-----Original Message----- From: Byron Lawrence [mailto:Byron.Lawrence.blawrenc_at_nt.com] Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 1998 10:51 AM To: paddlewise Subject: [Paddlewise] GPS Advice I also would appreciate the group's input/experience with various GPS devices (i.e., best price to performance, water-resistant vs. waterproof, etc.). ************************************************************************* I have a Garmin GPS 12XL. Either that or the Garmin GPS 12 would be a good choice. The latter is $80 - $100 cheaper (about $150). With the 12XL (about $250) you get an audible signal, a different DC power supply, a nylon carrying case, a connector for an external antenna, and, I think, a larger database that includes all major U.S. cities. Otherwise, the units have similar capabilities. The 12 and 12XL are supposed to be waterproof, capable of withstanding one meter of submersion for 1/2 hour, but after I immersion-tested my first one, I found some leakage in the battery compartment. Otherwise, it appeared to work fine, but a month or two later, it stopped retaining data when shut off, which may or may not have been due to my test. However, the Boat/US store where I bought it swapped it for a new one with no questions asked. I subsequently bought a waterproof pouch for it from West Marine that also provides flotation if I drop it into the water. The Garmin GPS 45XL has a list of navigation lights in its database in addition to its list of cities, and a moveable quad helix antenna, but it does not have a waterproof rating, whatever that is worth (not much). Otherwise, its features are much the same as the 12XL. The best prices I have seen for GPS units have been at Gander Mountain. They also stock several accessories, such as computer data cables and 12V adapters for use in the car. I was intrigued for a while by the Magellan ColorTrack, which is rubber-armored, has a scratch-proof display, and is supposed to have waterproof battery compartments, but a woman I know accidently pushed her ColorTrack's data connector inside the case while trying to connect it to her computer, which is pretty flimsy. Also, there is not as much freeware and software available on the Web for Magellans as there is for Garmins. Additional info: Garmin: http://www.garmin.com/db?MItab=garmin Peter Bennett's GPS page: http://vancouver-webpages.com/peter/ Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Chuck Holst wrote: > The 12 and 12XL are supposed to be waterproof, capable of withstanding > one meter of submersion for 1/2 hour, but after I immersion-tested my > first one, I found some leakage in the battery compartment. FWIW, the Garmin waterproof guarantee only applies to the electronics.The battery compartment is not waterproof - the batteries are considered expendable, I suppose. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
I put a Gremlin 12 in a Waterproof bag designed for a Cellphone. Used it on a two week trip on the open coast without a problem. This unit has a battery live of about twelve hours *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:32:52 PDT