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| Garmin eTrex Venture CX Color Mapping Handheld GPS | 
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| Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $267.99
Buy New: $115.95
You Save: $152.04 (57%)
New (4) from $115.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  67 reviews
Sales Rank: 5790
Color: Silver
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Batteries: 2
Batteries Included: Yes
Native Resolution: 176 x 220
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 2.2 x 4.2 x 1.2
MPN: 010-00560-00
Model: 010-00560-00
UPC: 753759058678
EAN: 0753759058678
ASIN: B000F3DYUU
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Like it January 23, 2007
I especially like how it keeps the signal, the color monitor, and the compact size. Perhaps when I figure it out a little further I could give it 5 stars.
Great value January 15, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This unit is basically the Vista without the memory card, compass, and barometric altimeter. The last two I thought I could live without and the micro SD memory I thought I could shop for one later. The maps out of the box are decent for navigating the trail, but don't expect to do very well navigating roadways without the City maps. I found that if you're hiking in mountainous areas you tend to lose signal in the valleys and when you lose line-of-site with the satallites, ie. big mountain in the way. The battery life is really good - I toyed with this thing for days before the battery died on me. There are some good websites for downloading waypoints to natural land forms - water falls, caves, arches, etc. This is a good all around GPS for the price with the ability to upgrade some.
 Tough cookie.. Great for outdoors.. January 11, 2007
3 out of 8 found this review helpful
This handheld will accommodate pretty much everything you would expect and require from an outdoor gps handheld. Although the screen is a bit small, the bright lcd makes up for it. The unit itself is well built, and could take a beating I really didn't expect (dropped it a few times during MTB). Ergonomic design comes in handy. The unit fits securely on the palm of your hand, and works well if you only have one hand to spare. it's light enough to wear on a belt clip. Perfect use for outdoor hiking, MTB, or walking through the urban jungle (don't suggest using it as an automotive nav system; it's like your 90 year old grandma driving and reading street signs with her only good eye).
I like the flexibility of the microsd card. The only reason why I'm giving this review 2 stars, as everyone and their mother would agree, the softwares are still too expensive!!
 Best Bang for the Buck! January 10, 2007
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I purchased the Garmin Venture Cx specifically for geocaching. I had originally purchased the Garmin Legend Cx, but quickly realized that the price difference does not add up. The Legend Cx is essentially the same unit with a 64MB microSD card, a mini USB cable, and the Waypoint Manager CD. You can currently find 1GB microSD cards for under twenty dollars, most digital cameras come with a mini USB cable (I use the cable from my Blackberry phone), and the Waypoint Manager software is not really required (if you purchase maps later the software is included). Also, depending on the application, there are plenty of shareware programs that do a fair job of transferring data to your GPS. Also, I like the fact that the Venture Cx is yellow, as it is much harder to lose if you set it down while hiking. In my opinion, the only trade up for the Venture Cx is the GPSMap 60Csx.
The Venture Cx has excellent accuracy, the only improvement being the 60x/76x line with SiRF technology. I occasionally get some settling issues in heavy tree cover or when close to tall buildings, but this is OK since geocaching in Austin, Texas, is much different than in other regions.
I loaded City Navigator v8 on my GPS after some frustration with geocaching in San Antonio (mostly not knowing which streets to turn down) and have been pleasantly surprised with the autorouting capabilities of the unit. If I make a wrong turn it will calculate a corrected route. The unit beeps when I get within 0.1 miles of a turn, then beeps twice when the turn is within 100 feet. Incredibly handy!
At first I was hesitant to purchase a Garmin based on the navigation button layout, since Magellan moved their buttons to the front of the unit and the buttons are clearly labeled. However, after trying out an Explorist 400, I realized the Garmin is right for me. It really comes down to a preference in interfaces. The Garmin seems more like the icon-based systems I am used to, whereas the Magellan is more folder based (Windows versus DOS is the only way I can describe it). This is not to be rude to the Magellan, as it is a fine unit as well, just different.
The Venture Cx is also the lowest priced GPS unit with a color screen. This is a very attractive addition once you add maps to the unit. Color lines help delineate roads from rivers, and really help differentiate waypoint icons (restaurants, banks, hospitals, geocaches, etc.).
The only thing missing is an electronic compass and barometric altimeter. These features are included in the Vista Cx. However, if you are going to make the jump to the Vista, you may as well get the GPSMap 60Csx or 76Csx.
Great little GPSr that does it all! January 10, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I got this with a gift cert for Christmas, so that made it even more affordable than it is now! This has been everything I needed at a great price. I have been using it mostly for geocaching and also some navigation. I picked up an older copy of Metroguide 4, which doesn't require unlock codes, off ebay pretty cheap so I have alot of side roads that have been around longer than 5 or 6 years or so... I got the window suction mount from RAM so its right up there on the dash and the audible indicators and arrow icons work well enough for me to get where I'm going. The unit is reasonably visible up near the dash with the right sunlight, but I usually keep the backlight on. I am able to plug it into my cigarette lighter with my RAZR cell car charger since it has the USB connector. Accuracy is usually within 10 to 20 feet which is typical and I also manage to keep a signal in light to moderate tree cover.
If you are considering some of the higher models for the eTrex, don't bother... pick this up and get a 1 GB micro SD card for around $25 and use your camera usb cable and your good to go! I would certainly get this again... thanks Garmin and Amazon!
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