Forkeye

My Etrex 30 compass seems to work fine as does its reception,I dont geo-cache much,mostly hike and to be honest dont trust any electronic compass fully.

Both still need software improvements and those seem to be coming slowly.I came from the 76csx and now have the Etrex 30,check them both out at a store as the buttons are totally different and so are the screen sizes.I got the 30 because it was small for multi day hiking trips.Map panning on the 30 is probably slower,but still usable and it also has Glonass...but which is better is like asking who likes what color.

I count 19 characters max. for a waypoint name on my Etrex 30,one reason for a one line only waypoint name is for when you review the waypoint list ,it is alphabetical and a nice neat list,having only one waypoint per line another possible reason is so that map detail is not blocked by a multi line waypoint name, these seem the most obvious to me anyway. The return key is used to move to the line below when changing/entering waypoint description,waypoint co-ordinates /location and any other screens that have multi line data input.

I think all waypoint names are one line only,even in Basecamp and Mapsource Any additional info can be entered below in the description box

http://gpsinformation.info/penrod/62S/62-78.html Here is a review when it first came out an since has had software updates,since I dont own one and follow the updates you will have to wait for others comments as to what is still not working correctly.

Anchor drag and off course alarms as well,I dont understand why they cant make the tones louder and add some altitude alarms as well,my old Casio watch had them.

OK thx,I already emailed the regular tech. support line,and after I explained to them that it was a 2.87 update problem,the girl told me I needed to update my software???I have expirienced this kind of stupidity before with Garmin when I have explained problems in detail and then they start asking me questions that were already explained in my first email..WTF Garmin who is working the help line desk? One day I am going to throw this stupid paper weight all the way to Kansas and I hope it hits you in the head!

Can you tell me where this feedback address is thx.

My compass calibration works fine tried several times with no problems unless I turn it too fast and I can now use the compass the next day and it still seems fine without recalibration. My map panning and zooming seems slightly better actually,but I am using Garmin maps,Backroads B.C. Canada maps(which is the most complex one I have),Northwest topo Washington state,perhaps these are simple maps,I dont make my own....my 76csx still out performs the etrex 30 with the maps I have. I dont use profiles ,haven't had a problem selecting waypoints As I metioned abouve it does not always display the satellite page after powering up,(this is the page at the top of the page sequence list) it sometimes goes to the menu screen even if I power off with the satellite page displayed. Haven't tried geocaching yet Strange how some folks have proplems and some don't...like some of us have different hardware in our units and Garmin is somehow trying to develope software that works in all of them.

I've had the same set of Duracells in mine since I got it 5 months ago,obviously haven't used it much but they didn't go dead on there own either

Yep, I normally just use a Silva and check the bearing on the GPS. Regarding finding geocaches maps+compass only, I think there's a small subculture within geocaching doing exactly that. It may take more time for sure but with a good topographic map and the description I do see it being very possible even in far off terrain... I'll have to check that out,I just installed the geocache app on my Iphone and it seems to be very quick and fuctional so I will play with that for abit,while Garmin tryyyys again. My map panning and compass calibration didnt seem much different than before???? I'll try it again

Revert time...just use a real compass and you cant go wrong,been doing it since 1970 and never had an issue!! Fix the compass and mess up a bunch of other stuff,my god I bet I could find a geo cache with just a good real compass,what did you think the military did way back,we didnt need a gps.The CPU is too slow to handle complex maps and that the way it is,there was mention of this a while back and it seems to be so,we will all run out and buy the next unit and the saga will continue!

Since upgrading to 2.87,I have noticed that when I power up my 30 most of the time it goes to the satellite page,but the odd time it goes to the menu page, a minor issue I know,just wondered if anyone else noticed it,maybe it was even there before I dont remember for sure.It doesnt seem to matter what my last screen viewed was.

OK updated to 2.87 and map re-draw times slightly better on mine,high detail levels are still too much for it.

Any comments about map re-draw times while zooming and panning ,with high detail levels? Never really noticed any more problems with my 30 compass compared to my 76 one,as long as it was left turned on it seemed ok SLOWLY was there before,I think my 76 also said just right and too fast...definately had a better cpu.

Ultimately the best GPS is the one that you use because you like it, and the worst GPS is the one that you hate using so much it sits in a drawer gathering dust. Entry level anything is all too often a mistake

I think most on here would advise that vehicle GPS units are not the best for geocaching,so any of the outdoor handhelds would probably be ok.So then you need to decide between touch and non-touch screens and their daylight read ability,screen size and button layout,and the actual unit size,then if you want a compass/altimeter,most of the other features are fairly similar.

I still calibrate my Etrex 30 compass just as often as my 76csx compass,the accuracy is no different between the two. I always carry a real compass with ajustable declination,once set you just get your bearing from your gps and away you go and never bother with the gps compass,I am not anti electronic compass,it just seems so much simpler.But I still like to play with the electronic one too.

The pointer wont show what hemishpere you are in either.dawnwhisker are you refering to the red dot on the satelite page ? It points in the direction you are facing.

What page are you looking at? Etrex 10 doesnt have a compass and a compass wont tell you what hemisphere you are in.

Mine works ok with v2.8 with a higher value being displayed in feet and a lesser value in meters Sat.page is gps elevation and trip computer is barometric elevation

Think about what you wrote there. It took two years after releasing the product before they got it right? How can you not consider that anything but a colossally failed product release? How can something so broken that it took 2 years to get right be "one of the best ever"? Think about all the customers who don't keep up with things and don't even realize that there are firmware updates. Or those who don't do it for fear of bricking the unit. I totally agree ,it is shamefull of Garmin to release dud products and take what seems to be forever to fix them,people need to stop buying them as fast as Garmin pushes them out the door!

I always like to get my position from my Garmin and the triangulate my position to check it against my map,close enough for navigation,,,,,just like my old army days with my Silva Tritium dial compass with romer back in the 70s

You only need to change your Datum if you want to use your gps with a paper map when navigating somewhere,the Datum on both must match so that position co-ordinates and bearings match more accurately.

Great thx..so much to learn about these units.