I have never owned a handheld gps unit. the first one I got is the gps in my moderately-priced Humminbird sonar unit that I use to mark waypoints for trees, rockpiles, etc. when the lake is down at winter pool. I went back to fish them this fall when the lake was several feel higher and found that my sonar unit seems to have a problem with wandering waypoints, sometimes as much as relocating one over a 50yd. stretch of bank on different trips. Once it showed my boat several yards up in the woods. That doesn't seem like much, but when the trees which aren't much more than the trunk and a few large branches left are in a small area it makes a big difference.

I am not getting a new sonar unit for a while yet. I have in mind to get a handheld gps unit to guide me to the exact waypoint after using my sonar unit to get close. What level of accuracy can I expect from a moderately priced, yet good basic unit? I won't be doing land navigation, geocaching, or anything else sophisticated with it. But it does need to be very accurate. Suggestions on units or brands are appreciated.

I have a Garmin 680T Montana. It is very accurate, but maybe a bit pricey.

I'd probably get a Garmin like this one:

Garmin GPSMAP 64 Worldwide with High-Sensitivity GPS and GLONASS Receiver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HWL9AR4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_NNk.zbSXDER39

For the most part all the mid and up level GPS's today share the same accuracy. Years ago the signal was degraded by the government intentionally so as to prevent it's use for precision targeting by enemies but that ended years ago. Improvements in the satellite signals have done more to enhance accuracy over the years. Any of the better receivers are going to be equally accurate, buy the one with the features you like.

try one of the cell phone apps. I have completely stopped using my Garmin Oregon 450 and went to OnX maps. Much cheaper and easier to use. If you dont like it, go buy a Garmin.

Your gps may not be the problem.

Depending on the satellite geometry at a given time your accuracy will vary. I have seen GPS units accurate enough with ideal conditions to show the difference between the GPS and a fixed waypoint when you switched the unit from one hand to the other. Under poor conditions 50 feet off is not unusual. If you have poor satellite geometry and you have a partially obstructed antenna it can easily bea lot more error. If your sonar unit has a connector for an external antenna buy an antenna. They are small and cheap enough and can make a huge difference. When and how you mark waypoints can be just as critical as trying to return to a marked waypoint. If you can average the position try that. Try not to obstruct the unit's view of the sky with your body or anything else. If your position error is 200 feet and you mark a waypoint just keep in mind that what your GPS records as that waypoint can be anywhere in a 200 foot radius of where you actually were. The same goes for when you return. If you are showing a position error of 200 feet, you can be that far away from the waypoint you marked. So, being 400 feet in total off is wholly within reason under those conditions. That is entirely unrelated to the basic accuracy of the GPS itself. If you have a decent lock on two satellites and one is obstructed by your body or something else, that is just the sort of results you frequently get.

Does your hummingbird have a compass that can check itself and recalibrate? When my (older model garmin) starts confusing itself, I recalibrate and problem solved.

I own a couple GPS units, but your smart phone can probably do everything you need.
There are apps like Strava and Glimpse.

I have a Garmin 62s for woods navigation. The 3-axis compass is nice, it will point you in the right direction without having to move. Of course, you have to calibrate it first.

The advice being given on keeping a real compass and a map handy is valid.

The GPS does make navigation easier, but if the batteries go weak or the unit fails...

This is a pretty good deal.

You can get more accuracy in a shorter amount of time with using the US satellites combined with the Glonass satellites. Especially under a tree canopy. (I believe the Glonass adds another 12-13 satellites to the triangulation computation, so when you are in the woods, and satellites are being blocked, the more the better as far as quick triangulation is concerned.

Back when I bought my survey grade GPS, the Glonass was about $10k more. I got it because I surveyed in the mountains with lots of trees.

One thing of note, a map and a compass are obviously something you should have, but there are times that they will not work at all. We got caught in some rain on an Idaho elk hunt. We had to get through a big nasty stretch of dark timber. The GPS kept us on the trail and when we lost it, we could find it again in the dark. A map and compass in there was worthless. So each tool has a place and time and think critically on what you are asking of each.

The Humminbird sonars from a few years ago with the built in GPS seem to have a less accurate receiver. You can get an external receiver that improves accuracy. Many people mount them near their transducer so that the signals correspond better.

https://www.humminbird.com/Products/AS-GRP/

Check your model to see if it is compatible. It will give you a much better speed reading at trolling speeds too.


Jerry

I have an entry level Garmin Etrex 20. It's as basic as they come. We'd played around with geocaching a bit and found that in the open it has 3' accuracy. You don't have to spend a fortune for one to get accuracy. The issue is the size of the screen. The Etrex is way too small to be convenient.

phone GPS works great as long as you have cell coverage. I have a Garmin GPSMAP 64ST, but have not figured out how to actually use it yet. lol

My wife and I volunteer with a SAR team. When we show up for searches the most common one I see is some version of the Garmin 64. I have one and highly recommend it. Some people pay a lot more for the Rhino. It has some features not on the 64, but isn't any more accurate. I think the biggest difference is a built in 2 way radio. For teams that use them it means they don't have to carry an additional radio.

About a year ago I caught one of the Oregon 450's on sale and bought a 2nd one for my wife. It is almost identical to the 64S, except it is touch screen like a smart phone and has an internal antenna. The 64 has an external antenna which is supposed to pick up better in heavy cover or inside narrow canyons. The push buttons are said to be more durable than touch screen. So far I can see no difference in practical use. You can find them on sale around Christmas for $200-$250.

Phones have gotten a lot better. When they 1st came out the accuracy was within about 400-500' on most phones. There are 2 things I don't like about phones though. They are useless in areas with no cell service. And if you use them you'll drain the battery in a couple of hours then not have a working phone. If I use the battery saving features I can make either of my Garmins last 16 hours of continuous use. And I can always carry 2 extra AA batteries.

I use mine for a lot more than finding my way around the woods. In fact I really don't need it for that. When scouting or hunting I always carry mine and lay down tracks. When I get home I plug it into the computer and show the tracks on Google Earth. I can see exactly where I walked during the day and and have a record of it. I've found lots of good spots to hunt this way. And often much easier routes to get there than you can see on a topo map.

This is exactly how we use them on searches. The search manager already has used a version of Google earth uploaded and marked off grids to be searched before we arrive. Each person plugs their GPS into his computer and down loads their search area. I get a red box showing the area my team is supposed to search on my GPS maps. In a typical 8-12 man team we put one GPS on each end of the line and one in the middle if we have enough. At the end of the day that data is downloaded onto the search managers computer and he can see on Google Earth exactly where each team searched. Any clues are marked with waypoints. If anything is missed they know where to go back to. Those are all things you can't do with a phone.

My wife and I did some Geocaching when learning how to use them.

I use a Garmin 62s and have found it to be a bit more accurate the the Etrex 20, but for hunting purposes, the 20 will do.

JMR40,
It is not true that you need service with a cell phone! Not at all! They have built in GPS and work perfect without cell service. I have been using it for years that way. Also, turn it on airplane mode to extend battery life. Turn off all other apps and decrease your screen brightness a little. I can easily have it on all day and still have battery left over. I find it is just as easy to bring a portable cell phone charger as it is extra batteries. give it a try and I bet you will be using your cell phone and keeping your GPS in your backpack! Good luck and thanks for your service as a SAR member!

When I was in Canada recently we didn't have service and I was surprised waze was working - but what I learned about that app at least is that I needed wifi or service to kind of kick start it when I was putting in an address or whatever but once it got that info, then it worked fine without service.

We couldn't get it to work so I pulled into a grocery store with wifi - punched in the address and it started up - then we could drive off and use it without service.

ymmv

And therein lies the problem with a phone based GPS.

They work well when you have sufficient service signal, but when you are remote & there's no service, you have to have previously downloaded the area(s) that you will be in & that can be a bit of a pain to do, depending on the software being used; actually that can be done with Google Maps now as well.

I use Backcountry Navigator on my android & it works pretty well & I used Gaia on an I-phone when I had that & it works well too...................after you learn to use them.

A dedicated GPS (Garmin) is more intuitive to learn & use & is worth the $$ if you are going to be away from cell service on a regular basis & need a GPS.

JMHO, YMMV

MM

If you have an Android device, either phone or pad, try Back Country Navigator. You can download up to a 50 square mile area into your device. Then when you're out in the boonies you don't need cell phone reception, the map data is already in your device. They have several topo maps to chose from and they're all free. I use it to explore all around my place in NW Ontario, the level of detail is amazing, right down to small 4 wheeler trails.

I am looking into a Garmin 64 st maps. Last week I was hunting and the dark clouds and howling winds came on fast. It got dark before it was dark. It had been almost a year since I was hunting there and everything looked a lot different. I got off course and knew it. I went a bit further and knew something was wrong so I stopped right there. I get out my compass and needed to go south. The compass spins in circles. I am sure there was chunks of iron in the ground cause I have had that happen in northern WIs. a few times before. I get out the gps , the batteries were dead or the buttons were not working. Getting out my flashlight, ( I dont use a flashlight in the woods, ) I knew I ha a north wind and was going down hill . That meant the river should be close , I hoped. Turns out I see the one lone orange ribbon I have for a marker. I was only 40 yds off. I thick I need a cumpass in a GPS that is not effected by iron deposits in the ground. Does the cumpass in the Garmin use GPS or magnetic for pointing north?

I've been using Back Country Navigator on my phone for years and love it. The problem I have is with battery usage...I probably mess up my phones with too many power hungry apps, but I can run a full battery down to 10% or less in a few hours using Back Country Navigator. So while I still have it as a backup (and download the maps for wherever I'm going), I got a Garmin 64 SC last year. I can go all day with the Garmin and no worries about charge, and still have my phone with lots of charge left too. OnX maps on the Garmin is better for my needs than Back Country Navigator on a phone (I like having the state specific info from OnX).

I learned how to re-fold a road map here while back.

I don't need no fuggin' GPS.

I recently had "kind of" the same problem...I'm nearing completion of my old pontoon boat restoration and the lakes around here can drop 100 feet or more during the summers...this past winter, the lake I generally go to came up nearly 200 feet....submerging high points, rocks etc. these "high points/rocks" are not marked with buoys....what I ended up with is is a Lowrance Elite 5 DSI....it's a discontinued model but it has a connector for an auxiliary antenna that improves accuracy by a bunch...especially because I have an aluminum hardtop over the console....I picked mine up cheap on ebay and it came with a mapcard that shows to underwater topography....I'm really happy with the accuracy of the unit and I got it for under $150....the trick to finding a good/cheap one on ebay is to look only at the ones with a "buy it now" and "newly listed" EVERY DAY...the guy I got mine from had recently upgraded his bass boat and wanted to put his newer finder/GPS on his new boat. He had listed it only an hour before I snagged it...be careful when buying either new OR used units, because not all of them have a connection for an auxiliary antenna and different models of the same series may lack the same....the mapcards are another matter....make sure the model you are looking for will read the type card you want to use...good luck.

I just recently wore out my Magellan meridian gold GPS. It was designed for both land and water use. You could toggle between both modes. It was accurate to within 3yards, with a 3D lock. 9yards with a 2D lock. They are obsolete at this point.
Phone app GPS is not as accurate, or as dependable. Rhinos are not just a GPS with a transceiver, you can also see where any other rhino units are locally on demand, in real time. They work well with keeping people in relative position with each other. I know of one military unit, that bought thier own units to help keep track of thier own people in the field.
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This^^^^

I use Garmin Earthmate on my iPhone and REALLY like it.

Quite right. With Garmin Earthmate I can get very accurate position information, land topography, land ownership, and lots other data on my iPhone without an internet connection. The map data are stored on my handheld device, not on a server somewhere.

I just bought this Suunto Traverse Alpha GPS watch just for your scenario. The "bread crumb" feature (Hansel and Gretel) will lead you back to your vehicle every time. Well worth the money IMO. BTW, it is on sale right now for $349. I paid $337 on ebay.

http://www.suunto.com/en-US/Product...rse-Alpha/Suunto-Traverse-Alpha-Foliage/