I used an Etrex for years until I bought my HB...
Etrex is about as simple as they get ... No maps...
But it worked fine for marking and returning to waypoints....
Rickie
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I used an Etrex for years until I bought my HB...
Etrex is about as simple as they get ... No maps...
But it worked fine for marking and returning to waypoints....
Rickie
When I returned to crappie fishing 4 years ago, one of the first things I got was a Garmin GPSMap76Cx. At a cost of more than $300, it was a leap of faith! It's "base map" was worthless, so I coughed up another $80 for detailed topo map software. (None of my favorite lakes were included in the marine software available at that time & topo provided the best detail of lake surrounds and the back roads to get there.) I fell in love with this setup on my first fishing trip!
At the end of 2010, I replaced my DF with a HB-1197. This unit gives me redundant waypoint and track capabilities, but I NEVER go anywhere without my old friend, the GPSMap76Cx. It "knows" where I've located structure, navigational hazards, and other points of interest on the water. It also remembers how to get to the out-of-the-way places I visit once in a while. Best of all, it goes where I go--and that's especially helpful when I'm fishing with someone else. We can use my handheld to locate my brushpiles and the GPSMap76Cx records the day's track--including the locations of his BPs! If it's foggy or night, the recorded tracks work like bread crumbs to get me to fishing spots and safely back to the dock.
Everywhere the GPS goes, it records a track. When I get home, I connect a cable between the GPSMap76Cx and a USB port on my PC. Garmin's easy-to-use MapSource software sucks the data out of the GPS and lets me save it for future use. It also layers multiple tracks on the topo map on the PC's screen along with all my waypoints. This is excellent information for planning future trips. When I've preparing for a trip, I start a new file and then add all the waypoints and tracks that outline where in that lake I fished in the past. I can open any of my old files, copy one or more tracks, and then paste them into the new document. Same thing with waypoints. When that's done, MapSource dumps the new file into the GPSMap76Cx and I take the old tracks & waypoints on today's trip!
The GPSMap76Cx isn't as convenient as a GPS designed for highway use, but it will help you get from place to place. Using MapSource, you can locate a destination on the displayed map, create a new waypoint at your destination, and help you use the "Route" feature to lay out the path you will follow.