Best GPS for 4 wheeling?

[ColoradoCJ7]

Anyone have a GPS solution that they think works great for both for on road and off road use? I would love to mount one to my steering column and know I am on the right track no matter where I am headed.

 

[mylittlecj5]

I found when I was searching for a GPS, that you can't get the best of off road, and on road capabilities in one unit.
I realized my priority was to be able to track my off road progress, and be able to download and share that with others (such as mapping off road areas I was not familiar with).
I went with this unit...
DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 Handheld GPS with Topo 8.0 & 1GB SD Card ON SALE WHILE SUPPLIES LAST

With the Topographical mapping software and other features this unit has, it was a no brainer for me. Worked great until a freak accident lost it forever in the local lake
Wasn't so hot on the hiway, but could be used for navigation. I used it from OK to NJ and back on one trip, so it is possible. Other units would be better for that, tho.
There may be something better out now, this was a couple years ago now. Look at TigerGPS.com, they have a bunch of good units.

 

[Old Dog]

I've been using a garmin etrex vista for 3 years now and love it.
you do have to buy the city navigator maps and topo maps which are $100 apiece.
there are 4 people in our club with garmin's (they are not all the same model) but we can share info, you can download your info into your computer to print out maps and zoom in and out on the maps. It does leave a breadcrumb trail you can follow the next time you are out.
We have all been happy with our units both on and offroad.

 

[mhubacek]

I've been using a Magellin 400 for about 5 years now. Love it! Topo Map makes it much easier to track where you're at. I used it to do the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route a few years ago. I week long trip in the middle of nowhere. The Magellin was extremely accurate, and was there for me at every road crossing. When I purchase another one, I'm definately getting a color display though. It eliminates accidentally mistaking a stream, or contour line for a trail when driving and not paying as close attention to that little screen. The topo maps show many of the forest service roads, which help alot in the woods. Also not sure if I would go with Lithium battery again. When you're out on foot, and your Lithium battery dies, your out of luck. It's much easier to pack a set of spare AA batteries, If you have a GPS unit that takes them! I agree with Old Dog on the sharing info part. If you buy a Garmin you can't share info with Magellin, and vice versa. See what the guys you normally offroad with are using, and get the same brand, then you guys can share waypoints, and the various maps with each other. If your friends already have topo map, they can download sections of topo map from they're computer to your unit. Make sure you purchase one that accepts an SD card as well. Those Topo maps take up alot of memory. I have one in mine, and I can only get about 3/4 of WA/OR to fit in mine. It sucks when you go further then expected, either on purpose or mistake, and your topo map disappears in that section.

 

[Old Dog]

I have to agree on using AA batteries and a cigerette lighter adpater, and getting a unit that takes a sd card as topo maps take a lot of memery. I have a 4G in mine and can fit the whole state of KY. and TEN. as for highway maps I can fit half the us.

 

[BajaEdition]

Ihad a Magellan cross over unit and loved it, worked great but found that it had inherent software problems, so I switched over to a Garmin 500 series with both topos and road in one map, color coded when zoomed way out and lined zoomed in close.
Now I know this does not equal to a ful time topo unit, however it works great fo both on raod and off road use. most Forestry Service and BLM trails and roads and I find very few times am I somewhere it does not recognize the trail I am on. It has trip back options etc.
I also want a GPS unit that does both, and this unit I have found to be both acceptable and price effective in a world of overpriced electronics.

 

[Old Dog]

most Forestry Service and BLM trails and roads and I find very few times am I somewhere it does not recognize the trail I am on.

I guess this is where it differs here in the middle of the country, BLM trails, whats that, no such thing here.
Forest service trails yea there are some. Most of our trails are made by people running thru the woods, they are not on any map, not even the FS topo maps. Most are on private property You just have to run them and see where you end up.
And before you ask, Yes we have permisiom to use them.

 

[BajaEdition]

I guess this is where it differs here in the middle of the country, BLM trails, whats that, no such thing here.
Forest service trails yea there are some. Most of our trails are made by people running thru the woods, they are not on any map, not even the FS topo maps. Most are on private property You just have to run them and see where you end up.
And before you ask, Yes we have permission to use them.

Oh I lived in teh south for years in the PRE GPS days and know those trail systems well, we would travel quite a way checking out wherer this lead and that lead.

 

[essexmo]

i have a maggelan meridian color it takes an sd card theres more trails than roads here in NB but i dont think i can get any maps for it ??? i have a trail guide map from Irving oil they seem to own this province and they want you to purchass a trail pass for sleds im not shure about quads or Jeeps ?? ill have to see if i can get any nice maps where can you find them for NB ???

 

[Old Dog]

i have a maggelan meridian color it takes an sd card theres more trails than roads here in NB but i dont think i can get any maps for it ??? i have a trail guide map from Irving oil they seem to own this province and they want you to purchass a trail pass for sleds im not shure about quads or Jeeps ?? ill have to see if i can get any nice maps where can you find them for NB ???

Have you tryed talking to maggelan about maps to down load to it? I have wondered if the still make them for that unit.
Do you have the instructions for it?

 

[essexmo]

Have you tryed talking to maggelan about maps to down load to it? I have wondered if the still make them for that unit.
Do you have the instructions for it?

ive got the instructions for it and a serial cable interface to attach the unit to the computer the units 4 yrs old i can try to contact magellan but if it can take garmin maps too that would be ok im just not shure if they mapped New Brunswick ??

 

[Old Dog]

ive got the instructions for it and a serial cable interface to attach the unit to the computer the units 4 yrs old i can try to contact magellan but if it can take garmin maps too that would be ok im just not shure if they mapped New Brunswick ??

I was just wondering as I picked that same unit up awhile back for cheap but it doesn't have the cable or any cd's with it.
I don't think it will accept garmin info but I'm not sure.

 

[essexmo]

I was just wondering as I picked that same unit up awhile back for cheap but it doesn't have the cable or any cd's with it.
I don't think it will accept garmin info but I'm not sure.

at the back theres 4 pins with a screw slot in the middle o . o
o o

thats where my 12 volt adapter and serial interface conects

 

[mhubacek]

As far as I know Magellin and Garmin are like IBM and MAC, they don't share!

 

[essexmo]

As far as I know Magellin and Garmin are like IBM and MAC, they don't share!

but you can load mac software on an ibm its just software you use a program to load the maps on the unit

 

[IOPort51]

are the computer topo's better, more detailed, than the printed ones??

 

[mhubacek]

I didn't know that essexmo, It'd be nice to see if garmin and magellin can share info for sure. I'm the only one out of my riding group with a magellin. I'll have to try it. I just always assumed they weren't compatable. IOPORT51, I like the computer topo's because while on the computer you can zoom in, take out points you don't need, add waypoints, and other edits, then print it, or send it to your GPS unit. So it can customize your map for whatever type of trip you have planned. It has been very helpful for me.

 

[Chevy350 CJ7]

Most of the off-road guys in California use Lowrance's. They make a great off-road version. Lowrance and bunch of aftermarket companies sell pre programmed chips with the area that you want. We buy chips from PCI Radios when we pre run of any of the SCORE or BITD off road races.

HDS-5 BAJA NEW! Lowrance Baja GPS! Detail Page

 

[MDJEEPER]

I've got the Garmin Nuvi 500. It works pretty well for both basic on road and off road activities. It's also waterproof.

 

[BajaEdition]

Funny, of the 40 or 50 guys I know running a GPS and owning by the majority Garmin units, I finally find that we are running Lowerence units. Well we Southern Californians must be confused about the units we bought.