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: Nice GPS but sub par software
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought this GPS mainly for use while kayaking in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The GPS itself is very nice, with tons of usable features, and is an excellent value. The color screen works great, and a lot of thought went into making this fine handheld GPS. Of course the GPS is only minimally useful without the optional maps, as are almost all similar GPS units, and I have no complaints about that, but the fact is, their Inland Lakes software is not up to par, and that flaws an otherwise excellent GPS unit.
The first thing that's missing from the software is that only 1200 Minnesota lakes are included. I'll give them credit that the lakes they do include are the major ones, but they could at least provide a simple outline of most of the rest.
Another problem I have with their lake maps is that they don't show where many lakes link to each other, such as where Lake Calhoun connects with Lake of the Isles via canal in Minneapolis. This seems true of every lake that doesn't have a half mile wide connection with another, and makes exploring new lake chains more difficult, since you would have to guess whether or where there is a connection, and that is a serious flaw in the software.
The final problem I found was missing sections of rivers and creeks, including sections that connect to lakes. It's puzzling that the software wouldn't show the entire river if they show a part of it.
These flaws make me consider selling my new GPS and buying a DeLorme PN-20 which comes STANDARD with Topo USA including topographic, lake and street maps, and comes with a $100 credit for USGS Quad maps, aerial and satellite maps for about the same cost as the Garmin Vista HCx and one set of flawed optional maps. I really like my GPS unit, but the maps aren't in the same league as the GPS is, and that's not good enough. Besides, Garmin doesn't even have USGS Quads, satellite or aerial maps.
Customer Review: Works great, but even better with a basemap
Summary: 4 Stars
This Garmin Etrex Vista works great. WAAS, waterproofing, and the classic Garmin design all work great in one small, easy to use package. However, there are some improvements that could be made but can easily be fixed with aftermarket products.
Pros
Waterproof: I took this for a remote week-long canoe trip as well as geocaching, all with plenty of rain; and the vista hxc held up well, no problems in it's first year of use.
WAAS: This is a feature that acts as a correction for poor satalite signal. This unit works great for the common geocacher, hiker, camper, hunter, etc. I wouldn't get a handheld GPS without it.
Program: the program that comes with the program is very easy to use and straight forward. If you can operate a cell phone, this unit will be a piece of cake.
Memory: This receiver allows for expandable memory, or micro-SD cards preloaded with maps. Great feature in my opinion. Other receivers with the same memory don't have enough memory for full GPS capabilities.
Cons
Basemap: The basemap this GPS reciever comes with is limited. I highly recommend buying an aftermarket basemap (especially a topo map) to make roads, terrain, and stream location much more accurate.
Recommendations
I would recommend a cover to buy with this receiver as well as a clear protective coating for the screen to keep it from getting scratched, especially if you will be in the woods. This receiver is built to take everything thrown at it, except for scratches.
Cover: <http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-10314-00-GARMIN-Carrying-Case/dp/B00004VX39/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_b>
Topo basemap: <http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-MapSource-Topo-U-S-2008/dp/B000RAASFK/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_c>
Recommended uses
Geocaching, navigation for cycling, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, etc.
Customer Review: Vast Improvements over Earlier Models
Summary: 5 Stars
Having owned, used, and been extremely pleased with the eTrex Vista C for a number of years, I was a bit disturbed by needing to purchase a new upgraded unit to take advantage of maps of New Zealand (live in USA). However, I was totally surprised by features advertised, but irrelevant to my upgrade purchase: the Vista HCx's dramatically improved sensitivity and seemingly resultant improved accuracy. I went heli-skiing in New Zealand with the HCx zipped up in a pocket of my ski jacket to record my tracks. Track accuracy for my skiing as displayed on Google Earth was phenomenal, much better than anything I had seen with my Vista C. Using the old Vista C inside a vehicle, I had to keep the unit on the dash with a view of the sky through the windshield to maintain lock on the satellites and hence my location and track. The Vista HCx maintains track with good accuracy continuously sitting on the lap of a passenger inside a vehicle. This helps tremendously when you need a passenger to help with navigation in a city with which you are not familiar (both the Vista HCx and Vista C can be used for city navigation, but they are optimized operationally for trail use).
So, if you have been happy with the Vista C, and it is a few years old, you probably will find an upgrade to the Vista HCx well worth it, especially with the prices you can get through Amazon. Any maps you had for the Vista C will work with the Vista HCx, and you can use all the NT (New Technology) maps now available and supported by Garmin. I have really enjoyed both the better sensitivity and increased storage (2 Gbytes on a micro-SD card - <$10 now) for maps with the HCx. Nothing appears to have changed operationally between the two units, so there is nothing new to learn to use the new HCx. Interestingly however, the software seems to have improved in efficiency. An upgrade that is worth it.
Customer Review: Functional but a design disaster
Summary: 3 Stars
Be aware this product is virtually useless right out of the box. It works fine but the included map has detail down to my nearest interstate and no further. You have to buy more detailed maps to do anything useful.
The included software is ancient but functional. A lanyard is provided but you'll need a microscope and tweezers to thread it though the connection point. A belt clip is optional and the necessary AA batteries are not included. Hey Garmin, nice bit of nickel and diming!
The whole product could do with a wave of Apple's magic design wand. The unit feels like it's upside down. All the control buttons sit above the screen with the main joystick (they call it a rocker, but there's also a rocker on the left side) resting under your left thumb while the quit button is on the top right requiring two handed operation for navigating the menus.
Having said all that, it feels nice and chunky in your hand. It's surprisingly small but thick and sturdy. It does the job fine but could be oh so much easier to use.
Three stars. They lose one each for design and ease of use, or lack thereof.
UPDATE December 18th 2007 - I bought Gamin's recommended accessory National Parks Map East on CD to go hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains. When I tried to transfer a map to the unit from my PC, I found that it cannot be done for this model. But it's a recommended $100 dollar accessory for this product!
Apparently, you can only download waypoints and trails from the CD but not the map. If you want to upgrade the map you have to buy a preloaded microSD card, except that at the time of writing the map I want is not on SD yet.
I've returned the eTrex Vista and ordered Garmin's GPSMap 60Csx.
Jeez Garmin, I really want to like your products but do you have to make me work so hard for it?
Customer Review: Great little unit
Summary: 5 Stars
I have read all of the earlier reviews and agree with all the "pros" listed - for the amount of features, ease of use and , size, ability to lock on a signal - there is no better GPSr in this price range.
I am an avid hiker, nature photographer and geocacher and I like to be able to recall my trips - document sites, features and sightings etc. This unit didn't let me down. Last weekend I took a day trip that included four different parks along a river system with high bluffs and DEEP ravines - in the car and on the ground, this unit never missed a beat, never lost signal lock.
The unit was located in many places - in hand, in the cup holder of a van, in a zipped fanny pack, clipped to a belt, and at lunch, on the table at a tavern - not a problem, never lost signal. :) My last unit was a Garmin Vista Cx - this unit is MUCH better - better lock and faster draw.
As far as the "cons" I've read - there are few and most are related to the price of maps, the accuracy of the maps or the manual.
Concerning the price of the maps - there is no unit that comes close, at this price, (even considering the price of buying the maps) to this unit in speed and accuracy of plot. Anyone that did ANY research would know that maps are not part of the base price (not that I like or approve).
The accuracy of the maps themselves, as far as roads are concerned, is poor (topo maps) - in my area there are major freeway junctions that have not been updated for over twenty years. The topo maps, however, are not bad - if you need road info, get the City Navigator maps.
The manual I recieved with the Vista HCx is deficient, find and D/L the manual for the Vista Cx.
The Garmin Vista HCx is a great, small, versatile GPSr that will do what you need.