Handheld GPS: Color or not?

[gopher_nation]

Going to be buying a GPS unit in the next couple weeks and it's going to be the H2O. I'm just curious how people like the black and white ones. I'm looking at battery life, and ability to read it in direct sunlight. What do you all have and how do you like them?

[zachp]

It's similar to comparing black and white tv's to color tv's, the screen has the same thing on it, one just looks way better. If you just need a basic gps the non color will be fine. I have the h2oc and don't have any issues with the sunlight, you will get better battery life with the non color unit since you don't have to have the light on all the time, if battery life is one of the deciding factors then i'd consider the non color unit, but overall I think you'd be more satisfied with the color unit.

[harvey lee]

If you are using the unit in the truck,snowmobile,4-wheeler or fishing house, just plug into your 12v source and one wont have to worry about battery usage. Then color eating up batteries wont be near the issue.

[jwhjr]

I have the color one and a buddy has the black and white. When he saw my color one he said he wished he had gone with the color as well. I went with the color because battery life isn't an issue for me and I like the clearer picture. I haven't had any issues in direct light with reading the display. I'm sure you'll be happy with whatever you choose as they are great units. Good luck!

[fuzzyray]

I got the Color unit last year. I went back and forth for a while before I pulled the trigger. If you get a chance to look at them both side by side you can see there is another aspect to consider, the resolution. Both units have a 3" diagonal screen but the color unit has more pixels (320x240). The B&W unit only has 240x180 pixels in the same area. This along with the color makes the H2Oc a lot easier to read. The display is much more crisp and you can read the text and make out the detail much easier. If you are teetering on the line of which one to get please take the time to stop by a store and look at them side by side. It is very obvious of the resolution difference when you compare them. Good luck on picking out a unit. I love mine!

[gopher_nation]

I didn't know about the resolution difference, that might be the factor, thank you. As far as battery life I guess lithium batteries give plenty of life when a power source isn't available.

[fuzzyray]

Remember with ice fishing you don't really need to have the GPS running the whole time you are out anyways. Fire it up to get to your spot or to mark a new location and turn it off when not in use. It is easy enough to have a few extra batteries in your pocket anyways. It seems that is the best place to keep batteries anyways. They seem to not last as long when they are cold (I use rechargeables).

[hanson]

The only time seeing the color H20 is an issue is in bright sunlight. And believe me... it can be a problem at times.

Other than that, I have no complaints at all. It does eat batteries but I always run mine off the 12V accessory, either in the truck, boat, ice house, on the snowmobile.

[Kylersk]

Look at all the pro 'color' guys make excuses for spending more on their units!

I personally think one can see the depth changes better on the monochrome version (IF-PRO w/ lakemaster) than on color (H20 C w/lakemaster). I find the light white's are really tough to see in the color version.

[Snake River King]

I have a color and love it!!!

[ripstick]

I also have the color and like it. Buddy of mine had the b&w and wanted the color. Saw both in a boat last summer and figured I would get the color. Makes a big difference in the summer. Good luck.

[Kyle Sandberg]

I just have the black and white. Works plenty fine. I wouldn't want to spend an extra hundred for something that's only on to get to where you need to fish. Take the hundred and get the lakemaster chip for the same price as the color unit. Real easy on the batteries as well.

[Northlander]

I had the black and white and went to color. I can tel water from land MUCH easier and you can tel depth changes much easier as well. Get good batteries, recharchables of a good kind work great, and use the 12 volt as much as possible.

I would go color foe sure.

[Deitz Dittrich]

It really depends on what you want to do with your unit...

I have used the color ones.. I have used the black and white....

For me... FOR ME!!!! the black and white is better.. I use my handheld GPS for a lot of things.. ice fishing I clip it to my bibs when drilling holes.. I use it a TON when scouting and tracking deer.. A TON.. I need battery!! I cant have that unit plugged in at all times and cant afford to run out.. or keep new batteries in it!

Yes, at times it is harder to read when on the water. But not so much that I ever wish I had gone the other way with my final decision.. when they find a unit that can last the same on battery and the definition of the color units... I will be all over it!

it comes down to this.. what do you want it for!? If you will be plugged in at all times, go color!... if you need it to be portable... go B/W.

[iafish4fun]

I have to agree with K Dawg. For me it came down to money. I wanted a unit but wasn't sure if I would use it much or like it, so I didn't want to shell out that much. I went with the B&W unit and can't complain. My next unit will probably be color, but for now my B&W unit is just fine. I can't justify buying a new color unit just yet. There are some other things that are ahead of it on the wish list.

[Reynolds]

I have color and will tell you that to me it is darn near impossible to read that screen unless the backlight is on. If you are heading out for a full day with color and leave it on you had better bring a couple a couple packs of batteries with you. I swear mine with go through a set of Lithium batteries in four hours. Last year I did buy the 12v charger so that is no longer an issue for me unless I happen to forget the charger, which I did plenty of times last year.

[fishinalot]

You can see the color much easier by turning on the night vision mode.

The lines are now black and you can see it better night and day.

I have a lowrance 522 on my boat that I changed because I had a hard time seeing the screen.

Try that mode out, its like viewing a differnt unit. Easy solution!

[fishinJohn]

I bought the Expedition C and I thought there were so many design imperfections I could have been better served by getting a B/W model. The problems? The unit came with MP3 player but you have to buy a separate accessory to plug in headphones. Why would they do that? I do not had that adapter but I think you cannot have that plugged it at the same time as having it plugged into a 12v power source. Another gripe is why not have video playing ability if you have a nice color screen and the ability to store and play media files? Also you can't be using your lakemaster (or whatever brand) chip and play files song files at the same time, you either have to use your PC to save a small portion of your lakemaster info to your music chip or switch back and forth while on the lake. Switching is not quick and easy because you have to pull out the batteries first. I don't see why the device does not just have a hard drive like an ipod so you save files from any chip you have as well as load it with enough MP3's to make it worth your while and even be able to play a movie if you're fishing is slow. A small keyboard would be nice because naming your waypoints is a major drag when you have to use up and down arrows to scan through the alphabet and 10 or so extra characters. I like having GPS but these devices could be improved greatly and I believe they will be in the near future so why not wait for a couple years to get a piece that doesn't feel like a beta version?

[fishinalot]

I have the Expedition C and love it. It has the barometric pressure readings, and a true Compass reading when standing still. You do have to take the batteries out to replace the chip, but once the chip is in....it will stay in all winter. I'm not into the music or playing games. For hunting and fishing...Its great!

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

This is a no brainer! Would you watch a black and white TV? Why invest old technology. a $100 is like a $20 now days.

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

Quote:

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I need battery!! I cant have that unit plugged in at all times and cant afford to run out.. or keep new batteries in it!

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Deitz Dittrich You should hed to the nearest Scheels and spend $20.00 on 8 E-cell batteries and a charger. It sounds like you use that thing alot and those batteries get better the more you use them. 6 recharges is just normal break in for them.

[greebs]

I've got one on my wish list for Christmas. I'm wondering about the northern lake piece that you can buy. The guy at the store told me you can really pinpoint structure like rockpiles, sunken islands, stock dams, etc. I didn't ask at the time but now wonder is what you see basically a "live" version of that body of water or is it just plotted from a lake map? Will it show water depths? I'm embarrassingly ignorant on these machines.

[Fish Fry Guy]

I love my black & white H2O and don't question my purchase ever. I use it all the time, both in winter and on the boat. My brother in law got the color version and I will say that reading depth contour lines with color is easier as the deeper the water, the darker & more colorful the line. At a quick glance that is a nice feature.

[Bobberboy]

I have both and prefer the color unit. In my opinion it's just easier to see.

[doser]

I have the color version and like it! If you guys want to save $ on these things rather than purchase one at a store do a google search and you can buy these units alot cheaper on line than in the store. I believe I paid $120 for my H2OC with no tax or shipping and handling.