Christmas Shopping

[Siskiyou]

My adult son and I got together the Saturday after Thanksgiving to do some Christmas shopping.  We burn some extra gas and made it to the Big Electronic store in the city.  A one stop place for all kinds of toys and software.  I am not looking for another gps but I scouted out the 15 or 20 feet of space displaying gps units.

I was a little surprised, normally there is not very many people at that location.  But they were there three deep.  The hands on display had a number of units from Garmin, Magellan, Lowrance, and a couple of automotive units I did not recognize.  My mind immediately classified the customers.

There was the well dressed couple.  Yep, they were looking at the expensive automotive gps.  They were asking the salesperson a lot of questions.  No doubt they could afford it.  White collar worker whose wife drives an expensive car.  She was asking most of the questions.

The next person to catch my attention had a handheld gps clutched in each hand.  His mind was working a mile per minute.  I kind of reconized him as the guy I would run into on a far ridge.  More comfortable out hunting then spending a day shopping.  He was was dressed in a flannel shirt, and jeans.  Hard working, blue collar, outdoorsman who plans on using the gps in the field.  He look like the type of guy who I would like along to help drag my deer out of the woods.  He had one of those brick size gps units in one hand, and a smaller one in the other hand.

He looked like he was frozen in time.  I wonder what was go on in his mind?  A few thoughts.

1.  How do I explain this to the wife.

2.  Is this more complicated then programing the VCR?

3.  Do I need the brick or the smaller one?

4.  Should I do more looking.

5.  I hate this crowd.

6.  Is that old guy staring at me?

7.  I need to get the sales girls' attention.

8.  What do I need to buy the wife to off set the price of this gps.

9.  I want my turn to talk to the sales girl.  Hmmm, do girls know anything about gps units.

I almost spoke-up and offered advice, but thought better of it.  He was in such a deep trance interruption could have caused brain damage.

Here's hoping he and all the guys get their Christmas wish.

[Siskiyou]

Gps prices.  I having been looking at the ads in a Regional Newspaper for gps units.  There are a lot of offerings this year.  Most of the electronic stores are offering deals on automotive gps units.  

But I have found a number ads for handheld gps units.  At this point I think the best deals are on Magellan 400 and 500 eXplorist.  They are being offered with 3-D Topo software in a package deal with a rebate.  I found very good prices for the eXplorist 400 package at Costco, and on the Internet.  Currently I do not think the eXplorist is the best gps for the emergency responder who may be involved in the multi day incidents without electrical support.  It has a built in battery charger, rather the AA batteries.  This could be a problem if a unit is sent to a natural disaster, or to a prolong stake-out in the brush.  It should not be a problem for most hunters or fishermen.  This battery maybe a problem for S&R teams.  In the Serria's these teams spend a number of days tracking skiers who get lost from ski areas.  If the weather is nasty they lack air support.

But for John "G" woodsman this should not be a problem.

I use my handheld gps units as dual purpose units.  In the pickup I can connect the gps unit to my laptop.  I can track my position while using my Garmin MapSource USA Topo or my Microsoft Streets&Trips software.

My request from Santa is rather simple.  I want an external antenna for my 76C.  My old pickup had a cupholder high on the dash and the unit worked very good there.  But my new pickup cupholders are down on the center console.  It works there but loses some reception in narrow canyons and areas of heavy timber.  I went to the Internet site of a supplier I have purchased asscessories from before and printed the page with the asscessories I want.  Best price for what I want.  I then gave it to the wife.  I may have been late but who knows.  I have tried a vent gps holder and when the weather turned cold I did not want the vent blocked.