what brand is best for trail riding.the one that will take the beating.

I have a Garmin and it has been doing great! No problems at all. I saw one go flying off of one guy's handlebars during an altercation with a few boulders on a trail. It landed atleast 50 feet from the trail. Once we finally found it we hooked it back up and it worked fine!

I have a GARMIN ETREX...the Blue one (legend)
It fell out of the Rhino one day and the string got caught on a bolt on the undercarriage. I drug it bouncing around for about 2 miles is the best I can figure. I only stopped when my buddy seen something dragging
I thought I lost it forever, and I was preparing for the screaming that the wife was gonna dish out to me!
I picked it up (after a buddy stopped me) and it was still tracking just fine!!

It takes a WHACKIN` and keeps on TRACKIN`!!

I have a used E-Trex Vista C (color version) that retails for $350 and also have the Map Source CDs ($90 value). Also have USB cable. Also have $50 Ram Handle bar mount. Nearly $500 invested.

I'd take $300 plus any shipping charges to you for everything.

There's nothing wrong with it, just don't use it as much as I thought I would.

Can email pics

thats part of what i have been tossing around just how much will i use it.

I used mine alot in the begining. But now there are a few of us who have one and it just doesn't makes sence to have mine anymore.

Still got this. I've been looking at the Etrex Vista CX on the net at Amazon/WalMart/Newegg about $250....haven't checked int the Ram Handlebar Mount, but had heard of them. Been seriously considering getting one of these and plotting every trail that I get to ride on in/around Harlan County. Guess that makes me a hi tech red neck uh? Were you satisfied with teh eTREX? How well does it hold the signal in tree covered areas?

Don't remember any trouble with it tracking down at Evarts.

It's just like new and comes with all the software ($90 value) and the USB cable to download/upload from your computer. I have all the manuals too.

800Sportman has a good deal. I just wish one of the Evarts regulars would get one and start plotting the park. Maybe the RR sould but one to map all the trails so when us out-of-towners come to play we could be more prepared with the track that could be made availible on this site.
Just a thought Preston.

Radar and I are working on that right now.....he be my teacher.......as I have never used one.........JUST WET ME FANGER.....TICK IT IN DA AIR.....and go from there.

I have aGarmin Etrex. Like it alot more than the Magellan. Personal opinion only.

Bell, I would have thought you had owned several by now, being the High-Tech guy you be and all.

Old deputy Dawg

I have looked at a few........then it would slip my mind.......if this works out......may just pick one up.....and play with it some.......then see if I need to buy one. I can see where it would be a very good thing for our out of town folks for sure.......but we must remember......not all of our off park acres....are under lease.......and this could change day to day.

I understand. Take care and be safe.

Old Deputy Dawg

Howdy All.

I use a Lowrance I-finder Expedition C. I like it, it tracks well in thick trees, it even picks up in the house sometimes thru the windows. It gets splashed with mud and water, and I just wipe it off and go. It's pretty tough, and you can wash it off in a sink or with a water bottle on the trail ( I would suggest wetting it down before wiping it off, other wise you will scratch the screen).

Garmin is also good. I'm not a big fan of Magellan, just personal preference. Whatever you get, I suggest you get one with a large color screen. They are so much better than the little black and white ones. They cost more, but would you rather spend another hundred dollars and use the gps, or throw away 200 because you can't see the information? Get one with removable memory (SD cards preferred)The base map on most of these don't have many secondary roads on them. To get a good basemap with secondary roads, topo, restaruants, rivers, how far is it to McDonalds kinda stuff, you will have to buy the 100$ software too. Lowrance makes a combo that includes the GPS, Software, and a 12V car plug. That's what I bought for about $350. You can find deals on the net if you search a little. I would also suggest wiring your wheeler for power and either buying a ram mount or make one yourself. I did lots research, and I like the Lowrance. It was cheaper than the big color screen Garmin at the time, and some say it tracks better. I would buy either the Garmin or Lowrance, whichever one you can get a deal on. One thing I would do is go to a store and play with them and see which one's menu makes the most sense. Lowrance lets you download a program that simulates using their units so you can practice on your computer. I liked that.

http://www.lowrance.com/Downloads/Emulators/default.asp

The only thing that I didn't like was actually using the Lowrance software. The software doesn't help you create paper maps of your tracks. You have to seek out other free software on the net to do that. It is only intended for getting the highly detailed secondary roads, topo lines, places to eat kinda stuff into the GPS unit. Once you get the maps on the GPS, they are wonderful and work great, but getting them there can be a chore cause the software in a word sucks and is buggy/crashes.

I hope this helps. I would love to get some tracks of the Harlan area.... I don't think I'm the only one either

I've got a bunch of the trails I've been on saved and downloaded on my software,...or at least I think I do. Just gotta take the time and study up on how to send them out to others. I'll keep you posted on my progress!

I've used a Garmin eTrex Legend for a couple years now, and it has been really good. I use mine to geocache a lot too. It does get a little finicky under tree cover, especially in the summer when the leaves are out. Still, for the price it is a great little GPS.

My girlfriend has a Magellan Meridian Gold. I think, when it came out it was ahead of it's time. It's a big bulky ugly looking GPS, but dang, that thing is awesome. It was a higher end Magellan at one point in time. You can go through the thickest tree cover you can find, and that thing don't mind a bit, keeps a great signal lock. It seems to be on par with todays Garmin 60Cx series, maybe even still a little better with signal lock.

I just recently picked up a Gamin Venture Cx. It's nothing more than an updated Garmin Legend, with a color screen, and some geocaching specific features. It is actually the same as the Garmin Legend Cx, but cheaper. The Legend comes with an Micro SD card, and USB cable with it already. I got the Venture because I didn't need the USB cable, and could pick up a much large SD card for about the same difference in price. The USB cable needed is like the ones many digital cameras use, with the small end on them. I have the Garmin US Topo Map Software, and a bought a 512mb SD card, and have pretty much all the eastern U.S. loaded onto it, with room to spare.

They all seem to be pretty good GPS's. My advice is to get the ones with a SD card slot, and a good set of the brand's map CD's. These days they are all pretty good, with plenty of competition around to keep them getting better. I've used my old Legend on plenty a 4-wheeler trip, keep in locked in a RAM Mount on my handlebars, and haven't had a problem with it yet.

Don't know why everyone is dogging the Magellan... I've got the New Magellan Explorist XL. It's got a much bigger screen than any of the others out there, It's waterproof, It has no trouble finding or holding a good signal in heavy cover, Has SD card expansion, Tracks right on the money, Has all of the bells and whistles, and is easy to use...... The only thing most people don't like about it, is it ain't cheap.......JMO

How's it commin Gut?
If we can get ol' Gut up the learning curve we may be able to get some Black Mtn tracks. He's probly been all over that park, if we can just get those tracks off that there thing, and on to the puter, then send them off to all his long distance friends....oh, that would be sooo cool.
Come on Gut ol' buddy, you can do it, you can do it, you can do it, yes you can...

I can't seem to find them anywhere's. Still hunting!

I still ain't found them. Maybe they're on my Laptop. I'll have a look.