frog522

Is this a common problem with eTrex 20 and 30? Or more prevalent on one of them? I'm fairly new to the GPSr world and I'm considering getting a eTrex 20 or 30. I have read about "sticky" problems with the eTrex 30, and mention about the need to frequently recalibrate the electronic compass and altimeter, and also the compass/altimeter have problems functioning correctly with low battery power? Has anyone come across any new information that sheds some light on whether these are common problems or isolated problems? Who owns a eTrex 20 or 30? What has your experience been so far?

Is there difference between the operational reliability between dedicated GPS devices and smartphones (iPhone4s, etc.)? I don't own either at the moment. I haven't tried geocaching but might be interested in trying it. I mostly explore city areas and open space preserves with frequently traveled trails. However I travel solo most of the time so the last thing I want to encounter out in the field is having my dedicated GPS or smartphone freeze or crash on me (and losing my traveled path, waypoints, other). Has anyone had any good or bad experiences with operational reliability of dedicated GPS devices and smartphone GPS apps?