What is the best radio/GPS all in one???

[fly-fisher01]

Hey guys I was just wondering if any of you would be able to give me a bit of input on a Radio/GPS all in one unit.........I am going on a hunt in August and need one that has a good long range for the radio!!!!! and is able to track my fellow hunters :)

[dime]

I have a Garmin Rino 120. Range is not great but there are models that have significantly better range. The new Garmin Rino 500 series supposedly has a longer range, although the models sold in the US are higher wattage (longer range), not available in Canada. Only problem is they are quite pricy.
I think you can get a Rino 120 for around $200, and download topo maps of the area you want to hunt, which is what I would do.

[fly-fisher01]

Thanks dime.......I have owned Garmins and I do think they are the best, I thought that maybe there was something a bit better out there with a bit of a longer range........I did check out the ones from the US but it seems pertty tricky to get one of those units. Thanks for the info will check out SIR and Wholesale to see what the prices are <(((><

[overthetop]

I got mine used from the states off ebay. Great toy.

[fly-fisher01]

Hey there overthetop, I was just wondering....did they give you any hassle for shipping it to Canada??

[Mr. Maverick]

Hey guys I was just wondering if any of you would be able to give me a bit of input on a Radio/GPS all in one unit.........I am going on a hunt in August and need one that has a good long range for the radio!!!!! and is able to track my fellow hunters :)
The Garmin rino 520 is great for long range. Its a little more but has the long range capability.

[brotherjack]

Is the Canada vs U.S. stuff still GMRS vs FRS, or do the U.S. ones have more wattage or something?

You can use GMRS in Canada now, last time I checked. I downloaded the firmware update into my 120's (got 2 of em), and now they both happily do GMRS (the much longer range option) as well as FRS (the old 2km variant).

[dime]

Is the Canada vs U.S. stuff still GMRS vs FRS, or do the U.S. ones have more wattage or something?

You can use GMRS in Canada now, last time I checked. I downloaded the firmware update into my 120's (got 2 of em), and now they both happily do GMRS (the much longer range option) as well as FRS (the old 2km variant).
I have downloaded the software, and have the GMRS on my 120 as well, which is 1 watt. I have really not noticed a huge difference from the old 0.5 watt FRS. The US models of the Rino 500 series are a 5 watt GMRS compared to 2 watts on the Canadian version .
They have a good product description at Garmin.com, you can compare side by side.
A real drawback of these 500 series are that they use a rechargeable battery pack rather than AA batteries. I have rechargable AAs that I use when I can access a power supply but if you are out in the bush for a week, the disposable AAs are very useful. I do not know what I would do if I had to plug in every night to use the thing while out in camp.

[betteroffishing]

i think you could buy the cig lighter charger and plug it in while on your way from camp to the start of your hike, and so long as it was fully charged when you first set out all you should need to do is top up the charge continuously {i hope} . just purchased one of those 530 units from alberta, cant wait to learn how to use it, bought an instructional dvd "gps for the angler"

[Comshel]

I don't have much experience with radio GPS combos' but I've worked with these fellows in the past and they're straight shooters. www.signal.ca (http://www.signal.ca)

[Call of the Wild]

Hey guys, I bought a Rino 520HCx last autumn for my brother. I strongly suggest a gps with the high-sensitivity. It get better reception and faster.

The 520 I bought was from ebay selle, shopepal. Brand new gps, Canadian borders charged about 25$, received it 3 weeks after. Since the gps comes from the states, the gps is 5 watts compared to the Garmin Rino in Canada 2 watts.

Anyway I strongly believe the 520HCx is a top radio/gps. I trust the seller, I’m buying a 530HCx this autumn for myself.

Call of the Wild

[tuchodi]

I have the Rino 530 US model 5 Watt and I bought it from Hub Sports in Abbotsford. No boarder hassle and Canadian dollars. We have 4 of them we use and they have a much better range than the old Cobra's we used for the last few years. I also bought the AA battery pack which is about $25.00 so you can use AA when out in the bush and now way to charge your litium battery.

[Call of the Wild]

I also bought the AA battery pack which is about $25.00 so you can use AA when out in the bush and now way to charge your litium battery.


Ya great feature. If with your camp you have a generator don't need batteries. And for remote hunting get the AA battery pack.

Question for you. did you use the feature to locate your buddy, and does it work good??

Call of the Wild

[tuchodi]

Ya great feature. If with your camp you have a generator don't need batteries. And for remote hunting get the AA battery pack.

Question for you. did you use the feature to locate your buddy, and does it work good??

Call of the Wild
We don't take a generator with us they are to heavy for the skinny river. Yes the buddy system works real good on the Rino's> We had the smaller older ones before and this will be the first year everyone has the new 530 just beter reception with the better antena.