GPS Preferences - Need your opinion!

[gonehunting]

I am looking to purchase a GPS in the $250-$500 range. I want to use it on Lake Winnipeg in March but also want to use it as a navigation tool in the car. What do you prefer and what brands are compatible with the Upper Midwest maps? If you cannot tell I have not owned a handheld GPS but if I'm going to spend the money I want something that will do what I need it to. I really appreciate that a person can come to this forum and get good advice. I do have an adroid smartphone but wasn't sure that I wanted to use that in Canada. Thanks for any opinions. Leaning towards a Garmin model but not sure what maps I can find for Lake Winnipeg.

[gonehunting]

Would also like something user friendly.

[DLD24]

I have the Garmin oregon 450 and I love it for on the ice...Very easy to use and I got mine for $199 on e bay, its a refurbished straight from Garmin, comes with 1 yr warranty.. just go to e bay and type in garmin oregon 450 if your interested...I tried posting link, but HSO wont let me..

[leech~~]

Doesn't it show the cords on the screen so we you know where you are on that lake?

[Lusid]

I'm currently using an etrex 30, and use some free lake maps from gpsdepot(com)

Works for my intended purpose!

[Tom7227]

I bought a Garmin 78s about 3 years ago and it is great. I was able to get a Lakemaster chip back then so that's what I use. IMO you should stick with Garmin products. I looked at a number of different rigs at Cabelas and the Garmin line seemed to dominate. Of course maybe that's because of some deal between Cabela's a Garmin.

Garmin products are well supported by the DNR agencies. If you look around I know that SD and ND both let you download their PLOTS maps onto a Garmin.

I guess I am too old to want to get into the cell phone thing. My view is however that if you're out in the middle of no where (like Canada) I think relying on satellites rather than towers makes sense.

What I found back then was that they were starting to put things on the GPS that I didn't want. I remember something about music, maybe camera capability. Don't need that in my GPS, didn't think it was worth spending dough on these things, didn't want to have something eat up storage.

[Whoaru99]

I think the Garmin Montana, while right smack at the top of your price range, is going to be the "do it all" model with regard to lake maps, topo maps, motorsports/automotive highway/route mapping, etc.

[h8go4s]

I'm not sure you'll find a lake map card for Winnipeg anywhere. Garmin shows nothing for Manitoba:

http://tinyurl.com/c3ywszt