Garmin eTrex GPS Personal Navigator

 

 

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Don't let the fact that this is a bottom of the range model fool you. It has most of what you could want. The map facilities on the higher range models are pretty basic unless you buy some expensive Garmin software and then the screens are pretty small for any detail and you do not get Ordnance Survey like definition anyway. Do you need a barometer? or an electronic compass?
The fact is it works pretty well. One thing the basic manual does not stress is that at the begining of a hike leave it to settle and collect as much data as it can. Takes about three minutes. It needs to lock on the satellites and after this it needs to download the relevant data on each one. If you start moving straight away the download is interupted and you may only lock onto 5 instead 11 satellites. It will work but the whole point of a 12 channel receiver is that it will pick the best combination of what's available in its system for the most accurate result. The more the better. Also moving around cover or trees as you lose one satellite it locks onto the next best. I have read stories of people losing track in dense cover but this has to be caused by failing to aquire enough data at the start of the walk. The only time I have lost a signal was in very dense forestry. The cover was so thick it was really dark. Tall trees obsuring the sky? no problem, it works.
Regards accuracey? Well some pay extra for WAAS. Fact is WAAS is only working in the USA. If you enable WAAS on a more expensive receiver and pick up a signal it is actually less accurate. EGNOS should be coming on stream soon which is the European version. This will give you a 95% chance of a 3m accurate fix. Currently we are looking at 95% chance of a 5m fix. The high definition OS maps work to a scale of 25m to the millmeter so you are accurate to a fifth of a millimeter on a map if you can resolve that fine.
If you can read this you have a computer so spend about £10 on a PC connection cable for the etrex, (ebay folks), and download GPSU from its home page. You can scan in maps to your PC and position routes and wapoints on the PC map to an accuracey of about 2-3m. You then download these to the etrex and you are set. You also get bearings sector and route lengths. I keyed in path junctions as waypoints and found that I ended up maybe on one side of the road but never off it.
At the end I emerged maybe 60m from the planned waypoint and thought "hah not that good". I walked to my planned waypoint and realised that the old path had been changed and I had walked the last 100m on the new one! One local was stunned that I managed 4 miles in thick forest Didn't tell him I had an etrex.
After the hike you can download the track from the etrex and see where you wandered off route, average speed between trackpoints and position. Also you can put either time or distance markers on the route!
You can print this lot out, maps,routes, lists of waypoints with summaries for each and so on. This means you can keep the etrex memory clean. I have a set of motorway junctions then I upload and download as necessary. Another set for one walk in Shropshire and another for London. GPSU is freeware but you might choose to upgrade and it works the same on the etrex as it does with any other GPS. why pay more?
In short its a cracking little GPS and is pocket size so tucks away nicely. Most people think you are getting a text message on a mobile so you are not that conspicuous.
All GPS's eat batteries. Get a charger and some Nimh's. These will last about ten hours. For critical applications take at least two to three spare sets. Some rechargables run down after time or just will not hold a charge. Dont find that out on Snowdon. Duracells last longer and are reliable but are gone with one use. Take at least one set of emergency only Duracells in the mountains. Oh and buy Mike Leathams GPS book here. It's really really good. Safe walking.

If you are interested in a (non-mapping) GPS this is a top item.
Small with quality feel. Excellent battery hatch (previously bought another brand GPS at twice the price and the hatch was so poorly made I immediately got on the phone for a refund). Do however buy the soft Garmin case to protect the screen from scuffs. Software easy to use but take the full manual with you first few outings to get to grips with it quickly..after that is straightforward. I use mine for measuring running routes and weekend rambles with the kids. Gives lots of really useful times/distances/speeds and updates very frequently...finding more fun in this than I expected. If you like getting out and about on foot or in a vehicle this is a brilliant gadget to take with you...100% recommmended.

The Garmin eTrex is an excellent value for money GPS. I bought one in 2003 for some fieldwork (I'm a geologist) and have been impressed by it ever since.

First of all the design is clever. It's bright yellow so if you drop it in anything but high grass you can find it again pretty quickly by retracing your steps. The screen is large and clear and the backlight is very effective and can be turned on and off with one click. Battery life if also excellent. I used this model for 28 days solid field mapping and found the battery to last 18hrs easily, more if you turn on the battery save mode and turn it off when you stop for lunch! Startup is quick, it takes maybe a minute to acquire satellites, maybe a few if you've moved a long way since you turned it on last. And accuracy, it's pretty amazing really, on the open hills with clear sky the best accuracy I've found is 4m. This means that I'm somewhere in a 4m radius circle of the co-ordinate it tells me. Generally it's about 7-9m but on a 1:10,000 map this is less than a full-stop which is very good. Unless you require higher resolution for some technical purpose this GPS will do fine for almost anything. The waterproof feature is very handy for navigating in the rain.

Overall, you can't go wrong with this model. I thoroughly recommend it to everyone.

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5.0 out of 5 stars garmin etrex gps
Excellent gps at a really good price. I have not been a fan of gps for hillworking and I rely on compass,wainwright or others, and large scale os maps. Read more

Published 5 months ago by frankie lee

5.0 out of 5 stars Rugged eTrex a great device
I have owned an eTrex for many years and it has been incredibky useful. On some occasions a life-saver in the mountains when the cloud comes down. Read more

Published on 26 Aug 2009 by FEV1

4.0 out of 5 stars Garmin Etrex GPS
To quote my wife "it's bleeding wonderful and will save lives" (when she uses it as a team leader in the Search and Rescue Team she volunteers for). Read more

Published on 16 Mar 2009 by Doctor Pete

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun and easy to use
A useful bit of kit. To make the most it you need to buy additional leads to connect it to your PC and I also purchased the Fugawi digital maps which makes it relatively easy to... Read more

Published on 2 Mar 2009 by Silver Fox

5.0 out of 5 stars Garmin Etrex
I recently upgraded from the basic model and found the Etrex's programs the same as the old model. This made using the Etrex very easy to get used to. Read more

Published on 2 Feb 2009 by J. Weir

1.0 out of 5 stars Etrex: it's out off date
Don't buy it; for a little bit more you get the Etrex H with greater sensitivity. Amazon do the "H" for about £60.

Published on 28 Dec 2008 by Andrew Shand

2.0 out of 5 stars Low sensitivity
Please be aware that this is the older model. The high sensitivity newer model is only £1 more expensive and is WAAS enabled. Read more

Published on 19 Dec 2008 by Mj Dos Reis Barros

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good for hot air ballooning - really!
I use the eTrex for hot air ballooning. I'm a pilot and I need to know my height, speed and direction when I'm flying. Read more

Published on 5 Dec 2008 by Mr. Niall Rowan

4.0 out of 5 stars basic but fantastic except for trees...
I bought this 2 years ago and have enjoyed walking with it ever since - combined with maps to plot out the route it makes walking much more enjoyable as you can concentrate on the... Read more

Published on 17 Nov 2008 by Ellie

1.0 out of 5 stars For most, the hassle will outweigh the utility
This is my first GPS product and I hate it. It has lots of features that I don't need. The three features that I do need; reliability, good battery life and clear mapping, it... Read more

Published on 16 Jun 2008 by Michael Beaman

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