Garmin eTrex Venture Handheld GPS

Built into it is a (for me) fairly comprehensive map of major highways and roads in major cities in the U.S., and outlines of other parts of the world.

And this brings up the first negative about this unit: the map software CDs that allow you to upload the internal built-in map are prohibitively expensive.

The second negative is the lack of any computer accompaniment software. This translates to you having to purchase a shareware software if you want to plan your trips ahead of time on a computer.

The last negative is the lack of an external antenna option. While signal reception has been very good for a unit of its size, it would be great to be able to connect a larger antenna to improve connections.

If you're looking for a GPS unit and you're not a navigation buff, this is a great unit to buy. But the lack of upgrade options might be a turn-off for serious travelers and/or hiking/backpacking enthusiasts.

This review refers to the LEGEND model, not the VENTURE model.


Good compromise between price and functionality   October 17, 2001
 53 out of 57 found this review helpful

I like it, it's very simple to use (more like a calculator than a computer) and pretty rugged, waterproof to 10 feet (I found this out the hard way) and generally ready for the rough life.

I only have a couple of real beefs with it -

1: the unit eats batteries like candy if it's constantly on, _especially_ if you use the backlight. Invest in rechargeable batteries.

2: the display plate is thin ABS plastic and I'm worried about a sharp object or a good crack shattering the glass;

3: The LCD display is also hard to read in poor light (specifically by car dome light at night), but there is a backlight;

4: It is complete BS that you can't enter your own data via a PC interface without buying that Garmin map software.

None of these beefs are particularly troublesome. I chose the Venture because it seemed the best compromise between price and functionality. I would recommend it for anyone as a first GPS, I think the mapping functionality is great for travelers.


Best unit for the $$$ !!!!   October 14, 2001
 11 out of 13 found this review helpful

Regarding my Etrex Venture, I couldn't be more pleased! I tried a few GPS units and this is by far the best and most advanced unit in it's price class. You cannot view maps but I did not need those.

I can hike or bike and go back to the house and load all those tracks into my mapping software. That makes for great fun!

You can set waypoints and find your way to just about anything!

In my opinion, this is best used in conjuction with some type of mapping software. I personally use MAPTECH Terrain Navigator with USGS topo maps. But Delorme makes a decent product also.

If you hunt, bike, hike, drive... whatever! This is for you!

PS - The Venture was a better choice to me than the regular Etrex due to its ability to hold more routes and track data. Those can be pretty handy when you're hiking.


Impressed!   October 9, 2001
 24 out of 26 found this review helpful

I have been using a Garmin 195 GPS for flying for the past 4 years and have been really impressed. But when I acquired the Etrex Venture about a month ago (picked up used at Amazon at a great savings!)it is amazing the progress in electronics. When comparing the two units inside the house the Garmin 195 would never even get usable signal to navigate while the Venture would be ready to navigate in less than 30 seconds. The accuracy is incredible including the elevation readout which so far had been very consistent and I have been getting about 20 hours of battery life when in the "Battery Saver" mode which I am in 90 percent of the time. This is one of the easiest GPS to use, very "user friendly" and for people whose eyes are getting older the screen can be set up to show large numbers which is much appreciated even the backlight is bright! The unit works in every car I own with no problems, I wedge the unit in front of the speedometer on the Camry and Dodge pickup. It works on the front seat of a 90'Plymouth Acclaim. Make certain that you go to the Garmin website for the lastest software updates currently (2.29) the version I started out with was 2.20 vast improvements have been made to the unit. The new MapResource "points of interest" CD is a great addition to the versatility of the Venture adding cities, landmark and marine details that are not including in the original database. I thought that 1meg of memory would not be enough (do you ever have enough?)but found that it is sufficient for most needs. Living in the East bay of SF I have loaded the unit with all cities (most of northern and central california), businesses(which includes the address and phone number), landmarks and marine to cover from Richmond, ca to San Jose. I recommend Wolfe PC cable and 12 volt adapters with can be purchased on the net in lieu of the Garmin adapter cables. I highly recommend the Venture, however I would like the Etrex Vista but don't want to spend 3 times the price just for the moving map and 24meg of memory.