Etrex Yellow vs. Venture

[Kidar]

I'm currently considering getting a GPS and have it narrowed down to the garmin Etrex yellow or venture model. Basically I was wondering how important it is to be able to upgrade the firmware on these units (are they generally pretty stable, or do the firmware upgrades make a big difference) Since I don't actually need any of the features in the venture that the yellow doesnt have the only reason id get it is to get the bundled cable since they are somewhat pricey on their own.

 

Any input on this would be appreciated,

Michael

[+GeoTrout]

I have a yellow etrex and have only had to upgrade the firmware once (June 2002) since I have had it and it showed no signs of a improvement over the previous firmware. Previous upgrades prior to this one seems to have made drastic improvements. If you go to www.garmin.com and check out the software downloads section, you can view the improvements each upgrade has given to the GPSr. Doing this can give you an idea of the various improvements made previously.

 

Also, check ebay for the cables. I got mine off ebay from GPSGEEK a lot cheaper than the Garmin brand and they work great!

 

Hope this helps!

[+nincehelser]

The importance of the cable is not so much for firmware updates, but for downloading and uploading waypoints.

 

If you plan to do anything more than casual caching, you're going to want the cable.

 

The best setup is to become a premium member and do pocket queries...this will allow you to download hundreds of cache waypoints in just a few seconds. It's a lot better than entering them manually.

 

George

[+OzzieSan]

we have both units. Got the Venture first and was given the Yellow. I keep the Yellow in my backpack as a backup unit and use the Venture as our primary cache seeker. A couple things I really like about the Venture.

 

1. You can zoom-in to 20 feet on the map screen (only 200 feet on Yellow).

 

2. The resolution on the Venture is much better (288 X 160 vs Yellows 128 X 64). Both have 2.1 X 1.1 inch displays.

 

3. I like the click-stick on the venture.

 

Just remember. Getting there is half the fun...

[+rmflagg]

When I bought my GPSr, I went through the same comparisons and I ended up choosing the Venture.

After weighing the options, the fact that I was going to need a cable, and the screen resolution, I felt that the extra money for the Venture was well worth it.

I have since used both models and though the Yellow is nice, the Venture was obviousily worth the extra cash. If you are a beginner, it will grow with you nicely.

 

RMFlagg

[+Desert_Warrior]

Plus the Venture allows longer names than the yellow, and twice as many legs per track as the yellow. I believe it is the better value in the end.

 

Mike. Desert_Warrior (aka KD9KC).

El Paso, Texas.

 

Citizens of this land may own guns. Not to threaten their neighbors, but to ensure themselves of liberty and freedom.

 

They are not assault weapons anymore... they are HOMELAND DEFENSE WEAPONS!

[+Verboten]

The price difference between the Venture and Legend is usually $50 retail. The Legend has 8 megs, includes cable, and comes with a North America base map.

 

Garmin has a $50 rebate on the Legend through July 6th. If you can afford to wait for the rebate, the Legend is a sure choice over the Venture.

 

-Vb

[+nincehelser]

Just got my rebate...it took less than two weeks!

 

George

[Kidar]

thanks for the info everyone, went ahead and got a eTrex venture. Went geocachin for the first time today and found the cache easily .. Great fun, looking forward to more.