Handheld GPS unit, what's good?

[yoshi]

I'm looking for a good handheld GPS unit to use for tracking my way around some property. I've done some research and there are just so many options, I thought I would ask and hopefully someone has some experience with them to point me in the right direction.

This is what i'm looking for..

clear screen with color
satellite imagery
fixed points to show where I started from, where I want to go, and a mapping of my route to follow back, and/or print off on the computer (also hoping it would read elevation change along the route)
water proof
on screen compass on top of the satellite image
feature telling me how many feet I have gone, or am from my starting location
able to punch in GPS coordinates as an end points
accurate within 9 feet, (preferable closer)





I'll be using it to find some property lines of some land were getting, as well as mark points for land marks. The property is a weird shape, heavily wooded with elevation change, and creek beds, so it's not so easy to find property markers, which are basically a piece of rebar staked down in the ground with 4 or 5" showing.

kinda like this one, Bushnell ONIX 200CR Portable Color Handheld GPS Unit with Satellite Image Available it's under $200 and has most of what I want, but i've seen them for close to $600 and I don't know if the extra money is getting you a lot more or not, plus the one review I read about this unit was not the greatest. I'm not trying to be a cheap arse, so if I have to spend more I will, I just want to make sure i'm getting a good product that has the options I want and will help me find my property markers. Any hikers out there that use these things that can give me some info?....

[bugbite]

Hi yoshie, you probably are not going to find anything thats more accurate then 9 feet, aside from a trimble unit though accurate to about 4 in. around 10g's, iF it were me I'd stick either to garmin or magellin, each brand has excilent products and in my experience well thought out user interfaces, if you can try to use several to see what you like before you buy, if at all posible. With the price, well obviously you will get a better one for money, but to a point, with the give fearures you want I would think that you should be able to pick one up for say 400 or 450, minus the satalite imagery, I personally havn't seen one that has that on it, but then again I havent looked for at least a couple months. All the midrange ones can use topo, some come preloaded, others you have to buy the software. The best software that I know about comes from national geographic, it's by state and kinda pricy, but it's the best as far as I know. The only other thing that I would look at it battery life, though most are rated at 15 plus hours, anyway good luck with your search and hope this helps
bugbite

[motohack]

Generally, any hiker model GPS with WAAS will give you the same location data. I recommend the Garmin units for proven reliability and continuing product support. You can find a used eTrex on Amazon for under $100.

If you get a Garmin GPS III+, IV or V model, you can average your postition for greater accuracy. The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) gives you a basic accuracy of 3 meters. To improve accuracy, find a surveyed benchmark in your area at www.ngs.noaa.gov and get the datasheet with directions on how to locate the physical brass marker. If you average your readings at nearby surveyed benchmarks you will be able to estimate accuracy vs. time (can vary day to day) and decide how much averaging you need. One arc min of latitude is equal to one nautical mile. Longitude varies with latitude, but you can use arcsine to calculate distance per degree.

Motohack