Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS
by Garmin
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS
Customer Review: Great Hardware, Awful Documentation, Poor Software
Summary: 4 Stars
GARMIN Vista HCX
Overall, this is a highly functional & useful GPS that suffers mightily from the near-total failure of the manufacturer to even attempt to adequately document the product's rich feature-set. It allows you to travel with a handheld library of small scale topo maps and info about a hit-&-miss assortment of business (advertisers, presumably), yet requires you to use Garmin's own overpriced, poorly implemented, and proprietary map software to do so. If you don't want to spend the $ for the topo maps, it doesn't make much sense to buy this GPS. If this is your case, buy the more basic eTrex units.
I'd owned a more primitive Garmin Venture since 2001. The Vista HCx looks much like that earlier unit, with the same 6 buttons & a similar menuing system. But the HCx is a MAJOR advance in speed, receptivity to satellite signals, offers a color screen with an excellent battery life estimated at 25hrs. Like buying a new computer, there is none of the pokiness & delay I'd grown used to with the earlier Venture. It was, in a word, responsive.
Using the Vista has been a pleasure both while hiking & while driving. On the road, it will navigate if you tell it to & give it a destination, issuing driving instructions & advance warnings of turns. I remain skeptical of its directional preferences on hiway trips, tho, as it may prefer technically shorter routes that are in fact both slower & more dangerous. I can understand how someone would be led astray thru misplaced trust in a navigating GPS such as this. But while hiking or xc skiing (and not using navigation), it is a handy tool that allows pinpointing my location and thus the options presented by surrounding terrain.
I'm digging it.
This unit has a slot for a single microSDHC memory card. That card can be filled with nearly 4gb of maps. In my case, that is 24k topo maps of virtually all of 4 states: CA, OR, WA & NV. Were I to travel more widely, I could load up a second microSDHC card (~$5) with another set of maps and I'm good to go.
I got a truly great deal on my GPS: $147 at Walmart.com just before Xmas.
Now the downsides of this (and all other Garmin) GPS are twofold: (1) exceptionally poor documentation, and (2) poorly implemented map and mapping software component that is essential to the effective use of the GPS (which are themselves virtually undocumented).
The "manual" for this GPS is nothing but a rather sketchy introduction to the unit's features & possibilities. If you don't already know much about a GPS, you won't learn it from the manual. And since Garmin's website is also pretty sketchy, you'll rely on Garmin's tech support line as I do for the real scoop on many things. The two mapping software products, MapSource (older) and Basecamp (newer), come with modest or no (respectively) documentation on how to use their features aside from what you can glean from the Help screens. Which is a shame; a comprehensive downloadable (real) manual would fill the need for those of us who want to truly understand this expensive tool with the minimum of fuss. With prior experience with GPSes and mapping software, you can likely work around these faults -- but you'll never know what you don't know.
As but one example, what size or classes of microSDHC cards can the Vista accept? The "manual" and Garmin's website is totally silent on such technical issues, even in their specifications pages. So how does one know what is safe to buy? 2gb, 4gb, 16gb? Class I, Class II or Class III? A user must learn enough to ask the question, and the only way to get an answer is to call tech support. And this with an issue every user will face. (The answer, BTW, is that these units can currently utilize up to 4gb of memory, tho the card can "possibly" be of any size and any class.)
The most obnoxious aspect of the Garmin GPS is the software necessary to bring out a GPS's real value. This includes both the two mapping programs (MapSource & Basecamp). Garmin GPSes can utilize only Garmin's proprietary maps. Which is why they are about $100 per DVD covering 4-8 states (and a restrictive licensing agreement). The installation programs for both maps & mapping software are very poorly designed, giving absolutely no choice to the user about where programs and files are located. Thus, you'll find that each set of maps weighs down your C-drive (the one with Windows & your programs) with an extra 4gb of non-changing data. If you do frequent backups of your C-drive as I do, that quickly becomes a real burden. Yet Garmin hard coded the locations, and appears clueless about the implications of their sophomoric programming. The mapping programs also did not create desktop or Quicklaunch shortcuts, and the newly installed programs were not highlighted as "new", on my PC.
(There are undocumented work-arounds to store the massive amounts of map data as well as the programs in appropriate places, but Garmin was unaware of & not interested in this.)
Customer Review: Good Buy
Summary: 5 Stars
This was my first entry into the GPS market. I asked around at work, and "Garmin" was the name a few folks recommended. I was looking for something that would be great for hiking and off road experience, but I also wanted something that I could use on long car trips to help navigate unfamiliar places.
The Garmin website makes research very easy. I compared feature differences between their different handheld mapping units, and this one seemed to provide all the features I needed without going overboard.
I have purchased the following upgrades:
1. City Navigator NT -- worth the investment to make your handheld street worthy.
2. Topographical maps -- again, worth the investment for hiking.
3. Suction cup mount -- illegal in my state, but largely unenforced. If you install it correctly, it's better than the friction mount. I've heard others complain that it frequently falls off, but I've had it for several months and have moved it around to find the right sweet spot, and it has never fallen off once.
4. Friction mount -- irritatingly, you have to purchase the dash mount in order to get the swivelling head that makes it work... But just in case... (note the legality issue of the suction cup mount)
5. InvisibleShield screen protector -- the screen can easily be scratched, and this non-garmin product is a great way to protect it long term (also available through Amazon, or direct).
6. Sanyo Eneloop Rechargeable batteries -- they work well and don't lose a charge when sitting unused. They're even ready to use right out the the package with a full charge.
With the added functionality of my upgrades and preloaded features, here are just some of the features that I've enjoyed:
1. Geocaching mode -- if you haven't tried it, you must! Works like a charm!
2. High sensitivity receiver -- this is nothing short of incredible. The fact that I can get a signal inside a building and under tree cover is amazing. Sometimes my signal bounces around a little (20 to 30ft), but it's a hundred times better than not having one at all.
3. Tracking -- I love to see where I've been, and it also makes it easy to navigate back out when you don't know where you are.
4. Turn-by-turn directions -- it doesn't talk to you, but it does beep at you when there's an upcoming instruction.
5. Waterproof -- Let's face it, if you use it outside, you're going to get rained on, or you'll spill something on it. I've used it in a downpour, and it was protected.
6. Point-of-interest search -- You can easily find stores, gasoline, lodging, hospitals, exits, truck stops....
7. Compass and Altimeter -- you do need to calibrate them frequently, but still worth the money to have them.
8. Waypoint Manager -- this is software that comes with the unit that you load on your PC. You can use it to create routes, waypoints, and map packages that you want to load onto your unit. So if you travel frequently to a particular area, you can "store" your own regional specific data on your PC that you can transfer to your GPS when you actually need it. I also use it as a backup for my unit. Bottom line -- all electronics eventually fail, so backup, backup, backup.
Little things that annoy me:
1. Turn-by-turn directions aren't always the best route that I would choose, but they still get you there. (Mapping feature)
2. When recalculating, it seems insistent on getting you back on the route that it originally planned for you. (Mapping feature) I say that you should still always have a paper map as a backup.
3. Backlight setting resets after powering off even though it's set to "on" in the setup menu. A small annoyance that I've gotten used to.
A few weeks ago, I actually had a failure of my unit. Shortly after I backed up all my data to Waypoint Manager, I was loading waypoints directly to my unit from geocaching.com, and my unit turned off. For some reason, whenever it was connected to my computer, it wouldn't turn on or stay on. Garmin technical support was amazing. Someone picked up within a minute. He was friendly, helpful and patient in working out my problem, and then created an RMA and put a rush on it when I asked for it. I'm one of those pesky customers who calls frequently to ask for status, and again, I got someone on the phone immediately every time, and everyone was helpful, and they overnighted my replacement once my failed unit was received. Since I work in customer service myself, I strongly appreciate good customer service when I get it (which is actually quite rare).
In summary, this is a full feature-rich product, with a few recommended upgrades, and when something goes wrong, Garmin's customer service makes you glad you bought a Garmin...
Customer 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!
Customer Review: Great all around device
Summary: 5 Stars
After tons of research on multi-purpose GPSs, I went with the Vista hcX and i'm very glad I did.
Upon receiving the hcx, it took maybe 20 minutes or so to get a feel for the thing. The manual is not much help, so with some trial and error I was able to figure out the main commands like using the navigation for cars and "Tracks" for hikes/runs/cycling. What was a little confusing is how to start a new session (i.e - for a run/hike). If you press reset in the Trip Computer menu, it will start from scratch and you can start your tracking fresh (applies for both car navigation and by foot/cycle). Then when you're finished with a session, be sure to go to the Tracks menu and click Save. Then you can name the log file to whatever (Run/mtn biking/drive to wherever). The files store as dates and clumps all of the tracks for the day together, i.e - april 17 = 4172009.gpx. For saving map data, I use a 2gb microSD sandisk which works great in the device.
There are no maps preloaded in the hCX. You have the option of buying Topo US 2008 and City Navigator North America, this can get REALLY expensive. City Navigator in my opinion is better for general usage unless you're on the trails most of the time, where TOPO 2008 might be better.
What the manual doesn't tell you is how to switch back and forth between these different map sets(CityNav and Topo). The problem is that the HCX can only use ONE map set (.IMG file) at a time. There's a free program called MAPupload(google it) that allows you to merge .IMG files (what the HCX stores your map sets as) and this is VERY helpful, as you can use the same microSD card for two or more mapsets. Problem solved! This program is necessary unless you want to buy another microSD card to split them up. It takes quite a while for the transfer (using MAPupload), but worth the wait.
What I also really like about this device is it's ability to use the GPS data as GPX files. Most sites(like Motionbased, Mapmyfitness) can use these GPX files to map it out nicely on their site. Although Mapsource, the included software, can be a bit tempermental at times. Instead of doing the "Receive from device" command which the hcx often came up undetected, I ended up simply opening the GPX file straight from the microSD card (File->Open in Mapsource) and there it was with all the average speeds, elevation, maps, etc! From here you can save the file as an individual GPX (since the hcx automatically clumps them all together by day) which you can upload to most GPS websites.
For auto navigation I love that with CityNav, it's basically the same as most auto only GPSes. It beeps at you and the backlight goes on before you make a turn, which is nice. It also recalculates if you go off route. Although you might consider getting the mount unless you want a neck ache from looking down at the the thing while driving.
Lastly for batteries, these things work great with Lithium AA batteries (i.e-energizer). The hCX has a setting for what type of battery you're using under Settings->System. It's important to have the correct battery type selected or it will show as low battery life, which confused me at first as I thought it was the battery. I bought some Rayovac NiMH Hybrid rechargeables and they've worked great so far.
I hope my hours of trial and error could help someone figure out some less than obvious things, or at least discover that this is an extremely handy device to use as an all around GPS tracker.
UPDATE: Well after 6 months of use of the hcx, i'm happy to say it's still running strong and like new. A few weeks ago, the hCX actually saved us in a 4 wheel drive trip in the woods! Long story short, We went 4 wheeling 30 miles deep into dirt roads, and the GPS safely guided us back to the main highway. At times, the hCX would want us to go left at roads that didn't exist (probably the fault of the North America map), but we followed the general direction of the road on the gps toward the highway and it guided us safely back! I also bought this cheap gps mount on ebay for less than 10 bucks from a seller named northstar_gps, and it works great!
Customer Review: Three days in Garmin hell.
Summary: 1 Stars
I have used a Garmin GPS in my car for years and thought the product worked well so when looking for a GPS for hiking I went right to Garmin. They have a wide variety of products and it appears that they know what they are doing.
I could not have been more wrong in my deduction. I received the unit three days ago and I have not been able to use it since receiving it.I live just outside Washington DC so I ordered the mid-atlantic 24K map at a nice price (for Garmin) of $100. I had to buy a micro SD card in order to download the map and after installing the card I connected the unit to my computer. Before I could download from the Garmin web site I had to create an account. In order to create an account I had to have the serial number of my eTrex Vista. I clicked the "where is my serial number" icon and was told to find my serial number in the battery compartment. It was not there! This required the first of many calls to Garmin. After explaining the issue to the Garmin rep he replied "OH! That is not a problem!" Then I provided him with my device ID and he was able to look up the number. I then proceeded to finish creating my account and purchase the map I was interested in. After some initial difficulty downloading I talked to another Garmin rep and when I related my intent he made a vague suggestion that it might not work. Why wouldn't it work, I asked. "Well, sometimes there are issues" he explained. "Sometimes you need to plug the micro SD card directly into your card reader" he explained. Since I did not have a card reader on the machine I was using this was not an option. I eagerly commenced the download. Two hours later I was, according to the Garmin download meter, almost 5% complete! Wow! making great progress here 'eh. The following morning I came out to my machine to find it stuck on 99% BUT my eTrex said "download complete" So I thought I was in good shape. The only real problem was that there was no map on my eTrex!
I called Garmin yet again, switched to a computer with a card reader and, again, eagerly started the process. Now I am getting somewhere, I thought. Three hours later the Garmin download meter was stuck on 5%. At this rate it was only going to take me 60 hours! I should say I use DSL which was operating at 54mbps. So - another call to Garmin in an attempt to find where the difficulty was. It proved to be a very frustrating call because they could provide NO help at all and the supposed reason bounced from topic to topic primarily pointing at my internet connection, which is admittedly not BLAZING fast but it is more than fast enough for this task.
After multiple hours and going on the last portion of the second day of phone calls with Garmin they suggested they would send me a micro SD card with the map pre-loaded. I agreed and I thought my problems might be over.
Well, I thought, I have some time to try the unit out with the basic map which came with the unit. I walked out in the yard and started checking things out. I could see where I was, and I could see my road and nearby larger roads but the compass was clearly not calibrated properly. No Problem! There is a "compass calibration" routine written into the software! So I initiated the compass calibrate routine, turned the unit slowly through two 360 degree turns then went back to my map.
Suddenly the road where I live disappeared and I had been teleported about a third of a mile from my house! Guess what? On the phone again with Garmin. Maybe I didn't have enough satellites? Living just outside of DC there are more satellites hovering in the sky here than probably anywhere else in the world. I navigated my eTrex to the satellite page and found no less than eight satellites with a very strong signal. After another frustrating 20 minutes of trying this and trying that the rep concluded "well, it is obviously not working." The unit has a facility to tell you the accuracy of it's reading and on my unit, operating under no less than eight satellites the accuracy was +- about a third of a mile!
I am sending the unit back.