Garmin 72 Personal Navigator

The GPS 72 is a hand held GPS receiver that can track up to twelve satellites and performs very reliably. Features; Weight 7.5 oz, Size 1.2×6.2×2.7 inches, Waterproof, Battery -2 AA up to 16 hours, Warranty 1 year.

This is a good all around unit suitable for many purposes. Small enough to fit in a shirt pocket and waterproof so it can go almost anywhere. Power it up and it usually has a fix in less that a minute and has always been strong at keeping a reliable signal. Accuracy is also a strong point, it is common to be able to return to a preset position within a 10 to 15 foot range.

While this unit may be ideal for use in the marine invironment it is quite handy on the hiking trail as well. Garmin claims the unit floats and is waterproof and we can verify both to be true. It comes with a basic marine datadase but does not include street mapping. Other included features are 500 waypoint storage, 10 track storage, trip computer, 50 route storage, Tides, Sun and Moon phase.

All in all great performance at a low price in a neat package and this one is a hit.

Microsoft’s Streets and Trips

This is a really neat program in alot of ways but it is not without some drawbacks. Lets start with the good points, the program is a bargain at $99 list price. This is for the program and also includes the GPS receiver which plugs into your computer’s USB port. The program is also available without the GPS but why go there?

Assuming you are using it on your laptop your are able to look at a map which is huge compared to in dash or those little on dash portable models. My laptop has a 15.5 inch screen so its easy to see the map at a glance. It includes voice directions, landmarks, and many of the standard feature found on most GPS receivers today. The accuracy of the estimated position is excellent. Most of us who travel seem to have laptops so you hop in the rental car, fire up the laptop and your navigation system is ready.

The not so good; the navigation of the menu seems awkward to us. Even after quite a bit of use we still find ourselves fumbling with it a bit. The top navigation bar is filled with icons that are not intuitive but you do get what you’re after. It just seems t take a little longer than we think it should. The other drawback is that it is only as portable as carrying a laptop would be. A portable GPS by contrast, could fit in your pocket or carried with a wriststrap.

All in all this is a great product for a very low cost.

Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS Tracking Watch

If you are considering a GPS tracking watch it would be hard to overlook the Garmin Forerunner 205. Most industry experts would agree that Garman GPS products are among the best available.

Features; Unit Size (W x H x D) – 2.1 x 2.7 x .7 inches, Screen Size (W x H) – 1.3 x .8 inches, Weight – 2.7 oz. Battery type – Rechargeable Lithium- Ion, Battery Life – approx. 10 hours, Water resistant, Waypoint memory – Yes, 100, Routes feature – Yes, 50 max, Warranty – One year

My experience with the Garmin 205 has been very good. To begin, the unit is quick to lock on to the satellites and begin tracking. If you turn it on and head outside for a run it should be up and running long before you finish your basic stretching. We have found that it will lock into enough satellites to function indoors if there are windows in close proximity. Outdoors the signal acquisition and ability to remain locked into a signal is very good. Accuracy was also very good; the unit can detect small movements of just a couple of feet. When the elapsed distance was checked against a known measured mile the accuracy was within about 15 feet, much better than most of us would ever need.

Most people should be quite satisfied with this unit provided that a heart rate monitor is not desired. If the heart rate monitor is desired and we think it should be, for any serious training the Garmin forerunner 305 would be a better choice. Having said that, we have seen prices discounted well below $200 for the 205, making it a great option for a GPS tracking watch.