Garmin eTrex Vista Cx Waterproof Hiking GPS by Garmin
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List Price: Category: GPS or Navigation System See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Garmin eTrex Vista Cx Waterproof Hiking GPS
Digital camera Review: Great little unit. Don't be fulled into buying the Venture
Summary: 5 Stars
This unit is top notch. I'm not sure what they're trying to pull with the Venture model, as it's very stripped down for not much of a price difference. You get a USB cable included which you can connect the unit to your computer and transfer maps, way points, etc back and forth. It also includes a 64 meg mini sd card which isn't all that bad. I bought a 512MB card which i haven't even really needed. I put the 64 meg in the drawer and have just been using it. So far, I put the US top map for Yosemite on it and metro guide maps for Sacramento to Fresno and some of the surrounding areas and still haven't passed 64 megs yet. But, it's good to have the extra space.
One more note of advice, be sure to put the usb cable in snugly. You may think it's all the way in but it's not. There's a good bit of resistance the first few times you put it in. I had thought it was in all the way and it wasn't. The computer acted like it was in, but couldn't identify it and was throwing errors at me. After messing around with it I realized it wasn't in all the way.
Digital camera Review: Great purchase
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not a GPS guru (this is my first GPS), but I did some research before purchasing and opted for this one for portability - driving, walking, hiking, boating. I am VERY pleased with this device. I purchased this in conjunction with Mapsource City Navigator NT and a 1GB memory card for it. Now I have all streets in the continental US in my GPS!
If I have one complaint, it's that it's a little slow to draw when you zoom in or out a level (4-6 seconds). It just doesn't have a super-powerful computer inside it, but it keeps up well if you stay on the current level as you zoom down the highway. It knows exactly where you are (obviously), so just tell it where you want to go (addresses, cities, intersections, etc) and it calculates a route and also asks whether to follow streets or not (i.e. by car or on foot). If driving, it beeps at you about 30 seconds before an upcoming turn, and again when it's time to turn. The screen shows what you should be doing (turning right or whatever) via a white arrow that's overlayed on the map. There's also a marker showing your current position and you can set it to count down distance (or time) to the next turn. For instance, it counts down 7.2 miles... 2.3 miles... then 512 feet....90 feet....etc. Not to say it makes jumps like this, the countdown updates every second or so.
If you miss the turn, it automatically recalculates a new route. For instance, it typically will have you take the next exit and then a couple of back roads to get you back on track (perfect!)
It usually calculates routes in 10 to 20 seconds (for instance from New York City to Albany), but I have encountered a few problems when there are just TOO MANY roads like around New York City.
For instance, I asked it to get me from Jersey City NJ, through Manhattan, to Yonkers, NY and avoid toll rolls. It hung indefinitely calculating (probably because there's no way to avoid tolls!) However, this is rare. It usually has no problem plotting routes through New York City, Brooklyn, and surrounding areas WHILE ALSO AVOIDING TOLLS!
...and if it can plot routes through this chaos, it can plot anywhere!
It doesn't have a super computer inside it (it just feels a little slow compared to modern computers), but the pluses far outweight the minuses. For instance portability. Park you car at a huge mall parking lot, get out of your car, place a flag marker in your GPS marking where you car is in the sea of parking, and go shopping. When you come back out, you can walk right back to your car. Just steer to the flag marker in your GPS!
It also leaves a little bread-crumb trail as you walk or drive so you can retrace your steps. If you go for a walk in the woods, there's just NO way you can get lost.
As far as size, it's about the size of a baby's shoe when looking at the top (display). From the side it's about an inch thick. It definitely fits in your pocket.
I'd guess 6-12 hours of life with Duracell batteries, give or take, depending on what you're doing with it. But if you've been driving or hiking for 12 hours straight, it's time to take a break anyway. Keep a couple of extra batteries in your pocket if you're doing something mission critical with it. If the batteries do run out, it remembers everything. Take out the old ones, pop in the new, and it picks up where you left off.
There are a LOT of features in this device. Too many to list here. In fact, there's a bit of a learning curve in navigating around the menus. But it's worth taking the time to learn how to use it.
Be careful if you're driving with this device. Try to keep your eyes on the road. Plot your route ahead of time so you're not fooling with the menus while you're driving. Or better yet, give it to your passenger and have them tell you what it says, when to turn, and what direction. Let them have some fun.
I LOVE this device. I tell everyone this is was DEFINITELY money well spent.
Also, it doesn't work indoors, but do any of them?
Digital camera Review: Great unit, within limitations
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great little unit, so long as one is aware of its limitations:
First, it is designed to be used while held horizontally. That means it doesn't work well while hanging vertically on a belt clip. This probably won't matter, unless you want to record 'bread-crumb' tracks. The tracks recorded by this unit aren't terribly accurate, unless you hold it horizontally while you hike.
Second, it's reception is only okay to good. It won't receive in heavy forest cover or in deep canyons. Basically, you have to get into a clearing to get a fix. And that also means that recorded tracks are likely to be incomplete.
In short, it's a great unit for trail navigation or geocaching, so long as you can find a clearing. If you plan to record tracks, or if you need reception under more challenging conditions, you will need a more robust model, such as the GPSMAP 60Cx.
Digital camera Review: Great. Love It
Summary: 5 Stars
I love my eTrex. It works for everything. I use it for hiking, mountain biking and road biking. It will run on 2 AA batteries for a long time if you turn off the map and just run the "computer" (speed/distance) screen. I've used it on a week long bike tour and only changed batteries after about 4 days.
With the add in microSD card (mine is 1 gig) I'm able to load up almost the entire U.S. for maps.
Much better that the special Edge bike computers since this is much for versatile. But if you are just a biker and you only need about 6 hours of battery live the Edge 305 is a decent way to get GPS data from your rides. The eTrex however can get you directions and real maps which is much better than the Edge.
Digital camera Review: I am no longer lost
Summary: 5 Stars
Great item! Size is awesome and it does so much!