One important criteria for evaluating a handheld GPS receiver is whether it can display a terrain map. Non-mapping handhelds show only simple line tracks that are of very limited usefulness in navigation. So just how inexpensively can you get a mapping handheld? And better yet, how about a mapping handheld with a high-sensitivity receiver accurate to three meters? Here are my two recommendations for lowest-cost mapping handhelds with high-sensitivity receivers.
Magellan eXplorist 210 North America ($150 - $190)
Photo © Magellan
The Magellan eXplorist 210 has a black & white moving map display. To get a color map display in the Magellan line, you need to move up to the $250 eXplorist 500. The 210's features include a generous built-in mapset including major roads, parks, waterways and points of interest; a large and crisp backlit display; USB data port; geocache manager PC application, and rubber-armored construction. We like Magellan's logical and easy-to-learn control buttons layout.
Garmin eTrex Summit HC ($200 - $260)
Photo © Garmin
Garmin's eTrex Summit HC squeezes a lot of high-end features into an economical package, including a color mapping display, high-sensitivity receiver, electronic compass, and geocaching mode. Its basemap set includes major highways, lakes, rivers and coastlines. You can download additional detailed maps (including Topo US 2008) from Garmin's MapSource and load them into the Summit HC's 24MB of internal memory.
