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Garmin Etrex Legend

98XJSport

Destiny is the rising sun
Location
Western Maine
Well I got a gift certificate from work to LL Bean, and since I consider most of their clothing overpriced junk, I am looking at picking up a GPS. From reading the threads on here, this sounds like a good unit to go with in the sub $200 pocket category.

So Im looking for a little insight from owners on here. Im hoping to do some geocaching, so I need to be able to input coordinates which Im sure it must do. I also want to be able to track a route, even if no roads exist. Does it do this? Online docs make it appear so, but Im asking for real world experience. Other than those two things, and basic mapping, all I care about is waypoints, if I find an interesting spot I want to place it and be able to get back. Will it let you save the path you took to get there? How many paths?

Are there any other units out there that compete for the price? Wish you hadn't gotten that particular one and saved up?

Thanks for any insight:wave:
 
The Venture and the Legend seem very similar, the Venture having more memory and a bigger screen. The other difference is the Venture has Geocaching mode?

Given the choice I would go with the unit that has more memory for slightly more every time, hopefully I do have a choice.

Any other owners out there?
 
FWIW, I just got the Vista HCx for Christmas and love it. The "H" designation is for a better receiver (very nice under tree canopy). Putting mine right next to a friend's without the "H", under a heavy evergreen canopy, my accuracy was within 16 ft, his was 35.

The "X" means expandable, which I highly recommend. The thing that most people don't realize is that these come with a "basemap" that is basically useless. It will show major (read 5 in my area) roads only, and no terrain. These are great little toys, but before investing in something that you might be disappointed in, I'd do a lot of research first.

I got the Vista HCx, and got the city navigator maps. Now my GPS will not only do any geocaching I want to, it'll give me turn-by-turn directions to the closest on-road location to the cache...

AND come summer, I'm gonna load the area lake maps and use it on the boat. To me, for a $100 initial (you will spend more on maps later) investment, the usability of the higher grade models is SO much better.

JM2CW
Michael
 
i have the basic blue legend and love it...however i have been meaning to save up for the cx version...but now maybe i will try one with HCx...i have the fishing maps and they are alright they include most county roads and provide lake depths and hot spots on popular lakes
 
the X versions have a MUCH higher satalite lock consistancy. If you can afford it I highly recomend that option...I get a lock in the middle of the house vs my older garmin that had troubles if I walked up to a tree. You will be much happier with the higher sensitivity of the x version garmins.

beyond that it wont matter much. the geocaching option isnt nessesary. they all will plot tracks. big screen is nice.

Cache On!
 
What Im looking at is most memory and highest sensitivity for the price, everything else is just bells and whistles pretty much. How is the garmin interface, and general durability/ease of use?
 
I love the interface of the garmin I wouldnt trade it for anything else at this point.

I keep 1000 caches in mine around my area and switch them out if I travel outside of here.

I wouldnt bother with buying the topo maps but I would get the street maps. If you have a laptop it iterfaces nicely with google earth I use this on the trails for real time locations with trail map overlays and and can see where that next cache is on the switchbacks coming up etc...

Get an x version garmin sensitivity is the most important thing to look at you wont be sorry you did.



98XJSport said:
What Im looking at is most memory and highest sensitivity for the price, everything else is just bells and whistles pretty much. How is the garmin interface, and general durability/ease of use?
 
I have the basic blue legend.

Interface.... The cord is kinda goofy for attaching it to the PC. But it is VERY easy to operate, even while driving(yea, I know not supposed to)

It's not ideal under heavy tree coverage, but for the price I wouldn't expect it to be.

I do like mine, and I use it in the Jeep and Truck to for directions and such.. It is kinda funny to be on a road though and have it show you off the road into a field because of the mapset...
 
I have a Vista, with my poor eyesight can't read the screen like I would like, wish it was color.
 
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