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: Great all-purpose GPS
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased this GPS to use both on my bicycle and in my car. I also own a 60Cs from Garmin.
The Vista HCx is a better GPS in every way. It is smaller, the screen is higher resolution (though physically slightly smaller), the arrangement of buttons is better for one-handed operation, battery life is at least twice as long. The Vista also has a micro-SD slot which is a great feature. The 60Cs has 64MB of memory, enough to load say northern Illinois and part of souther Wisconsin. I put a 2GB micro-SD card in the Vista and was able to load maps of the entire U.S. and Canada. No more switching map sets before long trips!
The high-sensitivity receiver is great, it receives signals and maps my position while sitting on my couch! I used the 60Cs a couple years ago on a bike trip and found it lost reception when the trees extended over the road or trail. I rode the same route this summer with the Vista HCx and reception was perfect.
I have the City Select maps for North America which I loaded on my 60Cs. Garmin allows their maps to be loaded onto two devices so I was able to load and activate the maps for the Vista.
I also purchased the bicycle handlebar mount for this unit and it works great as well (though a bit pricey for what it is).
Currently I have only one complaint about the Vista HCx. The backlight does not automatically stay on when running on external power. You must press the On/Off button briefly to activate the backlight. With the 60Cs if the GPS was running on external power the backlight automatically came on and stayed on. This is a minor complaint but since it could be fixed with a firmware update it would be a nice feature to include.
Customer Review: Excellent GPS unit.
Summary: 5 Stars
I've been playing with this thing for over a month now. Great unit, very sensitive. The only place that I don't get signal is where I work, but the building is shielded, what can I expect? Other than that no problem: In the house, malls, hills, you name it. This baby knows where it is all the time. The basic map is basically basic, no much fun, so I installed City Navigator 2008, and here is where this thing shines. You get turn by turn to your destination. Of couse, you will need a MicroSD card to install the maps, do yourself a favor, get the 2GB, here at Amazon the price is just right to pass.
Now, after you install the map, go to "setup" then to "routing" and pick faster time, then below that menu, pick "Follow road Options..." and disable all the "avoid". I thought this thing lost its mind, it was routing me all over the streets to my destination, until I came to this menu and disable all the "avoid."
Pros: Very sensitive.
Able to use a MicroSD card.
Small and rugged.
Cosn:
Wish to be able to scroll back and forth, so far you can scroll forward only.
To test the unit, press the rocker switch down and turn it on. To see additional info, get to the computer trip, then press the rocker switch up, right, down then left.
In my opinion, this unit is more advanced than those for your dashboard. Of course, you don't have voice guidance, traffic update, etc.
Usually, I come to Amazon.com to read reviews, some are very extensive. In my opinion, people that write reviews here are more mature in most aspects, so these are my two cents.
Customer Review: simply the best hiking GPS
Summary: 5 Stars
For many years I used a Garmin eTrex Vista. It was sooo reliable. So when it came to upgrading (I wanted a USB rather than serial port, data card for mapping and waypoints) I chose Garmin eTrex Vista Hcx. This is an amazing GPS for hikers and trekkers. It has everything. Long battery life, very high sensitivity (it works inside my house or my work office), fast satellite acquisition, memory card for detailed maps, excellent track log facility, small size, light (180gm inc. protective jacket and Li batteries), waterproof and easy to use (I still haven't used the manual). The main problem with GPS is that none of the manufacturers offer proper support for Apple Macintosh computers. However Mac GPS Pro is excellent. The cost is reasonable $49.99(US). This software also makes it easy to see your tracks and waypoints on Google Earth!
A couple of months later:
OK, the sensitivity of this little GPS is AMAZING. Tested under tree cover - no problems. It's a sensitive as my in-car GPS (Nuvi 660)!! V fast acquisition times. These two items are really important for GPS's. And of course it loads maps. These vary in quality and are not related to an individual GPS - the maps run on many models.
About the only thing that is missing from this little device is Blue Tooth or Wfi. If it had (switchable) Wifi, there would be no effect on battery life (which is fantastic!) and they could waterproof it even better. I have my doubts about the weather sealing around the USB socket!
But still, I am blown away by this units power, sensitivity and endurance. Simply amazing.
Customer Review: Very Good Upgrade from eMap
Summary: 5 Stars
Pros:
Excellent satellite reception, many, many nice, customizable features, long battery life. "Tracks" is one of my favorite features of the GPS, where you can download to the PC, a second by second record of your location & speed. And contrary to other reviews, it seems the Map Setup now does allow setting the Tracks feature up to 10,000 points (based on your SD Chip capacity ?). Works with MetroGuide North America v6.0 (which I already had). I have all of North America(1.1 GB) easily on a 2Gb chip. Built-in Routing is limited, but works. Not bad for a little pocket device.
Cons:
The unit has a barometric Altimeter that may be good for hiking, but if you use it inside a car it is useless. You can use the GPS to calibrate the altimeter, but you can't switch it to indicate and record the GPS altitude! USB interface to PC seems awfully slow when transferring the maps. Display is bright, customizable and well laid out, but small. First unit I got locked up intermittently. Returned it and the 2nd unit is working perfectly.
Update - May 2009 - 2nd unit stopped talking to the computer - With USB cable connected, the GPS won't power on. Garmin replaced it under warranty at 11 mos. whew ! In hindsite, I probably would have rated this a 4-star, and saved $40 and purchased the Legend Hcx since I think the Vista's barometric Altimeter is a pointless detriment to this unit. The GPS calculates altitude much more reliably than the baromter. And while i like the compass feature, it is unreliable, and requires frequent re-calibration.
Customer Review: Awesome GPS!
Summary: 5 Stars
I had high expectations for this GPS (eTrex Vista HCX) and I've been very happy with it's performance and features. I powered it up (after eagerly tearing the box open) and it wasn't long before I was out finding geocaches with my buddies. I mostly use it for geocaching, but also use it for navigating around town and when I'm out of town in unfamiliar areas. I bought a 1GB microSD card and downloaded the maps, which makes the GPS even more of a really good general navigation tool.
I've had the eTrex Vista HCX now about month and am at the point where it's intuitive for me to configure, adjust and use in different modes. I use road-following mode when I'm on the road going somewhere new and want road info, then I use the off-road mode when I'm hiking or geocaching and want "direct to-the-target" information. The size is very nice, small enough to shove in my pocket if I want to and the screen is plenty big and has easy-to-use zoom and scrolling controls. The USB cable is very handy for downloading maps or geocache coords. The color screen is very nice. When I was deciding on a GPS I didn't think I needed the color screen, but I ended up getting it because it came with the model that offered an electronic compass and altimeter, features I definitely wanted. It turns out the color is very nice and I'm really glad I got it. Overall, I think this is a very capable, fun, compact, easy to use GPS, especially for under $250 on Amazon.
Paul (in Encinitas, CA)