wrist GPS for orienteering and geocaching.

[frog]

Can anyone recommend a GPS (preferably wrist)that has good enough satellite pickup for recording where I am when orienteering so I can input it to routegadget, but which will also let me put in markers for geocaching and download info from geocaching.com?
Am currently using 2 only for geocaching. A Gecko201 that is rubbish in forests/ built up areas but cheapish and robust and easy to use, and bloke's Edge701 that is fancy cycle GPS with excellent satellite pick up but rubbish for running with and has lots of functions I don't need.

I don't need a heart rate monitor or streetmaps in it.
It's difficult reading GPS reviews to get an idea of how good satellite pickup in forests on the various models really is.

[Strider]

I have used the Garmin 405 for about a year and a half now and it's pretty good in the forest, although you need to give it time to pick up satellites before you start racing and the battery life ain't the best (more than enough to last most O events, though!). Not sure how useful it would be for geocaching.

S.

[mappingmum]

Santa was asking about this last Christmas. See the discussions here: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=10182&p=111502&hilit=santa+garmin#p111502

He never posted his final decision though.

I can't see a wrist GPS being very ergonomic for geocaching. Arm ache may result.

[Spookster]

I can't see a wrist GPS being very ergonomic for geocaching. Arm ache may result.

I agree. For geocaching you need a handheld device, which is designed to tell you where to go. GPS watches are designed for telling you how fast you're going, and recording where you've been, but not really for telling you where to go.

[frog]

I thought the wrist ones can also tell you where to go, if you don't just get a logger. I already have hand held ones so wanted one principally for orienteering and downloading into routegadget but that also can be preprogrammed with markers to save carrying 2 to events.

[andypat]

I've used the Garmin 405 for geocaching a few times but it is a bit of a pain to set in all the coordinates. It might be possible to do this on the pc and upload but never tried it. It does tell you where to go, but I'd imagine its easier with a handheld. I've never managed to get right on top of a cache using the 405 without needing the clue - its supposed to be as accurate but maybe depends on how you are holding your wrist.

[frog]

I always use the clue. As most GPS's are only accurate to about 3m and I find endlessly turning over stones boring I see the clue as essential.
If I know where I'm going beforehand I download via wire connection from the computer. I don't do internet on my mobile which is cheap and fairly basic. Does have bluetooth but I only use that to do hands free calls in my car.
I prefer the display of the 305 to the 405. Will have to think some more.

[roadrunner]

I use the 205 [which I think is the same as the 305 but without the heart rate monitor] for running and orienteering, and satellite reception is generally fine (obviously some urban areas and dense forest could be a problem); I agree with the other comments about Geocaching, I've never used it for that (I use an eTrex instead). I find it acquires really quickly if you keep it absolutely still - I sometimes leave it on the window ledge while getting changed, that usually does the trick.

[AndyC]

The above post concerns me - I use GPS to tell me where I've been at an event -I have nothing to look at (other than old maps and that's on paper ) before the start. The only use a GPS would be is if it had an earlier runners course on ?
Or am I talking to a spambot?

[Zokko!]

I use a Garmin 305 for orienteering and find it works well in almost all circumstances. As mentioned above it can be a bit inaccurate in urban areas with tall buildings, but otherwise fine. I have posted many routes on RouteGadget using this device.

I also use it for geocaching and have found it excellent for that purpose. I don't possess a hand held GPS so can't offer a comparison, but the 305 is easy to use and there is no "arm ache" problem! Uploading coordinates from the geocaching website takes a few seconds per cache, but I do need to plan where I am going while still at home since I don't have any mobile internet access. Once you have several caches loaded you just go to the navigation, find screen (2 button presses) and then choose nearest or list all, which shows you all the points you have loaded. Choose one and press the find button, then goto. The screen shows the distance and direction using a pointer relative to your current direction of travel. For this to work you need to move forward a few paces, otherwise it can't tell which way you are facing. I imagine this is true of any GPS unit. Once you set off walking towards the cache there is no need to keep looking at the watch, only checking it as you get close. It beeps when you are very close anyway.

We sometimes play a game where I have the GPS (but not the clue) and my daughter has the clue and a sketch map taken from the web page, and we compete to see who finds the cache. We are usually about even, so having the clue is certainly not essential.

If you don't need the heart rate monitor then the 205 would be exactly the same to use as the 305.

[peawet08]

I have an android HTC Legend and I use that in a small bumbag when Orienteering or running in the mountains. The battery isn't too bad with the GPS on. Just like the iPhone there are loads of apps for it and some of these are for GeoCaching.

Maybe this is an alternative for you?

[frog]

Thanks, sounds like the 205 would do for me.
The comments about looking at computers and printouts beforehand all relate to geocaching AndyC, not orienteering.
With geocaching unless you have a fancy phone you download coordinates for geocaches into the GPS from your computer before you set out, or print out the stuff.
For orienteering I'd just be turning it on and running.

[frog]

Thought I'd update this. Got a Forerunner 305 for Christmas. It is excellent. I've worn the heart monitor, more as something to play with as not much else to do at the moment and am starting to try and get fit again despite the still icy pavements and my favourite training areas still coated in ice and snow. It's worrying that even at a slow jog my heart rate never goes below 160, but I guess that just show how unfit I am. I like coming home and downloading it onto the Garmin website where it shows me where I went (today ran round alot of back streets i'd never been down before and through lots of small alleys, would make a good street o area as also a nice open fieldy area with trees at the top at NW of Dunfermline) plus loads of other statistics.
Have also been geocaching with it and can download cache details directly and it has good satellite reception. The map on it is very basic, much like the garmin gecko 201, unlike my bloke's flash Edge 705 that he used to navigate the End to End last year.
Now I need to wait for a big O event so I can try getting it to link into Routegadget.

[denzil53]

I also was a very lucky boy this Christmas, receiving a £30 gps datalogger. I've managed (easily) to extract a gpx file which I used with Quickroute. I've written about it in my blog.

[roadrunner]

I recommend using SportTracks (from http://www.zonefivesoftware.com) rather than the Garmin equivalent - the mapping is much better, for one thing. However, while V2 (which I have) was free, V3 has both a limited-functionality free version and a paid-for full version, and it no longer seems possible to download V2