HAND HELD GPS???

[mjd]

I am on a search and rescue team and everyone on the team uses them, some more than others. I use it quite a bit in training because I can send someone out with a gps unit to lay a trail for me and the gps maps their track. Then I run my trail with a gps and I can see if we were on track or where I lost it. The etrex and magellion 100 seem to be the preferred ones due to cost efficiency and battery life (color monitors eat batteries as mentioned in a previous post). We want one that is reliable but we won't have a panic attack if it gets dropped or lost while we are searching. Believe it or not, when tethered to a beagle that is intent on catching what is at the end of the track can cause you to fall and break things.

Also, don't just carry a compass as a backup but actually use it as you would if you didn't have GPS. If the GPS fails, all the compass will tell you is which way is north. Most can figure that out by the sun or stars so the compass doesn't add any help to your situation.

However, if you properly use the compass on your way in, you will be less likely to have to call our team and dogs out to find you. As mentioned before, even just doing a back azimuth can increase your awareness and accuracy.

Like any technology, it's great when it works but it''s bad when it doesn't.

would the 200 magellan model be about the same as the 100 model ?

[sem]

Well I got the magellan triton 300 for xmas. Now all I have to do is learn how to use it.

[Tim H]

Here's a comparison

http://www.gpscentral.ca/products/magel ... arison.htm

They are about the same. The only difference is the 200 holds more tracks, which makes a difference to me but probably not the typical user.