Garmin Etrex Legend GPS Receiver
by Garmin
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List Price: Our Price: $197.87 You Save: $2.12 (1%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $50.00 (click here) Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
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for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin Etrex Legend GPS Receiver
Customer Review: Garmin eTrex Legend 8 MB GPS for Geocaching
Summary: 5 Stars
Purchased this GPS device primarily for geocaching and have not been disappointed in its overall performance. For only geocaching, it probably is too much for us - we could have gone with the model below it, but we have enjoyed its use none the less.
Our experience indicates that it performs reasonably accurately (usually within 20 feet) even in dense tree cover or thick clouds. Its initial connection time is brief (no longer than 1-1.5 minutes) and when it does lose contact, it reconnects usually within 10-15 seconds.
The display can be tough to read in bright sunlight, however (although my kids have had no difficulties, so it may be Dad's old eyes!). The battery life has been great - we use regular AA cells and have only had to replace them once in 5 months of use (and we have often left it on for extended periods).
The pre-loaded mapping software is OK for interstate and more significant US highway travel (indicates rest areas and services available at exits) - state and lower level roads are not provided. But we're fine with that as we use it primarily for geocaching. Cannot comment in terms of its ease in uploading other software or data as we have not attempted that at this time.
Again, overall we are very pleased with our purchase of this Garmin device and are looking forward to years of use of this GPS unit.
Customer Review: Good budget mapping choice
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the Legend to replace my original E-Trex, and I've bene pretty happy with it. Compared to the original unit, tracking is better, it'll handle more satellites, and of course you get the mapping and database, too.
As a number of reviewers have noted, it doesn't work so well indoors, or in a forest canopy, but that's true of any unit that uses a simple internal patch antenna. They just don't have the gain, or the wide reception angle. And we hikers do sometimes as a bit much of these units, expecting them to work in a pocket on a waistbelt or pack, where our bodies are shrouding them from half the sky.
But in a clearing, or on the deck of my kayak or on my little sailboat, it works just fine. Sure, it would be nice to have a larger map, but for the money it delivers a lot of resolution and a lot of data. I've used in in my car as well, mounted on a bracket alongside a cell phone and other radio gear. It's great at telling you when your exit is coming up, or where you are relative to nearby cities or other highways.
Sure, I'd like color and a screen with four times the area, but at the price it's hard to beat. And if you have a laptop, it makes a great outboard receiver at a price less than that of some dedicated units. A good choice all the way around.
Customer Review: Currently Best Value in GPS
Summary: 5 Stars
This is definitely the best value for the money. With the $50 rebate till the end of the year it can't be beat. So far I have had no problems with the Legend although I haven't used it with leaves on trees. There are so many things you can do with this small unit you will constantly learn new ways to use it every time you pull the instruction manual back out. The basemap does have most roads and some lakes. However, it did leave a 450 acre lake in a state park off the map. The biggest mistake I made was not buying the unit with the Mapsource Topo together at half price. Paired with Mapsource Topo, it has the most remote creeks, lakes, reservoirs, etc. I have been able to locate one of the most remote native trout fishing streams with the software. Most people give the software harsh reviews, but considering the amount of detail people want, it will never fit on the GPS. And if it did, you would only be able to load a small amount onto the unit at a time. The garmin web site allows you to preview the software before you buy it which should give no one any room to complain. Aside from that, it's the only software that you can download the maps onto the GPS. If you have any other questions, email the company for an in-depth reply.Customer Review: Fast becoming the best value around!
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had my Legend for 10 months now and am surprised I haven't reviewed it yet.
I have had occasion to use MANY different units, and by far this is the winner. I find that the price point can seem steep, but it is worth the price tag. I got this hoping to use it to scout for hunting and fishing, but found Geocaching to be a good way to learn my way around a GPS. To be fair, I've always been a map and compass guy but this is so easy to use I sometimes don't even carry maps.
-Waypoints are the easiest to enter of any system, and the many icons make it easy to identify waypoints on the map.
-Solunar tables are nice and can be computed for specific waypoints.
-Nice backlighting, a little dim, but will not ruin night vision.
-They say it's designed for left handed operation, but as a lefty myself, I find it easy to use with both hands.
-The trip computer is very nice, and you can cusomize the data to show what you want. I use this for computing mileage when making long trips for work, so it's paid for itself in mileage checks!'
I have NO complaints about this unit, though I would recommend getting a case/cover for the screen since it's so exposed.
Customer Review: Great GPS!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first GPS and I'm really pleased with it. I did a lot of research and came to this decision. The GPS is very small and easy to handle. This is wonderful when you have to lug it around to go geocaching or mess with it in the car. The downside with the size is the fact that the screen is a little small. Luckily, Garmin has taken the time to invest in a very crisp LCD display. It's very readable and is very much readable (big surprise) in the sunlight.
The user's manual was just about unnecessary. The unit is so easy to use, it's not funny. It's very Windows-ish in its operations and is very easy to learn and use.
There are two things I really dislike about the unit. The plasic screen over the LCD is very shiny and you must hold it just right to see through the reflections. Also, if you want good mapping, you must mortgage your household to buy the Mapsource CD's from Garmin.
Other than that, so far I am very pleased with the unit. It's functions are very intuitive and easy to use. It also seems to be very intelligent.
I highly recommend this unit and would buy it again without any reservations.