If you travel a lot using several different modes of transportation then you probably are looking for a handheld GPS to help you find your way. Locating a source of discount handheld GPS units can be a problem. Being just a little bit bigger than a standard cell phone, handheld GPS receivers offer the ability to navigate to any location on earth. When not in use you can put in its holster ready for the next use.

A quality handheld GPS unit can range from less than $100 to as high as $2,000. A good quality unit with the best features will cost you about $500.00.

Manufactures that commonly offer handheld GPS systems include Cobra, Magellan, Garmin, Lowrance and Bushnell. Lowrance offers the best prices for handheld GPS systems that contain monochrome coloring. Their cheapest model is only $63.99, however we do not recommend buying a gray scale or black and white display.

Unfortunately, Lowrance is not the best choice when it comes to colorized GPS handhelds, as their prices, (which can be over $1,000) are almost expensive as more well-known Garmin or Magellan brands. For colorized handheld GPS, it is best to go with Cobra, (with their cheapest colorized unit costing only $922) and Bushnell, (whose cheapest colorized unit costs only $500). Bushnell is a new manufacture of GPS. However they offer unique GPS aerial photo mapping and weather tracking features.

Where can one buy a handheld GPS systems at a discount price?

http://Amazon.com is one place that offers dozens of discounts on various brands of handheld GPS systems. Some of their handheld GPS systems are offered at a reduction rate as high as 41%. Others are discounted through special rebates. If this is not enough of a discount, one can try an online auction site. Since sellers on most auction sites are not professional vendors like Amazon. Usually they are just selling their used personal units allowing them to offer more in terms of price negotiation. It is not uncommon to buy discount handheld GPS systems at hundreds even thousands below retail price when purchasing from online auction sites.

Manufactures that market a large number discount handheld GPS receivers are: Cobra, Lowrance and Bushnell. These and other brands can be purchased from sites like http://Amazon.com or online auctions. Doing your homework and searching carefully you should not have any excuse for buying an overpriced handheld GPS system. Initially it might seem nice to get the most expensive, most popular brand-name handheld GPS available. However,if you can get all the features they need from a discount GPS system.

The bottom line is that discount handheld GPS systems will function in the manner and have most of the same features as any retail priced handheld GPS receiver. A good handheld GPS receiver is a great travel necessity that will open the whole world to you, don’t leave home without it.

The first step to choosing a unit is looking at all of the different categories that are available. The six basic categories of units are automotive, handheld, PDA, laptop, aviation and marine. The most important thing you need to do is decide which one you need based on where and when you are going to use it.

Basic handheld GPS units are generally less expensive and can even be as low as one hundred dollars. They are just as accurate as the more expensive handheld units, but they do not have as many specialized features. Most basic handheld GPS units have or can display your location, usually in the format of your choice, a compass heading, the elevation above sea level, the accurate time, typically in both twelve and twenty four hour formats, satellite location and signal strength, the ability to calculate the distance traveled, the ability to record your path as a set of waypoints, the ability to navigate routes, and the ability to retrace your steps. The main thing you will find in the most advanced handheld GPS units that you will not find with a basic one is the mapping capabilities.

Handheld units are great because they can vary so much in size, which makes them very easy to customize them for whatever your needs may be. Some of the smallest ones are as tiny as a basic cell phone and this can make them very easy to travel with you, whether you are walking around a new town or camping on a backpacking trip. Also, handheld GPS units are completely self contained, which means that there are no external attachments. However there are some exceptions like the ones that have receivers that run on external power, like from a car. Also, some units have are built with a jack for an optional external antennae and other units can be connected to a laptop or a PDA for expanded uses.

There is another group of units known as handheld mapping GPS receivers. These units display maps that are pre loaded onto the device, but have been uploaded from a PC. These units are typically larger than the ones that do not have mapping capabilities, but they are still fairly inexpensive. Regardless of which one of the handheld GPS units you choose, you will be happy that you got one, especially the first time you find yourself lost in the woods.

Being lost in the middle of nowhere or in the middle of New York City is not much fun. People have always been looking for better ways to keep track of where they are, where they have been, and where they are going. Even little Hansel and Gretal left breadcrumbs as they wandered to help them get back home. Granted, the breadcrumbs were eaten by pesky animals almost as soon as they were dropped, but the children had the right idea. When venturing out to places that are unfamiliar, there is a great sense of security with knowing exactly where you are; explorers have been using landmarks, maps, and charts for millennia to stay safe.
We have come a long way since the days of breadcrumb trails and mysterious pirate treasure maps. We ve got GPS on our side now, and walking through the wilderness or hiking through deserted mountains is no sweat with a handheld GPS unit. There are endless reasons to love these gadgets, and the top ten are listed here:
Reason #10: Even though handheld units sometimes don t come with all of the fancy features that larger units like marine devices do, that s ok, because who needs to know the location of buoys when you are geocaching in the Amazon? Handheld ones are simple enough for Tarzan to use.
Reason #9: Handheld units can be cheap, and are available in models that cost below one hundred bucks, a small price to pay for always being able to know where you are.
Reason #8: Handheld units fit comfortably in your hand, making them very portable and readily available, should you need to pull it out quickly or keep it close by. The larger units made for cars, for example, are larger, heavier, and a lot more cumbersome.
Reason #7: Versatility makes handhelds great for anyone doing anything. Whether you are hiking on a trail deep in a ravine or out on safari with the lions, your handheld can go with you, easily.
Reason #6: Handheld devices are made to be tough, so when you are cycling through the desert, you don t have to worry that dropping and having it drug off by a scorpion will break it. They are often constructed with thick rubber to absorb the shock of being dropped time after time.
Reason #5: These little gadgets are just as accurate as the big boys. All GPS units operate with at least three different satellites that orbit the Earth, so a signal is a signal is a signal.
Reason #4: With a handheld one, you can set waypoints, calculate distances traveled, and they have the ability to map out and calculate your entire route, no worries.
Reason #3: They come in so many different shapes and sizes that they are easily customizable to fit not only your needs, but your hand, too.
Reason #2: Handheld units are completely self contained, which means there are no wires, cords, or converters required to use them, unlike many of the marine or auto units.
And, the #1 reason to love a handheld GPS unit is that you will look super suave being the hero of your group when you are in the middle of Los Angeles, dying of starvation, and no one knows how to get to the little hole in the wall eatery you are looking for except for you, thanks to your GPS friend sitting right in the palm of your hand.