Garmin Geko 201 Handheld GPS

Although both had parallel processing, the Geko picks up signals much faster. From a cold, fresh-out-of-the-box start, it took the Geko less than a minute to figure out where it was. The Blazer 12 took about 10 minutes even when given hints.

The screens are simple and extremely useful. Even with my very bad eyesight, the display was very readable. The buttons make sense, no manual necessary.

A few people have mentioned a "flaw" with the power button. I have carried this Geko around for almost two months, keeping it in my pocket almost every day. The unit has NEVER come on by accident. The power button is recessed and takes a good push to get it going.

As a hiker and backpacker, my power usage might be less demanding than others. I find that the battery lasts about 8-9 hours on battery save mode. This mode even works well in forests. The only time the Geko is kept powered on is if I'm mapping a trail. Otherwise, it is used for waypoints and position checks only.

The lack of displayed maps is irrelevent as I have yet to see a GPS with enough detail to be worth it. I have linked the Geko to DeLorme's Topo 5 with excellent results. Routes, tracks, waypoints can all be moved freely back and forth. This is great for mapping new trails or discovering hard-to-find trailheads. The memory is more than enough, I've never gotten past 12% full after a weekend jaunt.

Of course, the size is amazing. The color is also nice as I can actually find it! This is an excellent buy and a great choice for those who want GPS served up straight, stripped of all the annoying "features" of other units. I just purchased a second 201 for my hiking friend, she loves hers as much as I do!


Good product in need of small improvement   February 24, 2004
 9 out of 10 found this review helpful

Very good, lightweight GPS system, ideal for hiking/mountain etc.
However 3 cheap improvements would be advisable:
1. The accidental ON/OFF is a real issue. My own trick is to install one of the batteries the wrong way in order to give zero voltage and protect against accidental switching on. The designer could easily have set up a system like on mobile phones. Already got twice out of power because of accidental switch on!
2. Real autonomy with alkaline is 6 hours - far too short for my use. Current AAA NiMH rechargeables are 800mAh while one can find AA rechargeables at 2000mAh. AA Alkalines can be found in nearly any village in any country, not AAA. I would fancy an accessory allowing external power supply with bigger batteries (ideally 4 AA size) or connection to a solar panel for long expeditions.
3. Would be nice if it had a loop for a carrying strap (like on any camera).
If nothing is available soon I will make an external battery power supply myself.
Jean


Great intro to GPS but be careful ordering accessories   November 15, 2003
 13 out of 13 found this review helpful

This is my first GPS unit to own. I bought it for one specific task (to measure distances on my jogging routes) and for the general purpose of learning and using a GPS. It's simple to use, easy to carry running, and I'm completely satisfied with the unit. I also want to connect it to my laptop (that's why I got a 201 instead of a 101). So I also got the PC acessory cable that the amazon website suggests, but it is made for a different model series and does not connect to the geko 201.


Has a fatal design with the power switch   November 10, 2003
 11 out of 17 found this review helpful

This would be a good GPS for geocaching except that it has a fatal design/firmware problem with the power switch.

If you carry this in your coat or pants pocket, its a sure thing that the unit will power up all by itself, drain the batteries, and leave you high and dry.

I suggested to Garmin that they change the firmware so that if the unit powers itself up and the power button isn't still depressed after 2 seconds, then it powers itself back down. That would at least keep the unit from powering up from a single jostle of the power button like it does right now.

I would not buy this unit until Garmin makes changes to the firmware to fix the power button problem. You will get very frustrated by it as it is right now.