Recommend me a GPS unit!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

With the explosion of GPS technology, I’ve quite lost the thread of which company makes which product, which ones are considered “high-end” and which ones are meh. I know the market has fractured into handheld, auto, crossover, fitness, PC-based, etc. systems, and all manner of combinations. I’ve read a bunch of reviews, and now I’m looking for Doper opinions. What’s your favorite?

My requirements and/or specifications:

  1. I need a tough, weatherproofed handheld unit. It will be used rarely for auto navigation, but its main function will be all-weather, off-road and off-trail use.

  2. The unit should be compatible with 7.5 topo maps, either bundled or as an extra.

  3. Color readout, with map display, a plus.

  4. Usual yadda yadda yadda including WAAS enabling, altimeter, compass, etc.

Any opinions or recommendations?

2

I have a Garmin eTrex Vista HCx which does everything you want. The topo maps are extra $ on already spendy unit, though .

3

Thank you!

4

I am using a Garmin 60CSx and I like it a bunch.

5

I’m a dyed-in-the-wool cacher (www.geocaching.com and www.terracaching.com). My first GPSr was the Garmin Etrex Legend . I recently upgraded to the 76 CSX and think it is wonderful.

6

Does anybody have any experience with the type you install in your car and connect to your PDA or smartphone?

7

Not sure if it’s quite what you’re thinking of, but when I had the Palm Treo, I had the little Garmin one that worked on it by Bluetooth…it didn’t really install in the car though…I could carry it with me in my pocket to use it while walking too. It did turn by turn and voice guidance just like the larger car ones. I liked it a lot…very portable and useful when traveling in rental cars in strange cities. The mapset took a lot of storage space on the phone though, so just make sure to get a nice big memory card and you’ll be fine.