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Sun Apr 01, 2012 8:52 pm

So whats the best bang for the buck when it comes to dash mounted GPS systems? I'm not looking to impress the friends as much as not get lost in the desert. Really I'd just like to be able to plot various points of interest and find camp again.. Hoping to keep it under $300 if possible?

Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:19 am

Any of the Garmin Nuvi higher series' should work fine. I have a 260W. I can add points of interest as well as download my traveled course to the computer. It even got me out of a speeding ticket once. the map database is pretty good. Most of the larger washer, train tracks and dirt roads are already in there.

Mon Apr 02, 2012 4:33 pm

I use an older Garmin I had bought for work a few years ago. I only spent $80 on it then, and it would work great for what you describe. Maps are pretty okay, and in the past I've just entered coordinates off of Google maps when looking for stuff in the middle of nowhere.

Mon Apr 02, 2012 9:08 pm

I got a Nuvi 1300lm for a hundred bucks shipped from Amazon. This was after two days of web research. Garmin has a chart with all the features of the different models so the buyer can choose the desired features. I'm sure the other manufacturers have something similar. The next one above mine has Bluetooth, I think. I didn't need that so I got the next one down.

I mainly use it for the trip log and as a speedometer. After the ride, the trip log can be overlaid on Google Earth. I wish it could do average speed, elapsed time, etc. Even a bicycle computer can do that stuff.

Tue Apr 03, 2012 6:18 am

Mine does that stuff. from the map screen you touch the mph bubble at the bottom and it gives you overall time,driving time, stopped time, average mph and top speed.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:24 am

Cool. I just consulted the manual. This thing even does gas mileage

Wed Apr 04, 2012 12:18 pm

I had a tom x tom for street use, that lasted about a year before it quit. I have not used the Garmins, it sounds like the ones you are talking about are more "hand held" than dash, is that true?

Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:22 pm

Mine is not a "built in" dash mount like the Lowrance units, but it came with a windshield suction cup mount that works well. The nice thing is that you can take it out and walk with it or switch cars.

Wed Apr 04, 2012 8:43 pm

Yeah, while they do have a pedestrian mode they aren't ergonomically shaped to be handheld like hiking-specific units. These are all rectangular

Thu Apr 05, 2012 4:24 pm

NOTE----For those with newer TOMTOMs, there is a download to cure a LEAP year glitch. Not sure about the older ones.

I have a 3 year old (I think 3) Garmin nuvi and I like it for highway use. Updating the maps on an old one cost money so I just purchased a Tomtom from Tiger Direct for around 100 bucks. It has free lifetime downloads plus a Lat. and Long. feature that my nuvi didn't have.
I haven't figured out the way points on the tomtom yet.
Off roading I guess you need Longitude and Latitude as well.
Marvin