not to brite!

[huskyjerk]

I just purchased this garman etrex venture hc and while reading the owners manual it sounds as if I need to buy dounloads before I can even use it? all I wanted to do is go find a "Treasure" with my grandson in the nearby parks. is it ready to go? or do I need another 100.00 map?

[+ArcherDragoon]

I just purchased this garman etrex venture hc and while reading the owners manual it sounds as if I need to buy dounloads before I can even use it? all I wanted to do is go find a "Treasure" with my grandson in the nearby parks. is it ready to go? or do I need another 100.00 map?

For nearby parks and occasional use...this is a fine unit and ready to go...have fun!!! The maps are useful if traveling in unfamilar areas...but certainly not needed in order to cache...

[+osubrownsfan]

i'm on my 2nd Garmin GPS and have over 400 finds and havn't loaded a map to either one, just using them straight out of the box

[+J-Way]

I just purchased this garman etrex venture hc and while reading the owners manual it sounds as if I need to buy dounloads before I can even use it? all I wanted to do is go find a "Treasure" with my grandson in the nearby parks. is it ready to go? or do I need another 100.00 map?

The maps are just extra bells-and-whistles. If you want the receiver to tell you which street to drive on to find the nearest cache, then you'll have to buy City Navigator maps. If you want the receiver to display topo maps for cross-country hikes, then you have to buy the topo maps.

 

If you want the receiver to display an icon and tell you which direction to walk to find the cache, then you're already set.

Edited November 6, 2008 by J-Way

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I found my first 500+ with an eTrex Yellow, about as basic as GPS get!

 

I will tell ya that it's like dial-up and broadband, though, once you cache with a full-function GPS you'll never go back!

 

For basic navigation you will find that all GPS do the same thing... get you from where you are to any given coordinate... with about the same accuracy, so you don't really need fancy or expensive.

[+TeamJosh]

I also have purchased the Venture and all I did was download the cache I waned to find into the GPS, and went hunting. Easy, great unit to operate and I am happy with the purchase.

[+Stripes]

I have just started using my Venture and I have not loaded any maps. I do have a system in the car so when I need to drive somewhere, that is the one I use.

[Hobbyhoppers]

We just purchased a Venture HC and the next day went out and found our first two Caches. The Topo maps that they sell just overlay the map build into the device to show you elevation differences but are not needed for caching. Just download the cache coordinates from the web directly to the device (with the GPS plugged into the computer of course) and you're ready to go. Good luck!

[+Grigorii Rasputin]

I just purchased this garman etrex venture hc and while reading the owners manual it sounds as if I need to buy dounloads before I can even use it?

 

Skip the maps. Go caching!

 

Grigorii Rasputin,

http://www.glass-cockpit.org

http://grigoriirasputin.wordpress.com