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 upgrade - very happy!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my third eTrex GPS receiver, and each has been a worthwhile upgrade. I started with a Legend about 4 years ago, which I thought was great at the time. A couple of years ago I bought a Legend Cx, and this provided me with the added benefits of a colour screen, expandable memory, a longer battery life and, somewhat surprisingly, a significantly better receiver - I could get a good signal under tree cover, unlike before, and even a fix inside my one-storey house, despite it not having the new SirF3 chip. I was in two minds about upgrading to the HCx model, as the only gain would be an even more sensitive receiver (but a slightly poorer battery life). So, I opted to change from the Legend to the Vista to increase functionallity. I think it was a good choice because the extra sensitivity, and quicker processing speed, seems significant and worthwhile.
The main complaints about the eTrex models appear to concern the lack of a good inbuilt map, and the extra cost of the associated Garmin-specific software needed to put this right. While these may be valid criticisms, they should not come as a surprise to anybody who has done their homework. If your main interest is in street navigation, an eTrex model is not your best option; try one of the Nuvi models, if you want to stick with Garmin. This is prinicpally an outdoor device to aid hikers: light, small, robust and tells you where you are (in terms of latitude and longitude, or local grid coordinates); it's best used in conjunction with a good topographical map, rather then being something that replaces it. The inbuilt base-map (of interstates, main roads and rivers) is only there to provide a basic reference, not for detailed navigation. The functionality of the device can be greatly enhanced by buying additional maps (whose price can be comparable with the receiver itself!), but there are several different types depending on your needs: roads/towns, topographic or marine. You can preview them (free) on the Garmin cite before you buy them, to make sure that your choice meets your needs.
Customer Review: Ehh, it's good for the price
Summary: 3 Stars
My wife and I got a dog a few years ago and ever since we have been exploring the local trails and parks within an hour and half drive of our house. In the summer we have been doing 30+ miles a week of hiking. We have been collecting and printing out as many maps as we could find for local trails, some are of better quility than others, so I was pretty excited when my wife bought this GPS for my birthday in 2010. I had used a much older similar version of this GPS a long time and basically all you could do is lay out waypoints and trace your steps as you go. So I was a little dissappointed to find out that GPS wouldn't do much more out of the box.
A week after I got it, I purchased the NorthEast topomap on a microSD card from EMS for $99. With out the topmaps the GPS is almost useless for anything more than back tracing your steps, there are very few reference points included in the OEM software, just the basic shape of the US a few major bodies of water and major higways. They claimed itthe topomap would have trails and street maps for the entire area. The street maps are great but the trail maps are severely lacking.
While I didn't expect every trail to be included I was expecting much more than what was included. We hiked Pack Monadnock in southern NH, which is a very poular state park, I was really dissappointed to find that of the entire park area there was only 2 trails included. Good luck if you plan on finding a small loop trail under 20 miles, none of the minor connecting trails are on the map. So basically even with this GPS and the Topomap, you still need a good paper map to reference and find out where you are.
So I tried making the best of it and decided I would just start logging all of our hikes and naming all of the trails, but then I was dissappointed again to find out that you only have the ability to name a few dozen trails. There maybe funtionality that I am not utilizing but I am fairly certain I've figured this thing out after reading the instructions several times.
Customer Review: eTrex Vista HCx worthy successor to eTrex Vista C
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased my Vista HCx to replace my Vista C, which at three years of age was beginning to show signs of case wear. The HCx is almost identical to the C in form and function, and conversion to the more capable device was therefore easy. If you like the Vista C you will love the HCx, since installing a 2 GB Micro SD memory card in this unit can theoretically provide 80 times the map storage capacity of the 24 MB Vista C.
The biggest challenge was loading maps onto the HCx. I own Topo USA 2008 and it seemed "reasonable" to transfer the entire database into my handheld. I immediately ran into two limits. First, the Topo USA 2008 dataset is approximately 3.8 GB, which required choices regarding which maps would go onto the handheld. After editing out the flat center of the United States, I ran into limit number two--the HCx can only recognize 2025 map files. My 2 GB mapset was composed of over 3,000 map files, which forced another edit session. Eventually I decided to load Hawaii and the West into the handheld (I live in California and vacation and travel in WA, OR, NV, ID, MT, and UT from time to time). I eventually selected some 2000 map files which use approximately 1 GB of memory.
Data transfer was painful--apparently the HCx uses USB 1.1 for data transfer, not USB 2.0. The unit took 1.5 hours to set up the transfer file, and another 1.5 hours to actually transfer the information. Hence the data transfer itself took over three hours, which was in addition to the two hours or so I spent working with Topo USA and discovering the maximum file limits of the HCx. At least I should not have to transfer data again any time soon.
Given the current file limits of the HCx I probably would not bother buying a 2 GB Micro SD card if I had a chance to do things over--a 1 GB card should be perfectly adequate.
I think the unit is probably worth its $330 suggested retail price, and it is definitely worth the steeply discounted price I found on Amazon.
Customer Review: I Wanted To Love This GPS
Summary: 3 Stars
I really wanted to like this GPS, and I was looking forward to getting many hours of use out of it. Alas, that can not happen. I returned the unit to Amazon this morning for one simple reason: it is next to impossible to get into the battary compartment without the use of a special wrench -- not provided with the unit by the way. But even if the wrench were provided, it would have to be carried separately from the GPS and would be subject to loss while hiking trails, desert, or well established camp sites. And that is just not acceptable. I don't want to be stuck with no way to switch out batteries in the middle of nowhere.
The battery compartment access requires that the user turn a release nut or bolt 1/4 turn counter clockwise. A two pronged wrench is needed that will fit over the top of the bolt and slip down along its sides. The prongs then press up against two metal stops at the base of the bolt to enable a quarter turn. That by itself is OK, but the nut or bolt is recessed, so you can't just get hold of it with your fingers. And it has neither a coin slot or a screw driver slot on the top of the bolt to help make the turn without the special wrench.
I'm sure that past versions of this GPS didn't have this problem, or I would have read about it in the comments and reviews. And I hope that a redesign is done to correct this problem with future versions of what could be a fine tool for those who like the outdoors. Until then, I give the unit three stars because I have to assume that the thing will function as advertised. Rather than give a 1-star review for a product I could not properly review, I take one star away to downgrade it to the average other reviewers have given, and a second star is subtracted for this completely stupid battery access problem.
Come on Garmin. Give us a break. Fire the bum that came up with this dumb idea, and do a quick redesign. I'd still like to give this unit a fair shake down cruise.
Customer Review: FANTASTIC
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are reading this and the other reviews of the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx then you are doing your homework and wondering if this GPS is as good as all the hype makes it out to be. The short answer is YES! I have an old Garmin 12 Map which has served me well, but was getting a bit long in the tooth. I wanted something a bit smaller, lighter, with color screen and was water tight. The Vista HCx meets all of these needs and so many more. It is small in size, but with a fairly big and bright screen (easily readable in the sun) for its size.
Every review I read touted the extra sensitive antenna and how it picked up and locked onto satellites inside of homes or buildings. Well I can honestly tell you that it does all this and does it quick. How this happens it Garmin magic. I was always told you had to have line of sight to pick up satellites, but not in the case of the Vista HCx, it can get them just about anywhere short of being in a bunker.
The menu is intuitive and easy to navigate, so much more that my old Garmin 12 map. The long story short, this little GPS is the one for everyone else to beat. If you are seriously considering a GPS purchase for hiking or navigating the back country, do not look elsewhere, this is the one to get!
The base maps in the Vista HCx are of course upgradeable through additional accessories purchases from Garmin (at substantial cost), but worth the money. How Garmin managed to pack so much into so little a package is a mystery to me. Do yourself a favor, stop reading the review and just buy one, you will not be disappointed.
BTW, I purchased mine through Amazon.com and took advantage of the free shipping. It arrived four days ahead of when it was scheduled to arrive which was a nice surprise. Amazon has a very good price and I have always been happy with my purchases through them. And no I am not getting paid to say these nice things about Amazon, I am just a very satisfied customer.
Dan...