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
 

Buy Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver

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

The features needed for hiking different from those needed for other GPS applications, such as car navigation, running, boating, or golfing. Below are some of essential and nice-to-have portable GPS unit used for hiking and camping.

Map screen. Some handheld GPS devices can’t display maps at all; instead they provide your longitude and latitude, with a track of such coordinates to indicate where you’ve been. Other models let you load maps, and some can eve display downloaded satellite images. Screen displaying maps, not just a numerical lon/lat position, will make your life much easier.

Built-in basemap. Not absolutely essential, but highly recommended.

Water Submersible.Sooner or later your device will get wet. Your unit should be water submersible (waterproof standard IPX7) to protect it from getting damaged when it gets in the water. This means that is not just water-resistant, but that it can withstand accidental immersion in water for up to 30 minutes. Plastic bags and boxes are also recommended for added protection.

Large, easy-to-read display. Maps can be harder to read on the smaller screens that most handheld GPS models have, so I recommend that you choose a model with the largest screen size that you can see yourself carry. This is essential especially if you have problems reading fine detail. Color screen is cool, as it defines map features better than a black and white screen; backlight is also useful, although both features burn more battery power. Black and white screens are just fine for hiking and many color screens can be difficult to read in bright sunlight. So-called transreflective color screens may be your best choice: they are easy to read in direct sunlight and don’t use as much power with the screen backlight switched on. A screen protector is nice to prevent accidental scratches.

Compact and lightweight.  Here you will have to compromise between small size (recommended), so you don’t have to carry around a bulky device, and big screen size (also recommended), so you can read it without squinting. 

Power source and battery life. It is preferable to choose a portable handheld GPS unit that can support external power, such as a power cable or a cigarette lighter cable. Lithium batteries are recommended to ensure a longer battery life. It should use standard batteries (AA or AAA) for easy replacement on the trail, as always, rechargeable batteries are recommended.

Touchscreen or Rocker Keypad. Rocker Keypad designed for one-hand operation will make using your GPS device much easier. Some newer GPS units have touchscreens which helps immensely when navigating using the maps.

Channels. Most portable GPS units come with 12 channel parallel receiver system. Channels help receive satellite signals faster and more precisely. This is especially important in heavy tree cover or difficult terrain.

Memory. Lots of storage capacity (at least 20 MB)  is useful to upload detailed topographic maps, street maps, or additional waypoints. Higher end GPS handheld models accept a memory card for additional storage.

External amplified antenna. This is not a necessity, but may come in handy in places, where signals are weak.

Route capability and Waypoints. 20 Route capability is standard, some units have 50. 500+ user entered waypoints are pretty standard. Waypoints are specific geographic locations, described by longitude and latitude, that you have recorded in your GPS unit. When you press the waypoint record button on your GPS at a trailhead, you can always find your way back to your car. Cheap GPS handheld models will store relatively few waypoints; higher end units can store hundreds, and you can name them as you wish.

Tracks. As you go on your hiking trip, your GPS device records and displays a breadcrumb trail of where you’ve been. This process lets you easily backtrack to your starting point; some models also let you download your track to your PC and view your travels on a topographic map. You can print out the map and the track for a permanent record of your journey. As in the case of waypoints, low-end models offer limited track storage, while high-end models store many and allow you to identify them by adding custom names.

If you are thinking about buying portable GPS navigation system, read more on GPS Handheld Navigation blog, Choose the right handheld GPS device for your needs? If you are a golfer, you may be interested to learn how golf GPS systems can help you improve your game.

A question that many people ask when they decide to buy a GPS tracking device, goes something like this “What is the best GPS for my needs? I want to use it for running, hiking, camping, boating, fishing, and driving. I’m learning to play golf, so golfing capabilities would be nice, too. I don’t want the cheapest GPS device, but would not want to pay more than $300.”

To be honest, I would like to buy a such versatile portable GPS unit myself, but to my best knowledge, there is no such model currently available. GPS devices available on the market today provide a COMPROMISE between different objectives. Some are optimized for driving and giving directions, others for walking, still others for biking, running, boating, golfing, fishing, flying, or even spying. Some cheapest basic GPS units provide you with your longitude/latitude information; others display your position on an electronic map screen.

Just as there is no “best choice” for everyone when choosing a computer, a camera, or a car, there is no “best” unit for multiple applications in the GPS department. “BEST” is highly dependent on your specific lifestyle and needs, money you want to spend, and the features that YOU like.

If you are thinking about buying portable GPS navigation system, read more on GPS Handheld Navigation blog, How to choose the right GPS device for your needs? If you are a golfer, you may be interested to learn how golf GPS systems can help you improve your game. If you enjoy hikng, Hiking with a GPS Handheld Unit may answer some questions that you have about buying best GPS handheld unit for your outdoor adventures. Also learn more about kids GPS, GPS tracking cell phone, and gps vehicle tracking. If you want to save yourself some money, read about buying a refurbished GPS.

Today, everyone can benefit from the use of GPS tracking device. You can track virtually anyone, anything, anywhere, anytime in real time, simply by logging into any laptop or desktop computer. Golf enthusiasts have also discovered many uses for golf GPS systems to help them improve their game.

Golf GPS systems are a fairly new technology. These portable GPS systems are meant to help the players calculate distances and provide them with a host of other features. As the technology becomes more popular among golfers so has the variety of golf GPS systems available to them. Different golfers want and need different information as they seek to improve their game, so in choosing a golf GPS system, the golfer needs to know exactly what he or she is looking for, while also considering price and convenience in using each type of system.

The most critical issue for golfers is accurately estimating distance. How far to the hole? How far is it to the center of the green? How far to clear that water hazard? With golf GPS device you do not need to worry about finding yardage markers, pacing off distances or guessing when you are unfamiliar with a course. The GPS does all hard work for you, so you can enjoy your game more.

A small handheld GPS device, you can bring the GPS to the ball and get accurate distance measurement. Unlike laser devices used for golfing, you don’t have to point and aim or have a direct line of sight to the hole or hazard.

GPS golf systems are small but powerful. Thanks to some of the most advanced GPS satellite technology available, golf GPS tracking device can give you the exact distance between any point on the course and the green or any other target, even without a clear line of sight. All you will have to do upload the particular course map that you are playing to your golf GPS device using your computer, and you will have all detailed course information covering every curve, contour, slope and sandtrap available at their fingertips.

Special features that GPS golf systems provide include shot distance measuring and tracking, digital scorecard and game analysis, and personalized course editing and mapping. Players can keep track of their game digitally and perform an analysis based on pre-determined data points at the end of each round. Whether it’s the filling of a bunker, the lengthening of a tee or a removal of a tree, players can map, edit and save changes noticed on their favorite fairways right on the spot.

Along with these different features of golf GPS systems, there are still others that are being developed, for example GPS golf balls. The use of GPS technology will allow the player to find his or her balls if they are missing and will be able to acurately determine the distance the ball traveled.

Read more on GPS Handheld Navigation blog.

Handheld GPS devices can be used for tracking your location and itinerary whenever you are in the oudoors for your safety and convenience. They can provide you with accurate information about your exact position, elevation, topography, sights of interest, and other details. Portable GPS handheld systems are convenient to carry since they are small and lightweight.

In the past, all we had available was a compass and a map to help us figure our location. Now, with the era of portable GPS devices, you will never get lost even if you don’t have a compass and a map with you when you travel. Equipped with a handheld GPS device, you will never need to ask for directions again.

It is fairly easy to understand how the GPS unit works. Satellites transmit signals and the portable GPS units receive signals. There are 24 satellites that encompass the globe, and usually, you’ll have anywhere from five to twelve satellites in view of a GPS receiver anytime, anywhere. The GPS receiver gets signal from these satellites and calculates its own location based on its position to the satellites. If some of the satellites in view get blocked, or “shaded”, the receiver can simply use an alternate satellite to acquire its position fix.

GPS receiver knows when the satellite sends a signal and measures how long it took to receive the signal sent by the satellite. This enables the portable GPS receiver to calculate how far it is from any particular satellite.

Each satellite transmits data that gives its location and time. All satellites are synchronized to transmit at the same instant. Because the satellites distance to a given point on earth is different for each satellite, the time it takes the signal to reach the portable GPS device also varies depending on the device’s location.

Based on the time and satellite location information, which are both known, it is possible to calculate spheres of location on earth from each satellite. That is, at any point on the sphere, it takes the same time to receive the signal from a particular satellite. After four satellites have been “acquired” (seen) the GPS receiver can calculate its location (longitude and latitude) on earth. This position is based on where the four spheres intersect.

Although a GPS receiver needs at least four satellites to provide a three-dimensional (3D) fix, it can maintain a two-dimensional fix with just three satellites. A 3D fix includes latitude, longitute and altitude; a 2D fix provides just latitude and longitude.

The portable GPS then converts that data into a readable format, and displays it on your GPS device’s screen, for example, your location on a map. How accurate are they? Today most portable GPS units provide data with an accuracy of about 50 ft (+/-), but many do even better than that.

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?

If you are thinking about purchasing a GPS device, the first question you have to ask yourself is how you are going to use it. Are you going to be using it for directions and road navigation when driving, for sports, outdoor recreation, or boating?

GPS for hiking, geocaching, and other outdoor fun. If you’re into outdoor fun, you will probably want detailed topography maps on the screen of your GPS. Most GPS handheld devices come with basic maps that show cities and major highways. If you want more topographical detail, you’ll need a special mapping GPS receiver and a compatible software package (usually purchased separately).

If you don’t want detailed maps, you could opt for a basic GPS like the Garmin eTrex Handheld GPS. It doesn’t come with a PC cable, so you’ll have to manually enter waypoints using the tiny onscreen keyboard. If you choose eTrex Venture Handheld GPS (also from Garmin), which comes with a cable, you can just click on the map to set a waypoint and transfer it to your GPS.

GPS for road navigation. For automotive navigation, it’s good to have a GPS that can not only display maps, but will also give you directions. Popular brands include Garmin, Magellan and TomTom – these are all excellent choices. You will need to purchase some accessories, such as cigarette lighter adapter and windshield mounting suction cup.

GPS devices for sports. Portable GPS devices are used by bikers, runners, golfers, and other sports enthusiasts. They all need small lightweight devices that can be easily accessed when on the go. For example, Garmin provides some great devices, that are not just your typical GPS systems, that can be worn on your wrist, just as your watch and act as your personal trainer too. The Garmin Forerunner 101 Personal Training Device and Garmin Forerunner 201 Wrist-Mounted GPS Fitness Computer are especially popular. The Garmin Forerunner 301 GPS Receiver Personal Training Device even provides a heart rate monitor! Golf enthusiasts have also discovered many uses for golf GPS systems to help them improve their game.

GPS units for boaters. If you’re are planning to use your GPS on a boat or a cayak, you’ll need a waterproof device. GPS fish finders can help you ensure success of your next fishing expedition.

GPS for aviation. You can use a portable GPS while flying gliders, hang gliders, and paragliders.

What you need to know GPS software and maps
Most GPS units come with a cable that connects them to your computer. This opens up a world of free maps, aerial photos and 3-D imagery. Learning to use a GPS is fairly straightforward; choosing which software to use is not. GPS Mapping – Make Your Own Maps guides that you can buy on Amazon, can help you with that. It covers all major brands of mapping software, it also explores sources of free software and maps, how to use aerial photos and satellite imagery, and how to view backcountry locations in 3-D. GPS Mapping reduces a reader’s learning curve and gets them mapping right away.

Read more on GPS Handheld Navigation blog. If you are a golfer, you may be interested to learn how golf GPS systems can help you improve your game. Also learn about gps based vehicle tracking system, cell phone GPS tracking, and gps vehicle tracking devices. Some of you may be interested how to catch a cheating spouse with GPS car tracking.