How important is an electronic compass? (Legend HCx vs Vista HCx)

[+Mofino]

Is the electronic compass in the Vista Hcx worth the extra money over the legend HCx for geocaching? I have a small pocket compass and do not need the altimeter of the Vista...

 

I mainly want the higher sensitivity chip. Will I miss not having an electronic compass when geocaching? Are there any other advantages to the Vista HCx I am not aware of?

 

Thanks for any imput,

 

Bob

[+Nachtraaf]

In my opinion you will absolutely NOT miss an electronic compass, even less because you have pocket compass...it is just an extra feature.

 

Greetings,

Hans

[+geo climber]

Is the electronic compass in the Vista Hcx worth the extra money over the legend HCx for geocaching? I have a small pocket compass and do not need the altimeter of the Vista...

 

I mainly want the higher sensitivity chip. Will I miss not having an electronic compass when geocaching? Are there any other advantages to the Vista HCx I am not aware of?

 

Thanks for any imput,

 

Bob

 

I had the same questions, and I bought the Vista HCx. My feeling was that for the extra $30 I didn't want to be sorry later that I hadn't gotten the compass or altimeter. The compass can be easily turned on/off, and the altimeter page can be taken out of rotation if you don't want to use them. I'm still experimenting with both and don't know how useful they will be long term, but for the small price difference I'd rather have them than not.

[+SparksGuy]

Mofino;

 

I agree with geo climber.

 

The compass is not a good reason to buy this model but, if you are going to spend hundreds, why not spend a little more in case you need it later. I posted a review of the Vista HCx on my web site. Go to www.ksguy.com , click on Geocaching then click the link to see my review.

 

SparksGuy

[Team Forest Freaks]

...I agree with geo climber.

 

The compass is not a good reason to buy this model but, if you are going to spend hundreds, why not spend a little more in case you need it later...

 

While I agree to some extent, here's my take on it...

 

If you don't need either function, you could use that money towards something else , like maps. Also it's just one more thing to go wrong. I'm considering both of these units, and I'm leaning towards the Legend. Why? Well I live in Florida, so 95% of its life will be in flat terrain. I have no need for an altimeter.

 

I like geocaching and hiking deep into the forest. I always carry a compass. They never lose a signal or run out of batteries. A built in compass sounds useful, like pointing to the cache, but I always have to search the area anyway so any GPSr will get me close enough.

 

Does the Legend have an arrow on the map screen to show the direction of travel? If so, that would be good enough for me. My explorist 210 has that, and that is all I use. It has a compass too, one that works only with movement, and I never use that screen.

[+Chuy!]

I have a Vista HCx. It has an electronic compass, but it's off until I need it. It's off to conserve battery life. My previous GPS was a Venture Cx. It didn't have an electronic compass but you can mimic one by going to the satellite page and walking N, S, W, or E to get to GZ without having to move in a straight line like in the compass screen. You just gotta know where N is and know that the #s go up for N and W. It takes a little getting used but once you got it you'll be using it more often. I rely on this technique more than the electronic compass. You can also use this technique with the dashmount GPS' that have a rechargeable battery but not a compass page, like my work's Nuvi 660.

[Rhialto]

I got a Vista and I like the compass. When near the cache you go into compass mode and follow the arrow, simple. I don't worry with battery life, some think it drain battery but what if you do 24hrs with compass on instead of 25? I believe some overreact with this...

 

With Eneloop batteries I've just done a 8 hours car trip with compass on (because I don't even think of turning if off) and with the backlight at 20% and it is still showing 4 bars...

[+JohnnyVegas]

On a scale of 1 - 10, with 10 being a must have, I would give the electronic compass a 1.

I would give a good pair of hiking sox a 9 or 10

[+Mofino]

Thanks you everyone for replying. Some very good advice on both schools of thought. I went with the Vista HCx just so I will have the elect. compass if I need it.

 

Bob

[captain454]

Get the compass, you can't take a sighting without it. Sure, you can use a normal compass, but it won't be automatically corrected for declination like it is in the Vista. And, even if you do carry a normal compass, you will now have a back up with your Vista. If you don't like the compass, turn it off. Get the Vista.

[+JohnnyVegas]

Get the compass, you can't take a sighting without it. Sure, you can use a normal compass, but it won't be automatically corrected for declination like it is in the Vista. And, even if you do carry a normal compass, you will now have a back up with your Vista. If you don't like the compass, turn it off. Get the Vista.

Setting a compass to the proper declination takes about two minutes if you take your time.

A compass in a GPS for Geocaching is a waste of money. In all the caches I have found, only two required a compass bearing, and those did not require a declination adjustment.

 

If you don't like the compass, turn it off.

IF your are going to leave it turned off, why pay for it.

 

If you really want a GPS with a compass, Get a Magellan with a triaxial compass so that you do not need to have the GPS level for the compass to be correct. IF tilt a Garmin just a little bit, so much for your corrected declination.

Why is it that after all these years Garmin has not offered a GPS with a Triaxial compass. Ha!

[Team Forest Freaks]

Thanks you everyone for replying. Some very good advice on both schools of thought. I went with the Vista HCx just so I will have the elect. compass if I need it.

 

Bob

 

I really don't think you could have gone wrong either way.

 

I'm liking the idea of saving the $30 and getting more socks! That's 2 pair of Smartwool right there!

[+wsack]

I purchased a Vista HCx a few weeks ago since I didn't want to regret not having the compass later. I'm glad I made this decision. I don't use the electronic compass the majority of the time because when I'm walking, it jumps all around every time I move my hand. However, I've had a number of occasions where I've had to go hundreds of feet through deep brush to find a cache. I was walking very slowly and doing many zigs and zags. The non-electronic compass did not show the right direction to continue since I turned and moved within a short distance and certainly not in a straight line. In this case I just stood still, turned on the electronic compass and it pointed me in the correct direction to keep bushwacking. Then I turned it off and continued on my way. I found it very handy.

[+Jhwk]

I've had a tri-axial on my maggies for years.

 

If you don't have it, you won't miss it.

 

If I didn't have it - I Would miss mine.

 

and yes, I still carry a real compass, but have yet to pull it out.

Edited August 9, 2007 by Jhwk

[+simplyred]

60CSX and I like the compass, after having my old magellan pioneer and having to walk a ways to see if your heading in the right direction, the compass just starts you off in the right direction from a stand still. It was one feature that I always wanted and always couldn't figure out why any GPS wouldn't have one.

[GeoBobC]

My comment: I went hiking yesterday with a friend that has a 60Csx. He was confused because his GPS was indicating that north was in a direction 90 degrees to where we thought it was, and to where my $5 compass was pointing. I suggested that he "recalibrate" his 60Csx, which he did. After he recalibrated it, the compass pointed correctly to north. Just be careful not to rely on any compass that needs calibration.

[+TrailGators]

My comment: I went hiking yesterday with a friend that has a 60Csx. He was confused because his GPS was indicating that north was in a direction 90 degrees to where we thought it was, and to where my $5 compass was pointing. I suggested that he "recalibrate" his 60Csx, which he did. After he recalibrated it, the compass pointed correctly to north. Just be careful not to rely on any compass that needs calibration.

You need to recalibrate the compass everytime you change the batteries.

[+SparksGuy]

I have a Vista HCx. It has an electronic compass, but it's off until I need it. It's off to conserve battery life.

 

Just to be sure I measured the current draw of my Vista HCx with the compass on and off. There is NO appreciable difference! Now that I know that, I'll probably leave mine on, set to < 2 mph and > 60 seconds.

 

Also, I agree with JohnnyVegas, the Garmin compass is not accurate when tilted. java script:emoticon('', 'smid_2')

 

Pardon me while I go recalibrate my compass. java script:emoticon('', 'smid_12')

 

SparksGuy

[+cdndave]

Using my Vista HCX in a heavy wooded place this morning, I really liked having the built in compass. Up until this morning I was using a borrowed 60CX (which I really liked too). But I was constantly whipping out my compass.

 

So the built in compass allows me to concentrate on looking for the cache

 

But I'm just a newbie

 

CdndDave

Edited August 11, 2007 by cdndave

[kb9nvh]

I'm a 60csx owner and I dont do alot of geocaching so I could loose the compass very easily. I would miss the real pressure/altimeter but its a blessing and a curse and you have no way of displaying the GPS elevation (without going deep into menus each time). Sucks for pressurezed airplane cabins.

 

If I had it to do over agian I would choose to loose the sensors since I actaully lost my ability to see elevations while flying.

 

If I was an avid outdoorsman hiking the wilderness then I would probably choose the keep the sensors.

[+BAMBOOZLE]

When my wife and I started caching we used a Garmin without an electronic compass. Shortly after and for the past 4 years we have used a Magellan Platinum with a compass.

I can not imagine caching without this type unit. You can relax under trees, stand perfectly still ( or sit ) and your unit always points to the cache. This feature is only slightly second to the mapping feature.

GET THE UNIT WITH THE COMPASS.

[+soleful2001]

Johnny,

 

Best point I have heard on this forum and, from experience solid advice.

 

On a scale of 1 - 10, with 10 being a must have, I would give the electronic compass a 1.

I would give a good pair of hiking sox a 9 or 10

[+Etrex Pirate]

When I started caching 4 years ago I did a very difficult cache. I was on the side of a very steep hill and after I climbed up 200 feet and barely able to stand let alone walk around, I was within 100' of the cache but didn't have any idea which direction to go since I had the original yellow garmin without a electric compas. I gave up on the cache and returned the GPS and bought a Vista. I went back a few days later and found the cache.

 

I had the power off issues on the Vista that others have had and lost interested in caching but recently decided to start it up again. I bought a 60CSx and tried it out earlier today. I say the elecrtic compas is a must when caching.

Edited August 13, 2007 by Etrex Pirate

[+hogrod]

I've owned both a legendC and a vistaCX, and I would never buy the one without an electronic compass again. your already spending all that money, spend the extra $20-$40. you will have to deal with calibrating the compass but it only takes 20seconds.

 

besides the compass you get the sight&go feature and a nice altimeter/barometer graph page.

 

The altimeter readings in the track log are much more stable and accurate, when I use motionbased.com the elevation gain numbers with the altimeter are always very close to actual numbers. lets say with the altimeter It shows 350ft elevation gain, the unit without the barometric altimeter will show 2000ft or more because its constantly fluctuating.

 

Once I was in a swampy woods with my legendC and could never move in a straight line more than a couple feet(hopping from dry land to dry land). The compass arrow was useless, luckily I had bearing as one of my data fields so I could pull out a real compass to see where to go. I realized the need for an electronic compass that day, it would have made moving though that area much easier.

[+admo1972]

I agree with those that love the electronic compass. Being able to stop and have the arrow point towards the cache comes in very handy for almost every cache I've located. Plus, for those hard to find caches, it is nice to be able to triangulate the location simply by picking out a point to sight from, and just walk there w/o having to look at the needle on the GPSr at all on the trip. Just concentrate on getting to the spot, then sight the line.

[Skyliner]

I agree with Geo Climber also... I briefly contemplated the Legend or the Vista and finally decided, heck, what's $30 in the greater scheme of things...

 

Once it arrived, I found the compass interesting. Even handy to have in certain circumstances...

 

However, the altimeter, it turns out, is very interesting to me. When cycling or walking up hills, you know the total elevation gain. I next wondered, how accurate is it? Well, I wouldn't bet money on it, but I have done the same hills around here on different days and found that it arrives at nearly identical elevation numbers. What is even better is after going for a bike ride or hike, you can clearly see the hills you climbed via reviewing the elevation history graph (which can tailored to your liking).

 

So, bottom line is the compass / altimeter feature worth $30...? Absolutely!

 

Dirk