Rocky Mountain Dirt Riders

Thinking of getting a GPS is it hand held I have to look for? As I'm thinking of the Garmin 64s. Also is Maclean creek on GPS? If so how do I get it thanks?

Good GPS. The GPS map is available from the government. Look for the Ghost Garmin GPS program because the McLean GPS info is included in that package.

The 64s is great. The other option is an Oregon 600, which I like more. It is a bit more expensive but has an internal antenna (no breaking it), has a nice touchscreen and can be viewed in landscape mode (biggest plus for me). Whatever you do, don't listen to anything AJRJ says about GPS's or ask Hendrix13 how to use one.

dirtyboy wrote:Good GPS. The GPS map is available from the government. Look for the Ghost Garmin GPS program because the McLean GPS info is included in that package.

http://aep.alberta.ca/forms-maps-servic ... nload.aspx

350scott wrote:The 64s is great. The other option is an Oregon 600, which I like more. It is a bit more expensive but has an internal antenna (no breaking it), has a nice touchscreen and can be viewed in landscape mode (biggest plus for me). Whatever you do, don't listen to anything AJRJ says about GPS's or ask Hendrix13 how to use one.

I surprised Scott didn't mention USB 3.0, usually it's ALL you hear about with the 600....

I use a Garmin eTrex 30:
https://buy.garmin.com/en-CA/CA/sports- ... 87774.html I like that it has buttons instead of touchscreen, Garmin has a fantastic (and cheap) low profile handlebar mount that attaches with zip-ties, and it takes standard AA batteries (that last about 25 hours if I remember correctly). In addition to the mount I attach with a lanyard to the bark buster and when a crash causes me to impact the GPS the mount breaks off the zip-ties from the bar - and then it happily hangs from the bar until I notice and grab it and secure it. Never lost it yet, and mount repair requires... two new zip ties. I broke one mount, which required me to buy a new mount for... $9.99!
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/shop-by ... 23-00.html

When assessing the signal strength, I found this model had better resolution (self reported gps location accuracy) than other models (including those with a protruding antenna) and maintained signal inside of Wholesale Sports where other models simply lost satellite connection.

I dropped mine once while hiking (from five feet onto rocks below) and broke the screen (the plastic outer screen, not the fancy electrical screen). I ordered a replacement from Russia on ebay that is Lexan and unbreakable. No more troubles. I do run a little screen protector that I attach with duct tape and that has prolonged the screen clarity.

I pressure wash my bike with the unit mounted (though I do avoid it) and did once blast it enough that it got water inside - I disassembled and dried it out for a couple days and went back to normal life.

I also bought the eTrex20 for my wife's bike. Has no barometric altimeter or compass but otherwise identical. I see they have a new one with higher resolution, and a touch screen version as well.
https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/catalog ... uct=518048

Cheap, durable, and powerful - works for me. Your mileage may vary.

RJH

Honestly, The best GPS I've used in the last couple years is my iPhone. Mainly because its reliable and always with me. Turn on airplane mode (saves batteries in areas of no signal) and go. I stick mine in my backpack. You can get bar mounts, but I've honestly never really found the need to navigate by GPS, in our areas anyways.

Which app do you run on the phone?

I use MotionX-GPS

I know there are a lot out there that work. This one never gives me trouble, is very easy to understand, and also easy to export tracks via e-mail.

AJRJ wrote:I use MotionX-GPS

I know there are a lot out there that work. This one never gives me trouble, is very easy to understand, and also easy to export tracks via e-mail.

Second for Motion X for the iPhone.

RJHenry wrote:

dirtyboy wrote:Good GPS. The GPS map is available from the government. Look for the Ghost Garmin GPS program because the McLean GPS info is included in that package.

http://aep.alberta.ca/forms-maps-servic ... nload.aspx

bumping this thread, I'm trying to find some gps maps for download and have no luck on the government website, their web program thingy does just shows errors when I try to load anything. Does anyone have GPS maps for mclean/ghost/waiperous area? i'm a newbie to this area, had a paper map with me yesterday at mclean and still got lost.

I think the government removed the GPS package.

viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11807&p=85253&hilit=Dropbox#p85253
See other thread on same topic.

RJHenry wrote:viewtopic.php?f=35&t=11807&p=85253&hilit=Dropbox#p85253
See other thread on same topic.

I don't have access, not a member. Can anyone share these files with me? I'm just in town to check out Mclean for a couple days and I'm having no luck finding any kind of posted map or signage besides someone telling me to order a mapkin. It seems very strange to me to have an information board at the staging area with no map on it.

I recently bought another GPS, the Oregon 600.

It was a comparison between the 64S and 600. I just recently lost my trusty Oregon 450 on the trails in Revelstoke. That GPS has been with me for A LOT of bumpy adventures. Totalling over 60,000KM of bumpy roads and all weather conditions through 7 countries, some of those mulitple times (US and Mexico). It owed me nothing, but I felt heart broken when I lost it. The only thing to go wrong was the stupid USB port that Garmin puts on all of their products for powering. Some of their larger units have powered cradles, but they are just too big for normal use. It would be nice if they came out with a power cord and port that was up to the abuse of weather and vibration.

The touch screen was never an issue, and great for when your hands were numb being soaked in Baja with 8-10inches of fresh snow at 1AM. The larger screen is great when attempting to navigate the Tour of Idaho trails while being stung by wasps, or to determine how many miles left to a small town when your chain breaks in the middle nowhere on the continental divide. Also works well finding a place to sleep on a river bed when you realise you won't find a small town with WIFI to call your nephew on his birthday in the Copper Canyon, Mx.

BTW, if anybody finds the GPS in Revelstoke I would love to have it back!