Southwest Travel Guide
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Southwest Travel Guide
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GPS Systems RatedUse GPS Navigation & Never Get Lost Lost Again!
The owner's of this site rely on the same Global Positioning Satellite system used by the US military when we're traveling in the Southwest. These handheld devices allow us to fix our position to within a few feet, and we can always find the fastest route back to the vehicle. Just as the cell phone has become essential to urban survival, the GPS receiver is an invaluable tool when navigating the backcountry or urban landscapes of the American Southwest. Of course, we don't really miss those arguments we used to have while huddled around the topo map. And with record high gas prices, we don't miss driving around lost either. GPS is perhaps the ultimate gift for the man in your life who refuses to ask directions! Here are some outstanding GPS units that we recommend. Prices start at just over $100. The model we use is listed first, and we can tell you we're completely happy with it. Handheld GPS UnitsGarmin
eTrex Vista C 24 MB Handheld GPS with 256-Color TFT Display Outstanding accuracy of less than 3 meters (10 feet) when the device is enabled to receive enhanced GPS signals from the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) in the United States, and 15 meters or less in normal GPS mode. Like all eTrex units, the primary controls are located on the unit's side, so you can operate them with one hand. With the innovative rocker switch on the unit's face, you can input data and scroll through menus or pan the map page. Other key features are an auto-route basemap (featuring general map data, including highways, major roads, rivers, lakes, and borders), a waterproof design --submersible in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes, 500 waypoints/routes/tracks (with graphic identification), 50 reversible routes, 20 saved tracks, 10,000 trackpoints, TracBack technology, alarms (waypoint proximity, anchor drag, and off-course, as well as a built-in alarm clock), a GPS patch antenna, selectable audio tones and color schemes, a stopwatch, a hunting/fishing calendar, sun/moon calculations, and a trip computer. The Vista C also features an electronic compass for accurate bearing
information while standing still; a barometric altimeter with local
pressure and a 48-hour automatic pressure-trend recorder; and an
elevation computer (which provides your current elevation,
ascent/descent rate, minimum/maximum elevation, total ascent and
descent, average and maximum ascent, and descent rate). The compact unit also boasts a 13 MB Americas marine basemap that includes tide data. In addition, an impressive 115 MB of internal memory lets you load optional MapSource BlueChart or "Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots" marine cartography. (The award-winning BlueChart features depth contours, inter-tidal zones, wrecks, and navaids, while Recreational Lakes includes fishing areas, boat ramps, marinas, and hazards for more than 1,000 popular U.S. and Canadian lakes.) You can rely on the 76CS when you're navigating the highways and byways in your rudderless vehicle, too, thanks to a built-in, auto-routing basemap of major interstates and highways. When loaded with optional MapSource City Select detailed street cartography, the GPS provides automatic route calculation to millions of addresses or points of interest, complete with turn-by-turn directions and tone alerts. The unit is also compatible with MapSource U.S. Topo and 24K Topo for off-road excursions. Garmin
eTrex Legend 8 MB GPS with PC Cable Garmin
eTrex GPS Magellan
SporTrak Pro Handheld GPS Vehicle Mounted GPS UnitsGarmin
Talking StreetPilot III GPS Deluxe Package "Setting up the unit was surprisingly simple. First we installed the software from the MapSource City Navigator CD onto our PC and connected the card reader, with the 32 MB data card, to the USB port. Then we went online to unlock one of 10 detailed coverage areas included on the disk; for instance, Area 1 covers California and Nevada, Area 7 covers New England and New York. After that we downloaded detailed maps of our city (San Francisco) and surrounding areas to the data card. We also downloaded waypoints--locations like our home, office, and other places we often visit--onto the card and inserted it into the StreetPilot III. If you don't have a USB port, you can also use the included serial cable to connect the entire unit to your PC. The physical installation went just as smoothly. We affixed the plastic base to the top of our dashboard with the included adhesive mounting disks, snapped the StreetPilot III into place, connected it to the cigarette lighter for power, and extended the small fold-down antenna. The dashboard mount's quick release makes it easy to store the StreetPilot III when not in use or, if you purchase a second mount, lets you use it in multiple vehicles. The fun really started, though, when we used the StreetPilot's routing capabilities. Using the arrow buttons, we input the intersection of a store we'd never visited, and within a minute it calculated the most direct route. The voice navigator told us where to go and when to turn, and it was simple to monitor our progress both on the map and on the text display. We knew the exact address of our next stop and entered it into the unit. The StreetPilot then guided us onto the freeway and successfully to our second destination, telling us exactly where to stop along the street and even on which side of the street the store was located. To get home, we just accessed a waypoint with our home address that we'd preprogrammed on the PC.Once you use the StreetPilot III for a while, it's hard to imagine driving solo again. Whether you're planning a road trip or just need help getting around town, it's an extremely helpful companion that's cheaper and easier to install than anything else currently available." --Ken Feinstein Garmin
GPS 152 Designed with all types of users in mind, this unit will take you from the car to the hiking trail and beach without missing a beat. The GPSMAP 152 features 500 waypoints (10 nearest, 10 proximity), 50 reversible routes with up to 50 points each, an automatic track log, and alarms for anchor drag, approach and arrival, off course, proximity waypoint, shallow water, and deep water. The GPSMAP 152 also features built-in celestial tables for best time to fish, tide data, a trip computer, and alarms for anchor drag, arrival, off course, proximity waypoint, and clock. It is also compatible with Garmin's line of downloadable MapSource CD-ROMs and will store 1 MB of downloaded map detail. This page last updated: |
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Garmin's
pocket-sized eTrex Vista C handheld GPS unit combines a color TFT
display and advanced GPS auto-routing abilities. 
8
MB of memory means there is also plenty of room for waypoints, routes,
and saved tracks. The Legend will hold up to 500 waypoints, complete
with a name and graphical symbol, 20 routes with 50 waypoints each, and
it contains slots for 10 saved tracks. You can also download maps from
Garmin's MapSource CD-ROMs (thorough but expensive accessories for the
GPS receiver) to see street-level or topographic detail (depending on
the CD-ROM title). The Legend is coated with a waterproof, rubberized
plastic shell that grips nicely. Weighing in at only 5.3 ounces, it fits
into a pocket or clips onto a belt loop, going almost unnoticed. The
internal trip computer of the Legend provides a range of data about your
hikes and drives, including current speed, average speed, trip distance,
and time traveled (both moving and stopped). For those interested in
checking out their foot pace and distance traveled, it's a handy GPS to
have in hand.
The
eTrex is a simplified, rugged version of the company's more advanced
products -- designed specifically for hiking, biking, and camping.
The eTrex is one of the easiest to use GPS units available. It offers
the ability to track up to 12 satellites so you never lose contact with
one. The eTrex won't work inside--however, we don't anticipate that
you'll get lost inside a building very often. Among the eTrex's notable
features is its ability to calculate your current and average speed.
This feature should really come in handy on extended hiking, camping, or
cycling trips where planning your average speed and tracking the
distance traveled is critical. Weighing only 5.3 ounces with the
batteries installed, the eTrex is also ultralight, making it an easy
addition to a daypack. The eTrex is also waterproof, and holds up to 500
user-created waypoints.
The
Magellan SporTrak Pro is a feature-rich, fun, and easy-to-use GPS
receiver designed for the serious navigator. Its rugged, waterproof, and
ergonomic design is perfect for the outdoorsperson needing a compact but
powerful navigator. The large display, along with a front facing 9-key
keypad, makes it easy to use in any environment. SporTrak Pro software
includes seven graphic navigation screens, storage for up to 500
waypoints and 20 routes, a best fish and game time calculator, and
BackTrack for finding your way home after a long trip into the woods.
The SporTrak Pro runs on two AA batteries for up to 14 hours. It's
housed in rubber-armored, impact-resistant plastic that's waterproof and
also floats.
You
don't need to buy a luxury car or spend thousands installing a multipart
system to get advanced GPS navigation capabilities in your automobile.
Garmin's StreetPilot III delivers all the high-end features you
need--from detailed street maps and sophisticated auto routing to voice
prompts and a color screen--in a compact, inexpensive, and portable
package.
About
the size of a small, flat calculator, the mountable Garmin GPSMAP 152 is
a 12-parallel-channel, WAAS-enabled global positioning system (GPS)
receiver that will go anywhere. Even with its compact style, this GPS
unit boasts an especially large display for showing more map data and
the same power you've come to expect from Garmin handhelds.