Garmin Etrex Legend GPS Receiver
by Garmin
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List Price: Our Price: $149.99 You Save: $50.00 (25%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $72.99 (click here) Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin Etrex Legend GPS Receiver
Customer Review: Great product for the price!
Summary: 5 Stars
The fact is that there isn't a better GPS unit out there for this price. We bought it for geocaching and I highly recommend it to anyone who is just starting out with geocaching. As we have become obsessed with geocaching we have begun to see it's limits and actually just bought a higher end Magellan to use as our primary GPS unit.
Still, if you're not sure that you're going to love geocaching (or be using a GPS unit a lot for whatever you are buying it for) I would highly recommend starting with this GPS unit. It will get you up and running. You can download to it, it has some memory and gets good reception. It also is fairly user friendly, even my 11 year-old can use it.
Some things to consider...
*It does use a serial connector instead of a USB port (I don't even have a serial port on my laptop).
*It loses reception in heavy foilage areas more easily than the Magellan.
*It takes a long time to track the satellites to get started (sometimes up to five minutes).
*The compass only works if you are moving at a fairly good pace, so it is not very useful.
*A minor annoyance is that if you are running it on the cigarette lighter adaptor (which you must buy seperately BTW) in your car and you turn the car off or unplug it, it will turn itself off in 30 seconds. I'm sure this is to save on batteries, but it is annoying as heck when I forget to hit the button so that it doesn't turn off and I have to wait for it to track the satellites and get going again.
Customer Review: Great for the money
Summary: 4 Stars
I have had this for a little over a year now, and I find it to be very handy and durable. I was not looking for a very sophisticated GPS, just something I could use in case I loose my car after I go hiking. This unit performs that task extremely well.
As with most reviews on here, I agree that the map built in only has major highways on it. This is perfectly fine, as I wasn't even expecting that much out of the unit (I understand it was not designed for turn-by-turn navigation).
The only thing I am kind of disappointed with is the cable that came with it. It came with a serial DB9 cable, and to my knowledge you cant find a computer made in this decade with a DB9 port on it. So in order to use the feature on my PC I would have to go out and purchase a DB9 to USB adapter cable. I hadn't needed it until this month, when I just got into geocaching. It sure would be nice to be able to use the computer to load all those waypoints instead of having to type the co-ords into the GPS itself.
Other than that, I am very impressed with the fact i can drop it, dunk it, and accidently kick it and have yet to see it give any sort of hickup. Thats right, dunk it. I had to chase it down a creek and after i pulled it out - it just kept tickin. I also like the idea of using common batteries (2 AA's). I dont have to worry about charging it or looking for replacement batteries that I have never heard of.
Reliable, durable, and again - inexpensive! Good job garmin!
Customer Review: Garmin Etrex Legend is a Hands Down Winner
Summary: 5 Stars
Being a boater/explorer I've seen,tried,owned,reviewed,researched & studied about every handheld gps unit there is. I bought the Garmin Etrex Mariner when it first came out.At that time I also found the Garmin MapSource Points of Interest (POI) CD on sale (~2001) for ~ $[...]. I paid $[...] for the Mariner and used it for several years just fine. The Mariner only has 1mb memory, so one is limited in how much detail can be installed, and there is no mapping. The etrex Legend has 8mb onboard memory (no ssd card) and can do selective mapping, but I have found that to be quite adequate. With the POI CD (now costs > $[...] and maps are at least as much) I have downloaded on the Legend complete data (Points of Interests, Businesses, Marine databas with lights, ramps, lakes, rivers,& landmarks and still have ~ 40% memory left for recording tracks, routes and waypoints. The secret here is to use the POI CD on your computer and select only the map areas you will use. You don't want the whole world,just where you are going. To fully utilize the Legend you have to study and practice with it for at least 8hrs, then use it frequently to stay tuned up on it--there are many layers of resources in this little unit. Its not a turn by turn deal, but a true navigational poi database guide. Pocket sized, long battery life (controllable power consumption), attractive, really easy to use once learned. I find the grey scale (adjustable contast/brightness) easy to read in any light == why pay another $200 for color?Customer Review: Excellent GPS
Summary: 4 Stars
This is my second GPS and the 4th I have operated. I have had plenty of experience with GPSs and my occupation requires their use extensively. Having traveled to many foreign countries, I can attest to this unit's ability to give you tons of info on where you are. I prefer simple electronics with minimal buttons, and this unit offers a tremendous amount of data with six buttons. If you are looking for the easiest to use, I suggest the Garmin E-trex. It is the most basic unit you'll find and still provides plenty of info.Pros:
1) The map data installed in the unit is very detailed (for N. America).
2) The ability to pre-plan routes via waypoints or corrodinates is fairly easy (esp. with the user guide)
3) You can program what data you would like to see based on what you want to know
4) For fisherman and hunters, this unit has special info for you (I didn't find this useful for me, but...)
5) Again, relatively simple to use compared to other GPSs
6) The ability to download map info from CD-ROM (invaluable)
Cons:
1) If you are going to use this in a car only, maybe you'd be better off with something that offers an exterior antenna
2) Significantly more complex than the E-trex (but still easier to use than most)
3) Be prepared to study in-depth the method of downloading from the CD-ROM
Overall, this GPS has gone beyond my expectations. If you do any significant traveling (esp. in N. America), then you will find this GPS vital.
Customer Review: Didn't work well down the road.
Summary: 3 Stars
The built-in basemap is very handy. It makes this model much more useful than the basic eTrex.
This GPS works fine as long as it has a clear view of the sky. Once the built-in antenna is obstructed by *anything* such as a shirt or get mis-oriented by dangling vertically from one's neck, it can easily lose the signal.
The more expensive Legend Color has a better reception system, but you really pay for it.
If you don't mind either holding this flat or placing it properly so as to keep the signal, it is a good unit for a good price. If you have higher expectations for reception, you'll need to spend a couple hundred more to get the better antenna class.
I picked this one because it had a higher resolution screen than the Magellan models of the time.
This is also not the best GPS for driving, as the screen is too small to be read while on the move. It will do OK, but you'll find yourself looking down for too long. It is more suited to hiking and biking, and to keep on hand in the case that you get lost.
Sep. 26, 2009 update: I threw this in the garbage at a gas station a few weeks ago. Toward the end, it would only operate for 15 minutes or so, then it would glitch out, display a vertical line on the screen, and had to have the batteries removed and reinserted in order to work again. Piece of junk. Spend a few more bucks and get one of the newer color ones with the better receiver chip.