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| GARMIN 010-00630-00 Etrex Vista GPS Receiver | 
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| Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $299.99
Buy New: $209.95
You Save: $90.04 (30%)
New (71) Used (4)
Avg. Customer Rating:  139 reviews
Sales Rank: 392
Platform: Not Machine Specific
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Tracks: 20
Batteries: 2
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: 176x220
Display Size: 2
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Size: Garmin Part #010-00630-00
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 2.2 x 1.2 x 4.2
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: eTrex Vista HCx
Model: eTrex Vista HCx
UPC: 753759071134
EAN: 0753759071134
ASIN: B000PDR1LS
Availability: Usually ships in 2-3 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Don't know -- see written review February 29, 2008
0 out of 21 found this review helpful
I have no idea about this product; it was purchased as a gift for my son-in-law. Since it is not hunting season, I'm not even sure when he will use it.
Good Buy February 28, 2008
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
This was my first entry into the GPS market. I asked around at work, and "Garmin" was the name a few folks recommended. I was looking for something that would be great for hiking and off road experience, but I also wanted something that I could use on long car trips to help navigate unfamiliar places.
The Garmin website makes research very easy. I compared feature differences between their different handheld mapping units, and this one seemed to provide all the features I needed without going overboard.
I have purchased the following upgrades:
1. City Navigator NT -- worth the investment to make your handheld street worthy.
2. Topographical maps -- again, worth the investment for hiking.
3. Suction cup mount -- illegal in my state, but largely unenforced. If you install it correctly, it's better than the friction mount. I've heard others complain that it frequently falls off, but I've had it for several months and have moved it around to find the right sweet spot, and it has never fallen off once.
4. Friction mount -- irritatingly, you have to purchase the dash mount in order to get the swivelling head that makes it work... But just in case... (note the legality issue of the suction cup mount)
5. InvisibleShield screen protector -- the screen can easily be scratched, and this non-garmin product is a great way to protect it long term (also available through Amazon, or direct).
6. Sanyo Eneloop Rechargeable batteries -- they work well and don't lose a charge when sitting unused. They're even ready to use right out the the package with a full charge.
With the added functionality of my upgrades and preloaded features, here are just some of the features that I've enjoyed:
1. Geocaching mode -- if you haven't tried it, you must! Works like a charm!
2. High sensitivity receiver -- this is nothing short of incredible. The fact that I can get a signal inside a building and under tree cover is amazing. Sometimes my signal bounces around a little (20 to 30ft), but it's a hundred times better than not having one at all.
3. Tracking -- I love to see where I've been, and it also makes it easy to navigate back out when you don't know where you are.
4. Turn-by-turn directions -- it doesn't talk to you, but it does beep at you when there's an upcoming instruction.
5. Waterproof -- Let's face it, if you use it outside, you're going to get rained on, or you'll spill something on it. I've used it in a downpour, and it was protected.
6. Point-of-interest search -- You can easily find stores, gasoline, lodging, hospitals, exits, truck stops....
7. Compass and Altimeter -- you do need to calibrate them frequently, but still worth the money to have them.
8. Waypoint Manager -- this is software that comes with the unit that you load on your PC. You can use it to create routes, waypoints, and map packages that you want to load onto your unit. So if you travel frequently to a particular area, you can "store" your own regional specific data on your PC that you can transfer to your GPS when you actually need it. I also use it as a backup for my unit. Bottom line -- all electronics eventually fail, so backup, backup, backup.
Little things that annoy me:
1. Turn-by-turn directions aren't always the best route that I would choose, but they still get you there. (Mapping feature)
2. When recalculating, it seems insistent on getting you back on the route that it originally planned for you. (Mapping feature) I say that you should still always have a paper map as a backup.
3. Backlight setting resets after powering off even though it's set to "on" in the setup menu. A small annoyance that I've gotten used to.
A few weeks ago, I actually had a failure of my unit. Shortly after I backed up all my data to Waypoint Manager, I was loading waypoints directly to my unit from geocaching.com, and my unit turned off. For some reason, whenever it was connected to my computer, it wouldn't turn on or stay on. Garmin technical support was amazing. Someone picked up within a minute. He was friendly, helpful and patient in working out my problem, and then created an RMA and put a rush on it when I asked for it. I'm one of those pesky customers who calls frequently to ask for status, and again, I got someone on the phone immediately every time, and everyone was helpful, and they overnighted my replacement once my failed unit was received. Since I work in customer service myself, I strongly appreciate good customer service when I get it (which is actually quite rare).
In summary, this is a full feature-rich product, with a few recommended upgrades, and when something goes wrong, Garmin's customer service makes you glad you bought a Garmin...
Garmin Vista HCX February 28, 2008
Excellent piece of GPS for its price. I previously owned a Vista Cx and found the reception of the HCX to be far superior. Use it a lot for mountain biking under various degrees of jungle canopy thickness and no issues with reception thus far. And that's with the GPS thucked inside my pants pocket ! Fast acquisition. Only improvement I can think of is to have voice feature to help alert on turns if used for car/road navigation.
Gotta get a Garmin February 25, 2008
What more can I say about this than already has been said. Much better than the previous Vista. The old one had horrible satellite reception. I would have to constantly find a clear line of sight for satellites for it to see them, this one you don't.
Excellent.
Excellent! February 13, 2008
I bought the same GPS a few years ago and it was stolen this February at the Aconcagua National Park. (advise - be careful when you leave it unattended). I am a mountain guide so for me a GPS is not just another gadget. I use for my work.
I bought exactly the same model again since I was so happy with the old one. It was nice to see that the improvements, batteries last much longer and the reception seems stronger to me on the HCx. I do like the color display and I think it is definitely worth the extra money.
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