eTrex Legend

[T and M]

Hey all. I'm really new to this sport. I just bought a eTrex Legend handheld unit and was wondering if I could have done better. To me it's alittle annoying to have the backlight go off every few seconds. I know I saw something about changing the timer but still..... And I find it hard to see if its even a little dark outside. The toggle switch is a little hard to use too. Did I not look around enough, are they all about the same? What kind are most of you using? Any helpful pointers would be greatly appreciated.

[Isaiah 40:31]

You may want to look at my comparison of a couple GPS I had in my hand:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=152819

[vermontcathy]

Yes, you can set the backlight to stay on longer. And I'm not sure what you mean when you say it is hard to see in the dark. That's what the backlight is for. I love my Legend. Do you have the color one or B&W? Mine is B&W. The 5-way button is a little odd that you have to use your left hand, but you'll get used to it. The user interface is very easy to use and intuitive, I think.

[+Crystal Sound]

Hey all. I'm really new to this sport. I just bought a eTrex Legend handheld unit and was wondering if I could have done better. To me it's alittle annoying to have the backlight go off every few seconds. I know I saw something about changing the timer but still..... And I find it hard to see if its even a little dark outside. The toggle switch is a little hard to use too. Did I not look around enough, are they all about the same? What kind are most of you using? Any helpful pointers would be greatly appreciated.

 

You can go into the settings, and set the backlight to "always on". With that setting, you can toggle the backlight on/off at will, and it will not "auto-off" after the time delay, like normal.

 

This is how I have mine set.

[+ICHTHYS]

I recently sold my Legend to by B-in-Law. It was a good unit. I used it for 2 years.

 

I always used the stick with my right thumb. I could hold the unit in my right hand and operate it one handed.

[+ms1951]

And don't forget to set the contrast to your liking. If you crank up the contrast you should not need the backlight for most daylight operations.

 

I used a B&W legend for 2 1/2 years and found it to be a great unit.

[+NightPilot]

You shouldn't need the backlight unless it's really dark. It's probably the contrast setting. Go into the setup on the Main Menu page and change the contrast to a better level. The manual has details. The Legend isn't actually a black and white unit - it's a greyscale unit, with 8 (IIRC) levels. If the contrast is set wrong you may only see some of the levels, making it hard to read.

Edited January 16, 2007 by NightPilot

[T and M]

Thanks all for the help. I didn't think to change the contrast. Ill try that before changing the backlight. I can't wait till some time off work to get started. Thanks again all for the input.

[+trail hound]

Don't worry ...You bought a great unit

I used one for two years Then I bought a GPSMAP60C. ..I still use the Legend quite often.