GPS survey

[Keith W]

The new Google Earth GPS feature and the gpsbabel software I've been messing with got me wondering what kind of GPS the rest of you use, so I'm starting an informal survey here. Tell us what kind of GPS you have and what you like and don't like about it.

Pros?
Cons?
Would you recommend it to others?
What king of mapping software do you use?
Any special considerations?

No need to up a full review (as I tend to do). Just your general impressions will be fine!

This could be a good resource for those who haven't yet bought a GPS unit, or who want to upgrade their existing unit, to get an idea of what they should look for when they go to buy one.

[Kim Gass]

Duh! wap wap. I was just in awe of anything loading. I am so tech phobic I expect things to go blooey and when the Glades loaded I was just happy it did. I didnt pay attention to file size.

[Swamp Hunter]

I just finished downloading the free Florida topo map and I like it. I bought a microSD card.

There appears to be 3 trails marked inside the Loop Unit of the Big Cypress. They are all old buggy trails. The far west buggy trail was commonly called Slab Road before it became the entrance to the Florida Trail, so you can follow it for a couple miles. The trail in the far upper right, coming off of Tamiami Trail, is the other end of the same buggy trail.

The center trail near Trail City is called the Busch Camp Trail. I hiked it last year and it matches my marked waypoints. It dead ends on a small oak cabbage head with Busch beer cans. It was long a popular hunting location for wild hogs. The camp is burned down now and all that remains is the pile of beer cans and a dinner bell post.

I dont know about Trail City. I will have to ask some old timers. Just to the right is an old oil pad road.

You can tell this was taken from an old map because a section of the Loop Road is missing. Thats the part that used to get washed out by Sweetwater Strand before they installed the larger culverts.

[Swamp Hunter]

I should have posted this with my reply above. Heres the topo map of the BCNP Loop Unit's old buggy trails.. The beginning of the Florida Trail is where it says "big cypress wetland". The airboat trails south from Mitchells and County Line look about right.

[Keith W]

Those free maps are very good for the money. If you don't mind paying for them the Garmin National Parks East 24K topos are incredibly detailed. The Gator Hook-Roberts Lakes Tram line is marked in it's entirety, even the Shark River Slough airboat trails are there. I'll post some screenshots later.

[Wayne Wells]

I've got a GPS enabled netbook with Google Earth, Microsoft Streets and Trips, and thinking about Delorme TOPO. Anyone want to weigh in or speculate how well the downloadable files listed on these pages via GPSBABLE or GPSFILEDEPOT will merge in to the programs. I want the aerial images via google earth, and the more refined TOPO product. According to my local ATT guy, I can also integrate my flip phone cell in to the system without signing a long term contract.
So, I want a google earth layer, a topo layer, a street layer, and cell access in one semi-neat package. Anyone heard of such a critter?