Has anyone got garmin etrex H

[sbike007]

Just want to check if any one got etrex H, and would appreciate if you could provide some feedback. such as accuracy, lock speed by comparing with other H units. thanks

[gallet]

Just want to check if any one got etrex H, and would appreciate if you could provide some feedback. such as accuracy, lock speed by comparing with other H units. thanks

 

I can see no reason why it would not be as accurate as any of the other H series. However the basic Yellow etrex is a real pain in the butt when it comes to manually inputting waypoints, and naming them. So much so that I would rather have the Venture then the eTrexH, if I couldn't afford one of the other H models.

 

Garmin have too many models now. It's time to drop the models without the pick stick. The Venture should have had an H chip and been made the new Yellow eTrex and the current Yellow etrex should have been discontinued.

Edited September 21, 2007 by gallet

[sbike007]

Just want to check if any one got etrex H, and would appreciate if you could provide some feedback. such as accuracy, lock speed by comparing with other H units. thanks

 

I can see no reason why it would not be as accurate as any of the other H series. However the basic Yellow etrex is a real pain in the butt when it comes to manually inputting waypoints, and naming them. So much so that I would rather have the Venture then the eTrexH, if I couldn't afford one of the other H models.

 

Garmin have too many models now. It's time to drop the models without the pick stick. The Venture should have had an H chip and been made the new Yellow eTrex and the current Yellow etrex should have been discontinued.

 

Hi Gallet

 

thanks for your information. I never used an etrex before, so not sure how painful it will be. I got 60Csx already, the only reason I need one extra is for my girlfriend, so she can at least do something when I am searching. That's why I only concern about accuracy.

[gallet]

In that case I think you'd be better off getting a second hand mint condition Venture for $70 on ebay, unless you plan on spending most of your time under very heavy tree cover. I mean a fun thing to do with a gps is to mark a waypoint in the field and give it a name. On the models without a click stick this is a mind numbing experience. It's not fun. You should go down to a shop and check out what it's like. The H series are not about accuracy they are about holding a signal in very difficult terrain.

[sbike007]

Problem is I am at Australia, and all H series will only be available before Christmas, so I can't really test it (you can't believe how hard it is to find a shop has handheld gps). How every, based on your info, I think I should at least get a Venture HC. (Another reason is, I have to get from ebay if I want now, and the cheaper the GPS, the less risk that I need pay tax to custom).

 

So if anyone in Sydney is reading this, pls let me know if there is any good local shop, or online company is selling garmin handheld unit.

Edited September 22, 2007 by sbike007

[gallet]

Problem is I am at Australia, and all H series will only be available before Christmas, so I can't really test it (you can't believe how hard it is to find a shop has handheld gps). How every, based on your info, I think I should at least get a Venture HC. (Another reason is, I have to get from ebay if I want now, and the cheaper the GPS, the less risk that I need pay tax to custom).

 

So if anyone in Sydney is reading this, pls let me know if there is any good local shop, or online company is selling garmin handheld unit.

 

Hi I'm also in Australia, The Blue Mountains to be precise, I bought a Vista HCx from US ebay a few weeks ago for $330 delivered to my front door, takes about 7-10 days.

 

I also bought a mint condition Venture yesterday for $104 delivered. Should be here next week

 

My first gps was an eTrex Summit which is why I warn you off the eTrex because both of them do not have a pick stick and that is very bad news.

Edited September 22, 2007 by gallet

[+gpsblake]

Garmin have too many models now. It's time to drop the models without the pick stick. The Venture should have had an H chip and been made the new Yellow eTrex and the current Yellow etrex should have been discontinued.

 

From garmin.com

MSRP of Venture HC - $214.27

MSRP of Etrex H - $106.24

 

I know you can get both units well below that.

 

That's exactly why they shouldn't drop the Etrex H model. Choices are always a good thing and making a cheap high sensitive unit is always a positive. Besides that, you can get a serial cable to upload waypoints to the Etrex H if you want. A lot of people don;t use units for geocaching or car trips and the Etrex H is perfect for them.

[gallet]

@'gpsblake

 

You've misunderstood me. I'm talking about the monochrome Venture which is a basic unit much like the yellow etrex, it just has the pick stick and the other software improvements that go with it like 10 digit waypoint names.

 

So that if garmin want a low end H model they should have put the h chip in the monochrome Venture and done away with the Yellow eTrex.

 

It's crazy that Garmin keep upgrading models but do not get rid of the previous model.

 

You can get some idea how out of touch with reality Garmin is by the fact that they are still selling the eTrex along side the eTrex H and they are both the same price.

[+gpsblake]

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

 

I read somewhere that the B&W Legend/Venture/Vista were going to be discontinued soon so they didn't get the upgraded chip. The only reason the B&W Etrex H got the new chip is Garmin wanted to have a inexpensive unit in the market to compete with other low end GPS manufacturers.

 

I might get an Etrex H (I have the cable from my Legend) just for a dedicated geocaching/benchmark hunting unit and dedicate my Legend Cx to my bicycle and auto.

 

As far as Garmin having an overload of models on the market, I'll agree but I think Garmin also does it to maintain market share and shelf space. It's wise as far as marketing goes. Magellan on the other hand has only one model line and they all look the same except for the Explorist XL.

Edited September 23, 2007 by gpsblake

[+WalruZ]

I've had a yellow H for a few weeks now. I prefer a simpler gps as I handle all of my mapping &tc on a pocketpc that I also carry, and prefer that setup. My previous units were all from the geko line, with most of my finds done using a 301 (I love the form factor.)

 

Not long after getting it I took it for a few caches in a nearby county park which is all steep canyons and tall redwoods. I have visited the park in the past with a standard issue garmin and received no signal at all there, none. With the H I kept signal throughout my walk. The GPS read 1ft at one cache, 26 feet at another (hidden by a less exacting hider). I considered this stellar performance.

 

The ability to ignore solutions due to signal slowed by tree cover reflection (multipath) is valuable even if you have 'mostly' good signal. With a less sensitive gps you find yourself walking into a small grouping of trees, and that's enough to throw the gps for a little loop. The H? No so much.

 

One thing though, when I opened the box and turned it on for the first time, it took about three hours to get a fix. I understand that it was downloading the almanac so I cut it some slack, but it was still annoying. That's a one-time occurance - ever since it locks onto sats in about 5 seconds.

 

Everything else about the yellow is the same, except for the "high sensitivity" printed on the front. As far as I can tell there is no software upgrade for the unit and the software is identical to the non-h model. The interface is somewhat clumsy, but still serviceable. Make sure you get the H and not the older yellow which is still being discontinued at some places.

 

Recommended, unless you care about a map on your GPS. As I said above, I prefer having my map separate.

 

 

ETA: that's pocketpc not powerpc. whoops.

Edited September 23, 2007 by WalruZ

[gallet]

@gpsblake,

 

I read somewhere that the B&W Legend/Venture/Vista

 

If this is true then it is a real irony considering it is the Yellow, Camo and Summit that should be discontinued.

 

It is a disgrace that Garmin should still persevere with the 6 waypoint space name and crocked input method. There can only be one reason why they would do this, I agree that it is good marketing in a sense that as long as people keep upgrading then it's good for business.

 

The H model eTrex will definitely tempt a lot of low end users (it's a fantastic chipset), and I suspect that Garmin is happy for them to have a unit that they later discover is very frustrating to use. Even if one forgets about the terribly clumsy input method for waypoints, (I don't think many people will carry a portable computer in the field with them) then one needs to consider how the hell does one give a meaningful name to 500 waypoints when the limit is 6 spaces. This is not something many consider until it's too late and the way to solve this is to upgrade.

 

Good marketing, yes, good PR, no. Low end model should mean b/w screen, very limited internal memory, no sensors, no memory card. But it should not mean 6 spaces to enter the names of 500 waypoints.

Edited September 23, 2007 by gallet

[+WalruZ]

My quick response to that is that not everyone places the same level of demand on their GPS, so a range of capabilities and price points is appropriate. Some people who geocache (note, i did not say "geocachers") only try it out, and if they stick with it they only do it very occasionally and aren't in it for $250 and a complicated device UI.

 

Also consider that nothing else about the yellow H is different. They are leveraging IP that they've already got, an easy, smart move imo.

 

What has been discontinued is the geko line, which I will miss. They are comfortable to carry, easy to use and get the job done. I found 4000 caches with one - they don't suk that much.

[jmundinger]

Just want to check if any one got etrex H, and would appreciate if you could provide some feedback. such as accuracy, lock speed by comparing with other H units. thanks

 

I have a Vista HCx. I purchased it from OffRoute.com at a better price than that listed on Garmin's website.

 

It is a good unit. It locks up more quickly than my LegendC and typically displays a smaller margin of error than the Legend. I checked it on a couple of benchmarks in my neighborhood - with an open sky and reading 8 or 9 satellites, the unit was off by 4 feet.

 

The HXc series have one glitch. Garmin is aware of it but have not yet assured me that they can fix it. You have to be moving about 1.5 miles per hour for the speed and odometer to work properly. Below that pace, the unit assumes that you are not moving, the speed registers as zero and the odometer does not move.

[sbike007]

Just want to check if any one got etrex H, and would appreciate if you could provide some feedback. such as accuracy, lock speed by comparing with other H units. thanks

 

hi, thanks for all your reply. I think it's time to provide some updated. I just got my Etrex H from ebay ( 84 + shipping 36), because

 

1. I have got 60CSX, it has all the functions I need.

 

2. I need a smaller gps for geocaching especially when there are many people around, 60csx is just too easy get attention.

 

3. Mapping is not important for the last 30m anyway.

 

4. I believe the newer version of CN map will only has 1 unlock code.

 

5. Just a small toy for my girlfriend.

 

only 1 issue with H, speed shows at 0 sometime, even you are walking at reasonable speed.

Edited October 20, 2007 by sbike007

[sbike007]

and I do feel etrex H is more sensitive than 60CSX, at least in door.

 

it can get signals when 60csx can't in my apartment.