Garmin extrex - disappointed

[bonaccord]

My Magellan Explorist 100 finally packed up a few months ago and I bought a Garmin etrex. Big mistake! The Explorist was a pleasure to use but the Garmin is awful. The buttons are hard to press, they are not intuitive, the screen is small, and worse of all the numbers when they appear on the screen are not only small, they are almost unreadable. Try looking at 3s and 8s - you need a bright light and a magnifying glass. The only redeeming feature is that it is pretty accurate. The point of this post is to find out whether anybody (in the UK) can personally recommend an alternative. I don't need an all-swinging and dancing unit, but I do need one that is easy to use and can be read easily. Unfortunately Magellan no longer make the 100 version, only much more expensive models. I may have to end up with one of those however. If so, which would you recommend? Thanks

[+StarBrand]

Sorry for your experience - what model of the eTrex line did you buy??

 

I generally only recommend Garmin units so will refain from a recomendation but maybe we can help with your etrex issues with a bit more info.

[+pigpen4x4]

On my Etrex Vista HCx, I find turning on (then adjusting) the backlight

makes it MUCH easier to read.

I like my others better, but I think it's a great little unit.

You do (sometimes eventually) get used to the layout of the buttons.

I too can't say anything about Maggies, as I know less than nothing about them.

I would like to encourage you to keep working with the Etrex. In the end you may well like it.

PP4x4

[TM92]

oh quit whyning. If you dislike it that much then just return it. I have a Garmin Etrex Legend HCX and i like it very much and it very accurate.

[+JetSkier]

oh quit whyning. If you dislike it that much then just return it. I have a Garmin Etrex Legend HCX and i like it very much and it very accurate.

People come into these forums for help not to be attacked ... with mis-spelled words no less. If you can't help the guy, then just stay out of it.

 

JetSkier

[madcatimages]

I have an original Garmin Etrex. I like it. Yeah the buttons are hard to push but thats so when in my pocket or banging around on my lanyard the buttons won't get pressed accidently. I can see the screen good too.lol

[+mcrow]

While I've never owned a base Etrex I do have a Venture HC and it's a great basic caching unit. I also have an Explorist 300 but I find the Venture HC to be the better unit.

 

Just looking and what other people say and from people I know that own basic etrex GPSr, I think that it is a step down to the explorist 100.

[+TotemLake]

oh quit whyning. If you dislike it that much then just return it. I have a Garmin Etrex Legend HCX and i like it very much and it very accurate.

Imagine if a DeLorme user said that to a Garmin user who had posted about how much they dislike the PN.... hmmmm

 

Your post is out of line.

[+Jeep4two]

I have an eTrex Legend - and I seem to remember a setting that makes the characters larger (I recall the term "Big Numbers") on some of the screens.

 

It's a smaller screen compared with some but it is designed to be a hand held unit. I have found my eTrex Legend to be a great GPS. Until I got my new Oregon I used it for in car navigation (using routes created on Mapsource and Metroguide 6). The text is small when trying to see from a distance in the car but I find it more than readable.

 

I'll be keeping my eTrex Legend as a backup, and the wife carries it some too as a 2nd reference.

 

I don't have any experience with the other brands - but I'm sure they all have their merits.

[+DavidMac]

Keep in mind that the etrex line is much older than some of the more modern models... I bought one in 2002 and while Garmin has updated them quite a bit since then (they didn't have color screens back in the day), much of the basic functionality hasn't changed significantly. the 60 series is a little newer and has a larger screen, plus I consider it much more user friendly. You might want to consider one especially since they can sometimes be found for about the same price as most of the etrex models.

[+ewerts]

On my Legend HCx, on the Trip Computer page (and maybe others), if you press the Page Properies button (bottom button on left side) there is an option to use Big Numbers. The problem is, you see less data.

 

I too have only used Garmins, and find them fairly intuitive, so I think it is just a matter of getting used to the layout. Overall I have been pleased with both my Garmin Legend and Legend HCx.