SatNav

[laserblazer]

Do they have the facility to display Lat/Long? I'm thinking of getting GPS for a trip to South Africa as most of the bush locations just have waypoints but if SatNav can display Lat/Long I may as well get one.

[maniac]

I know the older tom tom sat nav units definitely display lat/long co-ordinates, and you can navigate to a lat/long position as well. I'm pretty sure most of the others will as well, but it's a while since I've looked into them, so my knowledge is waaaay out of date.

 

Mike.

[Joedetic]

Have a look at Garmin ones and other brands that are used in Geocaching etc.

[Ric_]

The Garmin Edge range have some of the features IIRC. They will also work as street GPS units for when you aren't bush-whacking

[Joedetic]

I'd really quite like one of the new Edge units for my bike. It's high up on my shopping list.

[tech_guy]

Yes, get yourself a Garmin - I have the eTrex:

 

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=6403

 

I use it for Geocaching and for when I get lost walking in Wales :-)

 

I also have a handlebar mount for my mountainbike and it's been really handy at times.

 

A great buy for less than a £100.

 

A friend of mine in the army uses one & he's in Afghanistan at the moment giving the Taleban a hard time. He swears by his eTrex.

[laserblazer]

I was thinking more of a standard car SatNav that comes with European maps for day to day use but with the option to display map references.

[Ric_]

@laserblazer: I believe that the Garmin Edge range does both.

[tech_guy]

Isn't the edge range more for cyclists, etc?

[Ric_]

Isn't the edge range more for cyclists, etc?

 

Yes but it will give raw info, overlay on OS maps and do roads... this is the nature of off-road cycling.

[StewartKnight]

If I were you, I'd rent one in South Africa.

They are cheap to hire from car rental location at the airport, when I was there at Easter, it started at £1.50 a day

[laserblazer]

The reason for wanting one is that a lot of the features and facilities in RSA have been identified by their map reference. I figured that if I got a SatNav with UK/Europe mapping that also displayed map references, then I would have a SatNav for home.

[Ric_]

Something else you could consider is a PDA with inbuilt GPS. There are plenty of third-party apps for displaying GPS data and you can also install TomTom (or whatever you want).

 

The Nokia n810 is also an option but the GPS voice-guided navigation is a paid-for upgrade which is pretty poor IMHO.

[squirrel]

I have a Nokia N95 which comes with a SatNav program. Maps can be downloaded for free from the Internet.

 

Very useful as it saves carrying lots of different devices. Also has a 5MP camera.

 

Only downside is the battery life but it does come with an in-car charger for when you're out and about.

[StewartKnight]

I've just got a TomTom XL europe. You can purchase maps for South Africa, and it shows the Latitude / Longtitude.

 

When I go back to SA, I'll definately be buying the map!

Plus, it's small enough to carry in a coat pocket, you need never get lost on foot either!!

[plexer]

I just bought a myguide unit from ebuyer £90 displays long/lat and has modes for car/bike/predestrian/taxi/bus/emergency

 

2 hour battery life on comes with a car charge but will also charge from usb.

 

Ben

[laserblazer]

http://www.lowrance.com/Products/Outdoors/iFINDER-GO/

 

Got one of these for £18 brand new on Ebay. Seems to everything I want for my South Africa trip. I spent yesterday on Google Earth looking for points of interest and noting the map references so I can enter them as waypoints. I'm told they will work in the window of aircraft so I'll be able to check we are going the right way.

[laserblazer]

duplicate quote Edited January 14, 2008 by laserblazer

[PEO]

I have a eTrex attached to the handelbars on my Marin full sus works a bloody treat. Also take it with me when i go out walking with the gf