Many have discovered the benefits of owning a Garmin handheld GPS unit. If you would like to buy a new GPS unit, you might want to consider some units from among the different Garmin unit model lines. You might need more convincing though. Here’s why you should choose Garmin:
Variety of Choice
It’s amazing but it’s true. There are so many Garmin handheld units to choose from that you will simply not run out of options. If you’re major consideration is your budget, then you can easily find a monochromatic display unit with straight line directions. If you have a hard time with directions though, you can opt for a unit with the works. Several Garmin handheld GPS units have color displays and verbal directions that can give directions on every turn. Depending on your preferences, you can also choose units with special features like two-way radio capacity, compass, altimeter and even recreational games.
Ease of Use
One way to choose a GPS unit is to determine ease of use. Garmin handheld GPS systems are very convenient to use. Whether you have a monochrome or colored display, you always get great screen resolution. The buttons for operation are also user-friendly.
Ease of Comparison
Garmin is a leading brand. Because of their popularity, there are many sites that offer comparison charts of different Garmin units. This will make it easy for you to pick the GPS system that is perfect for you. You can also always go directly to the Garmin website. Nothing can be easier than picking a unit from there. You can choose according to activity or series models. You are given detailed and organized model descriptions that you can easily cross check using a search engine.
Built for Land or Water
Most Garmin handheld GPS systems are perfect for both land and water. You never have to settle for separate activities depending on your activity of the day. You just need one Garmin model with both land and marine navigation features. This is a convenient feature if you are both an average working Joe or a great adventurer.
Garmin units for land or water are also built to last. Some models have noticeably rugged exteriors and are waterproof. You don’t ever have to worry about accidentally dropping your unit in water.
Good Reviews
There is one common rule when you are shopping for any product. You always have to consider what fellow consumers think. Their opinions can offer you a valuable insight into how well a product performs. There are many handheld GPS reviews available. If you browse through a couple of them, you would easily notice that Garmin handheld GPS systems have good reviews. There may be a couple of disadvantages cited here and there but as a whole, a lot of customers love their Garmin units. That’s why Garmin is a leading brand.
By: Jonathan D. Beebe
Posts Tagged ‘Handheld Gps Unit’
What Can A GPS Handheld Unit Do For The Hiker?
January 12th, 2010
Handheld GPS units are a hikers best friend. Any hiker knows that being able to find your way around, especially in wilderness areas, is important. Hikers also know two of the deterrents to hiking in the wilderness are how to find the head trail and then how not to get lost during the hike. A handheld GPS unit can give people the freedom to explore the experience hiking in the wilderness areas that they have not attempted before.
A typical handheld GPS unit is powered by standard batteries and is 2 to 3 inches wide and 4 to 6 inches long. These handheld GPS units have a small screen which shows an icon representing your current location and pre-plotted locations. Various models also have maps showing roads and streams, topography, etc.
Handheld GPS units which can be used for hiking in the wilderness, use satellites orbiting over 12,000 miles above the earth to determine the position of the handheld GPS unit on the ground. It does this by using travel times to the handheld GPS unit’s signals being emitted from some of the 24 Navstar satellites. Consumer grade handheld GPS units need to receive signals from at least three of these satellites to calculate your “XY” or map coordinated position. At least four of these satellites are needed to also calculate your altitude.
There are several physical elements which may prevent a handheld GPS unit from receiving a satellittes signals. Mountains, canyon walls, high metropolitan buildings, and dense forest growth can limit the number of low in the sky satellites that are visible and therefore useable by the handheld GPS unit.
Once a handheld GPS unit has a location fixed in it, here’s what it may do for you while you are hiking in the wilderness.
1. Waypoints: A waypoint is a single point location. It can be saved in the handheld GPS unit’s memory. As you are hiking in the wilderness you can see your current position in relation to the point you want to go to. Waypoints may be created and saved in the handheld GPS unit’s memory before leaving for your trip or while you are in the field exploring. Sometimes a series of waypoints are sequentially linked to form a route.
2. Routes: A route is a series of locations that are linked in sequence to describe a path along which you intend to hike in the wilderness. The maximum number of positions that can go into a route varies depending on the type and model handheld GPS unit you have.
3. Tracks: A track is essentially a route that is made up of many linked sequential locations which a handheld GPS unit automatically creates and saves as you hike in the wilderness. This is analogous with leaving markers along a trail, so you can retrace your path that your came in on while hiking in the wilderness. This helps the hiker avoid getting lost while enjoying and exploring in the wilderness.
Waypoints, routes, and tracks are the three principal categories of locations that are fixed by a hiker in a handheld GPS unit. An understanding of these three basic categories gives the hiker insight into how a handheld GPS unit can help one navigate and explore safely while hiking in the wilderness. It can be used to preplan trips and to guide the hiker along their from their start to the destination and back again. A handheld GPS unit is ideal for the hiker to track and show them where they are going, where they have been and to reverse the course and return the hiker safely to their starting point.
By: Beth Appel
