GPS

by Richard B.
(L.A., California)

I have been reading everything you have about Ecuador and my plane lands in Quito on January 7th, 2010. I have most everything I think I will need, however, after buying a topo GPS and searching for the proper maps, I can't find any. I bought the "Lowrance Endura Out and Back" GPS unit. Can you tell me what is the best for South America and/or Ecuador area for use in prospecting.

Will I have to buy once I get there or can I get it cheaper in the U.S.? Also, do you think I will have any problems getting my Minelab GPX-4500 through customs?




Stan's response: Hi Richard, My friends here and I look forward to meeting you when you arrive.

I do not know of any GPSs that have good, built-in topo maps for Ecuador. If somebody knows of one, please tell me.

Here in Quito, I simply purchase my topo maps from the military for $2 or $3 each, and then use any GPS system for pinpointing my positions (in UTM) on the maps. It may sound a bit old fashioned, but it works fine.

You should have no problem at all going through customs with your detector. My friends do it all the time.