Gerry,
As an owner of a Magellan SporTrak Topo, I wnated to give you input about
another brand besides Garmin. The Topo model is a little more costly than
other SporTrak models that would meet your needs because it has a 101
megabyte topographical basemap of the entire 48 states already installed
on the unit's chip. Then it has another 24 Mb of free memory to download
more detailed info on a given region. I bought it because I am a
Scoutmaster and wanted it for hiking and backpacking. Then I discovered
that it could also be used as a speedometer/odometer for my MG's. I have
been amazed at its accuracy. Magellan's Topo model comes with the CD ROM
with detailed info on the entire US (Approx. a $90 add-on to their other
models). I hve since purchased additional CD ROMs containing Worldwide
Basemap and Canada Detail. It ws also great fun to use on a commercial
air flight (after they allow you to start up electronic devices). You can
see your altitude, speed, and watch what towns and points of interest you
are crossing. Although it retails for over $400, I found it on the web
for $298 with free shipping. The other Sportrak models can be had in the
$100-250 range. They come with a data cable for uploading/downloading to
a PC or laptop, but cigarette lighter cords are about $20 extra. Battery
life is only about 12 hours, so the lighter cord is a good investment.
Good luck chosing the right one for you.
Bill Snyder
'66 MGB
'72 BGT (sold and leaving Sat.)
'53 TD (bought last weekend and in boxes)
W. T. Snyder, II
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