OT - need Handheld GPS recommendation (Geocachers? Hikers?)

[agnes!]

Am hoping that someone on here will have experience with a handheld GPS unit. The person who always takes care of our pets when we go away (if they can't do it, we don't go. Like, we don't go to Disney !) is a family-history buff & wants to get a handheld unit for marking abandoned ancestral homes, cemeteries, etc. Instead of paying them (which they wouldn't take anyway), I'd like to get a unit as a thank-you gift. Anyone have a unit they'd recommend?

I know that there are some geo-cachers around the DIS, but the pre-loaded geocaching software is not important. Our neighbor just wants a unit so they can mark the locations of important family places.

Thankseversomuch ,
agnes!

 

[agnes!]

Bumping this back up to Page One.

agnes!

 

[adkkev]

http://www.software-maps.com/magellan-triton-gps-national-geographic-topo-bundle.htm

Magellan GPS units use National Geographic Maps (TOPO), which are very good maps. There are several price points for GPS units ... from basic to lots of bells & whistles. All depends upon how much $$ you want to spend.

Garmin makes good units but has their own mapping software ... in the past their maps haven't been as accurate as the NGS maps. The NGS software isn't compatible with Garmin units, although you can upload and download waypoints to/from NGS to Garmin, you just can't use the NGS maps on the Garmin units. Again, lots of price points for the Garmin units too.

The higher priced units generally have better satellite acquisition capabilities (find satellites faster, work under tree canopies, etc.) than the lower priced units. Some of the newer units come with SD slots for easier transfer of information to/from computer and the GPS.