GPS Systems and Reviews

Why a Hand Held GPS Is Right for You

Have you seen someone walking around on the street or on a hiking trail with a contraption in their hand and wondered what they had? It’s possible that they were using a hand held GPS device to navigate to the location they were trying to get to. Mapping and navigation devices have become very popular among those who love to travel in their cars, on their motorcycles, or even on their boats, but they are also very useful to people traveling on foot. So let’s take some time to look at why they are so popular and how they might make a difference in your daily life.

About Hand Held GPS Devices

Before we take on the idea of picking up one of these devices, let’s look at the difference between them and standard portable units. Many people are used to using the ideas interchangeably, but typically the portable unit simply means that you can take your unit in and out of your car and into another and it will still work as effectively. However, the portable units are usually not as useful when you take them on a trail or boat. Instead, they mount to your dashboard and help you navigate roads and highways.

On the other hand, the hand held GPS units are more versatile and allow you to take them off the roads and into areas that may not normally be picked up by these devices. You might be able to pick up remote trails, rivers, valleys and more, so that if you want to go camping, hiking, biking, or boating you can still find your way around effortlessly. Below, we will look at the specifics of some of these units and how you might find a way to make them useful in your life.

Hiking on a Trail

If you love the great outdoors then there are a number of hand held GPS devices that can help you find your way around whether you are in your car or decide to venture outside for a walk. One in particular is the Magellan SportTrack, which was created for those who love to hike, as well as those who enjoy game hunting and fishing. It offers nine large graphic navigation displays that cover a wide variety of areas away from roads and highways and even is WAAS enabled with a quadifiler antenna so that you can pick up information from all 12 satellites orbiting at the same time.

While you are trekking along outdoors, you can store up to 20 different routes you’ve taken so that if you ever come back to the area you don’t have to worry about remembering the trails you took. Also, you can store up to 500 waypoints and 2,000 tracks. If you are outdoors with the intention of hunting or fishing, you can use the unit’s calculator to determine where fish and game are located in the area. And if you are dependent upon light to get the job done, the unit can determine the Sun and Moon positions for you.

Playing Golf

Believe or not, there is a hand held GPS device that helps you improve your golf game. The GPS Golf Pro is a position system with let’s you same time and improve your skill level simultaneously by informing you of how fare you are away from the front and center of green at all times. In addition, you can determine how other golfers are fairing while on the green. It has an electronic scorecard that contains yardage, par, handicap and other scoring information. And it determines the last shot distance as well.

Keeping Track of Your Dog

If you have a hunting dog, or a family pet that you worry might wander off, then the Garmin Astro is a unit you may want to consider taking advantage of. It has a high-sensitivity tracking collar that you simply place on your pet’s neck, as well as a bright color screen that you hold as you track your pet. With this device, you can track his location in no time, even if he has wandered into dense cover that seems untrackable. Even more, the unit lets you know if he is walking, sitting, running, on point, or treeing.

A hand held GPS device has many functions that can be very beneficial to the everyday person. So take time to explore these and other units on the market that might help save you time and effort when spending time doing what you love. You never know, a hand held GPS device might end up being you next best friend.

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Buying Your First GPS Unit

Well you have heard about GPS, but now you are ready to make the plunge into this newest type of technology. The biggest question you have is where do you start and which unit will work best for you. Whether you are biking, hiking, camping or just plain fishing the GPS has and can be used for all these things and much more. Most people can still remember the compass at their only form of travel, but that is just not as practical as it was many years ago. We want the quickest way and most accurate way to go somewhere or get something done thus GPS systems is our ticket to do that. Here are some tips to help make it easier for you to find the perfect unit for the use you have for it.

There are many different types of GPS tracking devices that you will run into and applications that people are using them for. One of the first things you must decide which type of GPS you need. There are four main types that you will run into and that is car navigation system, portable outdoors unit, marine system and the PDA. If you’re going to use one just to get point a to point b than you are better off with an in-dash model for your vehicle.  Now if you’re going to use it for more than one application than maybe a portable one is something that you will want to look further into. If fishing and being around the water a lot is what you will be doing than a marine model is the direction that you will want to head into. If you’re going to do all the above than probably a PDA/Hybrid model which gives a combination of all of them is probably best.

Your next step will be deciding on what extra functions you will want on your model. Most models have the same basic functions, but some models give you things that you may want for a little extra money. Many models have different add-ons and this is something that each individual must understand. One of the things that many people want and that is a touch screen. Most models do come with it, but some do not and it will cost you a few dollars more to get it. MP3 players are another function that can be added to certain models and maybe something that you will want to consider in the end. Many times this will depend on how often you use it as whether that would be a good investment. Now if you live in your car most of the time some models have a built in DVD player that you may want to consider. These are usually only available on the higher end models, but it is something you will need to look into.

One word of caution though about getting add-ons to your GPS unit. Most people get them to just feel in vogue because someone else has them. Do not do that as if you’re not going to use it than why get it in the first place. GPS systems are great and the add-ons are there for a purpose so if you do buy some of them make sure you will be using them or you’re just going to add to the price of your unit.

Comparison shop is something that you will also want to look at. Many times during the year, GPS systems are cheaper than they are at other times. Also getting last year’s models is something that you can also look at. These are usually discounted so they can get ready for next year’s models and you could find a great deal. Other places to look our auction sites, as people tend to sell their unwanted ones for a discount price. Good deals are available if you know what you are looking for. Do not go into it blind study each model and what they offer so you will know if it has the features you are looking for. Nothing is more disappointing than getting something that is not what you thought it was.

GPS is one of the most versatile and useful consumer products in the market today. It provides you with valuable information to make your life easier and most importantly helps you find your way to your destination. It has many other uses that you will find for it once you get a better understanding of how it works and what your model is able to do. If you follow the tips we outlined above you should have no problem picking out your first GPS system.

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