Delorme: Pn-60w with SPOT Satellite Communicator
3:57 AM
Matt
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Next to a good stream thermometer a handheld GPS could be your ticket to more hookups. Most of us are familiar with GPS units in our cars where they help navigate or find a Pizza Hut. The benefits of using a handheld GPS for fly fishing are just beginning to be tapped. You can, for example, us a good GPS unit for the following:
1. Marking a hole or shelf in a lake or river.
2. Set an alert for a nearby boat launch
3. Locating a trail head or access point
4. Check water depth and locate sub-surface features
5. find breaks in terrain
6. track your approach (no more getting lost)
7. Send an emergency signal when your cell phone does not have service
8. Check tides
9. Driving direcitons
10. Record your day's movements and print a map for future reference
11. Entertain the kids on those days when you can't get away to fish by searching for geocaches
12. Check sun rise and set times
13. Set waypoints with notes for specific fishing spots
14. Search for hotels and restaurants
15. Send text updates to your friends and family from remote locations
For this review I used the Delorme PN-60 with SPOT Communicator and could not be more pleased with the results. Before going to the Delorme I tried a handheld GPS from the "other" big name GPS provider and although it tracked very well, the maps available were not detailed enough to be of much use when fishing and the price of the annual map upgrade bordered on the ridicules. The Delorme PN-60 is different. The maps included with the unit are fantastic and the map upgrade only runs $29.95 a year, which allows you to download satellite images of your exact location. You also get nautical charts for fishing lakes and on the coast. Here are a few of the features of the Delorme PN-60 that set it apart from the rest:
First, the PN-60 comes with Topo North America, which loads from a series of DVDs onto the handheld unit. With Topo North America you can see rivers, lakes, topographic detail, 4 million places of interest, street maps, 3-D map views. The software includes both the U.S. and Canada. In addition to the pre-loaded information you can add waypoints, which allow you to mark a location and then add a description. So, for example, you can mark a deep hole on the Muskegon River and come back to the exact same hole a week or year later. Waypoints can also be assigned icons such as a fish or graphic of a boat launch to make navigating easier.
Waypoints can be set in about 1 second using the waypoint button. You can add information instantly or go back later and fill in as much information as you like on a specific location.
The green arrow marks your location and points in the direction of travel
The orange line marks a tracked route. You can set the level of accuracy required and at the end of the day get turn by turn directions back to a boat launch or your car. You can even set waypoints along the way to mark good fishing spots. The map above is layered with a satellite image.
The detailed satellite images are extremely helpful when hiking to help find breaks in terrain, access points, and at the end of the day your car.
Marking your favorite spot is as easy as pushing a button. You can enter location details on the spot or when you get home. Also, printing maps of your trip is a breeze.
In addition to the mapping features, the Delorme PN-60 is also available with the SPOT communicator. The SPOT communicator allows you to send messages via satellite to your friends or family. You can even set it to relay your progress and send it real time to a computer. The best thing about the SPOT communicator is that should you encounter trouble you can send an SOS message, which will send your exact location to local fire and rescue units. The unit is light and can be stored easily and even allows you to send custom messages using the PN-60's text feature. You can check out the PN-60 and SPOT communicator in action below.
Best of all the Pn-60 is simple to use. There is nothing more frustrating then having to deal with computer/electronics problems when on the road. The PN-60 relies on an intuitive icon-based interface, which allows you to select from a series of features quickly. The PN-60 also has 3.5 Gigs. of flash memory to upload additional maps, store 20,000 waypoints, and log up to 100 routes. The casing of the PN-60 is waterproof and impact resistant so no worries about dropping it in the river. For a complete list of the technical details of the PN-60 you can visit Delorme's data page here: PN-60 Specs.
In Sum: The Delorme PN-60 with SPOT Communicator is the best handheld GPS unit I have ever used. What really sets this unit apart is the quality of the maps. There are plenty of good GPS units out there, but Delorme has really hit it out of the park with the level of detail, layering features, and satellite imaging. You can track your location within 7'+- and marking waypoints is so simple even a self proclaimed ludite like myself figured it out the first time. The unit is durable and the number of features is impressive. You can get driving directions, hiking routes, track your progress, check elevation, look up points of interest, and you always have the security of the SPOT communicator should you wish to send a message to your family or in the event of an emergency.
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