The eTrex line of GPS portable devices from Garmin has been designed with the outdoor enthusiasts in mind – it’s perfect for hiking, camping and geocaching, as well as boating and fishing.  Although it’s pretty versatile and it’s possible to use it as for driving, it’s not an ideal option for in-car navigation.  I have already reviewed two lower-end eTrex models, so now is the time for Garmin eTrex Vista HCx. It’s a bit more expensive than the two other models (currently available for about $210 on Amazon), but for the added functionality, it is well be worth the price, in my opinion.

Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS Features

The Garmin eTrex Vista is really a fantastic little device! It is capable of locating signals even in deep cover in dense woods with stormy cloud covered sky.  It’s flexible, easy to set up and simple to use even with one hand. You can check the Web for free topographical maps and instructions on how to upload them into your unit.


It is small in size, but with a fairly big and bright screen (easily readable in the sun) for its size.

If you read reviews of eTrex Vista, most people are praising the super sensitive antenna and how quickly it picks up and locks onto satellites inside of homes or buildings. You don’t even have to have line of sight to pick up satellites, eTrex Vista can get them just about anywhere short of being in a bunker.

You can use the free maps that you can find on gpsmapsearch.com, mapcenter.cgpsmapper.com/catalogue.php and malsingmaps.com.

The menu is intuitive and easy to navigate. If you are seriously considering a GPS purchase for hiking or navigating the back country, and have about two hundred dollars to spend – this is the one to get! 

Do yourself a favor, stop reading the review and just buy Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS – you will not be disappointed.

Neither deep foliage nor steep canyons will faze the rugged Garmin eTrex Vista HCx navigator. Equipped with a high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver, the unit locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover. The advantage is clear: whether you’re traipsing through thick woods or strolling near tall buildings and trees, you can count on the Vista HCx to help you find your way when you need it the most. The Vista HCx also includes a built-in electronic compass that provides bearing information even when you’re standing still, along with a barometric altimeter that tracks changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude. You can even use the altimeter to plot barometric pressure over time, which can help you keep an eye on changing weather conditions.

Adding maps to the Vista HCx is easier than ever thanks to the device’s microSD card slot, which accepts cards preloaded with MapSource data for your land and sea excursions. Just insert a MapSource card with detailed street maps, and the Vista HCx will provide turn-by-turn directions to your destination. Plus, the card slot is located inside the waterproof battery compartment, so you needn’t worry about it getting wet.

Besides appreciating its small size, users will also be happy with the Vista HCx’s unique button layout, with five buttons located on either side of the unit. The benefits of this design are twofold: First, the Vista HCx is a breeze to operate with just one hand, and, second, with the buttons on both sides of the unit, the bulk of the front is dedicated to the 256-color, sunlight-readable TFT display. This makes it easy to distinguish map details regardless of the time of day.

The Vista HCx basemap, meanwhile, contains lakes, rivers, cities, interstates, national and state highways, railroads, and coastlines–in short, a host of helpful details for your outdoor adventures. Other details include an IPX7 waterproof housing, 1,000 waypoints with names and graphic symbols, a built-in patch antenna, a USB interface, a hunt/fish calendar, sun and moon information, and a geocaching mode. The Vista HCx, which runs for up to 25 hours on a pair of AA batteries (not included), measures 2.2 by 4.2 by 1.2 inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a one-year warranty.

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS: Electronics

My only complaint is that the base maps included are less than useful and the Garmin line of software map products is a confusing and overpriced maze of buzzwords and brand names. The latest must-buy software appears to be Garmin City Navigator North America for Detailed Maps of the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico (DVD). Assuming that it comes unlocked with all the North American road maps with no additional costs, it is a good value. However, it’s my experience that Garmin has always gone out of their way to make the map unlocking and registration process as confusing and painful as possible for their loyal paying customers, while those who choose to pirate the software get a simple program that runs once and unlocks everything. Poor choice, if you ask me. There are open-source maps available on the internet but I have no experience as to their quality. At any rate, once you get it set up, the software is straightforward, easy to use, and has never given me any technical problems on Windows XP, Vista, or 7.

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS

Buy Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS on Amazon

If you are looking to buy handheld gps navigation system, read more about GPS Handheld systems and How to choose the right GPS device for your needs?

Attention all hikers, campers, boaters, kayakers, geocachers, and other outdoorsy types: this is a great tool for you to make sure you never get lost again. Whether hiking in the woods, on a mountain trail, kayaking on a river or lake, horseback riding - your Garmin eTrex Venture will help you find your way to wherever you want to go.

Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS is a step up from the Garmin eTrex H Handheld GPS Navigator. It provides a color display and comes with a detailed basemap showing the largest highways and bodies of water, and provides the ability to add optional mapping products.

Buy Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver

Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver Review with Notes for Mac Users

Mac Users:
It’s a bit tricky, but I am able to use the USB cable and the ’send to Garmin’ to automatically load waypoints from geocaching.com. One warning is that they have a Mac firmware web updater and it’s very new and froze on my attempt to use it, which blanked my unit. [...]. I did the update for this unit on a friends PC and it went fine.

There are some Mac caching software, but none of them are working for me with this unit. So keep that in mind if you really want to go beyond the web waypoint downloads. That’s a bummer, since Maccaching and GeoJournal look like they’d be great.

The included software does not work on a Mac, so ignore that CD. From the Garmin site, you can download the plugin for Mac to make Safari aware of the unit so you can do the “send to Garmin’ trick. They also have the Mac version of their WebUpdater (the one that hosed my first unit) on their site. Finally, you don’t need any USB drivers for Tiger or Leopard OSX, so don’t worry about them only being for Windows on the Garmin site.

Usage:
Crazy fast turn on and acquiring satellites. We are thrilled that we can turn it on in the car and it will start to pick up satellites right away. Our Magellin (an cheap 100 unit) would take awhile even outside in cloudcover.

It also seems to save all the time, as the shutdown is very fast, with no ’saving’ note like our Magellin made us wait for.

I guess our only complaint is that we like to use the backlight a lot and that sucks batteries. It’s winter now, and so many days and locations are dim, and without the backlight, the unit can be pretty dim to read. It takes 2 AA’s. It also has a system pref for the type of battery you use (Alkaline, NiMH or LiOn), why? Maybe to only USB charge when they are NiMH’s?? But remember to set that to the correct type.

We really love auto loading the coordinates. And even with the free account on Geocaching.com, we get the cache name, GC# and coordinates. That saves tons of time and mistakes. We find ourselves loading up any cache that interests us, just in case.

Accuracy:
The unit seems right on. Our other unit would usually be more like 20-30 feet accurate in the woods, and this one led us right to the cache and showed 16′ accuracy at that point under normal tree cover. It also refreshes more often than our old unit, so it feels more responsive. No more going 20 feet and then seeing that the arrow just didn’t update to show we were going the wrong way, or overshot.

Build:
It seems solid and took our last rainy hike well. The back has a bit of a gap, but the seal must lock in fine. It uses the ‘D’ lock, so just half a twist to lock and unlock, which is fast and appreciated on a cold cache while changing batteries. We always had to dig to get the Magellin’s ring out and turning to pop the back.

Thumb toggle:
If you’ve used the old Garmin’s with button input, the toggle on the front is really welcomed. We zip through data entry and you push the toggle in to accept an entry. It’s also a shortcut to Mark your current location (holding down the toggle button). Another tip is that holding down the lower left button brings up the ‘Find’ menu quickly.

Speed:
One thing I noted was that when I went just one setting more on ‘detail’ for the maps, it really cut the redraw speed (which is a tad slow to begin with), so that was disappointing. ”

Amazon.com: Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver: Electronics
 

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If you are looking to buy handheld gps navigation system, read more about Portable GPS systems and Buy the right GPS device for your needs

Garmin eTrex H Handheld GPS Navigator is a perfect portable GPS for people who don’t want to spend a lot of money on their navigational equipment (about $80 on Amazon).

About Garmin eTrex H Handheld GPS Navigator

Garmin eTrex H Handheld GPS will help you find your way even in the roughest terrain thanks to super-sensitive GPS receiver, which can find your location quickly and accurately and is able to keep its GPS position even in dense forests or deep canyons.

The ‘H” stands for “High Sensitivity” unit, which was released in 2007. Although older units look almost the same, but they lack this important navigational power. The highly sensitive chip has the processing power that can rival many of the more expensive units on the market.

The eTrex H design is durable and weather-proof, so you don’t need to worry about using it in the rain or even accidentally dropping in the water. It is lightweight and fitting easily in the palm of your hand.

The interface is intuitive and easy to use even with one hand. You’ll be able to read the display even in bright light or in a shade.

There are many additional handy features such as waypoints, compass, built-in clock, altitude, bearing and heading. You can customize the menus and displays to fit your needs.

This is a perfect starter unit for people who are looking for point-to-point navigation when hiking, camping, fishing or geocaching. However, it will not guide you down streets and does not show maps, so if you want road network navigation, you may have to look at something else.

Buy Garmin eTrex H Handheld GPS Navigator

 Warning: Read This Before You Buy

This unit does not accept Garmin maps. It will download waypoints, tracks, routes from the Garmin map programs, but will not accept the map.

The result is that all one sees is a waypoint on a gray screen, without reference to a street name, or other map feature like a lake. It’s almost like traveling in the dark, not seeing or knowing what surrounds you.

Without the ability to display maps, this unit is a TOY if one wants to use it to accurately navigate to NEW locations. Test your ability to self-determine what one true coordinate is beforehand. If you can do it, this is for you. If you can’t figure out coordinates from a map, then you’ll understand the problem and have your answer about this unit.

I use DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteers, which use the same grids as Garmin (WGS 84) and can come to within about a block or two of true coordinates. Hiking, or in the woods, this can mean disaster. Are you 2 blocks to the left, or 2 blocks to the right of where you want to be? Are you 2 blocks too far, or are you 2 blocks too short. Point is that you may be 4 blocks left or right, or 4 blocks too far or too short of where you planned on going!

Without reference images, the waypoints are basically for ’survival’, and not navigating to a new destination as no new destination can be seen on the screen.

It is good for survival if lost in the woods or ocean and one needs help. You can call for rescue with the current coordinates. One can track back and one can also plug in coordinates to Go To, but the problem of it is, is: That one needs to use it in conjunction with a paper map, or other external map and plug in the coordinates BEFORE reaching it, to intentionally navigate to a new location.

This is good for geocaching when you can plug in the coordinates prior to going out. This is good for young children as an introductory training tool, BUT you will feel the need to upgrade immediately.
Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Garmin eTrex H Handheld GPS Navigator

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If you are looking to buy a handheld gps navigation system, read more about Handheld GPS systems and How to select the right GPS device for your needs?

If you are considering using GPS tracking device to keep your child or teenager out of trouble, then you may want to read the following article about GPS tracking devices and how they are used by parents.

While some parents may be tempted to use small GPS tracking devices (such as UBI 4000 GPS tracking device) for covert tracking (so the person carrying the device is not even aware that they are being tracked), that is not how the GPS technology should be used.

While the laws vary from state to state, in general the use of a spy GPS tracking device to track a person without their permission could be illegal or result in a legal action against you.

Even when using GPS tracking for safety of your own children, I strongly recommend that they be made aware they are being tracked.  This knowledge alone can serve as a sufficient deterrent to any misbehavior.

Remember, that technology is not a substitute for common sense and teaching your children about personal safety, being a safe driver, etc. Also, never let technology replace your own judgment.

GPS Tracking Devices For Parents of Small Children and Teenagers
By Joanna Roberts

All parents worry about the safety and well being of their children, and all children disobey their parents at some time or another. Although it’s usually not a big deal, sometimes they can be in real danger, but you will not be able to come to the rescue quickly, unless you know where they are.

In such situations, a real time GPS child tracking device can make a huge difference. A GPS child locator can help prevent child abduction or wandering that can lead to a lost and scared child. It could mean the help can arrive in time, because you know where your child is at all times.

Every parent knows the sense of panic when their child does not return home on time from school or a party. Small children have a tendency of seeing something they like and taking off after it. This could be very dangerous in a busy street or crowded store. A tracking device placed in your child’s pocket or backpack can help you locate your child fairly quickly if the child gets lost.

For parents who want to keep their teenagers out of trouble, GPS tracking devices allow parents to monitor, supervise and provide guidance to their teenagers both behind the wheel and in their day-to-day lives. It’s no secret that teens drive one way when their parents are with them in the car versus when they’re not. With a GPS tracking device in the vehicle, it’s as though you are sitting next to your child whenever they are behind the wheel.

You can get email text notifications that the driver is speeding or has entered/left a restricted area. With the GPS in the car, you can record where they go, where they stop and their speed. You can download the data into your computer to receive tracking information. You can monitor their speed and location from home, work, anywhere where you can connect to the Internet.

Many parents disagree with such use of personal GPS tracking devices. They feel like they should trust their children and not spy on them. When using GPS tracking devices for safety of your children, I strongly recommend that they be made aware they are being tracked. This knowledge alone can usually serve as a sufficient deterrent to any misbehavior. We should also remember, that technology – as convenient as it is – not a substitute for common sense and teaching your children about personal safety and safe driving.

As GPS technology improves, uses of GPS tracking devices will increase, while the prices will become more and more affordable. So whether you are looking for car or marine GPS, GPS accessories, cellular GPS, cheapest GPS tracking device, smallest GPS, or just want more tips for buying the right GPS tracking device for your needs, visit the GPS Tracking Devices blog for information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joanna_Roberts
http://EzineArticles.com/?GPS-Tracking-Devices-For-Parents-of-Small-Children-and-Teenagers&id=2254480

If you are looking to buy handheld gps navigation system, read more about GPS Handheld systems and How to choose the right GPS device for your needs?. You may be also interested in learning more about kids GPS tracking, kids GPS phone, and GPS tracking for teenagers.

While GPS technology is not a rocket science and has been around for a while, some people may still be confused about how it really works.  Learning how GPS devices function may take time for some of the readers -  you definitely need to have some background knowledge and willingness to explore the word of GPS technology.

Here is a useful little guide for newbie GPS users. Don’t let terms like “NAVSTAR system”, “pseudo-random”, or “differential GPS” scare you. Just dig right in and start getting familiar with the best navigation tool that came along since the the invention of the compass.

Recommended Reading: GPS Guide For Beginners.pdf (provided by Garmin).

The guide includes a section about  mapping and navigation, including explanation of waypoints, the GOTO feature, routes, and track logs; as well as tips for buying the GPS and selecting accessories that you may need.

If you are looking to buy handheld gps navigation system, read more about GPS Handheld systems and How to choose the right GPS device for your needs?