OK - I lied it'll be my 2nd one.
I've got a 1991 Magellan w "scrolling map" in the 210.
When I bought it, it was one of the most advanced systems available. The map printer can be separated easy enough, & the GPS slides right out.
At the time the thing was advertised as portable, but this SOB is anything but "portable",,,, well, like all electronics, wadayagonado!
I've never depended on the one in the plane, but I know a lot of pilots are starting to rely on them more than LORAN, etc. It was advertised as being accurate to + - 60', - bullchit - it's more like 400'! I never really wanted the thing, it was just part of the avionics package that came with the plane, interesting, but just a cute toy.
Anyway, I've decided to buy a handheld one this week, looked at a few, & realized the whole parade passed me up!
The kid in Wallyworld is useless, & I refuse to buy anything from the local boat shop - that leaves Sporty's, or Wallyworld + some advise.
This site is always a good source for fairly accurate, no BS for things like this.
WTH is all this 24 ch (mine has exactly three, two work), alphabet soup, gigantic memory, altimeter, temperature synchronized, auto-timer, with five beepers, auto reset, PS, PB, AC, blah, blah, blah about?
[b]Never mind - I don't care,,,, I don't even want to know.[/b]
I just want one that'll give reasonably accurate coordinates, work as a reliable compass (preferably in degrees - I've become too used to that format). I don't even get all this nonsense about the "need" so much memory, I'll probably enter less than 30 locations - only in the US - I don't want to "map the world."
Can anyone recommend a reliable, no nonsense basic one, & model # ?
Altitude would be nice (it they've improved any), as would easy to read (as in BIG characters), backlit display, Ni-Cads, & waterproof -- but none of that's necessary.
I.E. what's the Colt, & Bushmaster of GPS,,,,, or (possibly more importantly) - is there a Hesse, or Dolphin of the GPS world???
One last thing [i](I promise).[/i]
Is it still important to get one that'll take a remote antenna (so you don't have to get out of the car every time you take a reading)?