Auto GPS » Handheld Gps Units

Garmin Rino 520 Handheld GPS – Review

admin — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:27:39 +0000

Have any of these things every happened to you?

* You are on a hike trip and you have lost a friend. Storm clouds are looming and they are nowhere to be found.

* You have taken your family on an outing at an amusement park. It is closing time but you can’t find one person.

* You are on the boat and you want to make sure you are going in the right direction, whether its north, south, east or west.

Garmin’s RINO 520 portable GPS navigator can solve all of those problems. These two-way radio systems are equipped with a GPS navigator that can help you find your way and lead your group as well. The patented GPS receiver allows other members of your party to tell you where they are as well as showing them your location.

One of the best features on the RINO 520 is its display. With bold colors, it is easy to see and interpret. You will never need to look at a large map from an atlas again after using the RINO 520. Garmin’s Rino 520 handheld GPS units not only have built-in base maps of North and South America, but you can choose optional City Select software. These can be adapted to almost any trip, hike or boating excursion you plan to take. This GPS navigator unit allows you to customize your route, complete with turn-by-turn directions and alert tones. No more getting lost on the trails or at sea. If you are just on a sight-seeing trip, the RINO 520 makes finding a hotel or restaurant that his nearby easy. This GPS navigator unit can map points of interest along your route

If the sea is your passion, this portable GPS unit can be customized with Garmin’s exclusive optional cartography that includes the fishing hot spots on recreational lakes in the United States. The built-in calendar can show you the best fishing times. If you like to hunt, this portable GPS unit can also tell you the best hunting times for snaring your prey.

What are some of the other outstanding features of the RINO 520? The RINO 520 unit has 56 megabytes of internal memory so that you can quickly download personalized maps for your use onto your portable GPS. The two-way radio has five watts of power, allowing you to contact help from as far away as 14 miles. The portable GPS unit has a WAAS enabled, 12 parallel GPS receiver. It has a bright color display and a rechargeable battery that can last up to 16 hours. Priced at about $482, Garmin’s RINO 520 is one of the best buys of portable GPS systems on the market.

By: Catherine Tower

Why You Should Choose a Garmin Handheld GPS System

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 03:17:59 +0000

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

You, Too, Can Be a GPS Geek

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:46:05 +0000

You know those maps you see at shopping malls and site seeing areas that have that red dot – “You Are Here”. That’s kind of what a GPS is, except it moves with you wherever in the world you are. It’s not restricted to a building or event area. In addition, it helps you find where you want to go. You just tell it the location you want to find and it gives you directions to get there. Newer models will guide you audibly, tell you nearby attractions, restaurants and gas stations and get you back on track when you turn the wrong way.

GPS, or Global Positioning System, is made up of a series of 28 orbiting satellites. It was originally developed by the military, but has spread to consumer use. If you have a GPS unit, it receives satellite signals that help it to determine your location. Consumer GPS units are accurate within few yards or meters, but the military and government models are even more accurate. Your GPS unit can give you instructions to another location if software for mapping is installed, which most for consumer use do.

GPS units can come as standard or extra equipment on new cars. They are available in many rental cars, usually for an extra fee. GPS mapping software for street use is the most common consumer usage today. If your primary purpose in seeking a GPS unit is so you can get from one place to another via a reliable navigation system, this is the type for you. Your dealer can build them in or you can purchase one that will attach to your dashboard. Some available features you may want to consider are voice directions, detailed included maps for your area and any area you know you’ll travel, rerouting when you get lost or detours force changes to the GPS-suggested route and a points of interest database.

The GPS is most commonly found for car use, but that’s not the only type you can get. Think about how you might use your GPS. Perhaps you may need your GPS outside of your vehicle. Handheld GPS units are great for hikers, bikers and sportsmen. There are plenty of GPS units geared toward to outdoors person. Features you may need in these include lightweight, rugged, waterproof, long battery life, tracking (so you can tell where you’ve been), speed and distance measuring and even built in radios and party locators.

Marine GPS’s help you find the fish! If you’re an avid fisherman, this is the type of GPS you’ll want. These are designed to be on the water and are all waterproofed. Look for a bright screen that will be easy to read in the sun. You can get them with water and shore mapping, fish hotspots and sonar. You can get marine GPS units that double as car navigation units, as well.

PDA’s, or Personal Data Assistants, are starting to be bundled together with GPS’s. Most of these are limited at this time, but they will improve as more people are attracted to this combination. For now, it’s recommended to buy your PDA and GPS separately.

There are also GPS’s designed specifically for airplane pilots. If you’re a private or commercial pilot, you already know about these. They give mapping based on what can be seen from the air.

No matter what kind of unit you need, there is one with the features you’re looking for. Your GPS will be a continued source of accurate and helpful information and even a great deal of fun!

By: Michael Russell

Best Handheld GPS Units for Geocaching Part 1 – Garmin Gmaps 60CSX

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 02:45:12 +0000

Do you want to know that you have a GPS you can be certain will lead you to different caches, under different conditions, … and then home again? A GPS you can set and forget? A GPS you are confident will keep you and your co-hunting friends and family safe?

If so, Garmin Gmaps 60CSx is an important GPS to consider for geocaching.

Why?

Because it does all this:
It is phenomenally sensitive and remains locked unto satellite signals even under tree cover, even under cloud cover. It is super accurate. Full stop. It has a map screen so you can easily see where you are relative to everything else. You can read the screen clearly in bright sunlight. It’s small. It’s light. It can take being bounced around – which it will be, of course. It’s waterproof. You can programme in up to 20 routes. You can save up to 1000 waypoints (reference points to keep you on track) You can save your track unto the memory card. Keep it secure, even if you switch off. Afterwards you can download the data and analyse your hunt – to share your glory with all and sundry, or improve your game. It’s batteries last a long time. It’s ultra easy to use.
So your Garmin Gmaps 60CSx makes it possible for you to simply load up your cache positions for the day, and head off for a day of fun and games. Easy as pie.

That’s why Garmin Gmaps 60CSx could be one of the best handheld GPS units for geocaching.

By: Tessa Green

Things You Should Consider When Selecting a GPS Device

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:46:09 +0000

Most people become confused when trying to decide which GPS unit will fit their need and price range. One of the first things to decide is which brand to purchase? I recommend Garmin devices, because they are not only the most popular but generally are the most technologically advanced units on the market. For most applications Garmin offers the broadest range of available units and mapping available. Of course there can always be an exception with the many applications for GPS.

You should decide which application you will be using your GPS device for. If you will be using the GPS unit for finding directions in your car you should purchase a different unit than you would for Geocaching. If you are interested in a GPS unit primarily for boating, that will be a different GPS also.

Most GPS units are flexible in use but like airplanes, each model is more adapted to specific usage. It will be difficult, if not impossible to find a GPS unit that fits all of the different uses GPS is capable of.

Garmin manufactures and sells GPS units for airplanes, automotive use, motorcycles, boats, bicycles, runners, fishing, hunting, and the list goes on. Some of these units are very flexible and some are quite usage specific.

Garmin manufactures handheld GPS units that are very flexible in usage. Handheld units are great for carrying with you on outdoor activities. You can purchase handheld GPS units that have worldwide cities mapping included with other features. Some units come with preloaded mapping of USA inland lakes. Units are available with marine mapping preloaded and the list goes on.

Most Garmin handheld GPS units allow you to share data with other Garmin users wirelessly. Most Garmin units have the Tracback feature. Tracback shows with a line, your exact route and you can follow it back to where you began. Trackback is exclusive Garmin. Some of the Garmin units float in water and many are waterproof.

All of Garmin’s latest handheld GPS units can be connected to your PC to upload or download data. Most Garmin units are WAAS enabled giving you greater accuracy in the data you receive from GPS satellites.

Garmin manufactures handheld GPS units that are Geocaching friendly, allowing you to download and upload to and from the internet, or other users, GPX files that give the coordinates of the secret stash.

When purchasing a GPS unit you should consider all the elements I have given before deciding which GPS unit to purchase. Of course in the end you may purchase more than one unit for you different activities.

By: LaZinnia Manley

What Can A GPS Handheld Unit Do For The Hiker?

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 05:09:03 +0000

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