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Andy73

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I'm trying to buy my first GPS. I will mostly be using it for hiking, kayaking and geocaching. I was looking at the eTrex Vista HCx. Its just a tad bit more then i wanted to spend but im willing to go for it. Im so afraid of making a mistake and not getting the most for my money. This is a big expense for me and I wont beable to buy another unit any time soon. Is this a good unit? Will it do what I need it to? Should I be considering any other unit in the same price range? Any advice would be welcome...

 

Thanks

Andy

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The Vista HCx is probably a good unit for you as it's small and you can put it around your neck with a lanyard while kayaking. Other units are good but are heavier. Another possibility is the Garmin 76 series. It's larger, but it floats in water.

 

The Vista will do everything you probably need. Keep in mind that map software will cost extra. There are city, topographic, BlueChart marine navigation maps, and lakes for the US and individual states on software CDs.

 

Parsa

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I think most people that own that unit are happy with the purchase. Since you will be doing some Kayaking you might want to look at the 76x series, they float! They will cost more, but if your near the water quite a bit it might be worth it. Check ebay, craigslist, the garage sale forum here, maybe a used one might fit your budget a bit better. Also remember that any topographical or street software you want will be extra on top of the unit.

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I'm trying to buy my first GPS. I will mostly be using it for hiking, kayaking and geocaching. I was looking at the eTrex Vista HCx. Its just a tad bit more then i wanted to spend but im willing to go for it. Im so afraid of making a mistake and not getting the most for my money. This is a big expense for me and I wont beable to buy another unit any time soon. Is this a good unit? Will it do what I need it to? Should I be considering any other unit in the same price range? Any advice would be welcome...

 

Thanks

Andy

 

I cant over promote the garmin 60cx!!!! it has almost every function you could ever want and it is waterproof! you may need to buy a simm chip for specific areas, but it is dead on as far as nav and geocaching!

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I'm trying to buy my first GPS. I will mostly be using it for hiking, kayaking and geocaching. I was looking at the eTrex Vista HCx. Its just a tad bit more then i wanted to spend but im willing to go for it. Im so afraid of making a mistake and not getting the most for my money. This is a big expense for me and I wont beable to buy another unit any time soon. Is this a good unit? Will it do what I need it to? Should I be considering any other unit in the same price range? Any advice would be welcome...

 

Thanks

Andy

 

I cant over promote the garmin 60cx!!!! it has almost every function you could ever want and it is waterproof! you may need to buy a simm chip for specific areas, but it is dead on as far as nav and geocaching!

 

I too would recommend the 60 Cx BUT although waterproof, it "does not float"!

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Based on the three activities you described you should check out the Earthmate GPS PN-20. It costs $299, comes with all the Topo data for the entire US, and includes a $100 certificate for maps like Nautical Charts, USGS Quads, and Aerial Imagery. The device will float with our LiIon battery or the Energizer e2 battery... they are lighter than alkaline and tip the buoyancy scale in our favor. If you are still researching devices the maps make it worth checking out... and there's a 30 day money back guarantee if you decide to try it.

 

http://www.delorme.com/

 

Let me know if you have any questions.

 

Chip Noble

Team DeLorme

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I'll recommend the 60CSx.

 

First, I much prefer the labeled keypad on the 60/76. Maybe I have a memory problems, but I find I read them fairly often even though I've used it for well over a year. It is important to me.

 

Second, the 60's size/shape is sooo much more compact than the 76 series. When I saw my brother's 76CSx I was shocked by how big it was compared to my 60CSx. See this link for an excellent visual comparison:

 

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=144&pID=8705#

 

Third, from tests people have done with the 60, it is not that far from being bouyant. If you're worried about dropping it into water, all you need to do is tie a small keychain float to the lanyard. It really won't take much to keep it afloat.

 

Here is a link to the float test video:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2361118443564888241

 

Fourth, using pricing from gpscity.com, the Vista HCx is $80 more than the 60CSx. With that cost savings you could almost pay for the Garmin 100K Topo USA software ($85)!!!

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I'm trying to buy my first GPS. I will mostly be using it for hiking, kayaking and geocaching. I was looking at the eTrex Vista HCx. Its just a tad bit more then i wanted to spend but im willing to go for it. Im so afraid of making a mistake and not getting the most for my money. This is a big expense for me and I wont beable to buy another unit any time soon. Is this a good unit? Will it do what I need it to? Should I be considering any other unit in the same price range? Any advice would be welcome...

 

Thanks

Andy

I think that is a great choice, but as others have said, you will need to purchase additional software, such as City Navigator maps for auto-routing or Topo for hiking. I much prefer the Vista HCx and the logical buttons over the multiple buttons on the larger, bulkier 60CSx. Keeping the GPSr attached to yourself or the kayak with a lanyard makes the floating ability of the 76 Series moot . . . :laughing:

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After all my research Im still leaning to the Vista Hcx. I talked my wife into getting me a gps for fathers day. she told me to buy what i want. Now I have to get her to give me my fathers day present early :)

 

Now i have questions about the maps I know I need the city nav to use the auto routing feature. But do I need the topo maps?

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After all my research Im still leaning to the Vista Hcx. I talked my wife into getting me a gps for fathers day. she told me to buy what i want. Now I have to get her to give me my fathers day present early :)

 

Now i have questions about the maps I know I need the city nav to use the auto routing feature. But do I need the topo maps?

If you are into kayaking, you might be better served with the BlueChart or Inland Lakes products: http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/ontheWater/

 

Topo maps are probably more useful for your hiking activities: http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/ontheTrail/

 

Either way, you can "road test" the maps on the MapSource Map Viewer on Garmin's web site, to check out the level of detail you can expect. (BlueCharts are not viewable - I believe this is a licencing issue.)

 

Hope this heps!

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I'm trying to buy my first GPS. I will mostly be using it for hiking, kayaking and geocaching. I was looking at the eTrex Vista HCx.
From my experience reading this forum, most members are "gear whores". If it ain't the best . . . forget it. Last year I was in your shoes and bought my first GPS. The only feature I miss is the barometric altimeter. Then only because its needed for altitude logging, the GPS altimeter varies +- 30 feet in a few minutes due to satellite geometry.

 

In my opinion, the Vista HCx is an excellent starter, far superior battery life to either the 60 or 76 series. I disagree you'll want to do auto nav with this unit, screen is to small and all you get is a faint beep for turns. But as a flexible field unit, excellent. Topo 2008 is probably your best all around software choice. Check out Amazon for both the GPS and Topo.

 

Happy Fathers Day!!!

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The more i look into this the more questions I have.

When buying the maps do you get them preloaded on the micro card or do you get the cd?

If I get a large enough micro card can I put two, let just say, the topo map and the the city nav map on the same card? if they are on the same card how do i switch between them or am i better off having seperate cards for each thing and switch them in and out as needed? Does the topo map show lakes and streams? I dont need real detailed lake maps for kayaking. I dont do rapids... mostly slow moving rivers, lakes, bays and every once in a while i will go out into the ocean and paddle along the cost. For hiking im mostly in NY . For geocaching I will be mostly in NY state. It would be nice to have the auto mapping feature. My wife would hold the GPS and direct while I drive so im not worried about trying to do both at the same time.

 

Thank you for all the advice so far!

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When buying the maps do you get them preloaded on the micro card or do you get the cd?

I'd get the maps on DVD, for two reasons:

(1) so that you can also see the maps in Mapsource on your computer (can't do that with the pre-loaded cards);

(2) so that you can load more than one type of map on a single card (for example, City Navigator and Topo).

 

If I get a large enough micro card can I put two, let just say, the topo map and the the city nav map on the same card? if they are on the same card how do i switch between them or am i better off having seperate cards for each thing and switch them in and out as needed?

Yes, they can both go on the same card at the same time. You can only "see" one of them at a time, but it's a simple matter to toggle between them (a few button-clicks on the GPS). It's much easier to do this than to switch cards every time you switch from driving/road maps to hiking/topo maps.

 

Does the topo map show lakes and streams? I dont need real detailed lake maps for kayaking. I dont do rapids... mostly slow moving rivers, lakes, bays and every once in a while i will go out into the ocean and paddle along the cost. For hiking im mostly in NY . For geocaching I will be mostly in NY state.

The topo maps show quite a few lakes and streams (and ponds and puddles), although we have found a few around here that aren't on the topo maps. (It's not strictly size-based, since sometimes a pond that's not on the map is much bigger than others that are.)

 

Since you live and cache in NY, you might be interested in this post of mine, showing the difference between City Select and Topo maps at Letchworth State Park in western NY. (City Select is obsolete now; it has been superseded by City Navigator. The level of detail between the two is similar.)

 

It would be nice to have the auto mapping feature. My wife would hold the GPS and direct while I drive so im not worried about trying to do both at the same time.

I agree; it is a really nice feature -- especially when you've got a navigator there to read the upcoming turns to you, so you don't have to try to look at the GPS while driving.

 

If I had to give up one of the two, I'd give up Topo and keep City Navigator (but I'm glad I don't have to make that choice! :) )

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I've got an IFinder Pro. I also have an Freedom Map SD card containing the topographical map of most of the province of Quebec. Between the base map and the topographical map, there is a world of difference. I live in northern Quebec and there are no cities or villages north of where I live. Now, with the topo map on my GPS screen, when I travel the logging roads that I have travelled for quite a few years, I see lakes that I did not even know existed near those roads.

 

Sure, I can get topographical maps of the areas that I play in but there are no roads on these maps. It's hard to see just how close I am to these lakes when travelling along those logging roads when using topographical maps. During the winter while snowmobiling, there is too much snow to distinguish much of anything.

 

I do a lot of hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, atving, canoing and wilderness camping. City maps.....no need for them. All the streets are included in the topo maps anyway. All I have to do is glance at my GPS and I can see where my next turn will be. If there is someone beside me holding the GPS, it's easy for them to tell me when to turn left or right.

 

If I was a delivery man, well I would get city maps and a GPS for auto-routing and audible directions.

 

I would not recommend buying city maps for anybody who wants to play outside of the cities. I would even say that city maps are a waste of money for anybody except a travelling salesman who wants a GPS with voice for his vehicule.

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OK just a question. I really cant afford a new Colorado. Im i going to be missing out on something great with this new game Wherigo.com I just read about it. I feel like im already buying old technology If it cant even play this new GPS game. But Is this new game worth the extra cost of the colorado?

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Only if you have a use for them?

You can't have both in the GPS at the same time.

 

After all my research Im still leaning to the Vista Hcx. I talked my wife into getting me a gps for fathers day. she told me to buy what i want. Now I have to get her to give me my fathers day present early :laughing:

 

Now i have questions about the maps I know I need the city nav to use the auto routing feature. But do I need the topo maps?

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Only if you have a use for them?

You can't have both in the GPS at the same time.

 

After all my research Im still leaning to the Vista Hcx. I talked my wife into getting me a gps for fathers day. she told me to buy what i want. Now I have to get her to give me my fathers day present early :laughing:

 

Now i have questions about the maps I know I need the city nav to use the auto routing feature. But do I need the topo maps?

You can have multiple combinations of mapsource maps in the GPS, like City Nav, TOPO, Blue Chart, and other homemade maps within a single mapsource session, then uploading that.

 

As far as useful maps on the Vista, the City Navigator, may be all you need. I found Topo almost useless on a small screen like the eTrex or 60CSx, but the TOPO is excellent on the high resoloution Colorado.

 

--------------

 

What you could do is buy the City Nav 2008 DVD, then just wait for Fathers Day, to get your GPS. You may have to borrow a GPS from a fellow cacher until then.

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Whatt you could do is buy the City Nav 2008 DVD, then just wait for Fathers Day, to get your GPS. You may have to borrow a GPS from a fellow cacher until then.

 

If you do that, make sure that you DO NOT unlock CN for the borrowed GPS!! Otherwise that copy of CN will forever be tied to the GPS it was unlocked for.

 

I have a Vista C and I use it for autorouting. I have no issues with the screen size.

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Only if you have a use for them?

You can't have both in the GPS at the same time.

 

After all my research Im still leaning to the Vista Hcx. I talked my wife into getting me a gps for fathers day. she told me to buy what i want. Now I have to get her to give me my fathers day present early <_<

 

Now i have questions about the maps I know I need the city nav to use the auto routing feature. But do I need the topo maps?

You can have multiple combinations of mapsource maps in the GPS, like City Nav, TOPO, Blue Chart, and other homemade maps within a single mapsource session, then uploading that.

 

As far as useful maps on the Vista, the City Navigator, may be all you need. I found Topo almost useless on a small screen like the eTrex or 60CSx, but the TOPO is excellent on the high resoloution Colorado.

 

 

 

hmm..Maybe I should hold out a little longer and save more money and go for a Colorado...

Just when I thought I was ready to buy...

Topo is better on Colorado and the Wherigo thing is for the Colorado...

 

I was going to get the Vista but now im not sure...

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I'm still convinced that a person does not have to go the whole nine yards to get a GPS.

 

I would do more research before buying a GPS for a first time user.

 

I would definately go for a mapping GPS.

 

Now, if it's just for a map of 1 or 2 states....8 megs of memory is ample so why buy an Vista X when a Vista will do the job just as well.

 

Colour screen....that is up to the buyer but first, he must actually see for himself what a topo map looks like on a grey scale screen instead of colour screen.

 

Extra sensitive reception is a good idea if a person wants to wander around downtown New York where there are lots of buildings or somewhere surrounded by mountains and/or lots of heavy tree cover like Washington State and Oregon. However, with that extra sensitivity is not necessary on open water or under ordinary outdoor activity.....except for geocaching in heavy cover. Even in that case, the person who planted the cache....probably did not have an extra sensitive GPS in the first place. My very ancient Lowrance GlobalNav 200 would get satellite reception on the back seat of my Suzuki Sidekick and rarely lose it. While on the dash of my vehicule, it never lost reception except when surrounded by tall buildings. When you are surrounded by tall buildings.....you are not lost. If you want accurate geocaching....there are non-mapping, extra sensitive GPS units for less than 100 dollars. But, mapping is fun and even a necessity for hiking, atving, snowmobiling, biking, kayaking or canoing. For geocaching, maps are not one bit necessary.

 

Now, another question.....why a Garmin? Point of view quality versus price, there are better units for sale at a lower price. Even a Magellan is better....but the service does not seem to be very good. Why not a Lowrance? The IFinder H2O is considered the best buy on the market. It has everything that you are looking for and is at a lower price. You can add an antenna to it (you can't with a Vista). You can buy Freedom Map cards (cheaper than Garmin maps) and you can make your own maps with their mapping programme. It also has unlimited memory....you just use as many common SD cards as you want.

 

You want games.....buy a pocket PC or a GameBoy. A GPS is not a toy....it's a tool.

Edited by phern47
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I'm still convinced that a person does not have to go the whole nine yards to get a GPS.

 

I would do more research before buying a GPS for a first time user.

 

I would definately go for a mapping GPS.

 

Now, if it's just for a map of 1 or 2 states....8 megs of memory is ample so why buy an Vista X when a Vista will do the job just as well.

 

Colour screen....that is up to the buyer but first, he must actually see for himself what a topo map looks like on a grey scale screen instead of colour screen.

 

Extra sensitive reception is a good idea if a person wants to wander around downtown New York where there are lots of buildings or somewhere surrounded by mountains and/or lots of heavy tree cover like Washington State and Oregon. However, with that extra sensitivity is not necessary on open water or under ordinary outdoor activity.....except for geocaching in heavy cover. Even in that case, the person who planted the cache....probably did not have an extra sensitive GPS in the first place. My very ancient Lowrance GlobalNav 200 would get satellite reception on the back seat of my Suzuki Sidekick and rarely lose it. While on the dash of my vehicule, it never lost reception except when surrounded by tall buildings. When you are surrounded by tall buildings.....you are not lost. If you want accurate geocaching....there are non-mapping, extra sensitive GPS units for less than 100 dollars. But, mapping is fun and even a necessity for hiking, atving, snowmobiling, biking, kayaking or canoing. For geocaching, maps are not one bit necessary.

 

Now, another question.....why a Garmin? Point of view quality versus price, there are better units for sale at a lower price. Even a Magellan is better....but the service does not seem to be very good. Why not a Lowrance? The IFinder H2O is considered the best buy on the market. It has everything that you are looking for and is at a lower price. You can add an antenna to it (you can't with a Vista). You can buy Freedom Map cards (cheaper than Garmin maps) and you can make your own maps with their mapping programme. It also has unlimited memory....you just use as many common SD cards as you want.

 

You want games.....buy a pocket PC or a GameBoy. A GPS is not a toy....it's a tool.

 

Very good point

Thanks

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