WHICH GPS IS BEST FOR OFF AND ON ROAD

[Clarkey]

g'day all, sick of the hype and spin in retail about which gps is best, hoping some of you can shed light on which brand and model is best value for money?

thanks

Clarkey

[windsock]

G'day Clarkey,

I use a Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx for on and off road. It is designed as a handheld unit but can be vehicle mounted easy with duct tape... It has a mapping function that I can use with custom made maps, or with 3rd party maps. These maps can be topographic or street maps. It is map routable meaning I can use it in urban setting for finding my way around strange places. It has altimeter, electronic compass, elevation data and a comprehensive trip computer function. It can run independently on 2xAA batteries or can be plugged into the 12v socket. It is water proof to a few metres for a certain duration (details not memorised). It is not touch screen but the buttons are big enough for big cold fingers. All in all, at the price I paid (approx NZD499) I figure I have a pretty handy device giving good value in and out of the vehicle on or off road.

Good luck with this thread, sort of like asking how long is a piece of string... :D

Cheers,

Phil

[AussieAub]

Suppose it depends on your budget too....?

[Rosscoe68]

pretty much any garmin Nuvi road gps and the TOPO maps as provided by Garmin is a good match

[Ranga]

These http://www.aulro.com/afvb/gps/86836-aulro-subscriber-offer-cheap-road-off-road-gps-units.html are hard to beat for the money. Not the out-of-the-box solution some look for, but nice and cheap and yet to have one totally die that I know of.

If money (and size) is no object, I reckon an iPAD with Bit Map Bit Map for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on the iTunes App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/bit-map/id337172542'mt=8) and Metroview MetroView Australia GPS Navigation for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on the iTunes App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/metroview-australia-gps-navigation/id370753892'mt=8) would be nice.

[vnx205]

A few of the advantages of the one Ranga mentioned:

Really good price
Good size
Can run on-road navigation such as Igo, Tom-Tom or Garmin
Can run off-road navigation like OziExplorer
Help is available on a forum that you are already part of
Can be customised with different skins etc if you are into that sort of thing
Can get some free maps from various sources

[d3syd]

G'day Clarkey,

I use a Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx for on and off road. It is designed as a handheld unit but can be vehicle mounted easy with duct tape... It has a mapping function that I can use with custom made maps, or with 3rd party maps. These maps can be topographic or street maps. It is map routable meaning I can use it in urban setting for finding my way around strange places. It has altimeter, electronic compass, elevation data and a comprehensive trip computer function. It can run independently on 2xAA batteries or can be plugged into the 12v socket. It is water proof to a few metres for a certain duration (details not memorised). It is not touch screen but the buttons are big enough for big cold fingers. All in all, at the price I paid (approx NZD499) I figure I have a pretty handy device giving good value in and out of the vehicle on or off road.

Good luck with this thread, sort of like asking how long is a piece of string... :D

Cheers,

Phil

I've got one too. One more feature of the 60CSx is the high sensitivity of the antenna. Much better at picking up satellites than any other GPS I've owned under trees or in a concrete jungle.

BTW it gives you turn by turn guidance, but doesn't talk to you. For that you'll need to get a dedicated in car GSP unit.

[RVR110]

I've been using a Hema Navigator 5 and my iPhone (with TomTom enhanced GPS cradle) simultaneously for several months now. On the iPhone I use Memory-Map ($40 plus 1:25k map costs) for topo and the TomTom ($90) for street and I'm extremely happy with both apps. With 2 GPS devices I have the luxury of having one zoomed in for detail and the other zoomed out for the big picture.

The Hema's good but I've decided to sell it and replace it with a 3G iPad - just waiting for the iPad2 (next month?). The grand plan for the iPad is to get a cradle and a BT GPS receiver as the iPad has a low grade GPS. I'll also connect the iPad to the sound system. I have a Defender so that will probably mean replacing the head unit - which won't happen for a while. Memory-Map on a 10" screen should be awesome.

IMO advantage of an iPad or iPhone over a dedicated GPS is that they can do a lot more stuff. I have the equivalent of 100Kgs of books loaded onto my iPhone (including the Defender manuals converted from PDF to eBook format, travel guides and novels). I can check my emails and surf the web when I stop somewhere that has mobile coverage. Then there's movies and music and... you get the idea.

I'll test BitMap when I get the iPad and see if I like it better than Memory-Map or not.

[windsock]

BTW it gives you turn by turn guidance, but doesn't talk to you. For that you'll need to get a dedicated in car GSP unit.

The wife tries to give turn by turn guidance for free... :D

Nah, seriously, this 60CSx is one very useful unit. Cheers d3syd, I had forgotten about the antenna sensitivity. Very useful in bush and city alike.

I like it that I can customise a map on the PC using a basic GIS mapping software and then upload it for use 'out there'. I used this aspect professionally with mapping from the PC-driven design stage to field 'proofing' stage for wind farms. I would go from the Prado to the Quad bike then on foot and all the while take the GPS with me. Something not feasible with a permanent vehicle based one. I have used in on foot in a city not familiar to me to help me get about.

[irondoc]

although expensive, I plan on buying a Garmin Zumo motorcycle GPS. Waterproof, large buttons, so can use it on my mountain bike as well as motorcycle. Bluetooth to re-route phone calls. Can run Topo Australia so has offroad capability as well as in the city. comes with a car mount also and can run off 12V or batteries, so you can take it walking or whatever.

it's not the cheapest option, but gives me the flexibility to use it in a wide variety of situations

cheers
lucas

[Tombie]

Irondoc,

They're a nice unit.. Very happy with mine..

[Hastykiwi]

Navman S150 hacked. Runs its own proprietry road nav software which is great, lane guidance, etc, and then when running Mio pocket, I'm running Oziexp, and movies, book reader, you name it.

cheers
Nick

[CJT]

VMS - Touring 600

6" Touch Screen
64 channel GPS reciever
Supports 16GB
On road
Off road
Topo

And functional with up to two reverse cameras.

[waynep]

I wasn't happy swapping between on road and off road applications all the time on one device
So I have a Tom Tom 340? XL and a HP Ipaq running side by side.
The Ipaq runs Oziexplorer with various off road and topo maps.
Both together provide full range of functionality and information.
For touring with the occassional foray into bush tracks, works well.

The Ipaq's getting a bit long in the tooth now so I'll probably upgrade to OziExplorer on an Android device. There's some good Android pads coming out.

[THE BOOGER]

If your not worried about brand names have a look at this one I bought one a couple of months ago it has igo 8 and i loaded oziexplorer ce works great the windscreen mount could be better. I havnt tried to run both igo and ozi at the same time but have been told they will :D

7" GPS HD Car Navigation+Wireless Reverse Camera+4GB (eBay item 350384036671 end time 06-Apr-11 21:20:32 AEST) : Electronics (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350384036671&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)

[Rosscoe68]

whewre you guys all get the igo and oziexplorer etc ?

[THE BOOGER]

The unit I linked to has igo preinstalled I download ozi ce from the ozi site cost was I think $40.00 for the lic version it worked straight away downloaded some free maps but also bought hema explorer cards $20.00 each SE nsw and NE nsw :D

[Armadillo]

I use the Garmin 60CSx as well - it has now been superseded by tthe 62S which is even better. The GPS performance under trees etc is flawless and aquisition is pretty fast too.

[thebeast]

If your not worried about brand names have a look at this one I bought one a couple of months ago it has igo 8 and i loaded oziexplorer ce works great the windscreen mount could be better. I havnt tried to run both igo and ozi at the same time but have been told they will :D

7" GPS HD Car Navigation+Wireless Reverse Camera+4GB (eBay item 350384036671 end time 06-Apr-11 21:20:32 AEST) : Electronics (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350384036671&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT)
Hey The Booger,
Thanks for the link to your GPS, had a look at it, but just a few questions please.
1. Does it have Advanced lane guidance?
2. Does it have P.O.I.s?
3. Would the reverse camera work on an attached camper trailer?
4. Can you download some screen shots of the various screens?
5. Can you add any other features not listed in website please?

Many thanks in advance

[THE BOOGER]

Hey The Booger,
Thanks for the link to your GPS, had a look at it, but just a few questions please.
1. Does it have Advanced lane guidance?
2. Does it have P.O.I.s?
3. Would the reverse camera work on an attached camper trailer?
4. Can you download some screen shots of the various screens?
5. Can you add any other features not listed in website please?

Many thanks in advance

1.yes
2.yes it runs igo 2011 version so it has more options than i have worked out how to use:D
3.yes but you will need power to the trailer or long power lead has its own transmitter with camera
4. not at the moment I am at corowa
5.the website covers most cant think of anything extra at the moment but i downloaded ozi ce from the ozi site and run that off road and it worked first time

[thebeast]

1.yes
2.yes it runs igo 2011 version so it has more options than i have worked out how to use:D
3.yes but you will need power to the trailer or long power lead has its own transmitter with camera
4. not at the moment I am at corowa
5.the website covers most cant think of anything extra at the moment but i downloaded ozi ce from the ozi site and run that off road and it worked first time
Hi Booger,
Thanks for your quick reply. Due to the gps being 7" where and how do you attach to your defender. We have defender also and we are not that far away from you. I wanted a gps on and off road that would work straight out of the box as I'm clueless to tweeking stuff.

Thanks

[THE BOOGER]

gday the beast I have a s11 but close to a defa unit comes with a windscreen mount but being 7 in it does bounce a bit so I am looking for somthing sturdier if I find something i will let you know its ok on road but it bounces off road i put it on the seat or my co driver holds it:D