Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS
by Garmin
|
List Price: Our Price: $186.18 You Save: $113.81 (38%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $160.00 (click here) Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS
Customer Review: Best Trail GPS
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the best trail GPS I have owned. I have been using it for a few months now and here is what I have observed:
1. Battery power is a big one for me. This gets the 25 hours that is says it gets. I often backpack camp for a few days at a time and don't like changing batteries all the time.
2. Size is great. If you have a case with a clip you can attach this to your pack or straps and it's barely noticeable.
3. The software and programming is a plus. You can easily make waypoints with the waypoint manager software. The on board software has many features as well. I tend to use tracking a lot. Geocaching management is built in. Maps are expandable if you use topo of street maps purchased seperately and are stored either on board or on the optional sd card card that can be put in.
My recommended additions for this product:
1. Get a solid case like the case from foarm. The one that comes with it is ok but if you do a lot of bushwhacking you'll was a more protective case.
2. Get a screen protector like InvisibleShield. It's worth the investment.
3. Since this is a trail GPS, buying the Topo 2008 DVD or whatever is current from Garmin is a plus and you won't regret it.
So overall an excellent product with room for expandability and is very durable. This is a perfect companion for hikers and backpackers.
Customer Review: A Bittersweet Rating for the HCx
Summary: 4 Stars
I rated the unit a 4, but there is a story behind this. I'm on my 4th Vista HCx. When I powered the first one up on occaision, the display had a white, bleached out appearance, almost like I was in direct sunlight, but I was indoors. If I turned it off, and powered it back up, the problem would go away. Garmin replaced it, saying it was a hardware problem with the board. On the replacement unit they sent me, the lanyard slot was broken right out of the box. It was a one piece plastic pin molded right to the main body of the unit. The 3rd unit had the same washed out display problem that I had with my first unit. Now I'm in the process of getting my 4th unit. It's been grueling, and anybody else, I would have been at their doorstep with the flaming torch and a pitch fork. But the Garmin support has been amazing, and they are making things right. The buttons are hard to push, and it gets a little annoying scrolling through all the screens at times. There's a lot to learn with using a GPS, and it takes practice over time to really get to know how to use it and learn all the things that it is capable of, but it's a good little unit over-all with tons of features and a great display, so I'll be patient and see how it all ends up. Anybody else, I would rate this a 1, but I'm giving them a 4. Despite the problems, it's a good unit otherwise and the support has been excellent.
Customer Review: Almost five stars
Summary: 4 Stars
I've owned the Vista since 2004, and also have the HCx as does one of my friends. The units are straight forward, spend an hour or two playing with it and you don't even have to read the manual. Unlike some reviews, I am often within 8 to 10 feet of accuracy, with 10 to 20 being the typical norm which is excellent for a commerical GPS unit. As long as you calibrate it correctly, the compas is accurate as is the altimeter. The base map is worthless, but only if your relying on this to navigate roads. This device is designed for geocaching/hunting/hiking/etc. While it works great with the downloadable maps, they are expensive and tied to the individual units serial number. I've found that a separate large display gps designed for the car takes care of road trips, while the topo maps are a great add on for this device. Even without the topo, this unit will do everything you need for a day in the woods, accuratley recording your position and letting you log waypoints. Even though I have a top end Garmin for my car, this small unit always sits in my dash for when its time to bushwack and its designed for easy use with only one hand. Great product if your looking for a small easy to use hand held with tons of features that can take any mapset available (you will need a micro sd card for many of the map downloads) and like to spend your time off road.Customer Review: Good
Summary: 5 Stars
I tend to get lost in the 3500 acres of woods I hunt in now as I have only been hunting there for two years and I have yet to learn all the landmarks. Not an issue for stand hunting, but when I just want to mess around, I don't wanna loose my way.
This unit has a great signal...much better than my old legend, sometimes a little too good it seems. Works very well in the woods though in heavy tree cover, and thats what I wanted it for, also the tracks function is great and has let me create some of my own maps of my hunting area. The electronic compass works well also and fills the gap when you stop moving...which is what its intended for I think. I no longer fear that I will get lost as this unit is rock solid, but I do still take a good old magnetic compass just in case this unit dies an untimely death.
I am now learning my hunting area quickly without fear of getting lost, even with heavy tree cover and for that in itself this is worth every penny and gets my 5 stars.
I feel this should be mentioned...I am playing with opensource mapping software now and again, and while it takes a little more work due to the now proprietary usb output of this gps (my legend output a standard NMEA serial protocol) with the help of gpsgate from franson this new gps is able to do what I want in that respect also.
Customer Review: I can't complain...well maybe a little
Summary: 4 Stars
A nice little trail or road GPS. With the correct maps it'll navigate turn-by-turn or just wherever you walk. You can have multiple maps loaded on it at once (I currently have City Navigator 2009 and Topo. 2008.) Sensitivity is good. It can obtain a lock quite quickly and almost never drops it. Connectivity is basic mini-USB (no special cables for interface or external power) Two AA batteries seem to last forever.
And now...a few bad things. Turn-by-Turn navigation doesn't seem to be quite as good as a car GPS. It'll even take different routes than another Garmin. Menu's are a tad confusing and take some time getting used to, especially going through the maps. Button layout is alright, but some of the keys seem a bit too stiff and are difficult to use without fumbling the GPS around a little (though I do have rather large hands).
Also, one thing I should probably bring up, the micro-SD slot seemed to get jammed once when I was putting a card in. I don't know if the lock got stuck in the locked position, but I couldn't get the card inserted. I finally did get it in, but I still don't think the slot feels quite right when putting the card in... But, all interfacing the card can be done by USB so it no longer needs to be removed...
Well, all in all, I think this device deserves a strong 4 stars.