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Etrex Vista versus GPSMap 76S


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I'm looking to upgrade to the 76S from my Vista. Has anyone done this? Any new features or convenience with the 76S? I did the product comparison on Garmin's website. I am looking for real life reviews of this unit.

 

"I am umbilically connected to the temperate zone. It's brought me life. It's brought me love, I never have outgrown"----J. Buffett

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quote:
Originally posted by rghermes:

I'm looking to upgrade to the 76S from my Vista. Has anyone done this? Any new features or convenience with the 76S? I did the product comparison on Garmin's website. I am looking for real life reviews of this unit.

 

"I am umbilically connected to the temperate zone. It's brought me life. It's brought me love, I never have outgrown"----J. Buffett


 

Although I don't own a Vista, I did just shop and compare the Vista, V & 76S. I bought the 76S. Here's my $.02 if I were in your shoes...

1) The Vista is a very capable unit with the same map memory as the 76S and similar compass & altimeter features. I don't know that I would replace a Vista w/ a 76S unless I could readily sell my Vista or the following compilation was 'worth' it to me:

- I like the button layout on the 76 series MUCH better than the E-Trex series. It's easier to navigate an the buttons are clearly marked.

- If the patch antenna of the Vista bugs you, the Quad in the 76S is better.

- Does the Vista have an external antenna port? I have a 76S and the external antenna has been great in the VERY dense tree cover.

- The 76S floats, which was important to me as a canoeist.

- Screen is larger, but not much.

- Don't know much about the firmware differences, you'll have to judge that for yourself.

 

Are there things you don't like about the Vista that led you to this decision? If so, sometimes the little things that bug you about something make a switch worth while.

 

Good Luck, let us know what you decide and why.

 

"Never have a philosophy which supports a lack of courage..."49061_400.gif

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Selling the Vista should not be a problem. I could sell it here or on Ebay and get about $280 for the Vista and all the accessories that I have.

The Vista does not have an external antenna port and I am a bit less than thrilled on the Vista's reception.

Button layout is a nice feature. The Vista's "joystick" is user friendly but I think the 76S would be easier to use.

 

Has anyone got anything to say about the screen resolution of both units? The 76S has less resolution and was wondering if this has been an issue.

 

I ultimately plan to upgrade to the V deluxe and thought I would move to a unit in between the two first.

 

"I am umbilically connected to the temperate zone. It's brought me life. It's brought me love, I never have outgrown"----J. Buffett

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quote:
Originally posted by rghermes:

I ultimately plan to upgrade to the V deluxe and thought I would move to a unit in between the two first.

 


 

Having a 76S myself, by the time you add Mapsource and any accessories the V has standard, you're in the same price "range". You may want to consider waiting for the V Deluxe or taking the plunge now.

 

In regards to 76 vs. Vista resolution. The 76 has a very fine resolution (especially when compared to the Maggies). It only 'appears' larger than the Vista, not courser. Follow that?

 

Good Luck with the decision... icon_confused.gif

 

"Never have a philosophy which supports a lack of courage..."49061_400.gif

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quote:
Originally posted by rghermes:

I ultimately plan to upgrade to the V deluxe and thought I would move to a unit in between the two first.

 


 

Having a 76S myself, by the time you add Mapsource and any accessories the V has standard, you're in the same price "range". You may want to consider waiting for the V Deluxe or taking the plunge now.

 

In regards to 76 vs. Vista resolution. The 76 has a very fine resolution (especially when compared to the Maggies). It only 'appears' larger than the Vista, not courser. Follow that?

 

Good Luck with the decision... icon_confused.gif

 

"Never have a philosophy which supports a lack of courage..."49061_400.gif

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I have all the mapsource software so that's not an issue. After checking out the price on gpsdiscount.com, I may just move to the V.

 

I would still like to hear about other reviews folks may have on the 76S since this unit seems to be a bit easier to carry than the V.

 

"I am umbilically connected to the temperate zone. It's brought me life. It's brought me love, I never have outgrown"----J. Buffett

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I have the V and a GPSMAP 76 (not the S). I know the memory can be a big issue (the one I have is 8MB, and the S model is 24 - like the Vista). But other than that, I can't see spending the extra for the altimiter and compass. When enabled, these features really eat battery life, and any gps works really well as a compass as long as you're moving.

 

Also, the altitude reading on my V and 76 both seem VERY accurate. Even my son's little yellow eTrex seems accurate to within just a few feet. He turned his on a few times at youth camp, and when I checked his "tracks" all the elevations were within 5 feet of each other, over a 3 day period!

 

Just curious if you think the altimiter and compass are even worth it. Thanks!

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In my collection of GARMIN GPS units I now have a GPS 12MAP, a StreetPilot, an eMap, an eTrex Vista, a StreetPilot III, and a GPSMAP 76S. And no, this is not a compulsion....

 

When I bought the eTrex Vista almost two years ago, I was sure it would be the unit I would grab for all hikes and outdoor activity. I loved the compass and the map capacity (I still wish they would accept MapSource cartridges), and I liked the compact size.

 

I soon discovered that the (or at least *my*) Vista has terrible satellite reception. When there is any tree cover or a narrow sky view, the Vista is unable to obtain a signal. To some extent this is to be expected with all GPS units -- but carried side-by-side with the eMap and GPS 12MAP, the Vista's weak reception was glaring. During many hikes, my Vista had a signal 10% of the time while both the 12MAP and eMap had a signal 100% of the time. Sometimes it was even 0%/100%, as it was in the Yosemite Valley. icon_frown.gif

 

In geocaching, Pea would carry the 12MAP (for ease of use) and I would carry the Vista. In most areas I would eventually have to put away the Vista and rely on her 12MAP for guidance.

 

I sent in the Vista and GARMIN told me it was operating within spec. Don't get me wrong: it works great and with high accuracy in the desert, on the plains, and on the sea -- but hills and trees are no friends of the Vista.

 

In emergencies I would never entrust my life to the Vista. I reverted to carrying the GPS 12MAP on hikes, which is rugged, easy to use and long-lasting, and it almost never loses signal. I did this until the GPSMAP 76S came out.

 

The GPSMAP 76S map is an excellent unit. The screen is large and detailed. The interface is classic GARMIN, easy to manuever like the 12MAP. (The eTrex Vista mouse-and-menu system was sometimes nice, sometimes tedious and awkward: try panning a map!)

 

The GPSMAP 76S seems to have very strong signal reception. I have not done a side-by-side with the eTrex Vista, but on recent cache hunts it has kept pace with the 12MAP, which I know is good.

 

There are still a few quirks in its software that will hopefully be fixed in upgrades. One that annoys me is the inability to find POIs near another POI using the map pointer. Choosing a POI and showing it on the map with the "Map" button brings up the POI with the map pointer on it, but subsequent finds will only use the "Current Position", not the map pointer. This makes it very hard to find, say, restaurants near another city. The only way is to manually move the map pointer all the way from the current position.

 

Another quirk is the calculation of ascent and descent rates. The barometric altimeter jumps around quite a bit, and this gets figured into the trip computer. Standing still, I can reset the vertical data, and within a few seconds the 76S will probably say that I have both ascended and descended a total of some 50 ft, and that my maximum ascent speed was 90 feet/min. This is probably fixable with an upgrade, too.

 

One reservation I had about the 76S was the vertically-oriented antenna. It must be oriented vertically to get a good signal and accuracy. And, unlike the Magellan Meridian Platinum, the compass must be held horizontally to work. This means that the GPS signal is not very good when using the compass -- not a show stopper, exactly, but a little annoying.

 

Fortunately, unlike the Vista, the 76S has an MCX port for an external antenna. I rigged up a hat with a GA-27C antenna. The antenna is on the very top of my head (magnets removed) just under the hat fabric, and the cord runs discretely into my shirt. It is dorky, but the signal strength is excellent no matter which way I hold the GPS.

 

Anyway, from my own experience I can highly recommend upgrading from an eTrex Vista to a GPSMAP 76S. Since upgrading (and using the hat), my accuracy and reliability has enormously improved.

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In my collection of GARMIN GPS units I now have a GPS 12MAP, a StreetPilot, an eMap, an eTrex Vista, a StreetPilot III, and a GPSMAP 76S. And no, this is not a compulsion....

 

When I bought the eTrex Vista almost two years ago, I was sure it would be the unit I would grab for all hikes and outdoor activity. I loved the compass and the map capacity (I still wish they would accept MapSource cartridges), and I liked the compact size.

 

I soon discovered that the (or at least *my*) Vista has terrible satellite reception. When there is any tree cover or a narrow sky view, the Vista is unable to obtain a signal. To some extent this is to be expected with all GPS units -- but carried side-by-side with the eMap and GPS 12MAP, the Vista's weak reception was glaring. During many hikes, my Vista had a signal 10% of the time while both the 12MAP and eMap had a signal 100% of the time. Sometimes it was even 0%/100%, as it was in the Yosemite Valley. icon_frown.gif

 

In geocaching, Pea would carry the 12MAP (for ease of use) and I would carry the Vista. In most areas I would eventually have to put away the Vista and rely on her 12MAP for guidance.

 

I sent in the Vista and GARMIN told me it was operating within spec. Don't get me wrong: it works great and with high accuracy in the desert, on the plains, and on the sea -- but hills and trees are no friends of the Vista.

 

In emergencies I would never entrust my life to the Vista. I reverted to carrying the GPS 12MAP on hikes, which is rugged, easy to use and long-lasting, and it almost never loses signal. I did this until the GPSMAP 76S came out.

 

The GPSMAP 76S map is an excellent unit. The screen is large and detailed. The interface is classic GARMIN, easy to manuever like the 12MAP. (The eTrex Vista mouse-and-menu system was sometimes nice, sometimes tedious and awkward: try panning a map!)

 

The GPSMAP 76S seems to have very strong signal reception. I have not done a side-by-side with the eTrex Vista, but on recent cache hunts it has kept pace with the 12MAP, which I know is good.

 

There are still a few quirks in its software that will hopefully be fixed in upgrades. One that annoys me is the inability to find POIs near another POI using the map pointer. Choosing a POI and showing it on the map with the "Map" button brings up the POI with the map pointer on it, but subsequent finds will only use the "Current Position", not the map pointer. This makes it very hard to find, say, restaurants near another city. The only way is to manually move the map pointer all the way from the current position.

 

Another quirk is the calculation of ascent and descent rates. The barometric altimeter jumps around quite a bit, and this gets figured into the trip computer. Standing still, I can reset the vertical data, and within a few seconds the 76S will probably say that I have both ascended and descended a total of some 50 ft, and that my maximum ascent speed was 90 feet/min. This is probably fixable with an upgrade, too.

 

One reservation I had about the 76S was the vertically-oriented antenna. It must be oriented vertically to get a good signal and accuracy. And, unlike the Magellan Meridian Platinum, the compass must be held horizontally to work. This means that the GPS signal is not very good when using the compass -- not a show stopper, exactly, but a little annoying.

 

Fortunately, unlike the Vista, the 76S has an MCX port for an external antenna. I rigged up a hat with a GA-27C antenna. The antenna is on the very top of my head (magnets removed) just under the hat fabric, and the cord runs discretely into my shirt. It is dorky, but the signal strength is excellent no matter which way I hold the GPS.

 

Anyway, from my own experience I can highly recommend upgrading from an eTrex Vista to a GPSMAP 76S. Since upgrading (and using the hat), my accuracy and reliability has enormously improved.

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I've had a III+ for quite some time, and really like it. I just picked up a Vista a few weeks ago. I like the altimiter/compass feature, and it was one of the reasons that I bought it.

 

I'm somewhat disappointed with the receptions on the Vista compared to my III+, especially in a vehicle, or heavy tree cover.

 

The high-resolution on the Vista is great, but at the same time, it can be difficult to read. I'm still getting used to the screen navigation on the Vista.

 

I don't have any experience with the '76

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I've only had my Vista, no other GPS, so I can't compare.

However, I've learned to live with the Vista, its pros and cons.

By simply holding the unit in front of you, level as much of the time as possible, and with the setting to Normal, not battery save, it works a lot better than it does if you hold it in another way, put it in your pocket and so on.

 

Also, the fact that it does have a magnetic compass makes it more useful, since you can stand still where you have good reception (clearing in the bush), and see that you should go another nine meters in some direction, for example.

 

What I do like very much, is the nice package of the eTrex series (convenient to carry while running, walking, using inlines and so on) and the features of the Vista. Rather big memory for maps, easy to use once you learn to use your left hand (comes pretty quickly), good resolution display etc. It also has most of the functions one could ask for, from a non car-minded GPS.

 

Anders

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