Have been researching this for MONTHS (actually years, but recently months)
$350 is about the max I can go.
Have been eyeing the Magellan610 and garmin 62s.
first gps I had was for car (Magellan roadmate or something like that. was magellan) had unpleasant experiences, but the gps was reliable and did many thousands of miles of roadtrips. Then I had three garmins...kinda meh. have a 60csx now which certainly suffices and is good, the 62s map rendering would be better. Magellan compass map looks REALLY cool and it's awesome how on oen screen I think 14 (fourteen!) data fields can be displayed. I am reluctant to use magellan because of having some unpleasant experiences (not with the gps but the gps helped navigate to places where had sorta unpleasant expdriences) on west coast.
anyways, i would use this 90% for bike and the rest for hiking and Geocaching. Ideally in nz, mostly aus, some east usa, and some europe. would be awesome to be in a place and 'hey! just pull up the map for it!' but maps are expensive nad usually just in one region. bollocks.
the biggest snag is so many sites sell the unit but have little info on teh maps. I know about BirdsEye rubbish with garmin and whatnot, the coverage of Magellan maps on the 610 is hazy. how much detail will I get of aus streets with 610 or 62s?? A couple other garmins like the oregon 550 with a camera (like magellan) sounds itneresting. I don't know how much I'd actually use the camera for POI marking feature.
I know enough about these gps devices to write a small book on them but wondered if anyone has any ideas so thought I'd chuck up this ? on yahoo. I likely will be upgrading (selling and replacing) the 60csx soon. I have an east usa topo (current loc) on it and it certainly suffices and is a decent gps. I just know I'd be out more if I had one that rendered faster, likely (prob not sure about that frequency of being out more, but upgrade has been an interest ).
basically wondered if anyone has used such devices and can remark on their map coverage in specific areas. Thanks.
btw I have a 305 garmin which is SUPERB. that works marvelously and reliably and all that. However when maps come into the picture (that 305 doesn't use maps, but for what I need it for, it's superb) THAT's when this gets chaotic because of the cost of maps and coverage and what's available and meh.
btw I have a superb smaller gps. that works marvelously and reliably and all that. However when maps come into the picture as they do with handhelds (that one doesn't use maps, but for what I need it for, it's superb) THAT's when this gets chaotic because of the cost of maps and coverage and what's available and meh.
$350 is about the max I can go.
Have been eyeing the Magellan610 and garmin 62s.
first gps I had was for car (Magellan roadmate or something like that. was magellan) had unpleasant experiences, but the gps was reliable and did many thousands of miles of roadtrips. Then I had three garmins...kinda meh. have a 60csx now which certainly suffices and is good, the 62s map rendering would be better. Magellan compass map looks REALLY cool and it's awesome how on oen screen I think 14 (fourteen!) data fields can be displayed. I am reluctant to use magellan because of having some unpleasant experiences (not with the gps but the gps helped navigate to places where had sorta unpleasant expdriences) on west coast.
anyways, i would use this 90% for bike and the rest for hiking and Geocaching. Ideally in nz, mostly aus, some east usa, and some europe. would be awesome to be in a place and 'hey! just pull up the map for it!' but maps are expensive nad usually just in one region. bollocks.
the biggest snag is so many sites sell the unit but have little info on teh maps. I know about BirdsEye rubbish with garmin and whatnot, the coverage of Magellan maps on the 610 is hazy. how much detail will I get of aus streets with 610 or 62s?? A couple other garmins like the oregon 550 with a camera (like magellan) sounds itneresting. I don't know how much I'd actually use the camera for POI marking feature.
I know enough about these gps devices to write a small book on them but wondered if anyone has any ideas so thought I'd chuck up this ? on yahoo. I likely will be upgrading (selling and replacing) the 60csx soon. I have an east usa topo (current loc) on it and it certainly suffices and is a decent gps. I just know I'd be out more if I had one that rendered faster, likely (prob not sure about that frequency of being out more, but upgrade has been an interest ).
basically wondered if anyone has used such devices and can remark on their map coverage in specific areas. Thanks.
btw I have a 305 garmin which is SUPERB. that works marvelously and reliably and all that. However when maps come into the picture (that 305 doesn't use maps, but for what I need it for, it's superb) THAT's when this gets chaotic because of the cost of maps and coverage and what's available and meh.
btw I have a superb smaller gps. that works marvelously and reliably and all that. However when maps come into the picture as they do with handhelds (that one doesn't use maps, but for what I need it for, it's superb) THAT's when this gets chaotic because of the cost of maps and coverage and what's available and meh.