Garmin Geko 201 Handheld GPS

The battery life isn't really a negative -- ten to twelve hours of operation is just fine, and you can replace low batteries without losing information, so nothing is hurting there. Overall, the price for this unit makes this unit an excellent purchase. Only complaint is that the color is a bit ugly -- And the stretch holster offered by Garmin doesn't do anything for its appearance either.


Excellent choice for back packers, but may have a fatal flaw   April 2, 2003
 25 out of 28 found this review helpful

At first glance, the Gecko 201 seems to be an excellent choice for a back packer's navigation system. The super compact size and light weight were among the primary reasons I chose it. It's very easy to use and it seems to be a good value based on price and features.

It should be noted that it's low cost comes at the expense of even the most rudimentary accessory. It has nary a belt clip and the manuals are the only accessories it comes with.

As much as I like the unit however, it may have a fatal flaw. The power on button is not protected and is very easily activated. Someone tossing it in a day pack or back pack pocket may find the batteries drained when they next get it out.

If I were Garmin, I would design a mechanism to disable accidental powering on of the unit. Absent this oversite, I would have rated it 5 stars as a back packer's GPS in this price range.


Just a Toy? No way!   March 20, 2003
 51 out of 52 found this review helpful

Intrigued by Garmin's Geko 201 Personal Navigator? It's smaller than an eTrex and dwarfed by many standard GPS units. But is the Geko a real GPS or just a toy?

First, the Geko 201 is a serious GPS receiver. It features WAAS differential correction; memory for 500 waypoints, twenty routes, a whopping 10,000 track points and ten saved tracks; and it connects to external power or to your PC for data transfer with an optional cable. It floats. The array of five buttons is easy to use. The screen is tiny, but it's not that hard to read. Menu choices allow configuration of the data screens to your liking. The back is rubberized, so you can lay it on your dashboard (where it works quite well) and not have it slide around. Using only two AAA batteries, the unit is light as well as small enough to fit in a shirt pocket (but the limited power supply may be an issue for some as explained below). The Geko also has four built-in arcade games, a novelty to emphasize that GPS can be fun.

The Geko doesn't show base maps but is adept at recording points and lines (keeping track of where you've been, locations you want to remember and where you'd like to go). If you want a GPS unit to use primarily for hiking or recording locations, the absence of base maps isn't that significant. Fact is that the base maps in many GPS units don't provide enough detail to be of much use at a close-in scale unless you can download more features from a CD. If you need map detail, a Geko easily connects to a PDA or laptop computer to display your location in navigation programs or even projected on aerial photos.

The Geko utilizes a built-in "patch" antenna (a square plate inside the unit, located under the lizard logo). I found the antenna remarkably sensitive when the unit is held correctly. It works best in a horizontal orientation, the top edge of the unit pointed to the horizon. That way the antenna can look up to the sky. Hang it around your neck on a lanyard, though, and the reception will drop. (Note: Unlike receivers with a patch antenna, GPS units like the Garmin 72 and 76 series using a quadrifilar helix antenna should be operated with the top edge pointed skyward.)

As an experiment, I took both a big Garmin GPSMAP 76S and the Geko 201 on a hike through a forest area. I wanted to see if the Geko could perform as well and hold a track in a wooded situation. After the hike I downloaded the data with a freeware mapping program (USAPhotoMaps) to overlay the GPS tracks on a TerraServer aerial photo. That's the best way to visualize where you've been. To my surprise the tracks and waypoints recorded by the two units were nearly identical. The Geko had no problem holding a signal in the test, even while I walked through a crowded pine plantation.

On the downside, Geko's rather feeble power supply - two AAA batteries - disappoints me. Garmin claims that two AAA alkaline batteries can last up to twelve hours (on battery saver mode). For economy, however, I use NiMH rechargeable batteries. I know that NiMH power cells don't last as long as alkaline, but the duration was far shorter than I expected - only 40 minutes set on standard mode in 32 F March weather. At 60 F (~16 C) the Geko ran just two hours on fresh NiMH batteries. It operated five and a half hours in battery saver mode with NiMH batteries on the warm dashboard of my car. It's also peculiar that the Geko manual extols lithium batteries for cold weather use and long life when nobody manufactures AAA lithium batteries. Only AA-cell batteries from Energizer are available in a lithium formulation. They can operate to -40F and last four times longer than alkaline batteries, but sadly do not fit a Geko.

Although you may rely on a more complex GPS for serious tasks, having a miniature Geko tucked in your pocket or bag could be handy. If you toss the Geko to your kids in the back seat to play arcade games en route to your destination, however, the batteries could be dead by the time you arrive. You might prefer a recreational GPS unit using AA batteries for extended outdoor activities, but a Geko is a good buy for educational, casual or backup use.


Garmin's take anywhere Geko......   March 6, 2003
 18 out of 19 found this review helpful

This is my second GPS unit, as I also own a Magellan Meridian. The size of this unit is superb. It dwarfs the Magellan, and makes it seem like a brick. It will be very easy to toss this in a pack and take it along. Unfortunately, however, its dimunativeness extends to the screen, making it a challenge to read from more than a few inches away for my aging eyes. I have found the accuracy to be in line with the Magellan, though it takes the Geko much longer to acquire satellites, and it doesn't work as well under cover of trees and such. The one other area in which the Geko excells is in ease of use. It manages to accomplish the same tasks with five buttons as opposed to the Magellan's nine. Waypoints can be entered with a single button. The Geko's internal memory is very small and it has no expandability, making it a poor choice for use as a multi-city navigational aid. The Geko is more suited to hiking. Its ease of use makes it a great starter unit or for someone looking for an inexpensive GPS to back up their traditional map and compass. It is also a great unit for geocaching. My one question is why in the world did Garmin clothe this unit in such a hideous color and feel the need to include "geogames"? Must every electronic device these days come with entertainment? Small, light and simple, the Geko is worth consideration.