Newbie for GPS–maybe eTrex H?

I love my 60Csx and think any of garmin’s high sensitivity labelled units would be okay. I love the quad helix antenna of the 60 and there may be lower priced units that have it as well.

The groundspeak gps and tech forum is a great place for this question.

Thanks for the reference to the groundspeak forum–I tried searching but it wouldn't allow me as I'm not a member, and I don't feel like joining another group. I've only got eyes for BPL.

Okay, my girlfriend just told me to not get the cheapest GPS I could find–she thinks I'll regret it later. So, now I'm looking at mapping capability, USB interface, and probably color.

So, stupid question (meaning, can you explain it to me like I'm a 4 year old): What is, and how important are, microSD cards? I think they are basically flash memory cards, but are they for importing information, or are they for tracking your routes and such? And/or are they for boosting the existing memory of a GPS?

I've always been a map and compass guy, so this is way out of my comfort zone.

The eTrex H is just fine. I have one.

Your girlfriend's concerns about not buying the cheapest XYZ are very good, but in this case you need to distinguish between 'cheapest' and 'functionality'. Going up from the eTrex H does not get you better GPS performance, just extra frills.

If you *want* all the imaginable bells and whistles, then it is going to cost. But such units are also hungry on batteries! That is a distinct negative for long trips.

If you just want to be able to verify your position, then the eTrex H is what you want. No frills, light, long battery life, and as good sensitivity as anything else on the market.

Cheers

Thanks Roger, that's what I was looking for. When I can't navigate due to the weather in Iceland, I can check where I am in relation to a known waypoint and then walk that-a-way.

I can't see myself ever really getting into downloading trails and whatnot on a GPS. Since I am fully capable with standard navigation, I don't think I would be able to get over the feeling that I have an expensive toy. I've already got enough of those…

I've used the old Etrex (not the high sensitivity one), and the Etrex Legend HCx (High sensitivity) for SAR.

I own a Geko 201.

I would never EVER buy another GPS without the high sensitivity receiver. There really is no comparison, especially if you want to be able to turn it on occasionally to confirm your position. The high sensitivity unit will get you an accurate lock much much faster, enabling you to turn it on and off much quicker to save batteries.

I think the Legend (or Vista for more money again) is worth a look for a couple of reasons. First it has a longer advertised battery life than the Etrex, 25hrs compared to 17hrs. That's about 50% more. My experience with the old Etrex was that even though it had an advertised battery life of 17 hours it was really more like 12-14. Roger may be able to comment on whether it's better with the H chip. The Legend seems to be a bit better than spec, where I typically get around 28-30 hrs out of a set of batteries over three days. So more like twice the battery life of the old Etrex.

The Legend is a bulkier unit though, and I wonder about the joystick durability, but it is much faster to enter data during a search. It's supposed to only be 6g heavier, but I can't confirm this. It uses a USB connection, instead of a serial port, which I don't have on my laptop. The Vista also includes a barometer.

The other advantage of a mapping GPS is the ability to use it when not in the bush. I can see it being a great help in strange/foreign cities, especially with the ability to rapidly zoom in and out.

The biggest downside is clearly the price, at 2 1/2 times the price of the Etrex, and it's the reason I haven't purchased one myself

Sorry if this adds any ambiguity to your decision, but this is one case where simpler may not necessarily be better.

…

I'd love to use the Geko, as I already own it, but it can't even find a signal while walking around in the middle of the street of my neighborhood. I'll try it out in some open meadows around my house to make sure, but other than that I'll have to go with the eTrex H.

Thanks for all your help.

In January had an eTrex H in my right hand and an eTrex Vista HCx in my left hand, and went on a walk during a hard rain, testing usability of both devices simultaneously. I settled on the eTrex H.

Sure, I wish it was easier to enter text on the H, and I wish the battery life was a little longer, but there are distinct advantages to the H: you don't have to worry about pushing on the joystick (this can happen easily and will result in a waypoint being added), it is bright yellow, it fits better in one's hand, the enter button is more ergonomic for one-handed use (I find using the joystick one-handed to be awkward and 'slippery'), it is cheaper, and the screen is easier to read in full daylight. I got mine from Target.com for US $80 and a USB cable for US $12. Oh, and one thing not advertised properly: the eTrex H is 0.6oz lighter than the Legend and Vista models. This is because of the 0.5oz weight penalty of the metal clip attachment embedded in the battery compartment panel on the Legend and Vista models.

Since I input my waypoints from the computer, it's not that big a deal that input is slightly slower on the eTrex H. And in the field, if I want to mark a point, I simply press and hold enter, letting it name itself (usually 001, 002, 003, etc). I then mark that number on my map. When I get home, I rename the waypoints on my computer. This is a faster method than changing the waypoint name, even on a Legend or Vista. This also works great for out-and-back hikes with no pre-imported waypoints; I can simply create waypoints 001, 002, 003 etc. as I hike; if I get lost, I just have to create a route home following the descending numbers.

One note about the battery life: the battery indicator will go down to low while there is still 50% or so charge left. This fooled me at first, but I still got 10 hours or so of constant use after the battery reached low using Alkalines. So do don't rely on the battery meter. Using 2 AA Lithium Energizer batteries, I can get almost two full days of hiking with tracking on before the battery dies.

When on trail, I keep the GPS off, and turn it on to mark a waypoint at trail intersections and landmarks. Then, if I get to an off-trail section (i.e. alpine exploration), I'll keep it on, creating a track. With this kind of use, a set of batteries installed plus a spare set is plenty. Since I would also bring an extra set of batteries for a Vista HCx, I save 0.6oz using the eTrex H without the reduced battery life being any kind of detriment (other than the expense of having to buy Lithium batteries more often, which is offset by the cheaper initial price of the GPS).

John–you are able to use a USB interface with your eTrex H? The Garmin website says that the interface is serial (whatever that means). I would much prefer a USB option.

Thanks for your post–another check in the 'eTrex H' box.

This is correct, the eTrex H is a serial device. And Garmin wants you buy a $38 serial cable not included in the box, in addition to a $60 serial to USB adapter. You'd pay more for the two bulky cables than you would the eTrex H!

Fortunately 3rd party came to the rescue:

http://www.rnrplace.com/store/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=34

$13 for a cable that has the custom serial port on one end and a USB port on the other; the serial-to-USB converter is built into the cable.

John, you have really helped me out. Thanks.

Thanks a heap for that one John.

That cable also mates with my Geko, and they only charge an extra $3.05 to post to Australia. That's my kind of company.

http://gpsbitz.co.uk/shop/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=42

Just a gentle reminder of living in rip off Britain

From memory I think I downloaded required drivers from this site too.