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Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS

Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS

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Brand: Garmin
Category: CE

List Price: $299.99
Buy New: $218.15
You Save: $81.84 (27%)



New (61) Used (1) from $220.00

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars 123 reviews
Sales Rank: 147

Platform: Not Machine Specific
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Tracks: 20
Batteries: 2
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: 176x220
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3.1
Dimensions (in): 2.2 x 1.2 x 4.2
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.

MPN: eTrex Vista HCx
Model: eTrex Vista HCx
UPC: 689076413091
EAN: 0689076413091
ASIN: B000PDR1LS

Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Features:
  • Handheld GPS navigator with high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver
  • Built-in electronic compass and barometric altimeter for calculating direction and altitude
  • MicroSD card slot; detailed basemap with lakes, highways, railroads, and more
  • 256-color, sunlight-readable TFT display; 1,000 waypoints with names and symbols
  • Requires 2 AA batteries; measures 2.2 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty

Accessories:

  • TOPO! National Geographic USGS Topographic Maps, California
  • DIGITAL HUB READER
  • Garmin Bicycle Mount for eTrex and Summit (010-10267-00)
  • Garmin Carrying Case for eTrex and Summit (010-10314-00)
  • Garmin MapSource WorldMap CD-ROM for Garmin GPS Units (010-10215-01)

Similar Items:

  • Garmin Carrying Case for eTrex and Summit (010-10314-00)
  • Garmin MapSource Topo U.S. 2008
  • Garmin Bicycle Mount for eTrex and Summit (010-10267-00)
  • Garmin 12-Volt Car Power Cable for eTrex, Legend C and Vista C (010-10563-00)
  • Garmin 2007 City Navigator NT North America Map Update for Garmin GPS Units, DVD (010-10816-00)

Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com Product Description
Neither deep foliage nor steep canyons will faze the rugged Garmin eTrex Vista HCx navigator. Equipped with a high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver, the unit locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover. The advantage is clear: whether you're traipsing through thick woods or strolling near tall buildings and trees, you can count on the Vista HCx to help you find your way when you need it the most. The Vista HCx also includes a built-in electronic compass that provides bearing information even when you're standing still, along with a barometric altimeter that tracks changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude. You can even use the altimeter to plot barometric pressure over time, which can help you keep an eye on changing weather conditions.

Adding maps to the Vista HCx is easier than ever thanks to the device's microSD card slot, which accepts cards preloaded with MapSource data for your land and sea excursions. Just insert a MapSource card with detailed street maps, and the Vista HCx will provide turn-by-turn directions to your destination. Plus, the card slot is located inside the waterproof battery compartment, so you needn't worry about it getting wet.

Besides appreciating its small size, users will also be happy with the Vista HCx's unique button layout, with five buttons located on either side of the unit. The benefits of this design are twofold: First, the Vista HCx is a breeze to operate with just one hand, and, second, with the buttons on both sides of the unit, the bulk of the front is dedicated to the 256-color, sunlight-readable TFT display. This makes it easy to distinguish map details regardless of the time of day.

The Vista HCx basemap, meanwhile, contains lakes, rivers, cities, interstates, national and state highways, railroads, and coastlines--in short, a host of helpful details for your outdoor adventures. Other details include an IPX7 waterproof housing, 1,000 waypoints with names and graphic symbols, a built-in patch antenna, a USB interface, a hunt/fish calendar, sun and moon information, and a geocaching mode. The Vista HCx, which runs for up to 25 hours on a pair of AA batteries (not included), measures 2.2 by 4.2 by 1.2 inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a one-year warranty.

What's in the Box
eTrex Vista HCx, basemap, MapSource Trip & Waypoint Manager software, USB cable, wrist strap, quick start guide, user's manual.

Product Description
Go on an adventure! Thrill to the challenges of the wild outdoors. Get thee a shrubbery or meander in a mountainous forest. And always know where you are. With the Garmin Vista HCX, you'll never get lost. That makes the outdoor trek safer. Whether you hike, bike, or cruise, you won't lose your bearings. Built for the outdoorsman, the Garmin e-Trex Vista HCx features a high sensitivity GPS receiver, electronic compass and a barometric altimeter. Garmin has introduced a line of e-Trex units that feature a high sensitivity WAAS GPS receiver that are able to receive a signal, even under heavy tree cover. The Vista HCx has a built-in electronic compass to determine bearings while standing still, and a barometric altimeter for increased accuracy of elevation readings, to help you along on your next hunting or hiking excursion. At a tiny 4.2"H x 2.2"W x 1.2"D and only 5.6 ounces with batteries, the Vista won't weigh you down or take up too much room in your pocket or bag. Whether you are in a canyon, under heavy tree cover or in a city with tall buildings the Vista HCx will guide you along safely. Tiny Vista HCx includes the routable Americas Recreational basemap, including major highways, interstates and bigger lakes and rivers. The maps look great on the 1.3 ?x 1.7? high-resolution color TFT display and it is even viewable in direct sunlight. The Vista HCx has a microSD card slot for memory cards that will accept detailed maps from Garmin's Optional MapSource software. With the Mapsource City Navigator North America software you will be able to get visual turn-by-turn guidance on this tiny wonder. Blank microSD cards are available in multiple storage sizes to hold loads of maps. Included with the Vista HCx is a USB interface cable, so map downloads are much faster than traditional handheld GPS units. Garmin has also added audible alarms for off-course, proximity waypoints, and anchor drag. The operation of the unit cou


Customer Reviews:   Read 118 more reviews...

3 out of 5 stars Does the job...   July 8, 2008
This unit is not easy to use. It takes some time to get used to. Once you get used to - it is very detailed and powerful GPS. If you are outdoor person and you are not looking for fancy graphics - this is device for you. Very accurate on the road and trails. Battery last forever. You can transfer your tracks to google map or google earth with [...]. It does not come with detailed maps, be prepared to pay more. The detailed maps are not always up to date. And most important Garmin customer service is terrible!!! If you need to call them, you will spent 30 + minutes on the phone just waiting to talk to someone. This is my second Garmin unit - the first one (Garmin iQue 3600 never was working properly). With all of the downsides there is nothing better on the market right now.


4 out of 5 stars As expected   July 7, 2008
 0 out of 1 found this review helpful

Not the most user friendly device as we're still trying to figure it out after 3 weeks, but it seems accurate and has a ton of features. Altimiter seems to drift quite a bit but I'm not sure whether there are any that do better.. ?


5 out of 5 stars Garmin Vista HCX is a great GPS   July 6, 2008
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I spent a great deal of time selecting this unit. I wanted a GPS that had the following features. This unit made the cut on all the features except for the manual/documentation.
- turn by turn routing
- compass - magnetic and GPS
- bright color screen that provided clear detail
- ability to handle both land and marine maps and usage
- high sensitivity and high accuracy
- as water proof as possible
- over 500 waypoints along with at least 10 routes. It has 1000 and 20.
- reversible routes / tracks
- time to waypoint and to final destination
- distance to waypoint and to final destination
- eta to final destination
- needed to be good in the car and superb on the water.
- proximity alarms
- altimeter
- strong back light
- at least 12 hours of power from one set of batteries (easily meets this requirement with several hours to spare)
- needed to accept power from my iGo power supply
- several different screen color displays to get the most out of available light / too much light / not enough light conditions
- lots of options in terms of numerical data displays
- ability to have road and topo maps loaded at the same time
- reasonably easy to master (It is easy to use.)
- USB connection to the PC
- enough memory to store road maps for the entire country and Canada along with topo maps for at least two non-contiguous areas (it did it with a bit of room to spare using a 2 GB memory card)
- good to excellent manual (This is the area it failed miserably in. But, the unit is easy to use and there are lots of tips and tricks on the web to get you started. So, I let this one go in terms of the decision process.)
- under $300 for the unit and under $500 when I added in the maps and optional stuff like a car windshield mount. I went first class on the maps and the mount and still made it.


Cons
----

1) The manual is next to worthless. It explains the buttons but does not detail how to use them. It does not show the all the sub-screens underneath the buttons/selections. If you are a first time GPS user you will need to buy a book or Google the tips and tricks along with the GPS basics. I have used a GPS and I just spent a few hours playing through all the screens and took notes on how to get back to the features / selections I know I would regularly need. I good manual would have made this extra work unnecessary.

2) The manual is next to worthless. (I won't type this in any more.) Garmin could and should do much better given the cost and the sophistication of this unit.

3) The car power supply sold by Garmin is way over priced. I chose not to use it. Instead I bought a USB adapter for my iGo power supply and used one of the short USB cords I had lying around. Cost $10 bucks and works perfectly for me.



1 out of 5 stars Be careful with this latest manufacturing batch   July 5, 2008
 2 out of 3 found this review helpful

Be careful with this latest manufacturing batch. It appears that Garmin is shipping junk, again. This most recent batch of units seems to be prone to locking up after limited use. See the following for more details.
[...]
or google search for "eTrex Vista HCX Locks up"
Does not appear to be isolated, and dose seem to indicate that you may want to hold off purchasing this unit until the problems are resolved.
Otherwise it is a good unit, it is just limited by the fact that it stops working after a few minutes.



4 out of 5 stars Replaced the B&W Vista for cycling   July 3, 2008
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

A few years ago I purchased the black and white eTrex Vista. I just replaced it with a Vista HCx with color. It is vastly superior.

The good: Obviously with the color I no longer confuse roads and rivers. When I hit a bump, it no longer shuts off. The sensitivity is fast and excellent even under tree and power lines. The batteries last twice as long - or even more. Tracks automatically log to the SD card. The menu system is much more intuitive. Though the old cycle mount back does not fit, the HCx includes a clip that hooks onto my old cycle mount - a much better solution. The altitude screen is configurable. The USB transfers data to and from my PC much faster than the old serial connection.

The bad: My old US Topo and Metro Guide software work for reading maps but does not work for routes. It requires another purchase of software - Garmin City Navigator NT North America. But on the good side, it re-routes on the fly - very impressive. You also have to buy a micro SD card. I bought a 2 gig one, they say the U.S. fits onto 1 gig and you have another gig for a history of your tracks (GPX format).

Overall: Garmin sells two mapping GPS for cycling. If you don't need cadence or heart monitoring, this is just as good, for far less money.






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