Hi,
I'm considering purchasing a GPS unit, rather than a cycle computer, for my LHT which is in the process of being built. The model I'm considering is the Garmin Edge 800.
I am interested in the comments of anyone who has used this product (in particular) or who have experience using GPS (in general) when touring.
I have not use a GPS before and wonder how useful they are, how dependable, up to date and available maps are, how readily custom maps can be created and uploaded, and how trustworthy they are for route-finding (or following).
My touring in the short term will be limited to here in Australia, but I hope to be touring in North America and Europe some time in the future.
Can't tell you about Australian maps, here in the UK you can get free OpenStreetMap maps which are usually very good. Where they fall down is when you tell them to find you a route following roads, because sometimes what it considers a "road" isn't something you'd want to cycle down.
What I've taken to doing when planning a longer route is to set up the route using the computer software and then uploading a track log to the GPS. So what I get on my map is a red dotted line that shows me where I'm supposed to be going, and a blue dotted line that shows me where I have been. So if I lose the track I'd chosen (by taking a wrong turn perhaps) I can see where I've been and either backtrack or plan a different route to get back on course.
If you get yourself a decent GPS unit the signal is dependable. If you're planning a tour anywhere near military areas be aware that sometimes the government may jam the GPS signal in a particular area for military training purposes. In the UK they seem to give plenty of notice of when they are doing it and the affected area, because obviously it affects anyone else who might be using a GPS.