I drull over that one every time I try to make a decision on what one I want. Spendy

Ya I looked at the colorado and the oregon. I really liked the colorado, but the last 2 cars I bought costed less than that gps. I did't really think the touch screen on the oregon was so hot, but to the right person it would work great. I got fat fingers for that kind of stuff, especially when ice fishing. Really awesome detail in the colorado, but spendy.

I got the lakemaster chip for my H2O tonight and it seems to be pretty sweet. i will see when i hit the water how accurate it is, but it looks good. There is pretty good street detail with that chip too. I wasn't expecting that and it was a kinda nice suprise to see my street on the map. Plus, up by mille lacs, the trails I like to walk for grouse were on there too. I have to say it was worth the benjamin for sure.

I don't know if you have looked at the Garmin 60 CSx or not, but I purchased it last year around this time and it is the best GPS I have ever owned. It has a good size color screen and can get very detailed. The 60 CSx has a removable internal expandable memory card slot so you can load all kinds of various maps.

I have used it in my car, camping, hiking, and used it overseas for military uses and I have never had problems with it. The reciever is strong and sesative and brings me to within just a few feet of my actual position. I recommend checking it out, you might be impressed with it.

That Oregon- is it a touchscreen like an Ipod Touch or Iphone?

The chip is actually more accurate then the GPS is.

Garmin's are good, Ive had one for a while and it has been through alot, Including foating down a river overnight. I've heard Garmins are a little more user friendly than the Lowrance. But lowrance does make good products. It's kind of one of those personal preference deals similar to cars, Guns, bows, ice augers, boats, depthfinders, flashers, whatever. There are ones that may be more durable,more user friendly, more precise, but it all comes down to what your using it for, price, and most of all, how well you like it.

Yup, 1 power-on button, everything else is touch screen. No wasted display area.

Another top pick for me was the 530HCx, I have had one for a couple years now and love it. For a number of reasons I would recommend you look at the Garmin Rino 530 HCx.

You gain accurate GPS mapping, chip capability's, FRS/GMRS radio and radio/GPS tracking of up to 50 other Rino users at the same time. I use mine year around and it is a great tool for me as a guide on land, and on the water. The unit is very easy to use. On a sled, I would go with the RAM/Garmin dash mount instead of the handle bar mount to reduce vibration, a very secure mount.

As a handy add on you may wish to add the head set VOX hands free mic. Allows for quiet, semi-private, hands-free communication. Speak and listen without holding the radio. Cuts down on background interference in noisy environments. Features external voice activation (VOX). For use with the GARMIN Rino series.

Know exactly where you are at all times with Rino 530HCx and the precision of high-sensitivity GPS. This waterproof FRS/GMRS radio plus GPS navigator adds a barometric altimeter, electronic compass and NOAA weather radio in addition to the popular features of the Rino 520HCx — 5 watts of transmit power, a microSD card slot, brilliant color display and a high-sensitivity GPS receiver — so you’ll never be lost again.

Pinpoint Your Position: With its high-sensitivity GPS receiver, Rino 530HCx locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and deep canyons. The advantage is clear — whether you’re in deep woods or just near tall buildings and trees, you can count on Rino 530HCx to help you find your way when you need it the most.

Find Your Friends: Like the rest of the Rino series, Rino 530HCx offers a unique Position Reporting feature. Position Reporting lets you send your exact location to other Rino users in your group so that everyone can see your position on the map page. And, because Rino is a standard FRS/GMRS radio, you can use it to communicate with any other conventional FRS/GMRS radio around.

Transmit with Power: The Rino 530HCx boasts a whopping 5 watts of transmit power (GMRS), which lets you contact others from up to 14 miles away (line of sight). In Canada, you can transmit at 2 watts over GMRS with a range of up to 8 miles.
Other Rino 530HCx features:

* Barometric altimeter pinpoints your precise elevation.
* Electronic compass tells you what direction you’re headed, even when you're standing still.
* Bold color TFT display makes it easy to see and navigate to family or friends at an amusement park, lake or other outdoor group activity.
* microSD™ card slot accepts preloaded MapSource® data cards with detailed maps.
* Automatic routing and turn-by-turn directions with alert tones let you find an address or point of interest and drive there (with optional MapSource map data).
* Rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 14 hours of outdoor use.


I hope this is useful to you.

One thing I found is I hate any GPS with the buttons on the side. I had a old #$%^@&* gps and it was ok but the buttons on the side were hard to use. I want to see the buttons I have to push and still be able to see the screen. Especially when mounted on the boat or snowmobile.

I would agree. Since most GPS units do pretty much the same thing. Pick the one that fits you the best and has a good "ease of use". You'll be happy with your choice when it's cold and dark and your not searching for buttons or scrolling through menus.