--- steen <bondos_at_paradis.dk> wrote: > "It was just real big swells, 10- to15-foot swells, wind just > howling. > I capsized the boat maybe 30 times the first two days," he said. That said, he did quite well!! > Apart from that: Sure, if he'd ckecked out the weather forecast, he > wouldn't have ended up in any jeopardy. True enough. Shawn Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better http://health.yahoo.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I currently have a Magellan M315 and have been fairly satisfied with it. It has served well on my sailboat, in the car, and on the trail. It does have a few deficiencies though, especially for kayaking. 1. It has poor battery life. On a 1 week cruise I would need to use quite a few alkaline batteries (Magellan doesn't recommend rechargeables or at least didn't at the time I bought it). 2. It isn't very waterproof. Mine leaked and was replaced while it was under warranty. It is no longer under warranty so I am especially unlikely to carry it while paddling without using a waterproof a bag. Are other brands or models more suitable? I would really prefer something with a really waterproof case and long battery life. Does such a device exist? The ability to display maps would be nice but is not a requirement. The cost difference probably is enough to scare me away anyway. I do keep maps and charts on my iPaq, but don't use it in the kayak. I might carry it and use it in camp to plan the day, but using a waterproof bag and trying to connect the iPaq to the GPS is probably a bit to much trouble while underway in a kayak. It is also likely to result in a dead iPaq. Recommendations, observations, or comments? Pete Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better http://health.yahoo.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hi Pete, I myself am using a Garmin eTrex Vista for my kayak and bicycle daytrips. Although the device is fine, it does not have a terribly long battery life. It does run about a day on two fully charged 1300 mAh NiMh penlite batteries (capacities up to 1800 mAh exist and should last longer). The "lesser" eTrex'es have less features and have longer battery life. In particular the magnetic compass of the Vista is quite battery-hungry, but fortunately can be disabled. NiMh also have the disadvantage of a high self-discharge rate. This is normally not a problem if you charge them immediately before you use them, but if you don't trickle charge them and just leave them lying around they'll be empty in a few months. The Vista (and most other Garmin units) are advertised as waterproof rated IPX7 which is immersion to one meter (3 feet) for 30 minutes, but I always use mine in a watertight Voyageur bag (which makes operating it a bit troublesome). Another and perhaps a better choice would be the Garmin 76 or the 76 Map (I'm tempted to buy one of those as well), as it has a larger display and floats by itself, and has all buttons up front, so it will be easier to view and to operate from a watertight bag. I don't know about battery life though, but information should be on Garmin's website www.garmin.com. A lot more useful information can be found on www.smallboatgps.com by the way. don't get lost, Kees B.T.W. a picture of my eTrex in action is on www.xs4all.nl/~keesvdm/boot/btf13a5.htm *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Your 315 should work fine with rechargable batteries although the life per charge may be somewhat less than with regular alkaline cells. Many people use NiMH cells in these units, so I'm not sure why Magellan would recommend against them. The newer Magellan units (Meridian and Sportrak series) and most Garmins are rated as waterproof per IPX7 (1 meter for 30 minutes). However, in many cases this rating doesn't apply to the battery holder and in any event there have been reports of water intrusion in some samples of just about every model in the GPS newsgroup (sci.geo.satellite-nav). So I wouldn't trust any unit without using a waterproof bag. The actual waterproofness seems to be sample specific - one unit may stand up fine to repeated rolling while another of the same model may leak from just a few splashes. Unless you want to upgrade to a mapping unit, I'd stick with the 315 together with a good waterproof bag (I use an AquaPac). I prefer to have a unit which supports detailed maps (I have MetroGuide and Topo maps for my Garmin). It makes it easy to identify islands and shoreline features while paddling and can help if there's a need to change trip plans due to conditions. Garmin's Map76 has more marine-oriented features than most other units, including tide information, but many other units such as the Magellan Sportrak or Meridian models or the Garmin Legend would do as well and are more affordable. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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