Magellan or Garmin??

[JL242]

I'm looking to get a GPS. Who has what, and which is going to be better in the long run. Fixed mount, or hand held, Magellan, or Garmin. I'm leaning toward a Magellan Gold hand held because of all the features, and possibly getting off the boat to track a deer, or other critter. Does anybody have a Magellan Gold, or anything else that they like??

 

[jdotson]

Go with a Garmin. I bought the Magellan Gold and it lasted one trip on the boat before the water got to it. The Garmin I have had for years and it is waterproof. I bought the Magellan to see which I liked better...unfortunately it didn't take long to find out. :!:

 

[a1mudpuppy]

I've got the Garmin 276c and love it I can us it in the truck and then put it in the airboat. works great

 

[likearock]

hey i work at a marine supply and we only sell garmins. i have a garminmap 76. i love it works great. this model is also offered in cooler.i can get you a garmin map 76 for $185.00

 

[SwampMatt]

Garmin interfaces beter with a computer. At least I think so. I've been trying to get our Garmin to work on the computer, its just so hard to type on the unit itself. I want to name waypoints on a regular keyboard, save tracks, overlay tracks on aerial photos or maps, amd make routes on the computer, using a mouse and keyboard instead of the error prone method with the pointer buttons on the GPS unit.

In trying to get our (Laura & my) Garmin to link to the computer (My Mac laptop & her PC laptop) I've found a lot of software apps that are supposed to work well with the Garmin, but when they interface with a Magellan they can only operate in NMEA mode (or language? ) Where the Garmin type of interface allows import / export of waypoints and routes and the NMEA interface only allows real time GPS use on the computer. Not too useful unless you take your laptop out on the airboat! But the Garmin can talk in "Garmin mode", "NMEA mode", "text mode" or several other types of interface.

Maybe the magellans can do that too, but it seems easy with the Garmin.

The problem we're having is the connecting cable and our laptops. Seems to be something more designed for box type computers. But I see that the latest GPS models come with a USB connection.

Try to get a Garmin that has the features you want, and if you want to use it with your computer - Get one that has a USB cable - not the serial cable.

I like the handheld. Garmin is waterproof and it floats. And You can use it in the car, of walking thru the woods as you suggest.

matt.

 

[VernonW]

Likearock,
That sounds real good. If you could, send me a PM or email with contact info. I would like to hear more.
Vernonw (wynnboat) wynn