Garmin eTrex Vista HCx

usability, maps, performance, size, memory

price, reliability, design

80% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

usability, performance, price, size, screen

89% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

High Sensitivity ReceiverWaterproofAutomatic, turn-by-turn routingGood battery life

Requires purchase of larger MicroSD (64mb in box)

Packed with features for the part-time Geocaching enthusiast or the...

Exceptional GPS receiver performance, Lightest and smallest high sensitivity GPS unit with color mapping and full navigational functions, Excellent features and user interface, especially for serious backcountry navigation, Good battery life, Field...

Citation "Garmin eTrex Vista HCx GPS REVIEW," by Alan Dixon. BackpackingLight.com (ISSN 1537-0364). http://backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/garmin_etrex_vista_hcx_gps_review.html, 2007-12-12 02:00:00-07.

As a rambler I have used a standard Etrex for 7 years. The Vista HCx acquires sats more quickly, has a better battery life and has a much better screen. Its additional features are numerous and take some getting used to. The important ones for me are...

The extra features lead to a complex menu system which is probably inevitable. The manual is too concise and a fuller explanation of the features would be useful. The mapping available from Garmin seems expensive.

As a rambler I have used a standard Etrex for 7 years. The Vista HCx acquires sats more quickly, has a better battery life and has a much better screen. Its additional features are numerous and take some getting used to. The important ones for me are...

The extra features lead to a complex menu system which is probably inevitable. The manual is too concise and a fuller explanation of the features would be useful. The mapping available from Garmin seems expensive

accurate and easy to operate a godsend

wish it had a bigger screen

I bought this about 2 years ago. I use it on my motorcycle and it does more than i need. I purposely get lost just to navigate my way out of it with this device. I also used this on a trip down to Florida from NY and it worked flawlessly ; The battery...

Wish the screen was a little bigger for easier readability, wish it was a little faster when scrolling at zoomed out level ; The only con i found was, be careful with the directions it gives you if you plan to find the route using the GPS rather than...

compact and good-looking ; very accurate ; picks up signals inside of buildings ; initial lock-on quite rapid ; doesn't get easily confused by trees, buildings, etc ; exceptional battery life (car use, low backlight setting) = 20+ hrs with fully...

screen colors are bland and somewhat low-contrast ; no ability to download aerial photos ; joystick only goes in cardinal directions, not ordinal too (i.e. won't go SE or NW, just N, S, E, W) ; joystick navigation (to view a route, for example) is...

I dont really have anything negative to say about this unit. I am currently stationed in Northern Iraq, and have been using this GPS unit for about 6 months. I receive reception inside buildings, whether they have a steel or concrete roof. I have never...

None whatsoever

The unit works very well, and it is easy to use once you figure all the nuiances. It zooms down to a good level and and is very clear to see. It picks up the satellites rapidly and accurately pinpoints location, heading, and elevation.

The only two things that I find irritating is 1) I am constantly having to calibrate the compass because it will lose direction if you turn too quickly or if it loses the satellite. 2) The basemap is virtually worthless, and you have to purchase maps...