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Handheld GPS

Handheld GPS devices provide the perfect partner for an outdoor adventure. From geocaching, to hiking, to navigating in a car, on a bike or even on a boat, handheld systems are very versatile and adaptable for a variety of uses. We sell the very latest GPS handhelds from Garmin.

Handheld devices available to buy from ActiveGPS include the Garmin Montana and Oregon series which are both waterproof and feature colour touchscreen displays. We also sell a large selection of genuine accessories, maps and marine charts for use with the different models. You can also buy marine handheld devices for use on a jet ski, boat or in the palm of your hand from ActiveGPS.

For further help on deciding the best handheld GPS system to buy for your needs or maybe as a gift for somebody else, please see the product pages via the links below or phone 01733 777623 (Mon-Fri 9:30am-5pm) outside of these hours please contact us.

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Deliveries

We offer UK, Europe and Worldwide deliveries. We despatch orders at 4:30pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We need to receive your order on those days by 3:00pm. When possible we may despatch orders received after that time. No orders are despatched on Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holidays in England and Wales.

We offer FREE UK delivery on all orders of £50.00 or more, plus next working day and guaranteed Saturday delivery options. Click here for further info. All options also appear at the basket pages.

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Handheld GPS Buyer's Guide

Garmin handheld GPS units are the perfect partner for the outdoor enthusiast. Whether you are wanting to know your exact GPS location on land or out on the water, GPS handhelds that we sell will also provide you with this essential information - so you never get lost. In addition the vast majority of GPS handhelds available from ActiveGPS will also accept various Garmin mapping titles on SD/microSD card to further enhance the on-screen information. This handheld GPS buyer's guide will help you identify which unit will best suit your needs.

Usage: On land or at sea

There are specific handheld devices designed for on land use and other devices designed for use on the water. Once you know the intended use this will narrow-down your choice. Generally, devices for on land usage are touchscreen and do not float but will be waterproof. However, for usage on the water, GPS handheld devices will be controllable by button (not touchscreen) and some e.g. GPSMAP 78 also float too.

Screen Size

Larger screened devices such as the Garmin Montana 680t can be used with street-level maps e.g. UK and Europe (sold separately) to navigate you in your car too (Garmin Montana car mount sold separately). Dual orientation, meaning you can view in portrait or landscape view by turning the device around, is available with on all Garmin Montana and Garmin Oregon models. Screen sizes range from 2.6-inch on the Garmin eTrex range up to 4-inch on the Garmin Montana range. Most handheld GPS sytems have colour screens whereas some offer grey-scale screen e.g. Garmin GPS 73 and Garmin Foretrex 601.

Types of GPS Antenna

If you plan to use the GPS device in dense woodland with a heavily obscured view of the satellites in the sky you should buy a GPS handheld with an pertruding GPS antenna which'sticks-out' of the top of the sat nav device, If you are not in deep canyons, or heavily wooded areas you can buy a GPS handheld device with built-in GPS technology although you may prefer a stronger satellite connection made only available by the petruding GPS antenna.

Battery Life

Battery life of handheld devices vary from 25 hours on the Garmin eTrex 32x and up to 22 hours on the Garmin Montana range.

Garmin TOPO maps for a Handheld GPS device

Heading into the heart of Europe for hiking, walking, skiing, rock climbing, etc, activities? Garmin topographical maps provide detailed information including elevation and contours. Maps available to purchase include: Great Britain V3 PRO 1:25K, Great Britain V3 PRO 1:50K, Switzerland V2 PRO, Spain V7 PRO, France V6 PRO, French mountains (Alps + Pyrenees) V6 PRO and Italy V6 PRO among many other Garmin TOPO map titles.

Garmin GB Discoverer Maps for a Handheld GPS device

Hit the countryside of Great Britain with Ordnance Survey (OS) maps on the screen of your compatible Garmin handheld device. Maps are available to purchase in a 1:25K scale. Areas and regions covered include: <Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path 1:25K, Yorkshire Wolds Way 1:25K and North Highlands 1:25K among many others.

Garmin Street-level Road Maps for a Handheld GPS device

Driving from A-B is a doddle when you buy and use Garmin City Navigator range of street-level road maps. You can buy regions such as UK and Europe, Middle East and Northern Africa or North America.

Garmin Marine Charts for a Handheld GPS device

Take to the waters around the UK, Europe and further afield with the Garmin BlueChart g3 range of marine cartography chart SD/microSD cards. View Garmin BlueChart range.

Please note: Please check compatibility with your Garmin device before purchasing any Garmin map. We list compatible units on each map product page e.g. Garmin TOPO Great Britain V3 PRO 1:25K microSD/SD card in the section entitled 'What is the map compatible with?'. If you unsure whether a map will be compatible with your Garmin device, please contact us.

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Do you own an older handheld GPS device? Looking for accessories?

As well as the latest handheld GPS devices and their accessories (see above), we also sell a vast selection of genuine parts for Garmin handheld units that have since been discontinued. Among the many systems we sell original parts for the Colorado and Dakota series, namely the Garmin Colorado 300, Garmin Dakota 10 and Garmin Dakota 20. From the Garmin eTrex series we sell accessories for the Garmin eTrex 10, Garmin eTrex 20, Garmin eTrex Touch 25, Garmin eTrex Legend Hx Garmin eTrex Legend HCx, Garmin eTrex Vista Cx and Garmin eTrex Vista HCx. The popular Garmin GPSMAP 60 series has parts and accessories for the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx. For the newer and full colour Garmin GPSMAP 62 series we sell accessories for the Garmin GPSMAP 62, Garmin GPSMAP 62s, Garmin GPSMAP 62sc and Garmin GPSMAP 62st. The Garmin Montana series features products/accessories including for the Garmin Montana 600, Garmin Montana 610, Garmin Montana 650, Garmin Montana 680 and Garmin Montana 680t. From the extremely popular Garmin Oregon series, we list and sell accessories for the following Oregon models; Garmin Oregon 200, Garmin Oregon 300, Garmin Oregon 400t, Garmin Oregon 450, Garmin Oregon 550, Garmin Oregon 600 and Garmin Oregon 650t.

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Why buy from us?

We are official Internet Retailers of Garmin products and we sell the genuine Garmin maps. We always aim to ensure the mapping available at our website is the most recent edition of the software. Beware of other websites selling older mapping that is not the current version of the software.

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This page was last reviewed on: 14th November 2024