5 Tips On Buying A GPS Receiver
Make your GPS buying experience better, less expensive, and still get a great product.
Published Jul 31, 2007 by mjkunzLast updated on May 21, 2008
Buying a GPS receiver can be a little intimidating if it is your first time. For one you are spending a sizable amount of money on a device you might not fully understand, don't know how much you will really use it, and you might not be sure it is really worth what you are paying for it. Hopefully with these tips you might feel a little more prepared and especially save yourself a little money when you buy your GPS receiver.
1. Know what you want to use your GPS for.
There really is a GPS receiver for almost any activity you do. So it is important that you have an idea of how you want to use your device and what you will use it for. There are receivers made for specific activities and those made to be used with variety of activities. For example, you can get a receiver specifically for aviation, boating, hiking, running, or driving. There are also those that are designed to be used for several of these activities. GPS receivers can be expensive so if you are like me you will probably want just one receiver that is more mobile and multipurpose which is the hand held receiver. To put a GPS system in all of your cars, boats, and other toys it will cost you but if you have the money to burn then go for it.
2. Look and feel, size, button arrangement, and ease of use.
Even though GPS receivers are expensive and should have went through a rigorous design and approval process by the manufacturer there are still some makes and models that are difficult to use and not very user friendly. This is another good reason to check out the receiver at your local brick and mortar stores. Go check out its features. See if you like where the buttons and navigation controls are located. I prefer a hand held GPS so I like to make sure I can navigate the features with one hand. A color screen is great so which ever one you choose go for the color screen. It won't be much more expensive but it improves the GPS experience ten fold. The person that says the color screen is overrated probably hasn't had the privilege of using one. Most receivers have a compass feature. Make sure the one you choose has an electronic compass that will still work if you are not moving. It can get a little annoying if you have to keep walking around just to get a reading from a non electronic compass. Screen size and the overall size of the device is important. If you are looking for a hand held receiver then you want one that is not too bulky but still has a good sized screen.
3. Mapping, auto-routing, and memory capabilities.
Look for a receiver that has quality mapping capabilities and a wide variety of maps. One thing that you need to be aware of right up front is that the maps for your GPS receiver will most likely cost extra and they are also not cheap. In most cases the GPS receiver will only be able to use maps of the same brand. If you buy a Garmin GPS then you will need Garmin maps. There are a lot of companies that sell maps to use with your GPS receiver and this is where people get confused. These programs are usually ones that you install on a PC but cannot download the maps to your GPS receiver. Their purpose is usually to receive tracks and routes from the receiver and overlay them on the maps installed to your PC. Also you can usually create tracks using the software and then transfer those to your receiver without the maps. Buy the maps and mapping software that allow you to download the maps to your GPS receiver. It is pretty standard now but make sure that the maps you purchase come with a large POI (point of interest) database. This allows you to find almost any amenity or service you need while you are traveling or just out and about.
To make navigation easier consider buying a GPS receiver and maps that support auto-routing. For me this is a must have. This is the feature that will give you the turn by turn directions when trying to reach a specific destination. The nice thing about auto-routing is that if you make a wrong turn somewhere the receiver will automatically re-calculate the route and give you new directions.
Maps are great but you also need to consider the amount of memory and storage they take up on your receiver. Most receivers have a small amount of built in memory but some of the newer models also use removable micro SD cards. With the SD memory card you can store more maps on your receiver.
4. Purchase your GPS receiver online and save money.
First of all don't just go and buy your GPS receiver on a whim or without taking the time to do some comparison shopping. These devices are expensive and you will have to shell out a pretty penny but that doesn't mean you should over pay. Whenever I stop at any sporting goods store, department or specialty store I have to check out the prices on your standard GPS receiver. I'm always amazed and never surprised at the huge price difference between those stores and online stores. Sometimes the difference is well over one hundred dollars on a four hundred dollar device. Check out gpsnow.com for the best online prices. 
The brick and mortar stores still serve a good purpose. Go and test drive the device at the store so you can see what you are going to get. Also if the store is willing to match a price you find online then buy from the store. That way you can still support your community if the store is local.
5. My Recommendation
I use my GPS receiver for a wide range of activities so I recommend a hand held GPS device. This allows me to use the receiver for hiking or atv and bike riding and if I'm driving in a car I have a handy cradle that the receiver can rest in. I prefer the GPS receivers made by Garmin. They have a large variety of hand helds. I recommend their GPSMap 60
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