RE: [Paddlewise] Current GPS device recommendations?

>While using my 12 in light rain and snow it failed due to water damage,
>which appeared to enter via the battery compartment. The unit
>was replaced
>under warranty, and my high-tech modification was to wrap a strip of car
>inner tube around the unit from top to bottom, thereby holding
>the battery
>compartment tightly closed. I also dry-bag it.


Hmmm.  I've had better success with the 12 and water.  Over time I've
owned both the 12 and the 12XL.  My father also has the 12.  I guess
there've been little improvements over time.  I notice for example even a
difference in backlighting between some 12's (blue vs 3 level green).
With my first 12, I took Garmin at their word and submersed it in the
bathtub for 30 minutes and then checked for incursion in the battery
compartment.  I found none (though it was still fairly new).  It
continued to perform well in use, though mostly in rain on hikes here on
the west coast (Vancouver), rather than in a sea water environment.  I
never sheltered it from water though.  Though it's now been given away, I
haven't heard yet of it failing.

For the past couple years I've been using the Garmin II+, mostly because
I appreciate the form factor (either landscape or portrait, it's ability
to rest viewable on a flat surface and the antenna is detachable and
extendable with just a simple cable).  The city database is helpful on
the road as well.  Mapping would be handy but I just connect my Palm PDA
to it when I want that.  It two is holding up well in the wet, though I'm
not sure there is quite as good a seal around the battery compartment
compared to the 12 series.  It's seen more sea water than the 12 ever
did, both kayaking and sailing, and still it's not showing any signs.
The II/II (and I suspect the V as well) have the added issue/benefit of a
split case design that can be opened via 4 screws, with a rubber gasket
between them.  On the downside, there's a greater chance of this failing
and becoming a point of entry for water, when compared to a 12 series.
But on the plus side, it gives you the option to open the case
(post-warranty period) and gain comfort from the examination that the
interior is in fact still dry, should you have any cause for concern.  So
far so good however.

A word of warning that it may well not be a good idea to put a garmin 12
(or like device with a non-detachable antenna) in the car window while
driving, tethered to a PDA for mapping and remote display.  Even though
the interior temperature of the car is cool, direct sun can apparently
overheat the LCD crystal and permanently damage/blacken the screen, as my
father did with his (Garmin, unprompted, chose to repair it at no
expense).

There are certainly some very interesting current models to look at
however depending on the price you want to spend.  The rhino (FRS/GPS
combo, the 72, and the V) Most software (desktop or PDA) should have no
integration trouble assuming a reasonably priced data cable can be
attained (See http://www.pfranc.com/ for cheaper cable options).  That
is, if you're only looking for navigational data feed.  It can be quite
handy to use software however to manage waypoints (swap them in and out
in sets, if you're limited to say 500 or 1000 waypoints on the GPS), and
do route editing.  I use software on my Palm PDA to do that as needed in
the field.  Software is always a step behind the latest and greatest
GPSs.  For example Etrex support is just coming to various PDA titles I
find.  But virtually everything on the planet will have support for GPS's
such as the 12, 12XL, II(+) and III(+).

And speaking of GPS and PDA's, the new year should finally bring us
Garmin's PalmOS device (they've been a licensee forever, and are finally
coming to market with a device).  Those who've seen what's in the works
were very impressed.  I can't imagine where they're going to go with that
much power, (PalmOS 5 running on a Motorola ARM series 6 chip at 150Mhz),
but it should be interesting.

Definitely consider the following resource sites for in-depth reviews,
and all matter of related GPS info:
http://joe.mehaffey.com/
http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/

Regards,

Craig Bowers

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