Jeff's thread got me thinking....I've been planning on making this post for a while so I thought now was a good time. So I plan on spending some time up in the NY northern Adirondack zone starting mid November. These areas are REALLY big woods patches of mountain timber, the one specific spot I hunt is a 36,000 acre tract owned by a paper company.......typically I start to hunt after a 5+ mile drive in on logging roads. Since I will likely be doing some solo outings up there this year tracking in the snow, I'd really like to get a GPS unit. Sometimes when snow tracking, you can end up miles from a road, and the comfort of a good GPS along with a regular compass as backup is something I want. The GPS on my phone is great when you have cell phone coverage, but it's useless in these types of areas. One crew of guys I hunt with are using the Rhino series from Garmin, simply because they like the radios that are built in. Ideally I'd like something that has color, does topos, aerials, and has a radio built in, but I'm not sure if anything like that exists or if it's a tall order. Any thoughts or experience with this?
If you want color aerials and topos and the lot, go with a Delorme PN-40. I went with a Garmin 60csx as it had better reviews at the time and fit my needs better. I can download basic topo maps for entire states to this thing, and its accuracy and signal under a canopy in the woods is second to none for consumer GPS units. If you don't mind a little time behind the screen of a computer, there is also a program called MOAGU available online that allows you to create your own aerial maps compatible with Garmin GPS units (thought to be impossible). They load slower, aren't routeable, and take up a LOT more space (less coverage area per SD card)...but they are aerial overviews. I thought seriously on switching from my 60 Csx for a Delorme counterpart to utilize more easily aerial views. But I am getting an IPhone in a few months and the areas I need aerials for, I have cell service in.
I have the top of the line Garmin Rino 530HCx and love it. The big color screen is great and the 2way radio feature is awesome! Don't believe it will do aerials though. The track me feature is also nice. If you are linked with other Rino users you can track eachother on your screen. Kind of a cool feature.
The best one, IMO, for topos and aerials (even satellite which I don't use) is the DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 . Buy the bundle and get the Topo USA map software with it. Then you can get a subscription (after the $100 free downloads) and download all of the USGS topos and aerials you want. There is none better for real USGS topos and excellent aerials on a GPS. The Garmin Rhino is the only one with a radio that I am aware of but you can buy a good set of walkie-talkies for $80. If I were to only have just one GPS I would likely get a Garmin. The menu's are much more intuitive, saving waypoints, going to waypoints, using tracks, really most of the useful functions are just much easier to use. Lot of common sense usefulness. I am not familiar with the newer models, Dakota, Oregon, Colorado and maybe their maps are much better but the maps with the 60CSX suck. There is no polite way to put it. I use to use my 60csx in conjunction with my Delorme topo usa maps and that was an excellent combo. Put way points on the map, load them on the Garmin, print the map and take it with me. You could see exactly where you were on the map by comparing your location to nearest waypoints. Aerials are not much good on the gps as all it looks like is a bunch of treetops. Some roads may be good to see but I have not found aerials to be useful on a gps. Topos are another story though. I use the pn-40 with the topos when I am out scouting. It is the best scouting gps, becuase of the high quality topos, I have seen. If I was you I would decide what I want to spend and start looking at the Garmins. The one with the features you want most may be to expensive. If I had to start from scratch, knowing what I know, I would still get the Garmin and the DeLorme mapping software. If Garmin makes better topo gps' I would give them a look but I really like the DeLorme mapping software and use it much more than the gps although they make a great pair.
I got the Garmin eTrex Vista C for next years Colorado trip , just gotta learn what it can do to help me , considering i got lost last year
I have a Delorme PN-40. I do the big woods thing and love the aerial photos. The only thing I don't like about it is sometimes I have trouble picking up satelites. It took me a long time to figure out how to use it and at times I was very frustated. Now I got it down and I wouldn't trade it. I'll bet I downloaded 10000 sq miles of aerials. A 16 gb sd card will hold more photos than you could hunt in a lifetime. Just allow yourself plenty of time to learn the system and do your downloads. I love it because when your out in the wood you can turn it on and see exactly where you are just like you are looking down at yourself from an airplane. No radio on this unit. Ele compass doesn't work to my expectations but to be honest I don't use it anyway. I get my reading from the unit then turn it off and use a regular compass.
Thanks for the input guys. Keep it coming if there are any others with good advice. So far I'm leaning towards the Garmin Rino 530HCx. I have found some really sweet deals on them for around $320 shipped. The radio is kinda important, I have been invited to hunt with a couple of guys in the Adirondacks (in-laws) that all have these Rino's and that's how they communicate. If the regular mapping and topos are good, I'll be fine. My iPhone does some pretty good aerial photos, and I don't need cell coverage to access this as long as I have the map loaded on the phone........it just won't show my current position. Thanks for the interest magicman, I'll see if I can snap some pics from the top of the mountains this year, and will definitely do a write up if I can get myself on a buck while snow tracking. This big woods hunting has really captured my interest, it's a whole different game.
PM Joey Rott, too.... I know he's a GPS fanatic and has written a column/blog about the subject on one of our boards.
I sell many different GPS units at Bass Pro. I can tell you the Delorme PN-40 is probably the best one you can get with topo maps and city navigator maps included. Like you said if you want the radios built in the Rhino is the only one that I am aware of. You can purchse topo maps for the whole US for $100 extra to put on the unit as well. If you have any questions about them let me know.
One thing about the compass function: On the garmin the compass works whether you are moving or not, it is a real compass. Most GPS' use movement to gain compass functions and, if you are not moving, the compass will not work. Granted, you can have a real compass in your hand along with the GPS but, at least to me, that kind of defeats the purpose of the GPS. I use the compass feature a lot when using the GPS.
I really like my Rhino, it has color, radio, and all that. I'm not sure the exact model. I like the function it has where you and other hunters can send a "chirp" via the radio function and the your gps will pick up the signal and show you exactly where they are. Pretty sweet for safety because the function is so easy to use. The only downfall I found with mine is that it is rechargeable only. So if it dies, I don't have a way to use it. I would rather have a battery operated unit so that I could carry extra batteries incase they run out. Just something to think about.
Myself and the guys I hunt with in Ontario have been using the Rino 530 since they came out. There are about 15 of us using them absolutely love them. The color screen is great, topos rule, radio actually works (unlike the earlier Rinos) and its very easy to use. You won't be disappointed if you pick one up.
Thanks so much for the input guys. I just ordered a refurb Rino 530hcx along with the same factory 1 year warranty for $290 shipped overnight to my house! The deal was too good to pass up, and I really need the radio function and ability to link to the other guys in my hunting party. I'm really looking forward to getting this thing, I should have it in time to play with this weekend.
I've had a 60CX for about 6 years - great piece of gear. I also have a Zumo 550 for my Harley, Garmin makes a great GPS. I have had a number of different ones over the years, keep going back to a Garmin of some flavor. Not sure I would mess with the radio. I am a Comm Officer in the USMC so fairly critical of radios - and have not been thrilled with the personal radios - range sucks and they kill the battery pretty fast. No direct experience with a Rhino.
