Am I crazy? Going to get a Garmin HCx

[kchunks]

I see that the text did not come up with the post- here we go again.

 

After changing my mind numerous times I am mostly decided on a Garmin Legend HCx. I had started out looking at the Legend H, then HCx, then DeLorme PN-20, and now back to the HCx. The reason for the last change is that I see this GPS going to my curerntly 3 year old son or not so techno savvy wife in a few years when I have the money to spend on a fancy one and from what I read I don't think that the DeLorme is a good choice for them.

 

The dilemma is that I have heard only so so things about the HCx in the accuracy department. I guess they're great at holding a signal but tend to bounce all over the place. Reviews are quite mixed. Is this a big problem? Is this something that a software update might fix in the near future or is it a hardware issue and that is just the way the unit is? Worse comes to worse I can always return it I suppose but I would rather not let it go there. I am already stretching my budget a bit so a 60CX is not an option (unless there's a price drop coming). Is there something else I should be considering ($200 or less)? If the accuracy is an issue I might just get a yellow etrex and suffer through using a serial cable.

[NullSyndrome]

I'd like to know too.

 

I am in the market for my first GPS and am looking at the Garmin Etrex Legend HCX and Vista HCX.

 

Walmart has the Legend HCX for $190 and the Vista HCX for $196, so I figure spend the extra $6 and get the Vista. Would this be a good GPS for the price?

[crawil]

I've had a Vista HCx for some time now and find it very accurate, many times getting a signal when indoors! With the high-sensitivity receiver (the "H" in the name), you can't go wrong.

[+allory]

No doubt there are other opinions, but I think the Vista HCx is a great unit. Not just for the money, but just great. I've not done much caching with it, but have found the ones I've looked for. The GPS usually got me within 10' of the cache. On a couple of occasions when I was with someone else it did better than theirs did.

 

My direct comparisons have been with Garmin 60 and 76 series and Magellan eXplorists, I like the HCx better.

[+pigpen4x4]

The HCX is a nice unit, I have one as well as my 60CSx and my new PN40.

Of the Garmins, I like the 60CSx better, but I'm not saying it is a better unit. Just a personal prefrence.

If you can get the Vista for 6 bucks more, jump on it.

Nobody has ever said this would be a better GPS if it didn't have the E.Compass. If you don't like it, you can turn it off.

Betcha never do though!

C.

[namiboy]

"holds a signal but bounces all over the place" has me a little confused. but anyway, i also have a vista hcx and like it very much. i'm not worried about paperless caching and such and so far i have no complaints about the vista. i will tell you that i got mine for 165 from target thru amazon, so if you have a week or so, keep checking and see if the price comes down there or on walmart's website. often they will lower the price for a short time and you can jump on it.

[kchunks]

Null, check out the deal Costco has on the Legend HCx. I have used one with a compass and altimeter and I know I will never use it.

 

Nami, supposedly the new H receiver has a "tendency to wander" when moving less than 2.5 MPH. More than just a few reviews I have read online indicate this.

 

I will go for the HCx.

[kchunks]

Hmmm, this looks intriguing. I could wait until May but then I would be a guinea pig on the unit and I am not sure if I am up for that.

[green802]

Hmmm, this looks intriguing. I could wait until May but then I would be a guinea pig on the unit and I am not sure if I am up for that.

 

I've just purchased a Leg-end HCx. It jumps all over the place and I'm not too impressed so far.

Tonight I hope to run software & firmware updates to take it from 2.6/2.6 to 2.8/2.8

 

Having used the old eTrex (Cammo) brick non H I'm slightly p!$$ed off that this Gucci'er model is less accurate.

Sure HCx holds good signal indoors,car, tree canopy but to me that's useless if my house location ( I've been logging every morning my front door) moves about by 250m radius/ 500m diameter.

 

Yes I like the toggle switch for ease of writing waypoints & menu's over the "brick". Colour is a bonus as far as you can use the same circle marker but in different colours for different routes. I am yet to use the USB option for loading Geocaches which was another reason I went for the Legend.

 

As far as Vista ? Well most threads here I noticed say the compass is sketchy. Even the brick gives you physdo North "N" and option to set picture to North or track UP. Altimeter ? Well your paper map tells you how high the hill/mountain is. Work out the contour line to the grid ref and save some money.

 

Will update this thread hoping that a firmware/software update fixes my problem.

 

If only the yellow brick was USB.

Edited March 9, 2009 by green802

[+loudy13]

I own a Legend HCX and have had great succes with it, in fact the 3 people i cache with liked mine so much the also bought the same reciever, now if you want to save a little money you should consider a venture HC my wife has one of these and we end up in the same spot all the time.

 

CACHE ON

[+sojourners7]

Let me throw a wrench into this discussion. I have been using eTrex Venture Cx, since I started geocaching and have never had any major problems with it. It uses double A batteries, which gives me about 32 hours of use. I can not get a signal indoors or in moderately heavy tree cover. Because it is bright yellow it is difficult to pretend I'm using a cell phone when trying to fake out muggles (unless they think I am using an old Next Tell).

 

I paid $187.00 with free shipping three years ago from Amazon.com.

 

I am looking to buy a Colorado 400T or Oregon 400T in the near future and either my wife or son will inherit the eTrex Venture Cx.

[+The Yinnies]

I see that the text did not come up with the post- here we go again.

 

After changing my mind numerous times I am mostly decided on a Garmin Legend HCx. I had started out looking at the Legend H, then HCx, then DeLorme PN-20, and now back to the HCx. The reason for the last change is that I see this GPS going to my curerntly 3 year old son or not so techno savvy wife in a few years when I have the money to spend on a fancy one and from what I read I don't think that the DeLorme is a good choice for them.

 

The dilemma is that I have heard only so so things about the HCx in the accuracy department. I guess they're great at holding a signal but tend to bounce all over the place. Reviews are quite mixed. Is this a big problem? Is this something that a software update might fix in the near future or is it a hardware issue and that is just the way the unit is? Worse comes to worse I can always return it I suppose but I would rather not let it go there. I am already stretching my budget a bit so a 60CX is not an option (unless there's a price drop coming). Is there something else I should be considering ($200 or less)? If the accuracy is an issue I might just get a yellow etrex and suffer through using a serial cable.

I have had the Garmins, about 5 and yes they are easy to use but so is the PN-20. I just got one for my wife (I have the -40) and there is a little learning to it. The people on this site and the Delorme site help allot. But once you have it set up there is no difference to using it towards any Garmin. You just have to set it up with caches and the maps and anyone can use it. It is just using the buttons. You also get all of the maps with it and it is only $139 on Amazon.

[groundhog123]

I have had the Garmin Legend HCx for a year and have never had a problem. Its almost dead on all the time and does not "bounce". I love it.

[+jackrob]

I have had a Vista HCX since August and I wouldn't trade it for other units I've seen, especially for the cost difference. I have cached in a group with other users that had a Garmin 60CSx and a Colorado 400. The Vista HCx was always at least as accurate and sometimes more accurate. The compass works fine for me. The 60CSx has a larger screen which is nice. Battery life on the HCx is fantastic,and it uses AA batteries that are easily found where ever you might be.

 

One tip if your compass doesn't seem to work. CALIBRATE IT. It takes about 10 seconds.

[+Hrethgir]

I have a Legend HCx, and the only time I suffer "bounce" is in very dense tree cover or on water, like when I was trying to set a waypoint on the end of a dock. Tried 2 different times, and both reading were in the river, and in opposite direction from the dock. My PN-40, however, got it spot-on. The etrex H series has some problem with multitrack and stuff like that around water or near cliffs, but it seems that the newest updates have made that much better. But I still have my PN-40 as my primary GPS, and the legend is mostly collecting dust at the moment. Nothing wrong with it, I just like the imagery on the PN-40 a lot.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

I see that the text did not come up with the post- here we go again.

 

......and from what I read I don't think that the DeLorme .....

Have you read that from someone who has actually held a DeLorme PN-20 in their hands and used it?

Have they described setting it up and using it with a button push by button push sequence of events?

Was it compared to other models with a similar push by push scenario such that there was a valid selection criterion established?

Or, was it vague and ambiguous characterizations founded on hearsay?

[plumbob]

I'm a surveyor up in Canada and I have an e-trex Legend HCS. I have used this unit to find survey monuments out in the middle of nowhere. A couple of times I actually got to within a couple of feet of a monument. Top notch unit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kchunks]

Cowboy Papa,

I have read on here from DeLorme users that they are not as user friendly as the Garmins. Also, on a thread looking for recommendations for units for a five year the consensus was a Garmin. I will go read the thread again but I am pretty sure some of the Garmin recommenders there ahave used the DeLorme.

 

Edit- read the "What unit for a 5 year old" thread again. No suggestions for a DeLorme but I also saw none of the big DeLorme user people on the post. I know that the Topo program is supposedly the more difficult part but I have read many times that the DeLorme is not as user friendly as the Garmin when comparing just the units.

Edited March 14, 2009 by kchunks

[+Team CowboyPapa]

Cowboy Papa,

I have read on here from DeLorme users that they are not as user friendly as the Garmins. Also, on a thread looking for recommendations for units for a five year the consensus was a Garmin. I will go read the thread again but I am pretty sure some of the Garmin recommenders there ahave used the DeLorme.

 

Edit- read the "What unit for a 5 year old" thread again. No suggestions for a DeLorme but I also saw none of the big DeLorme user people on the post. I know that the Topo program is supposedly the more difficult part but I have read many times that the DeLorme is not as user friendly as the Garmin when comparing just the units.

I agree that you should be concerned with that. I haven't had experience with others, so I can't be the judge of which is the easiest. However, I can point you here where I have some step-by-step with Data Layering on a DeLorme, whereby one can switch from vector Topo 7 maps to Color Aerial Photo imagery and Sat 10 photo imagery:

Data Layering Step-by-Step

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...t&p=3861626

 

Then two posts down is some more. Now, if one of the Garmin users can post the equivalent step-by-step of switching between those various types of maps and images, then you could possibly make a comparative judgement.

[kchunks]

If I were buying the unit for me and only me then I would probably go for the 20. But, as I foresee it getting passed down for a "latest and greatest" in a few years I am thinking of getting something that will work for both me and the progeny. Data layering seems much beyond what a five year old would want to do and be able to understand. So, this is where the Legend HCx comes in. Enough doo dads to keep me happy and ultimately easy enough for a five year old to do the basic operations. I think it will be neat to see what the GPS receivers are like in a few years and what Garmin, DeLorme and Lowrance are doing. There is some slick stuff out there right now and I think it will only get better. In the meantime, I will go for the Legend.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

If I were buying the unit for me and only me then I would probably go for the 20. But, as I foresee it getting passed down for a "latest and greatest" in a few years I am thinking of getting something that will work for both me and the progeny. Data layering seems much beyond what a five year old would want to do and be able to understand. So, this is where the Legend HCx comes in. Enough doo dads to keep me happy and ultimately easy enough for a five year old to do the basic operations. I think it will be neat to see what the GPS receivers are like in a few years and what Garmin, DeLorme and Lowrance are doing. There is some slick stuff out there right now and I think it will only get better. In the meantime, I will go for the Legend.

10-4, with the little ones in mind, good choice.