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| Garmin eTrex Venture HC High-Intensity Color Mapping Handheld GPS | 
 enlarge | Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $199.99
Buy New: $112.50
You Save: $87.49 (44%)
New (69) Used (1)
Avg. Customer Rating:  55 reviews
Sales Rank: 140
Platform: Not Machine Specific
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Tracks: 10
Batteries: 2
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: 176x220
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.1
Dimensions (in): 1.2 x 2 x 4.4
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: eTrex Venture HC
Model: eTrex Venture HC
UPC: 753759072872
EAN: 0753759072872
ASIN: B000PDR230
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Terrific sensitivity, lots of features, typical (poor) user interface May 8, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The etrex Venture HC is an outstanding GPS. I could tell from my first week of using it that the Venture was sensitive and could get a signal in some difficult environments. However, I was really surprised at its performance on a recent trip to Washington, DC. My previous experience with GPSs in commercial aircraft led me to expect that I would probably have to hold the unit against the bottom of a window at exactly the right angle to have a hope of getting a lock. In contrast, the Etrex Venture HC locked onto its location within two minutes while I was sitting in an aisle seat of a Boeing 717. I was delighted. The unit had no difficulty keeping its lock onto the satellites for the entire trip (until time to power down all electronic devices).
At a more practical level, I loaded the locations of the Washington Metro stations from a (free) POI database before the trip. That turned out to be quite useful despite the fact that I only have the factory-installed base map so far.
The USB cable works well with the GPS, my tablet PC, and Microsoft Streets and Trips. I use the GpsGate software ($12.95) to convert the proprietary Garmin protocol to the open NMEA protocol so that a complete array of free and commercial software will work with the Garmin.
My main criticism is that the user interface takes a while to learn. The push buttons are black with nearly-invisible black identification symbols. The rocker key is very sensitive and appears quite fragile (time will tell). The sensitivity of the rocker key leads to many inadvertent button presses. Finally, the menu system has a maze-like logic similar to Jorge Luis Borges' "Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge." That is, the user interface is no better and no worse than that of most consumer technology.
All in all I am very pleased with this device.
Garmin Venture HC May 3, 2008
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
The HC model's high-sensitivity antenna really works!! I have an old model without the H-antenna, that really had trouble receiving a 3D signal under cover. The HC was able to maintain a satellite link even under forest canopy (but with pockets of holes in the canopy), and under sheltered walkways (open sides). However, if indoors or under extremely dense canopy the receiver loses all signal; but this is expected. The lock-on after turning-on the system is quick. I was not able to test the WAAS function as my location is not covered. However, without the WAAS, I have verified that the GPS tracking was accurate to within 5-10m, and that was good enough for me.
The colour display is very readable, even under bright sunlight. The controls are intuitive. I can use all the basic functions without reading the manual.
The unit is small, compact, and rugged. Battery life is OK, although the Legend HCx lasts almost twice as long. However, I can't justify the big jump in price to the Legend HCx. It would be good if Garmin decides to increase the batt life of the venture hc.
There is considerable lag when scrolling the map. It takes a while for the unit to redraw the map. This is not a problem with the GPS, but rather, the processor chip that is being used. They should come up with a faster processing chip. If you are in a hurry, the slow redrawing of the map, when you want to quickly scroll-search a new location, can get on your nerves.
Overall, at US$137 from Amazon, this is a good buy. I use it for mountaineering and adventure travels. I bring extra lithium batteries for cold conditions. Not for car use. This model doesn't come with the barometer, altimeter, compass that the Summit has. And this is a GOOD THING. Use your GPS purely for that function: GPS. Carry a separate magnetic compass and topo map. And bring along a dedicated altimeter/barometer/digital compass. This is the only safe way of navigating remote mountains and extreme environments.
Amazon packed my GPS unit very nicely in their cardboard box lined with air bags to protect the unit. I appreciated that. The product arrived flawless.
 great tool May 1, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
We bought this only for Geocaching and so far it has been wonderful. As always received it sooner than expected. Thanks Amazon!
decent unit April 27, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
i bought this unit as a replacement for my older garmen etrex (origional yellow model). i have tried other brands and definatly like the garmen the best. this model has really quick and solid linking to the satellites (hence the 'HC' in the product description), and i like the features that come standard with it. the reason i only gave it 4 stars is that the base map is extremely dissapointing and petty much worthless. i will have to buy an upgrade for this.
Wonderful & easy to use April 25, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This product is wonderful and very easy to use. We use rechargable batteries and they last quite a long while. The GPS is easy to use, the toggle button is very user friendly and the menus are simple to flip through. Batteries are accessible and the lightweight unit is highly accurate. Our experience is within 1 ft. Recommend a buy on this one.
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