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Etrex Vista


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Vista has 24M memory, compass, altimeter, and 12 hours battery (50% of the other etrex models). You may not need that and can go with less memory and no compass/alt.

 

Much depends on the importance of map data to your use.

 

Etrex unit is lite weight, compact, good screen, click stick is faster than page/quit/enter but not as durable and the patch antenna has limitations with overhead obstruction in some cases.

 

Garmin makes very good units. User documentation has some holes.

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quote:
Originally posted by m2fun:

Vista has 24M memory, compass, altimeter, and 12 hours battery (50% of the other etrex models). You may not need that and can go with less memory and no compass/alt.

 

Much depends on the importance of map data to your use.

 

Etrex unit is lite weight, compact, good screen, click stick is faster than page/quit/enter but not as durable and the patch antenna has limitations with overhead obstruction in some cases.

 

Garmin makes very good units. User documentation has some holes.


 

thank you very much..this is pretty much my first day......so all the help i can get is apprectiated...

 

i like the vista, was recommended by a friend....i like the memory available the functions...

 

I mainly want it for geocaching and driving directions...etc....

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quote:
Originally posted by Yunaderis:

I am interested in the Garmin Etrex Vista....any negatives about it? Good stories?

 

thanks


 

I love my vista, just wish you could turn off the altimiter and use the sats. like you can the compass.

 

No matter where you go... there you are!

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I bought mine last year for the altimeter, map ability and general ruggedness. Been very happy backpacking with it - it's made a great caching GPS too. If you're only going to cache with it, the altimeter, compass, and 24mb may be more than you need. The Legend, I think still has mapping ability, and is cheaper. Anyway, I've been to caching picnic recently and compared mine with 8 or 10 other GPS units and am very satisfied with mine. The Garmin eMap has a bigger screen - I was a little envious. And some Magellan models have a audible beep that can be enabled to tell you when you're reaching a certain destination - like a geocache. That seemed like a nice feature too. Love my MapSource though! Good luck!

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quote:
Originally posted by Terra•Indaga:

I bought mine last year for the altimeter, map ability and general ruggedness. Been very happy backpacking with it - it's made a great caching GPS too. If you're only going to cache with it, the altimeter, compass, and 24mb may be more than you need. The Legend, I think still has mapping ability, and is cheaper. Anyway, I've been to caching picnic recently and compared mine with 8 or 10 other GPS units and am very satisfied with mine. The Garmin eMap has a bigger screen - I was a little envious. And some Magellan models have a audible beep that can be enabled to tell you when you're reaching a certain destination - like a geocache. That seemed like a nice feature too. Love my MapSource though! Good luck!


 

 

thanks for the feedback..i think thats what i am going with,....but with the metroguide 4.0 software

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quote:
Originally posted by apersson850:

Some holes? Most of it is a big hole, especially since there is no updating of the documentation, when new features are added in the firmware.

Anders


 

Hey Anders ... you're profile is blank ... man if anyone should have a picture posted! Can't believe you're missing the opportunity! icon_biggrin.gif

 

348_1002.gif

 

[This message was edited by Hawk-eye on March 08, 2002 at 03:00 AM.]

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quote:
Originally posted by apersson850:

Some holes? Most of it is a big hole, especially since there is no updating of the documentation, when new features are added in the firmware.

Anders


 

Hey Anders ... you're profile is blank ... man if anyone should have a picture posted! Can't believe you're missing the opportunity! icon_biggrin.gif

 

348_1002.gif

 

[This message was edited by Hawk-eye on March 08, 2002 at 03:00 AM.]

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quote:
Originally posted by Hawk-eye:

 

Hey Anders ... you're profile is blank ... man if anyone should have a picture posted! Can't believe you're missing the opportunity! icon_biggrin.gif

 

http://img.Groundspeak.com/cache/348_1002.gif


 

Referring to all the latest press on this forum, my image is for (very special) members only. The cost to get such a membership is too ... uuuhhh ... to post, so you have to guess. Only those paying the exact amount will get a membership. Erroneous amounts aren't refundable.

 

Anders (no pics)

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quote:
Originally posted by Hawk-eye:

 

Hey Anders ... you're profile is blank ... man if anyone should have a picture posted! Can't believe you're missing the opportunity! icon_biggrin.gif

 

http://img.Groundspeak.com/cache/348_1002.gif


 

Referring to all the latest press on this forum, my image is for (very special) members only. The cost to get such a membership is too ... uuuhhh ... to post, so you have to guess. Only those paying the exact amount will get a membership. Erroneous amounts aren't refundable.

 

Anders (no pics)

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To come back to the original question:

 

I bought the Vista because it was the first GPS I've seen that was down to the size I wanted, and had maps and the other little gizmos that makes life worth living. I thought it was too expensive, but buying four at the same time in the US brought the cost down to a little more than half of what it costs over here.

 

Problems:

Somewhat erratic click-stick occasionally.

The software is about as reliable as Windows ME, which is nothing to brag about.

Mine seems to have a slight problem with the contact between the PCB and the display. Sometimes, some flickering lines show up on the display, but pressing with your thumb on the enclosure just above the display helps. Should probably return it for warranty repair, but I'll wait a little to see if it gets worse.

 

The inability to select GPS altitude, instead of barometric, is just an attitude (from Garmin). I won't tell you how stubborn they are about that, because the appropriate language is probably not legal.

 

Downloading maps to the unit is a joke. It should have been USB speed. 5 minutes is acceptable, but 50+ minutes is just, well, a joke.

 

But as a whole, it's an amazing device. Very useful, easy to carry, most of the features one could wish for, accurate maps where I live, easy user interface in spite of only five buttons and one joystick.

 

Two things, though:

There isn't one GPS for every need. You either prioritize or buy more than one.

Whichever you buy, use it! A GPS is an advanced measuring instrument. All instruments show one thing, while they mean something else. The more complex they are, the more you have to learn about interpreting what it says.

 

Besides, I quickly realized, after buying a GPS, that navigation with a GPS is a lot easier when you know the way already...

 

Anders

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I'd agree about the download speed.

 

I am surprised to hear about Anders' ruggedness problems. I really, really, really, beat up on my Vista. I've climbed grainy chimneys with it in a little bag at the back of my harness, left it outside my tent at night by accident and had to free it from ice in the morning with my axe, and dropped it about 10,000 times.

 

But, I'd also agree that it's not perfect, and certainly not perfect for everyone. Casual users might consider if they really need to barometric altimeter and built in compass.

 

-jjf

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I have to agree about the map upload time as well. But since you don't have to babysit the unit (just click the option to auto-shutoff after upload), I don't find it to be a big deal. I generally only change the maps when I'm taking a trip, so it's not like I'm swapping maps every other day. Plug it in, start the upload, and watch "Alias" for an hour.

 

As for durability, my click-stick still works fine (I've had my Vista since the first week they came on the market). I've dropped it a couple of time, and use it mounted on the handlebars of my mountain bike all the time. I've never had a problem with it.

 

PS_sig.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by jfitzpat:

... I really, really, really, beat up on my Vista. ....But, I'd also agree that it's not perfect, and certainly not perfect for everyone. Casual users might consider if they really need to barometric altimeter and built in compass.

 

-jjf


 

I couldn't agree more ... my Vista has not been babied ... three continents ... dirty conditions, freezing ... soaking .... dropped more times than I care to mention ... works well ... no problems so far ... and the wear and tear really doesn't show as much as you would think ... looks pretty good. Actually had it coated in red NC clay ... washed it off in the sink ... looks good.

 

348_1002.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by jfitzpat:

I am surprised to hear about Anders' ruggedness problems. I really, really, really, beat up on my Vista.


 

Well, I can't say I've beaten my wife - err, my Vista, I mean - but still, occasionally there is a problem with the connection to the display. When this occurs, the display gets dim, and usually shows flickering vertical lines over the display. The flickering changes if you turn the light on, or sometimes the display turns off completely when the light is lit.

 

By holding the unit and twisting it a little, or by pressing with the thumb just besides the click-stick, it comes back to its senses again.

 

I had exactly the same problem with at Fluke DMM, but that's easy to take apart. Some cleaning of the contacts, and it was as new again. But my Vista isn't a year old yet, so there is another way...

 

It also broke down completely once, and refused to turn on. Took some hours, and some with resetting and so on, and then suddenly, back to normal again. This could be software related, though.

 

Anders

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quote:
Originally posted by apersson850:

To come back to the original question:

 

The inability to select GPS altitude, instead of barometric, is just an attitude (from Garmin). I won't tell you how stubb orn they are about that, because the appropriate language is probably not legal.

 

Anders


 

I have an eTrex summit with a barometric altimeter in it which is nearly useless for my purposes except it was fun while I was skiing.

 

However, the GPS system is not very good about measuring altitude for two reasons

 

1. triangulation is very difficult - all the GPS satellites are at the same height and the triangle between you on the ground and any two satellites is very long and thin in a vertical sense unless both happen to be almost overhead.

2. The GPS system can only measure your vertical distance from the WGS84 terrestrial reference frame which differs from 0 altitude by a few metres in a non uniform way because of variations in the Earth's gravitational field.

 

-------

jeremyp

We're going to need a bigger boat!

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quote:
Originally posted by apersson850:

 

[snip]

 

Well, I can't say I've beaten my wife - err, my Vista, I mean - but still, occasionally there is a problem with the connection to the display. When this occurs, the display gets dim, and usually shows flickering vertical lines over the display. The flickering changes if you turn the light on, or sometimes the display turns off completely when the light is lit.

 

By holding the unit and twisting it a little, or by pressing with the thumb just besides the click-stick, it comes back to its senses again.

 

[snip]


 

That does sound like a loose connection (board to board or chip to board). I'm afraid to take my Vista apart (lest it never be truly waterproof again). But, if you are already out of warantee, Garmin might give you some pointers via email on unit disassembly.

 

-jjf

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quote:
Originally posted by jfitzpat:

 

That does sound like a loose connection (board to board or chip to board). I'm afraid to take my Vista apart (lest it never be truly waterproof again). But, if you are already out of warantee, Garmin might give you some pointers via email on unit disassembly.

 

-jjf


 

No, it's only five months old now.

 

Anders

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quote:
Originally posted by apersson850:

 

A barometric altimeter is even worse, if you are in a pressurized cabin in an aircraft.

 

Anders


 

Aircraft have their own altimeters built in fortunately. I wouldn't want to be trusting my flight to a GPS altimeter.

 

-------

jeremyp

We're going to need a bigger boat!

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quote:
Originally posted by jeremyp:

 

Aircraft have their own altimeters built in fortunately. I wouldn't want to be trusting my flight to a GPS altimeter.

 

-------

jeremyp

We're going to need a bigger boat!


 

Me neither, but we geeks can't trust the professional pilot to fly where he's supposed to, without checking a little extra.

 

Anders

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