Dear all members
any one can help me for choosing the best GPS for using on-road nad off-road?
Ahmed Fouad

if you have the $$$, Garmin 276C

If you don't, Garmin S60C.

xof wrote:if you have the $$$, Garmin 276C

If you don't, Garmin S60C.

Did not have $$$$ so got from Santa(my wife) Garmin Quest.

Very nice

But no memory card.

Very subjective subject and you will get tons of answers.

Best bet is to determine what features are important to you and go from there, as like cellular phones there is a lot of garbage out there. One feature you will want is "Track Back" or at least "Tracking" so that you will have the route you came in on and can double back if necessary. If you can do a "power on" comparison, a paper comparison will allow you to narrow the field of contenders but the power on will show you which one is more intuitive to your abilities. As an example most popular here is the Garmin 276C which is very nice and is "permanently" mounted in my JK but I like using my Oregon 300 handheld more as its more intuitive for me and does a lot of what the 276c can do and some extra. So I will have both with me depending on my activities in the desert. My older Nuvi 200w is much more intuitive for my daily driving needs which is exactly what it is designed for but is not so great offroad.

Take the time and visit Garmin, Magellan and the other manufacturers websites. They allow online paper comparisons of their models and also can give you an idea of what accessories that you may need or want.

pseacraft wrote:Very subjective subject and you will get tons of answers.

No We all will recommend the 276c (or maybe the 60csx) only ... It is simply the best for offroad in the dunes and on the sea.

Just use the search button for 276c and you gonna find loads of info about it.

Mike

mike0967 wrote:

pseacraft wrote:Very subjective subject and you will get tons of answers.

No We all will recommend the 276c (or maybe the 60csx) only ... It is simply the best for offroad in the dunes and on the sea.

Just use the search button for 276c and you gonna find loads of info about it.

Mike

I think 60csx and Quest has same funcs.

Just not sure in some: Does 60csx work with NT maps? And other is - it got a bit bigger screen and price.

I have both 276c and 60csx and both work fine with the new NT maps, if you need them, most Marhals have the full installation kit somewhere

Mike

mike0967 wrote:I have both 276c and 60csx and both work fine with the new NT maps, if you need them, most Marhals have the full installation kit somewhere

Mike

Unfortunatly i did not know this. And Quest does not support NT maps. So im stuck with 2008 maps


was suppose to get the 60csx... but.. well track record is there and trackback is there. ... maps are not so critical.

Will probably use it for a year and then get something else

Serge wrote:Unfortunatly i did not know this. And Quest does not support NT maps. So im stuck with 2008 maps

For Offroading the maps are not needed and where you would need them like in Dubai, the world changes way to fast I think the version before yours has send people looking out for the airport to Dragon Mart and Dubailand

mike0967 wrote:

Serge wrote:Unfortunatly i did not know this. And Quest does not support NT maps. So im stuck with 2008 maps

For Offroading the maps are not needed and where you would need them like in Dubai, the world changes way to fast I think the version before yours has send people looking out for the airport to Dragon Mart and Dubailand

Ill enjoy what i have. I think it is good enough for offroad. And true... onroad i just need it once a week.. and as well only small help.

Let's say... i will need it to get to liwa... but thouse roads are very old so it will do it fine. (i hope)

OK ... guys ...
who already has an IPhone ... no need to spend any more money for GPS and maps.

I am playing around with "MotionX GPS" on my IPhone 3GS for a couple months now ... I like it alot:
http://gps.motionx.com/overview/
costs 5 bucks on itunes and has everything hikers, bikers and off roaders need.

Before a trip starts I simply download/cache all topographic terrain tiles in different zoom levels for the surrounding area while still having wifi connectivity at home (no data charges / 3G connectivity needed while in the desert) FOR FREE and in HIGH DETAIL showing even the single dunes.

for track and waypoint recording and navigation the maps are not needed ... it is just nicer to see the next slope and crest in advance

So with a car cradle and charger cable an IPhone 3GS 16 GB (sufficient) will cost around the same like a Garmin ... but is slightly MORE VERSATILE
(can show you at tal moreeb )

for on phone off line complete UAE on road turn by turn navigation I use "Ndrive Emirates" on the IPhone, costs less than 80 bucks and does very well ... regular updates of software and maps are free as well (so far)

Best Regards

Thanks to your suggestion, I have tried MotionX recently.

I like the program and the usability but am getting lost signals quite frequently. Do you use a GPS booster or is my iphone just out of wack?

Same for Android phones, but for free.
"My Tracks" look it up at Android Market.

just a question, are your phones Sand Friendly ?

or should i say, is the sand phone friendly

The 276c is a good GPS. The UAE military uses it. The only issue is that it is discontinued. It is a chartplotter (marine) GPS. The cheapest non-discontinued Garmin Marine GPS starts at around $1,399 USD. A cheaper option are the Garmin Zumo motorcycle GPS's. They are completely weather sealed, will not be harmed by the sand, and start at less than half the cost. As far as maps go, Mike is right, you don't need road maps for off roading. Currently the best map option for off roading is Garmin's Birdseye. For a small subscription fee you can download unlimited satellite imagery maps for your compatible (currently Dakota, Colorado, and new GPSMAP) device. I use these maps for work, where I frequently use them for navigating in remote areas in this country with the military. The detail is not as good as Google Earth on my iPhone, but as Xof said, it is not sand proof.