RE: [Paddlewise] Replacement GPS

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Hi Allan ,  I have a Silva and have been satisfied with it.  The positives
when I bought it three years ago were:
	1/The ability of the compass to read even when you are stationary,
	2/the relatively large display area with large alpha/numeric figures [ good
for ageing eyes and poor reading conditions ],
	3/ the relatively simple and logical operations
	4/ the claim that it was built for rough conditions, floats.
	5/ the claimed battery life.
	6/ a barometer with a 36 hour history [ without a history to read, a
barometer is basically not much use.  It is good to know how the fronts and
pressure systems are progressing.
	7/ the ability to name waypoints with real names, ie, in alpha, which not
all GPS units could do.

	I have not researched other units such as Garmin etc since I bought the
Silva, but at the time these were significant advantages.  It was the only
GPS which had a 'stationary' compass when it was first released.  I believe
that at least one Garmin has this ability today.
	Since I bought mine, Magellan have released their Meridian series, and the
Meridian Platinum would be a serious contendor against the Silva.  If I was
looking at the Magellan I would see if it has a barometer history ability
and  the size of the alpha/numeric readouts,  and whether the waypoint
facility gives you alpha ability.

	The negatives for the Silva were for me:

	the cost
	reported problems with Silva in the customer service side of things. [I
have had OK service in Australia]
	the necessity to use their own limited mapping software.
	limited numbers of users, ie, Garmin absolutely dominates the market and
nearly all the GPS message board chat is Garmin oriented.
	And I was suprised at battery usuage.  In other words it seemed to go
through batteries in spite of Silva claims.  But in real life,  the cost of
replacing a couple of AAs is nothing and people make too much of battery
consumption, now that the later units are more efficient.

You are in Hamilton, are you not?

Regards, Peter Rattenbury, Wollongong.


-----Original Message-----
From: Allan & Joyce Singleton
Subject: [Paddlewise] Replacement GPS


I am about to retire my Garmin GPS 38, and have decided that its
replacement should have an electronic compass (which seems to mean that
you get a barometric altimeter as well).

>From what is available in New Zealand the alternatives seem to be:

Garmin	Geko 301
		eTrex Summit
		eTrex Vista
		GPSMap 76S
		GPSMap 60CS

Silva (Brunton in US) Multi-Navigator
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