Anyone using the Garmin E-trex Venture HC?

[+hat_man]

Got into caching some years ago as an on again off again pastime. I have always enjoyed it. I still use my Garmin E-trex Venture HC. Does anyone else still use this one or has it become "obsolete"? Are there any updates that I may need? I went to the Garmin site but the updates listed don't seem to really pertain to caching. They seem like updates that make it a little more "user-friendly", but not from a technology standpoint, but rather more "fit and finish". Is there anything I can do to make this a better unit or is it still a good one for caching? I am getting into caching more and more and this year I want to make this my go to pastime. Thanks for any advice.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

The word is obsolescent... useable, but not supported or as "efficient" as current production model-types.

Obsolete generally means not useable.

A '60 Ford Falcon is obsolescent, a 1912 Stanley Steam car is obsolete.

 

We yet have a Venture, as well as an older yet GPS12. They still get you from point A to point B, but they just don't have the frills (or sensitivity in some cases). No, we don't use them, but keep them for "just in case". Even carry/use our current Delorme when using a phone/app at the same time.

 

I doubt there is anything you could do to make the unit any "better". GSAK will batch-load the caches to the unit just fine, but the unit is incapable of displaying more than it currently does. Expanding the memory capabilities is, I believe, out of the question -- hence, no ability for adding good maps.

[+gpsblake]

I still use mine cycling from time to time. People found millions of geocache using this unit and other units like it that don't support paperless geocaching. The accuracy of this unit will equal any modern unit made today.

 

The restrictions involve the memory. At 24mb, you will get mapping of a few counties but not much else. The 500 geocache limit is a big limitation although you can add 1000's of geocaches via Garmin's custom POI loader and with the right GSAK macros, semi-paperless using Custom POI.

 

What I do like about the Venture HC is unlike all the modern Garmin's, you can actually reset the main odometer without doing a hard reset. Battery life is really good if you don't use the bright backlight and easy to read in the sun.

[+andyakashrek]

I have a similar unit, vista hcx, and also an oregon 550t. Went out the weekend and did a side by side test, 2 people and used both units to find 8 caches. Both units found the caches and with the same degree of accuracy. The 550t however blew the vista away because of screen size and paperless caching. So, if you want to find caches your venture will do just fine, if you life a little easier you will have to upgrade.

[+Sol seaker]

I have an etrex H, but not a venture.

 

I used that thing for years and a whole lot of caches.

 

The main problem was that it isn't paperless. I found I was spending 4 hours a week writing up the cache trips every week. I never knew how many I was going to want to find, so I would write up a whole lot more than I would get, so I ended up with this huge file of cache write-ups to search through when I'd go caching in that area again. UGH.

 

I finally broke down and bought a Oregon 400T. I am so happy to be paperless.

I went out caching with a friend last weekend, with the intention of finding a particular piece of geo-art. I just dropped a query of the area in my machine, just in case, and we were able to grab a few extra. One we planned on turned into a hike, and we were able to grab the caches on the way to it. Really nice. It only took a few extra minutes and I'll delete the query with no stack of paper leftover. I can get it again anytime I want.

 

So the funny thing was, I found out that the old etrex is actually more accurate than my 400T. It gets a signal in the forest better too. Funny. So sometimes I carried them both if I had one particular tough to find.

 

So then I got a new one. It seems to be a good combination of the two. It's a Garmin GPSMap 62S.

It's a great unit. I'm pretty happy with it. It seems to be more accurate than the 400T and the screen is easier to see, and it's paperless. Once you go paperless there's no going back.

 

I'd say if you plan on caching a lot find a paperless unit. If you're just doing it now and then then you can use anything.

 

I found over a thousand with a non-paperless unit. I am really sorry for all that wasted time. It just got to a point I couldn't stand it anymore. It was either get a new GPS or quit caching, and I certainly wasn't going to quit.

 

So I'd recommend something paperless.

[+hat_man]

Thanks everyone. I only get out every now and again, but this year I will probably get out more often. When you've been doing this for a few years and are just coming up on #250 you aren't a hardcore cacher. I don't mind being able to load up the ones in an area that I am working in and find a few after work. I am hoping to have more weekend time to plan longer trips or find a group to go with or just a "Geo-Buddy". Caching alone kind of sucks and a middle aged,overweight,guy hanging out in parks and residential neighborhoods "looking suspicious" is usually an invitation for a visit from local LEO's. I'm glad to hear it is still a viable and accurate unit though. Now if my geo-senses can catch up with the unit I might even make #500 before I hit retirement age. Thanks again for the information. Take care and Happy caching.