GPS reviews, news, tips, tricks and deals
Electronic compass display on the Garmin Montana 600
While all GPS receivers can tell where you are, entry-level models have no way of ascertaining which direction you are facing. So you have to start moving and walk a few steps at a good pace before it can accurately point you towards your destination. This is why mid-range and high-end units have an electronic compass — to show the direction you should travel even while standing still. read more
Here is a list of current GPS deals
Last updated on Sunday, December 16. We’re about to wrap up our holiday GPS deal roundups, so get ’em while they’re hot! I’ll be updating this post daily this week, with any new deals I come across, and getting rid of any that have expired. These are broken down by category; most include free shipping:
From a new NASA-NOAA Earth at night project
Waypoints is a weekly link roundup of (mostly) GPS related odds and ends. To get a few of the biggest stories as they break, follow me on Twitter. This week’s lead image is from a new
NASA-NOAA Earth at Night project.
Bargains we’re tracking in our GPS deals section:
Even bales of hay are being tracked by GPS these days!
It seems like GPS tracking is finding its way into everything these days; even so, I was a bit surprised to see this story about a GPS tracking device being used to nab hay bale thieves. I guess I shouldn’t be shocked, what with the US drought spiking hay prices to as much as $250/ton, which a single round bale can weigh. Given that, hay theft is apparently becoming rampant.
Garmin nuvi 42/52 series main menu?
Information about purported Garmin nuvi 42 and 52 units is showing up several places online, and it looks like these may well be the successors to the nuvi 40/50 series. Perhaps this is our first sneak peek at the nuvi 2013 line likely to be announced in early January. read more
Barometric altimeter screen on the Garmin Montana 600
For folks who hike and bike in mountainous terrain, tracking elevation gain can be as (or even more) important than trail miles. But while GPS is getting very accurate in terms of horizontal positioning, it is surprisingly weak at determining elevation. While it’s a bit of an oversimplification, let’s just say that it’s primarily due to the geometry of the satellite constellation and any GPS receiver involved. Add in mountainous terrain and the situation can get worse. read more
Here is a list of current GPS deals
Last updated Sunday, December 9. Here’s a roundup of some great GPS deals from around the Web. I’ll be updating this post each day this week, with any new deals I come across. These are broken down by category, and most include free shipping:
Garmin’s eBay store features new and refurbished units
I mentioned this in some deal roundups over the holidays, but it really deserves it’s own post. Garmin has it’s own eBay store, and while most of the items are refurbished, a few are new. One thing I want to clarify though – when you go to a product page you’ll see an offer to buy a warranty. Let’s be clear, this is an add-on; every item sold comes with the full one-year Garmin warranty. It looks like everything ships for free too.
Waypoints is a weekly link roundup of (mostly) GPS related odds and ends. To get a few of the biggest stories as they break, follow me on Twitter.
Bargains we’re tracking in our GPS deals section:
Our top sellers for November were the Garmin nuvi 50LM and the Oregon 450
Psst, wanna know what our readers have been buying for the holidays? Here’s your chance. The rankings below are based on the number of units sold on GPS Tracklog, through our various partners like Amazon and REI. The Garmin nuvi 50LM retained the top spot on the auto side, but the big news is in handhelds. Not only did the Oregon 450 knock the eTrex 20 from numero uno — the Oregon series claimed three of the top four spots, thanks to some great sales. Speaking of which, keep an eye on our new GPS deals section for more great holiday buys. On to the charts…
