A Guide To Handheld GPS Units

A Guide To Handheld GPS Units

GPS units have come a long way in a relatively short period of time, and nowadays even mobile phones are coming with built in GPS mapping and functionality, but these are of course the most expensive handsets. Handheld GPS devices have also developed and there is a competitive market which can offer up some great deals to the savvy consumer. Handheld GPS Units are designed to be rugged, small and powerful, with the ability to store many waypoints and give details about the most rural areas of the UK. They are aimed at hikers and outdoor types who want to have the convenience of being able to plan their route and stick to it, or simply to be able to mix things up and take a different route without finding their way. A good example of a modern Handheld GPS Unit is the Garmin eTrex, which can be bought for less than £70. It is waterproof and can operate for an incredible 17 hours on just 2 AA batteries, which is good for long periods of use. It can also store up to 500 waypo! ints and 20 different routes at a time which can help bring diversity and spontaneity to a trek. If you`re looking for something slightly more expensive the Magellan Meridian Colour might be a consideration, as it features an SD Card slot supporting up to 512 MB of memory, and the unit itself also has 16MB of onboard RAM which helps keep its software working quickly. It does of course have a colour screen, as the name suggests, and is quite a bit larger than the Garmin, but again the unit only requires 2 AA batteries for long periods of operation.

GPS Mapping Software and Accessories

On top of there being a wide variety of Handheld GPS Units on the market that are both durable and functional, to help extend the life and ability of your GPS Unit you can purchase GPS mapping software, such as the various packages offered by the company Anquet, which are available in various packs and are designed to be compatible with most Handheld GPS Units. Anything from the entirety of the UK right down to a pack containing detailed mapping for National Parks is available, and by transferring the maps to the Secure Digital Cards which is installed in your Unit. There is also a wide variety of accessories which can be used in conjunction with your Handheld GPS Unit. For example, the Force 4 GPS Suction Pad Holder is designed to keep your GPS Unit, Mobile phone or any other similar device safe, visible and close to hand when you are on board a boat. Most Handheld GPS units will come with their own accessories, such as wrist s! traps and mapping software, though buying SD Cards to extend the mapping capabilities of a unit is not only easy but also cheap as the cost of SD memory has dropped considerably in the recent months.