a good book on GPS? (GPS for Dummy's?)

[Mad Jack]

I use mine Magellin all the time on the boat, Plus i have a lorance Hand held unit that i use as a back up and also use it for hunting.

I try not to leave home with out it. I also have a loran on the boat but not forsure how to use it.