Garmin GPS II Plus Waterproof Hiking GPS

by Garmin

Product Details

Product Manual [795kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 2.2 inches ; 8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00000DM9D
• Item model number: GPSIIPlus
• Batteries: 4 AA batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com

When the U.S. government launched the first GPS satellite in the late 1970s, they probably didn't know that they were laying the foundation for a revolution, two decades later, in how outdoor enthusiasts would keep track of their position. Thanks to a network of 24 GPS satellites orbiting at 11,000 miles in space, it's possible to know where you are here on earth to within a few meters. And with the Garmin GPS II Plus, you can connect with up to 12 of those satellites to determine your position, altitude, bearing, and even how fast you're going.

GPS II Plus is a lightweight, handheld unit that's extremely simple to set up. All you really need is a clear view of the sky--the graphical display shows the available satellites and the signal strengths of each. With the rocker pad and function keys, you can scroll through a variety of menus to store up to 500 way-points, display a real-time map of your movements, and even calculate the sunrise and sunset times for your present position or any stored waypoint. The GPS II Plus reports positions in latitude and longitude or the Universal Mercator grid system. Requires four AA batteries for operation. The unit is perfect for mountain bikers, fishers, hunters, backpackers, and boaters. --Harry C. Edwards

Amazon.com Review

Garmin's GPS II Plus is a solid GPS unit that is easy to set up and use and that delivers highly accurate readouts of longitude, latitude, altitude, direction, speed, and distance traveled. It does not have a built-in road atlas, so it's best suited for use by boaters, hikers, bikers, or drivers armed with topographical maps or navigation charts. The waterproof case and extensive library of nonstandard map data will appeal to navigators.

Setup for the GPS II involved nothing more than inserting four AA batteries, turning it on, and performing an initialization. This involved prompting the unit with our approximate location and letting it get a fix on three or more GPS satellites. When prompted for Washington state, USA, our test unit found its location in under a minute. During initialization and use, you'll need a reasonably unobstructed view of the sky. We were able to get good fixes from parks, under light tree cover, on a car dashboard, and from the deck of a ship.

The GPS II displays location on several different user-selectable screens. The satellite page shows the current location and signal strength of all visible satellites relative to your current horizon. This can be useful for checking that you are receiving good signals or for finding a better spot from which to read the unit. The position page shows your longitude and latitude, your altitude (if four satellites are visible), speed and compass heading (if you are moving), and a resettable odometer. Other pages show a graphical map of all currently set waypoints, a graphical compass of your current heading, and access to system menus. Additional features let you see sunrise and sunset times for your current location or a waypoint and heading and distance to a large number of national and international cities.

We checked a series of indicated positions against nautical charts and found that the position, heading, and speed indications were impressively accurate. Altitude indications were generally within 100 feet of the correct value, and if you know your altitude from an external reference, you can enter it to refine the accuracy of your 2-D position.

Pros:

• Robust construction
• Readings highly accurate in testing
• Quick learning curve
• Good documentation

Cons:

• No built-in road atlas

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

126 of 128 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Easiest to use, But some problems, November 12, 1999

By 

Henry Perry ([e-mail]) (Islamorada, Fla.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Garmin GPS II Plus Waterproof Hiking GPS (Electronics)

I purchased my GPS II plus in Sept 1997 and have used it throughout Fla bay and the east coast North to Hilton Head S.C. The elementry maps of the GPS III & III plus are not of use to me as a boater but some people love this feature.

I have used Garmen, Northstar, Lowrance & Magellan Units. The Garmen is by far the easiest to use, Very intuitive menus & text identifiers. Accuracy is Exellent The 12 Channel reciver is fast enough to provide accurate positions at high boating speeds, unlike some older multiplexed recevers I have used. Differential GPS is marginal in extreme S. Fla and therefore I have not persued this technology.

However my unit has had problems, the unit will shut itself off without warning and will not always reboot when switched back on. This has been very disturbing at night in the boat near shallow water. The last time it did this it would not work for several months only to come on the day I was going to ship it to Garmen for repair. Never depend on only one means of navagation!

The unit has been durable and not effected by salt spray or fresh water washdowns.Except for the one issue I am very happy with my Garmen and this is probably an isolated problem. I intend to purchase 2 more units one for each of my boats and a back up to be carried in my "dry box" for good luck. Lot's of bang for the buck! This would be a 5 Star revue except for my one problem.

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good in the bush, February 1, 2000

By 

Marty - See all my reviews

This review is from: Garmin GPS II Plus Waterproof Hiking GPS (Electronics)

This is my second GPS unit and by far the best, I do not need the in built map function, in some cases my 4WD club goes where no man has gone before. A great tool for navigating around the sand dunes and scrub in Western Australia. Ideal for my hobby which is 4 Wheel driving going away for weekend just to get lost really. The trac back feature is fantastic. Good in tree cover as well. Overall very impressed.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rugged, spectacular essential for wilderness backpackers, December 26, 1998

By 

William Thornton (San Antonio, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Garmin GPS II Plus Waterproof Hiking GPS (Electronics)

I made a 4 day, 3 night solo hike in Big Bend National Park. This device was far more valuable to me than a compass. Even though it was dropped on the ground, briefly immersed in water and used often, it survived and told me when I was "off trail" and then gave me clear direction and distance to my next goal. I will never again hike without it.

In my automobile I find it fascinating and sometimes helpful. On a trip recently during icey road conditions, we were forced to make a detour onto small backroads. During the times when we were off-highway, we knew where we were and the direction in which we needed to go.

It was a great gift for me to receive.