Guest gthorne Posted February 19, 2001 Share Posted February 19, 2001 Hello! I wish to take up geocaching as a hobby, and while I'm at it, get a GPS that I can use to find roadways, etc whn driving. I have narrowed my search to the Garmin eTrex Vista (not yet released) or the Garmin GPS III Plus. Which has better roadway info, and better features? I'm new to the GPS world, so any differences you could point out (other than the obvious, I've studied them on Amazon.com) would be appreciated. Also, does anyone know when the Vista will be out? Quote Link to comment
Guest Quinnow Posted February 19, 2001 Share Posted February 19, 2001 Can't speak for others, but my garmin III Plus has excellant mapping for roads, and even tells me the name of certain gas stations, works great and wouldn't change it for the world! Quote Link to comment
Guest peter Posted February 19, 2001 Share Posted February 19, 2001 Can't say for sure since the Vista isn't out yet, but based on Garmin's other products I can make some guesses. The Vista should provide better mapping features for two reasons: 1) more memory (24 MB vs. 1.4MB) lets you get a much larger covered area when using the R&R or Topo maps, it also allows use of the MetroGuide maps that give you better detail in the US and allow searching for street addresses/intersections/points-of-interest; and 2) higher resolution display (albeit smaller) should be better for topo maps and street maps in urban areas. The Vista will also give better altitude data with the additional barometric sensor and the fact that the newer Garmins store altitude data with waypoints and trackpoints, unlike the III+. The III+ has some navigation features that are superior to the eTrex line, such as the Highway display with cross-track error and the fuel management feature. No idea if some of these will be in the Vista. The III+ also has the detachable antenna that you can remote. Latest availability date I heard on the Vista was late April. If you can wait, I'd be inclined to go with either the eTrex Vista or Legend. Quote Link to comment
Guest Gweebaroo Posted March 5, 2001 Share Posted March 5, 2001 REI.com had the new ETrexs' for sale. Check them out...it's the first I've seen of them. Quote Link to comment
Guest jeremy Posted March 5, 2001 Share Posted March 5, 2001 Are they in stock or on the web site? I checked with the local REI and they said they were coming in March, but to expect them in April (due to hype and all that). Jeremy Quote Link to comment
Guest sungrown Posted March 5, 2001 Share Posted March 5, 2001 How about the emap from Garmin? Quote Link to comment
Guest peter Posted March 5, 2001 Share Posted March 5, 2001 quote:Originally posted by sungrown:How about the emap from Garmin? I really like the eMap, which is why I have one. Compared to the new eTrex Legend and Vista models, the eMap has some plusses and minuses. Pros are: - external antenna connnector - expandable map memory (8 - 128 MB) - larger screensize - audible alarm beeper (especially useful when following a preprogrammed route, but also handy for battery and loss of signal alarms) Negatives are: - less waterproof (battery cover is not sealed and memory cartridge slot opens into unit interior - I find it ok for showers but use an AquaPak clear case for watersports) - lower resolution screen - less configurable with respect to what data is displayed on a given screen and how often trackpoints are stored. Quote Link to comment
Guest cascade Posted March 7, 2001 Share Posted March 7, 2001 What if your batteries die halfway through a trip? Will you lose *everything*, or do these things have a backup battery so you can hang on to whatever you've saved? Quote Link to comment
Guest peter Posted March 8, 2001 Share Posted March 8, 2001 face="Verdana, Arial">quote: Originally posted by cascade:What if your batteries die halfway through a trip? Will you lose *everything*, or do these things have a backup battery so you can hang on to whatever you've saved? The older Garmins (incl. the III+) use a rechargeable lithium cell that is kept charged by the regular AA cells (or ext. power). The lithium cell is supposed to last at least 10 years and is not easilly user-serviceable. Even when no longer chargeable, it's supposed to act like a capacitor and at least give you enough time to change the main batteries. Unfortunately, Garmin seems to have gotten a bad batch of these lithium cells and had lots of warranty and post-warranty claims as a result. The newer models (incl. the eMap and eTrexs) use non-volatile memory to store the user data on waypoints, routes, settings, etc. There's also a capacitor to keep the internal clock running for awhile without batteries. So in either case you shouldn't have a problem just because your main batteries die. Quote Link to comment
Guest Anton Posted March 14, 2001 Share Posted March 14, 2001 Greetings, Buy a Garmin 12MAP, and you'll have a GPS with a handheld form factor, along with all the funcstions of the III-plus. Skip the eTrex models - no external antenna jack, andn no position averaging function! Anton ------------------ Anton Ninno, N2RUD Syracuse, NY 13210 Quote Link to comment
Guest Anton Posted March 15, 2001 Share Posted March 15, 2001 quote:Originally posted by Anton:Greetings, Buy a Garmin 12MAP, and you'll have a GPS with a handheld form factor, along with all the functions of the III-plus. Skip the eTrex models - no external antenna jack, andn no position averaging function! Anton ------------------ Anton Ninno, N2RUD Syracuse, NY 13210 Quote Link to comment
Guest bubba232 Posted March 15, 2001 Share Posted March 15, 2001 You might also take a look at the brand NEW Garmin 76 model. (just announced yesterday) This looks like a pretty sweet model. But I would imagine there is a BIG price to pay. S. Quote Link to comment
Guest bubba232 Posted March 15, 2001 Share Posted March 15, 2001 You might also take a look at the brand NEW Garmin 76 model. (just announced yesterday) This looks like a pretty sweet model. But I would imagine there is a BIG price to pay. S. Quote Link to comment
Guest tecmage Posted March 22, 2001 Share Posted March 22, 2001 Hi, I recently purchased an Etrex Legend. It's a sweet device. It's small, waterproof, and uses the same mapping software as some of the other models mentioned. It has displays maps just like the Emap and Vista. The size could be a downside if you are trying to follow it and drive. You have to hold on to it. Richard Quote Link to comment
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