Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS by Garmin
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Digital camera reviews of Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS
Digital camera Review: A few caveats to consider when buying any Garmin eTrex GPS
Summary: 4 Stars
QUICK SUMMARY: The Vista HCx is a fine choice for outdoors use, but can serve as a road map, too. However, my experience with the Garmin Venture Cx dampens my enthusiasm for this device. Read on to learn why.
Background: This is my second GPS purchase. My first was four years ago when I bought the Garmin eTrex Venture Cx before a road trip to North Carolina where I was going hiking for a few days on the Appalachian Trail. This new Garmin offering, the Vista HCx, is essentially like my old Venture Cx except it has a compass and altimeter, and a chip that supposedly does a better job at finding and tracking satellites, even under a lot of obstructions (I haven't gone hiking yet with the Vista HCx to know that for sure).
A lot has already been said about the Vista HCx, so let me make only four points, based upon my experience with Garmin and my eTrex Venture Cx.
1) Be wary about the black, rubber band that goes around the four edges of the Vista HCx -- it's prone to stretching and detaching from the GPS. After three years, the black band around my Venture Cx hung limply around the device's housing. I can still use the GPS, but I have to align the rubberized buttons "just so" before I can use the GPS functions.
2) Garmin won't send you a replacement rubber band if the black rubber band does stretch and detach from your eTrex GPS. Plead all you want, talk to a Garmin supervisor, but they won't send you any replacement parts for your Garmin -- they want you to ship your GPS to them so they can send you a refurb GPS. They'll want you to spend $100 (really!) to fix something that should cost about $5 to fix. If you negotiate hard, you can get them to halve that cost, down to $49. They'll send you a refurb GPS for a problem that should only cost you a few bucks and some glue to repair. Stupid!!
3) Maybe because it's new, but the Vista HCx takes a LOT more pressure to depress the GPS's side buttons (I'm comparing my Vista HCx to my 4-year-old Venture Cx). I used a postal scale to get an idea of the difference. My Venture Cx takes about two pounds of pressure to click a button, the Vista HCx takes about four pounds of pressure. Maybe that eases some after using it for a while, I don't know.
4) If you're new to Garmin, be forewarned that the map loading process can be a horrible experience for some -- but not all -- Garmin owners. You'll need to buy City Navigator NT if your want to use road maps on your Vista HCx, and then later, you can buy the nuvi Map Updates to update your City Navigator road maps. At the least, loading maps onto your Garmin GPS is more troublesome than you'd think it would be. Be sure to read carefully how to load maps onto your device. BTW, you'll need to buy a microSD memory card (at least 2GB) to load all of North America onto your GPS.
One last thing. When doing the setup for the Vista HCx's compass, be sure to lay it on a flat surface when you spin it slowly twice in the same direction. My compass setup kept failing because I was spinning it on my laptop (which was on my lap, so it wasn't quite flat). The setup worked just fine once I put the Vista HCx on the coffee table.
I've really enjoyed having my eTrex Venture Cx, and was disappointed that the Venture HCx (the latest model) no longer has a microSD card slot anymore, so I had to pay the extra $$$ to buy the Vista HCx which has a microSD card slot.
Conclusion: At least now, if you buy, you'll be buying with your eyes wide open, knowing some of the potential pitfalls of your purchase decision. I like the eTrex series because they're rugged, watertight, small, you can operate them with one hand, they're accurate, and they're versatile. I can recommend the eTrex series, with the noted concerns I named above. If you buy this GPS, I might see you on the Appalachian Trail this summer!
Digital camera Review: A little disappointed
Summary: 3 Stars
I just purchased the Etrex Vista HCx only to find out that I have to buy more maps. I have already spent $200.00+ is that not enough? It works great if you don't care or need to see the streets your on!Digital camera Review: A very capable little GPS receiver!
Summary: 4 Stars
I just received mine, and took the advice I read on a GPS forum: First, load the disc into my computer, which loads the drivers. Second, connect the GPS to my computer and update to the latest firmware if needed (on Garmin's site) BEFORE DOING ANYTHING ELSE to insure I won't have the technical problems some other reviewers are having. I did this, and my receiver functions flawlessly, except for one minor annoyance concerning the altimeter/barometer, described later in this review.
The functions and capabilities are not intuitive to someone new to using a handheld GPSr; the learning curve is quite steep. The manual doesn't help much in that regard, it seems written for someone who already knows how to use a receiver and just needs to learn the functions of this particular model. I purchased the book 'Outdoor Navigation with GPS' by Stephan Hinch, and that has been a big help. The basemap is basic, but serves well for learning purposes, or if you just need to see a trail of where you have been so you can backtrack and not get lost. (This receiver is overkill if used just for that purpose.) The photos of this device show an upgraded map being displayed; the installed basemap is not nearly as detailed as the maps in the photos.
I loaded FREE detailed TOPO maps of the states of Texas and New Mexico, from the site [...], into my 4GB micro SDHC card (not included, available on Amazon) and they work very well in this receiver. (Amazon deleted the site for free map downloads, it starts with: GPS) Garmin also sells a variety of maps on CD/DVD and micro SD cards, but they are expensive, and their topos are somewhat less accurate than the free maps (from what I have read in the the forums). In fact, Garmin's large selection of different maps, different versions, different compatabilities, different scales and different features gave me TOO MUCH to choose from. I even found that some of Garmin's maps offer 'Routing' capabilities when loaded in this device! In the end, Garmin's vast array of available maps left me so confused that I opted for the free non-Garmin maps, and I am satisfied with that decision.
The screen is sometimes readable without backlighting under bright overcast or in open shade, but in bright sun and dim lighting I need to use the backlight, usually set to a minimal brightness level. My annoyance concerns the barometer/altimeter correlation. Setting the barometer to the correct pressure causes the altimeter to read about 20 feet low, and setting the altimeter correctly causes the barometer to read .04hg high. These are minor inaccuracies, but I would like to be able to calibrate each function separately from the other, and once that is done press 'OK' to enter the user settings for each function, without the calibration of one function affecting the other. This is discussed by others on the GPS forum that I mentioned earlier, so it is not just my unit that is affected. I do make the correct setting to the altimeter and will live with some inaccuracy to the barometer. The barometer does not have to be spot on anyway, it just needs to show if there is an up or down trend suggesting possible weather changes.
If you don't want to spend a lot of time learning to use a receiver, or just want something to keep you from getting lost in the woods, look at the more basic models; but if you are ready for a bit of a learning challenge to use a receiver with some bells and whistles, and you foresee loading maps, this might be the one for you.
NOTE: One reviewer states Lat and Lon are not displayed; but out of the box Lat and Lon are displayed on the Satellite Page and automatically updated as I move; and the other pages (Map, Compass, Odometer and Highway pages) can be easily configured to also display the updating Lat and Lon.
ADDED 1/26/10: I also use this with Garmin's 'rail mount' (handlebar bracket) on my bicycle as an excellent bike computer! In several ways it is even better than my high-end Polar. Not only will it keep me from getting lost, but the odometer page will show distance, trip distance, speed, average speed, direction, and much more (depending on the user settings, and there is a large list of settings to choose from); it has a comprehensive stopwatch page with very useable lap counters and timers; and of course there is the altimeter page. If it had a heart-rate monitor and cadence counter it would be perfect! It occurs to me that this GPS would also be an excellent fitness tool for runners!
Digital camera Review: After you get it ... Free Maps
Summary: 4 Stars
I've had this almost a month now, use it almost every day when I run now to keep track of both my route and statistics. Anyway, just now the battery has gone down a bar. It has amazing sensitivity and battery life.
The worst part to me is that what comes out of the box is an almost empty map. All you see is a blank screen. Does anyone say "Yay, that's just what I wanted!"? One alternative is to buy Garmin's street and topo maps for about the same price as the product. That was not particularly what I wanted to do, and maybe you do get some extra features with that, so if those are worth it to you then be my guest. If what you want to see are the side roads, small streams (even a tiny creek behind my house shows, etc. then you do have another option. Visit this site (http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/19/) and download the 800MB map of the continental US (other world maps are available also). It downloads a ".exe" that you run, and after that when you start the mapsource program that you got on the CD with your eTrex, the ibycus map becomes one of the options on the map source dropdown list. Just click on that, zoom to a level that you see all you want to save to your device, and highlight the sections you want and save them to your device that you plugged in with the USB cable. I took everything east of the Mississippi and it came to less than a gig. That leaves me another gig on my 2G micro SD card for pictures or other maps. You can leave a donation for the map if you want to.
I haven't explored the topo maps yet, but that is coming. I'm sorry but I just can't see paying another $100 for just one map that I think they should have included with the device.
One other peeve I have is that it takes about nine clicks to reset the trip stuff (you have to do this through the trip computer - that will reset tracks and statistics, and you can select exactly what to reset as well). Of course this is offset by being able to change the data fields you see on almost any screen including the main map screen. Hint - when I use it for running or walking, I always keep it on the "trip computer" screen (available from the main menu), then just put it in a pocket or pack and forget about it. When it's on that screen, the cursor button, which is the only control on the front of the unit, becomes ineffectual. So it won't matter if something touches it. If you are on the map screen, you could wind up panning anywhere and setting up random unnamed waypoints. There may also be a way to lock the controls, which would work as well.
All in all, though, when I got it, I just said "wow!"
Digital camera Review: All it's cracked up to be
Summary: 5 Stars
As a researcher doing extensive field work in the tropics, a GPS capable of "seeing" through canopy is a God-send. This unit does it in spades. If you've been on the sidelines waiting for better functionality, it's time to pull the trigger...