Over the years, I've collected a large stable of Garmin GPS receivers.  I currently use the Edge 305, Forerunner 305, GPSMap 60CSx, Nuvi 350 and Vista C.  Though not Garmin devices, our cars also have OEM navigation systems.

• Edge 305 is the new Garmin fitness GPS / bike computer.  In addition to the bike computer functions, it also measures heart rate and that finally made me retire my Polar HRM.

Here are several pages which demonstrate the quality of the Garmin GPS III Plus with MapSource maps.  Even though these pages are dated, the underlying data display is still pertinent for the outdoors devices such as the 60CSx or Vista Cx.

• Which MapSource? compares the three MapSource products currently available from Garmin and has screen shots of the various data types available from each product.
• III - III Plus Maps is a comparison of U.S. Roads & Recreation Maps, the WorldMap, the GPS III Plus base map & the GPS III base map in an area that originates at my house.
• MapSource Maps is a detailed comparison at all resolution levels of the MapSource maps mentioned above along with the GPS III Plus base map.
• GPS III+ Map Settings lists the maximum zoom settings for each of the map settings on the GPS III Plus.
• Sample World Maps are some random screen shots I have taken from various locations around the world, including some exotic locations that I bet even the most traveled of you haven't visited!
• Marine Navaids deciphers the various nautical navigational aids that are found on all three MapSource products.  If you're not a mariner and have a casual interest in all of the various symbols you keep seeing on the coasts and offshore, this page is for you.

For a few years now, I have been experimenting with the Global Positioning System, the U.S. Department of Defense's satellite navigation system. I started out with a Garmin GPS 38 receiver I found at Wal-Mart for under $150 -- I  linked it to my laptop computer using DeLorme Street Atlas USA travel planning software and I was hooked!. This combination has given me a moving map display of my current location anywhere in North America to within 100 meters. It cost me less than $200 in total.

Since my introduction to GPS, I have numerous units (and here's where the big buck investment comes in).  The 38 is gone, as is the II Plus, the III, III Plus and Vista C.  Using the MapSource CD-ROMs, I can download street level detail for several counties, or even for areas around the world.  I can mount it to my bike and it gives me a serious geek quality as I go riding down the roads. 

Off to the left, I snapped off a picture of my old GPS III at the Vatican.

But if you think that I'm a geek having a GPS attached to my bike, I urge you to go visit Bill Cotton's Page.   He's got a GPS setup for his bike that you won't believe!

The newer versions of the Garmin can show speeds up to 999 miles per hour, and it's fun to use it on a plane and to watch the landmarks roll by.

Interested in dropping an ICBM on our house? Target it to N 32º 56.651' W 097º 06.323' and you'll be close enough to do some damage. Please give us a call first so that we can whip up some frozen drinks and drag the lawn furniture outside with enough time to enjoy the show.

By the way, I have found that the sci.geo.satellite-nav newsgroup has tons of useful information on GPS and the Russians' competing Glonass system.

Some GPS Links That I Enjoy

• Joe & Jack's GPS Information
  An excellent selection of files on GPS and NMEA.  Plus reviews of most major consumer GPS devices.  It's a mandatory first stop on any GPS search.
• Garmin Page In Germany
  A comprehensive selection of information about the newer Garmin GPS's.  Unfortunately it looks like Thomas doesn't have the time to update the page any longer and it's starting to look a little long in the tooth.
• Avionics West
  I bought my Garmin GPSMAP 295 aviation GPS from these folks.  I found them to have decent prices and excellent customer service.
• Blue Hills Innovations
  Inexpensive source for Garmin GPS data & power cables.
• G7TO
  Free software to upload waypoints to and from a Garmin GPS.  Currently requires a willingness to use a DOS-type command line, but it's a powerful tool and a Windows version is in the works.
• AirNav
  Source for Latitude and Longitude for all airports in the United States.  Fun to enter into the GPS so that you can follow along while in-flight.
• Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
  A comprehensive listing of geographic names with Latitude and Longitude.  If you need a waypoint for some particularly out of the way place, this is a great start.
• GPS Nuts
  A highly partisan look at the Garmin GPS III Plus / Lowrance GlobalMap 100 debate.  The page got started because the owners felt a comparative review that Joe & Jack did between the two devices was inaccurate in some places and didn't have the right spin favoring the Lowrance in others.  In any event, the information on their site is useful if used in conjunction with Joe & Jack's site and it did confirm that the Garmin was a better choice for me.