May 01, 2025

GPS Training Podcast – number 109

49 minutes

Trump tariffs, Watch v Handheld, Harvey Maps and Andy’s top tips

In this month’s GPS Training Podcast

Trump tariffs – will they affect GPS prices?

The great GPS debate: Watch vs Handheld

Harvey Maps on a TwoNav GPS unit

Andy’s top tips

1. Trump Tariffs – GPS prices

Only effects Garmin?

Although Garmin is an American company, most of its GPS products are manufactured in Taiwan, which is now facing a 32% import tariff.

9th April original date of tariffs, but then put on pause for 90 days – 9th July ish

on the 9th, before the tariff pause was announced I created a video for YouTube/ news section of the GPS Training website.

Could affect global pricing, including in the UK, where GPS Training is the largest retailer of Garmin outdoor GPS units.

Garmin is unlikely to absorb the cost or keep prices static in Europe, and any increases could be implemented with no advance warning.

More information at – GPSTraining.co.uk > News > Tariffs on Garmin

2. The great GPS debate: Watch vs Handheld

GPS watch – pros

GPS watches are lightweight.

You can wear a GPS watch at all times, as it is also a smartwatch.

GPS watch – cons

GPS watches do have a small screen.

Sometimes with a GPS watch you can suffer a little with battery life and charging whist on the move.

Sadly with a Garmin GPS watch there is no option to put Ordnance Survey maps on a GPS watch, but you can still plan on free Ordnance Survey route planning software and transfer the course onto your watch.

GPS unit – pros

Often a GPS unit is cheaper than a GPS watch.

You get a larger screen on your GPS unit compared to the GPS watch.

Battery life is often better with a GPS unit and you are able to charge or change the batteries whilst out walking.

If you are in the UK you can put Ordnance Survey maps on an Outdoor GPS unit.

GPS unit – cons

A GPS unit is more bulkier than a GPS watch.

But the key difference is in the navigational experience –

With a GPS watch the watch vibrates when you are ‘off course’.

You also can follow an arrow on the screen, but please be aware it is a smaller screen.

With a watch you also get also get an audible beep as you approach a turn as your course is overlaid on the preinstalled Topo active maps.

With a GPS unit you also get an audible beep, but this will be when you are approaching a pre-determined waypoint that you have planned beforehand.

The other thing with a handheld GPS unit is you also have to ability with the larger screen and Ordnance Survey Maps to ‘plan on the hoof’. If you do need to change your walk you can easily do this on a handheld GPS unit.

3. Harvey Maps – on a TwoNav GPS Unit

Interviewing a representative from Harvey next week, so they will be either on a standalone Podcast or in next month’s podcast

– Designed for Outdoor Use: Harvey Maps strip away unnecessary clutter. You won’t find endless road names or town infrastructure that isn’t relevant to a walker. Instead, key features like contour lines, crags, walls, footpaths, and terrain types are highlighted clearly.

– Colour Shading for Terrain: They pioneered subtle colour shading to depict different terrain types, meaning you can assess the ground ahead at a glance.

– Lightweight and Waterproof: The printed maps are typically lighter and more weather-resistant than traditional paper maps. On GPS units like the TwoNav, this translates to fast-loading, highly readable digital maps.

– Scale that Suits the User: Harvey’s 1:40,000 “British Mountain Map” series hits a perfect sweet spot for serious hillwalkers. It covers a broad area whilst still offering enough detail for accurate navigation.

– Event-Specific/ long distance taril mapping: Harvey is often the choice for ultramarathons and mountain events, where navigation errors can be costly. If you’re training for a race, there’s a good chance you’ll already be handed a Harvey Map at registration!

This also nicely ties into a subject we discussed last month – 64gb TwoNav Terra and Cross Plus

Gives us the ability to put both 1:25k and 1:50k maps on a TwoNav GPS unit – coming soon

As well as installing Harvey Maps on a TwoNav Terra

Slowly making their way from Spain

4. Andy’s Top Tips

– Suunto Race get a grid reference:

Settings – Navigation – Position format set as British BNG

With map screen button next to 3 white bars – select your location

In control panel screen I have selected customize and pin widget selected Map for quick access

– Coros

in Control panel – System menu – More Settings – Satellite systems – POS Format set as Briish Grid

From control panel either selecting compass will display or select Satellite signal then press scroll wheel and scroll down

In control panel System – more settings – Light key shortcut – set as compass or satellite signal

– Garmin

From settings menu – System – Format – Pos format Set as British Grid

From System Format – Hot keys – Hold start or other options – Save location will display grid system

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By Jon Monks, GPS Training and reviews

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