GPS SYSTEM BUYER'S GUIDE

Looking to buy a GPS system? Wondering which GPS system is for you? First, you should narrow down the type of GPS system you are looking to buy. What is the unit's intended purpose: car navigation, hiking, fishing, biking, etc.? Then, do your research. The features you will need will vary greatly by the purpose. Use this guide to help you choose some top performers by use.

CAR GPS SYSTEMS

By far the most common type of GPS navigation devices are car GPS systems. There are portable (handheld) GPS units, full-featured dash mounted GPS units and in-dash GPS units. In-dash models may come with the car; i.e. factory installed, or they may be purchased and mounted aftermarket by your local electronics store. There are fewer choices the in-dash model segment, making it a bit easier to narrow the field. So, we will focus on the dash-mounted GPS and the handheld units.

Personally, I prefer the dash mounted GPS systems. They are full-featured and include:

Large LCD screens that can be comfortably viewed at arm's length;
Can be mounted on your car's dashboard or windshield;
North American, U.S., or European maps;
Provide Voice Guidance/Directions;
Plethora of POI's
You could consider a handheld GPS system, but they have smaller screens, are battery-powered and offer no voice guidance.

Car GPS recommendations...

Go for the full-featured car GPS and get the features that are most important to you. To me, the most important feature of any car GPS system is the accuracy of the maps as well as the costs to update them. The next important feature for me is voice navigation, which allows me to concentrate on the road while still getting much needed directions. Points of interest (POI's) are not as important to me, but I do find them useful, like warning me when I am coming up on a school or church. Traffic and weather are nice to have, but not worth the subscription service I would have to join to have them; the same information can be had from the radio for free.

There are several principle manufacturers of GPS systems; TomTom claims to be the largest, but Garmin lays claim to marketing the most popular units. Magellan is also a popular brand, as is Mio. Some other manufacturers play in this area as well, but none offers the breadth of product at virtually every price point as do TomTom, Garmin, and Magellan.

You can also buy a portable GPS units. Portables traditionally have a better selection in price and features and still maintain some of the lead as well as a greater variety in offerings. Some of the sophisticated features that you may now choose from include live traffic updates, local fuel prices, satellite weather map overlays and voice control to non-navigation features like music, Bluetooth and DVD features.

HANDHELD GPS SYSTEMS FOR THE GEOCACHERS AND HIKERS

Some handheld GPS units are better suited for use outdoors in the forest (or the city) than others. Hills and tree cover block signals as do hills with buildings. Some arrangements (like an external antenna) help to compensate for this better than others. Having adequate waypoint and track storage and useful "goto" features for off road navigation, electronic compass, altimeter and sufficient battery life are among important features to outdoor purposes, as is having lightweight, water proof construction. Note that a barometric altimeter will be more accurate, but will only improve accuracy if it is used according to the manual instructions which require time. An electronic compass will give you direction while standing still, rather than just a heading while moving, but it will use battery life needlessly if it is turned on when not in use. I recommend any of the Garmin handheld units for the outdoor enthusiast!

MARINE (FISH-FINDER) AND AVIATION GPS SYSTEMS

There are many quality options available for marine uses. Most of the GPS listed under roadway navigation also carry data for marine areas near shorelines. For more serious uses, there are marine specific models. Again, desirable features will vary with personal preferences from user to user and the spread sheets and in store "test drive" will help to isolate the right model. One brand to look into is Lowrance GPS navigation devices. Also, Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) Regional Director Jon Coon recommends the Humminbird NVB Combo GPS series for the ease of use in navigation and the quality of the split screen view with side sonar. He says that this GPS unit makes finding a wreck easy

Aviation GPS systems come in panel, portable and remote units. Again, Garmin makes great aviation GPS systems.

HIGHLY SPECIALIZED OR MULTI-PURPOSE GPS SYSTEMS

There are highly specialized models designed as a training tool for cyclists or runners. The more specialized the model, the less useful it is for other applications. Moving in the other direction are multipurpose units. Garmin makes a PDA GPS system. It is one among many examples of multipurpose devices. With a multipurpose device the trick is to make sure that the features most important to you are the ones that work well, rather than the ones that are merely included.

Multipurpose GPS navigation systems can be looked at in another way though. It can mean general purpose and for all the use based advice here, good general purpose devices do exist. Garmin's multipurpose system is an example that is also listed under the geocacher and hiker section. It has some of the features that are popular in earlier models, though it is easier to hold in the hand, the reception is highly sensitive and the color screen is a good size.

There are plenty of user friendly GPS devices made just for you. Try them out to see if they help you navigate from point A to point B. Corporate web sites for GPS and stores like REI and Amazon.com carry data sheets that allow GPS comparison between features in spreadsheet format to help prevent confusion between models.
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