| Garmin eTrex Vista Handheld GPS Navigator |
Technical Details
- WAAS-Enabled
- Same Features As Grm0025600 Etrex Legend Plus A Built-In Barometric Altimeter & Electronic Compass
- Compass Provides Bearing Information While User Is Standing Still
- Altimeter Determines Precise Altitude & Provides A Graphic Profile Of User¿S Trip
- Contains 24 Mb Internal Memory For Storing Detailed Map Data
Product Description
The eTrex Vista combines a base map of North and South America, with a barometric altimeter and electronic compass. The compass provides bearing information while you're standing still and the altimeter determines your precise altitude. The Vista is also designed to provide precise GPS positioning using correction data obtained from the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). This product will provide position accuracy to less than three meters when receiving WAAS corrections.The eTrex Vista also boasts an internal memory capacity of 24 megabytes, which allows it to accept downloaded mapping data from Garmin's MapSource CD-ROMs, including Fishing Hot Spots. A silver case gives this unit a high-tech look. New to the product design, Garmin will include marine aids to navigation in addition to the base map. These navigational aids can be pre-loaded into each unit from the factory.It is compatible with most Garmin MapSource products including BlueChart marine cartography, MetroGuide, and Fishing Hot Spots. Accepts up to 24 megabytes of downloaded map detail.Amazon.com Review
Garmin's eTrex Vista GPS receiver is smaller than its popular eMaps, but far more powerful. The Vista offers more memory, more features, and more convenience than any other GPS hardware in this price range.Don't be fooled by the product's small screen. Although smaller than the display used in products like the eMap, it has a higher resolution, letting it show more information more crisply. Small text can be difficult to read from a distance, but there are "big number" options available to make important data like your speed easy to read.
It's this configurability that makes the eTrex Vista so special.
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| Map page (shown with optional MapSource topo detail). |
This GPS unit's diminutive size and weight, not to mention its rugged design, make it an ideal hiking companion. It's waterproof in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes and is generously coated with shock-absorbing rubber. The barometric altimeter keeps a historical record of your ascents and descents, graphing elevation changes so you can easily track your progress.
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| Elevation page |
Best of all, 24 MB of internal memory makes it possible to store an enormous amount of data from Garmin's optional MapSource CDs, turning the eTrex Vista into an interactive road atlas. The memory isn't expandable, but 24 MB is enough to store street-level data for entire states in some cases.
A serial cable is included for transferring the maps from your PC to the GPS unit, but it's terribly slow. A USB connector, sold separately, transfers data in a fraction of the time.
The eTrex Vista was very accurate in testing, especially in a car on the open road. Accuracy diminished somewhat when the device was used in heavy tree cover or a dense urban area, but not enough that you're ever going to get lost or miss an exit. Used side-by-side with an eMap, the eTrex Vista kept up in update speed while displaying even more information on the moving map than the eMap did, cementing its position as perhaps the best all-around handheld GPS unit money can buy. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
- Small and light without sacrificing features
- 24 MB of integrated memory stores reams of detailed maps
- High-resolution screen displays sharp text legible even at extremely small sizes
- Can't be used one-handed when held in the right hand
- Smaller display is hard to read from a distance, as when the device is placed on a dashboard
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Customer Reviews
2010-03-15By Diamondback (USA)
I've had this model for awhile now. I like it better than the Foretrex models. I like it better than the basic Etrex models.
It can do a variety of format datum that allows flexibility of use.
It is very accurate, dependable, takes abuse, and is waterproof. It uses two AA batteries and does not eat them up like other GPS's. The field tab areas are customizable in navigation mode to suit it how you like. The blacklight feature is not to bright and a nice feature.
The "thumb" button is a nice feature to have to scroll around rather than the other etrex lower base models that you have to scroll around by side buttons. So the thumb button is very nice especially when inputting data settings or waypoints.
The auto configure feature of locating the satellites when you turn it on is nice because you can take a trip and have it automatically update your current location without getting into manual settings for regions.
You can take clear packing tape and cut it to the shape of the GPS screen and roll it on to make a protective coating for the screen that costs nothing.
Cons:
The retaining strap is hooked to a small piece of plastic at it's base that can break if some hard pressure is applied. I wouldn't dangle it by the retention cord all the time. It can get broken easily if abused in this area.
Fix: if it does break, drill a small hole into the battery cavity past the broken plastic strip and knot a piece of nylon cord / melt the end and pass the cord through the tight hole for a new retention cord that is stronger than the original. You can silicone it shut with some automotive silicone. This will allow you to keep it for trail hiking, have a stronger retention cord, and keep it secure.
2009-02-18
By R. Stephenson (Chesapeake, Va)
Everything about the Etrex works; right up to the point the screen fails. And this did not just happen to me, it also happened to two friends of mine. Bottom line I have owned several Garmin products and been quite pleased but the Etrex is not reliable.
2008-10-06
By D. Buehler (PA, USA)
The display is dim & hard to see/read. Back light is not very bright. Tried replacing batteries (twice) still no improvement in the display. Returned the unit one day after receiving.
2008-04-06
By Shawn N. Flynn (california)
Garmin eTrex Vista Handheld GPS
Bought it for a road bicycle, and I love it! Bought it with the bicycle mount. Received it and started using it the same day. It has a million features, so it takes a bit of reading to setup all the options. Oh...you have to buy MapSource to fully utilize the unit. I tried the cheaper method of uploading and downloading to the unit. Could not get to work with Google Earth Plus, I did get to work with other 3rd party software. But I finally coughed up the $100 bucks (almost as much as the unit) and bought MapSource North America.
Now I was cooking was gas! Uploading, downloading, mapping, graphing, analyzing my ride. It is incredible all the information that can be gleamed from the interface with MapSource.
Now that I have used it for a bit, I love it even more. You can plan routes, or not. Use the tracks you created, later. The graphing on the altimeter is wild! The maps are incredibly detailed. I could go on and on about all the features, for the price this unit is the BOMB.
I had a sneaky suspicion that I might need to buy the software. So I chose the Vista. However, I am so pleased with the unit that I wish I had bought the colored more sensitive(GPS wise) higher end model.
2008-01-27
By A. Gandini (Canoas, RS, Brazil)
It is a good receiver, but its operational system is too simple and slow to use. But for the price, it worths.
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