HHHarrier

I've had my Legend C for over a year, and I can't say enough good things about it. I love it. I have abused the heck out of it and it still works great (except that the rubber ring is beginning to loosen). 24mb cuts it kind of close for autorouting long trips, but locally it's fine. If it hasn't been mentioned already, you will need to purchase CitySelect software in order to make this function useful. An electronic compass (Vista C) would come in handy when geocaching under a thick wooded canopy since it will hold your bearing if you lose your satellite lock. Also, I like the compact size.

While flying AA from L.A. to Newark last Friday, our stewardess was stopped in mid-stride when she noticed my Legend C sitting near my window. When I explained to her what it was, she firmly commanded me to turn it off immediately, and went on to explain that it is clearly forbidden in the AA in-flight magazine section describing in-flight restrictions of electronic devices. I had been tracking my trans-continental progress from LAX up to this point in the journey, which by then was over the South-Eastern portion of Lake Michigan. I was very disappointed since I was thoroughly enjoying the experience of knowing where I was and what I was flying over. After stowing my Legend C, I reached for the AA in-flight magazine. Sure enough, included in the list of devices not allowed during flight are GPS receivers. GPS receivers only receive, and do not transmit, and therefore should not interfere with the plane’s avionics, so it’s not obvious to me why AA won’t allow them (when other airlines will).

I'm from the frontier town of New Providence, in Western Union County, where everybody's good looking and our caches are above average.

I have a Legend C, and my only regret is that I didn't spend a few more bucks for the Vista C (I wish I had the compass to hold my bearing under tree cover). I use CitySelect V6 for autorouting and 24mb is plenty for my local travels. I never have to worry about swaping map sets locally. When I travel to CA next month I'll load the maps I'll need while there. And since CitySelect is loaded on my laptop, I can always change them while there if necessary. By the way, the December/January issue of Adventure Magazine rated the Vista C the best all around choice for a handheld GPS. That's saying alot given the number of great Garmin and Magellan units available that cost much more.

Please also consider the Legend C and Vista C as less costly alternatives to the 60cs. The Legend C and Vista C are identical except that the Vista C has a magnetic compass and altimeter - so maybe the comparison should be between the 60cs and the Vista C. The Legend C and Vista C use the same firmware as the 60cs, have a marginally smaller color screen (with higher resolution), but have less map storage (24mb of memory). With CitySelect loaded for autorouting, 24mb still allows for a reasonably large geographic coverage area. For example, I live in a densely populated North Eastern state, and the 24mb allows me to load approx half the state. They have a much smaller form factor and weigh less than the 60cs, which I think is a huge plus. They are also about $100 cheaper. Another thing to consider: Adventure Magazine rated the Vista C the best GPS on the market for form, function, value, etc., in it's January edition.

As a happy and registered ExpertGPS user, am I correct in assuming that we will be entitled to load the update free? An option for 3D topos would be nice, along with an animated replay of tracks feature (in 3D!). I guess TopoFusion offers this, but I found ExpertGPS OK for my current needs, and easier to navigate.

I tried both demo versions of ExpertGps and TopoFusion, and I found ExpertGps easier to use. I quickly had my uploaded tracks integrated into both USGS topo maps and aerial photos. I was so addicted to the demo that I had to have the paid version on the day the demo expired. It's very handy to use for geocaching since you can upload the geocache's waypoint, center it on the map, scale the map, and print it. Now you have your own geocache-centric topo map to take with you on your next search.

I purchased an eTrex Legend C in August, and with the exception of my Martin guitar, I have not enjoyed a toy this much since I was a child and my Dad gave me my first Matchbox (pre-Hotwheels, so I guess that dates me). My only regret is that I did not spend a few more bucks and get the Vista C, especially when it comes to geocaching, because the Vista C has a magnetic compass which keeps it's bearing when in thick tree cover when GPS reception can be intermittent. I prefer the smaller and lighter form factor of the Legend C and Vista C to the 60C. And if you don't need the extra memory (I have CitySelect maps loaded and can fit most of my densely populated Eastern seaboard state into my 24mb Legend C) these are the best value on the market. Tip- If you decide to purchase CitySelect maps for auto-routing, consider buying a mobile phone AC vent clip at Radio Shack. They’re inexpensive, position your GPS perfectly for viewing while driving, and you can pop your Vista C in and out easily. In my opinion, you have every right to be excited about getting a eTrex Vista C.

If your're looking to seemlessly integrate your tracks, routes, or waypoints into USGS topo maps or aerial photos, try this program, it's a free download: http://www.expertgps.com/

I chose the Etrex Legend C for its compact size, color screen and its auto routing (with CitySelect maps). I bought a nifty bracket at Radio Shack that clips onto my car's AC vents. It's easy to remove, and I can switch it to my wife's car easily. It runs on the same firmware as the 60C and has a similar screen size but with higher resolution. It's much more compact than the 60C, and I find it very easy to geocache or run trails with. The buttons on the side make it a good choice for this type of active usage. I confess that I wish I had spent a few more bucks on a Vista C for the electronic compass. The compass in the Legend C works well so long as you're moving. But when geocaching in densely wooded areas, it's got to be nice to have the electronic compass feature on the Vista C kick-in to hold your bearing. For the money, I'm very pleased with the Legend C. Even if the price of the Legend C and 60C were equivalent, and despite the larger memory of the 60C, I would prefer the compact size of the Etrex Legend C or Vista C.

Is there any way to view the active log (current unsaved track) on a Saved Track type screen while the track is still active? I'm primarily interested in quickly checking the distance of the current track, and time intervals, without having to save (which would lose the time intervals), and end the track. In other words, I'd like to be able to quickly see how far I've gone at different points while I'm still tracking. Thanks.

Thanks StormCrow42, I went back and counted my saved tracks (carefully), and sure enough, I had twenty of them. For some reason I thought I could save many more than that (like 500), but I must have confused the number of tracks allowed with the number of waypoints you can save. I'm just curious, does it specify the Saved Tracks Log capacity anywhere in the Garmin manual? Anyway, thanks again for your clarification, and prompt reply. I can relax now.

Hello everyone. I have a question regarding my Garmin Legend C. I have approximately 10 short tracks saved in Saved Tracks. Yesterday, before I set off, I did the usual thing - I cleared the track log, and then enabled tracking. When I finished, I turned tracking off. The track log memory showed 2% used. When I tried to save, for the first time ever, the SAVE option was greyed out. When I hit the menu option it offered two choices: 1) Area Calculation 2) Delete All Tracks (yikes). So I entered Area Calculation, got the Area, and an option to save. When I entered SAVE this error message came up: Track Memory Full. The track log memory shows 98% unused memory, so what am I missing? Is the track log memory the same as the track memory? There is no way my 10 saved tracks could have possibly use up the available track memory. Under TrackLog Setup I have Wrap When Full enabled, Record Method set to AUTO, and Inteval set to NORMAL. One more observation, on the lower left hand corner of the Tracks Page is displayed: 0 Unused. In the Legend C manual, page 34. the screen shot for the Tracks Page shows 19 unused (with only 1 saved track). I have no idea what this means. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated.

I have a Legend C (same as the Vista C, but without the magnetic compass and altimeter) with CitySelect. The limitations of the 24mb memory depend on the length of your journey, and how densely populated the area traveling through happens to be. Earlier this month we were able to load enough CitySelect maps to allow us to auto-route from Northern New Jersey to Kingston, NY to Ithaca, NY, and back to NJ via PA (over 500 miles). Locally, I use my Legend C for auto-routing all the time (mostly just because it’s so fun to use).

The color display eTrex Vista C and Legend C both have 24MB of memory and are identical, with the exception that the Legend C does not have an altimeter or compass (however the Legend C has a GPS compass - which works so long as you're moving – which is 99% of the time you’re using your GPS). The earlier (monochrome) version eTrex Vista and Legend both have 8MB of memory. The base map in the eTrex Vista C and Legend C is very basic and not very useful for auto-routing. If you want this option, which I think is really worth the extra $$$ since it adds such a huge function to the unit (and helped justify my decision to buy a Legend C, which I love), you will need to factor in the additional $120 for CitySelect maps (pricy, but necessary for meaningful auto-routing).