GPS systems for off the beaten track

[wags on the water]

I'm in the market for a GPS unit. It will be mainly used away from the city (I have a UBD for the city). I'd like to know your thoughts on the best unit for the bush. I have done a little research on the Hema Navigator, and yes I'm aware it's not far off $1000.

I'd like to know your thoughts.

Cheers,

Wags

[finga]

Take a co-pilot.
They seem to work :)

And now we cross over to some serious opinions. ;)

[wags on the water]

Take a co-pilot.
They seem to work :)

And now we cross over to some serious opinions. ;)

I have found (previous experience) co-pilots are unreliable and backchat....:P

[GBC]

Mine makes me stop the vehicle every time she has to turn the page - Oh and she'll only navigate while going North - because she can't read up side down.:o

Seriously though - try exploroz.com - they spend half their lives talking about that stuff.

[catfishkid]

I was seriously considering the magellan crossover unit with the streets and tracks oz card,That is the model after the explorist units which are good but have a really small screen.they show full topographic maps of most areas,when I looked the maps of the mount mee area were there and pretty accurate.

Cheers Craig

[chisel]

You can buy either a mio, navman or some generic units off ebay for $150-250 and run oziexplorer on it if you like. It is a bit of mucking around but will get you something close to a hema navigator for $500-ish (have to buy oziexplorer software and the hema maps).

[wags on the water]

You can buy either a mio, navman or some generic units off ebay for $150-250 and run oziexplorer on it if you like. It is a bit of mucking around but will get you something close to a hema navigator for $500-ish (have to buy oziexplorer software and the hema maps).

My last purchase off Ebay has put me off the cons on there. When an item is marked 'Brand new in box'....it should be just that. I will look into it but buyer beware....

[Lucky_Phill]

I bought the Magellan X-over a while ago when they were a fart under 1,000.

The offroad stuff is fantastic. The street navigator is ' ordinary ' but will get you there in the end.

You can also drop a " SD " card in and it will do ' on water ' as well.

Battery life is over two hours.... maybe more.. I forget, so it can also be used for bush walking.

Only down side is you cannot change the " english " voice from that annoying American woman. >:( >:( , But the French and Italian girls sounds nice ;)



Phill
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[wags on the water]

You can also drop a " SD " card in and it will do ' on water ' as well.


Phill
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Is that for those extra deep river crossings? or mud puddles......

[dec0guy]

I've been looking for a GPS and considering a Garmin unit. You can get off road mapping such as Oztopo or Garmin have just released Topo Australia maps.

http://www.oztopo.com/index.htm

I was looking at a Garmin 265W GPS on the weekend which is on special at JB Hifi for $383 (RRP $449) and included a hundred dollars of free accessories.

[Lucky_Phill]

Yes, Mike, it's for the ' deep ' water and I believe it can be interphased with a fish finder :P 8-) ;D ;D

Olbis...... at Rockela, is where I got mine.

I see battery life is 8 hours....!

It can come with a PC software thing-a-ma-jig that let's you down load / up load POI's and also enables you to plot routes Aust wide.

http://www.nextdestination.com.au/pages/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=244


and , I also found this:-


http://www.ryda.com.au/Magellan-Crossover-GPS-Navigation-p/gpsmagpnd100.htm


Phill

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[TheRealAndy]

I have a garmin nuvi or something like that. You can download tracks4australia and shonky maps for it free of charge. I reckon both are best of useless but they are free so who really cares. You can also get topo maps for it. The shonky maps have topo, but I cant remember the contours. shonky is 250000:1. Garmin also have topo series, and the lads at johnny appleseed also had different topo's for the garmin.

However, if you want my honest opinion, the topo maps on GPS are useless. Sunmap paper maps leave them for dead. Takes a little more getting used to though. I used to be a hiker and all I had was paper maps, cause GPS does not work in rainforest.

[welder]

Have you guys shopped Walmart , Basspro, Cabela's, Gander mountain, www.boemarine.com or the like on line here in the states ?
And could someone here in the states send you a item that was bought here ? Would it be cheaper or save you money.

[wags on the water]

Have you guys shopped Walmart , Basspro, Cabela's, Gander mountain, www.boemarine.com (http://www.boemarine.com) or the like on line here in the states ?
And could someone here in the states send you a item that was bought here ? Would it be cheaper or save you money.


Haven't looked that way yet, but more research required.

[welder]

Wags , PM me if I can Help.

[finga]

Haven't looked that way yet, but more research required.
Well you don't do anything else all day do ya?? ::)
So you'll have plenty of time ;D


That's one back. 6439 to go 8-)

[wags on the water]

Has anyone seen these before => http://www.gpsoz.com.au/vms/vms_avnc.htm

This idea of having in-dash navigation doesn't restrict the view like the other units that are mounted on the dash or from the windscreen.

[Lucky_Phill]

as a matter of interest and law.

a dash top mounted GPS, mobile phone or other gizmo is illegal. There is a law about unrestricted view area. Nobody seems to get fined for it and I am sure sooner or later an insurance company will NOT pay up, due to restricted view causing accident.

IN dash is by far the best option.

Phill.
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[wags on the water]

As you said Phil, it'll only take time. What gets me is the cabbies with there units on the pillar and the gps units they play with whilst driving is ok yet being on the phone is distracting & illegal????

[dec0guy]

as a matter of interest and law.

a dash top mounted GPS, mobile phone or other gizmo is illegal. There is a law about unrestricted view area. Nobody seems to get fined for it and I am sure sooner or later an insurance company will NOT pay up, due to restricted view causing accident.

IN dash is by far the best option.

Phill..

In-dash is nice but exxy, though you can get them on ebay for $500 or less and you can play dvd's and hook up a reversing camera.

I've got my GPS attached to the windscreen and it only obstructs the view of the bonnet and I can see all of the road over the top so technically it does not obscure my view at all! Helps to be 6'2 and having the D22 intercooler bonnet scoop, which just helps in the GPS not obscuring the road ;D

[SummerTrance]

I have a Lowrance H20 iFinder handheld gps. Does anyone know if yo can get an SD card with offroad mapping that would work in this unit ?

[chisel]

Has anyone seen these before => http://www.gpsoz.com.au/vms/vms_avnc.htm

This idea of having in-dash navigation doesn't restrict the view like the other units that are mounted on the dash or from the windscreen.
I think someone had one of these on pradopoint. You'll have to google for it.

As said, they are expensive but do everything. There are similar on ebay for $500-700 but not sure they are as good - and obviously don't have the same sort of service/support.