Name: Jason Andrew Box
Location: Midlothian, Virginia United States
Date: 2004-03-26
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Perfect for Geocaching
Comment: So my buddies hooked me on geocaching...but I don't really have any other use for a GPS than this wonderful pasttime, so I couldn't see spending $200-$400 for the same types of units. This was the cheapest one I could find so I bought it. I have never been happier with a "tech" purchase. Not only is it perfect for geocaching, but the thing is incredibly durable & reliable.In my haste to get to a newly posted nearby cache, I left my relatively new eTrex on the hood of my truck. Two minutes later, to my horror, I saw it bouncing off the asphalt at 35mph in my rearview mirror. It suffered nothing but a few dings on the yellow casing. My reverence for Garmin was born, seeing as my wife would never have allowed me to buy another GPS after that bonehead move. As for performance, if you don't need a road map overlay, there's no reason you shouldn't get this unit. It's accurate, and easy to use, even with one hand. Thanks to Garmin for this wonderful, DURABLE product. It's even waterproof, though I haven't accidentally dropped it in a lake yet.
Name:
Location:
Date: 2002-04-02
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Simple, accurate and cheap ... saved [me] first time out!
Comment: Just like two out of every five "guys" on the planet, owning a GPS (really cool compass) was a must..."I can't live with-out one". I picked up the "e-trex" vanilla flavored, hiking, biking and trail version. My intent was to use it in my truck, a little added nav equipment for map reading (make long trips less boring). The basic e-trex lacks the memory for *real travel* logistics (car excursions). A three-hour trip ate 98% of its memory and 70+% of battery life. I must add however, my expectations were minimal, given its price. It calculates your speed better then your speedometer, frightening!!! Make no mistake, you are being tracked!!! As far as bearing, speed, travel time, the basics, this little toy is a treat. It saved [me] when I became lost in the middle of Farmington, CA. not long ago. The sun was down, the ground flat and I... backwards. I remembered the e-trex after about two hours of endless rights and lefts (almost ended up in Yosemite!!!), fired that bad-boy up and was on Highway 99 in 20 minutes, headed home. Paid for itself that night. I highly recommend the basic e-trex as a very basic navigational aide. It does everything it's designed to and does it well. It's also a great "starter" for learning about GPS systems. *Note: This thing tracked my rate of speed to the .5 of a mile and was right on target, if you register one with a serial number, use your best friends name!!! Happy trekking...
Dave
Name: Charles W. Clark
Location: Wheaton, MD USA
Date: 2003-08-09
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Great little workhorse
Comment: After several years' use of the eTrex, I upgraded to a more richly-featured unit by another manufacturer (probably because it was available as a Gold Box offer). But I haven't been able to stop using the good old eTrex! The people who designed it really had their eyes on the ball. To contrast it with the other unit, it can be operated entirely with one hand - a major advantage in practical use; smaller package; it sits flat on any level surface and won't slip if that surface becomes slightly inclined; and it has a sparse visual display - no maps, just waypoints that the user has entered. Now this last element is not desirable in an auto navigation system, but for the display size offered in a hand-held unit it is just what I want - no clutter. The uses of a small-package GPS system expand with experience. Yesterday I decided to row a boat between points in Puget Sound separated by two miles of open water. My destination was always at my back, and the currents were variable in direction and speed (speeds being comparable at times to my rowing speed). Put good old eTrex on the bench in front of me, and I always had an arrow pointing me exactly on course. Went to London once and found the Underground was not operating due to a strike. Thus it was hard even to get a cab. Decided to walk back a mile to hotel after theater one night through streets laid out in God only knows what pattern - with eTrex, no problem. Left car in large parking lot, came back later with no idea where it was - no problem, just backtrack with eTrex. Same story following poorly marked trails in woods - get to destination, a bit tired, head back and find confusing trail branches that were not noticed on way out - eTrex marked path prevents wrong decisions. Keep cab drivers honest in strange cities. My first acquaintance with the GPS as a user was with eTrex, and I keep returning to it. It does not have the sensitivity of more expensive units - it will take longer to lock on position if one has moved hundreds of miles since last use, and sometimes will fail to acquire signal under dense forest canopy or streets surrounded by tall buildings. But in my experience these disadvantages are clearly outweighed by its low cost, compact package, and outstanding design. For the dollar, the most fun, rewarding, and useful gadget I have bought in many years - and I have purchased quite a few.
Name:
Location:
Date: 2003-12-01
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Perfect for geocaching!
Comment: We bought this for geocaching, looking for something inexpensive and reliable. So far we've been thrilled. Inputting information is rather like using a cell phone, which is not a problem for our use. The unit itself is lightweight and comes with a long strap, which you can hang around your neck as you push foliage out of the way. We have found accuracy to be extremely high, and it has always gotten us within ten feet of the cache. Battery life has been excellent. I am sure that for more complicated or remote adventures there are better units, but for our simple needs, this has been perfect.
Name:
Location: Casa Grande, AZ United States
Date: 2004-02-15
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Perfect for my needs
Comment: I am a heart patient, and I need to keep track of my walking excercise program. I bought this eTrex about 5 months ago because it has a trip odometer, time elapsed, and average speed functions which give me all of the information I need. It will lock onto a signal inside my RV, albeit with diminished accuracy. When you go out for the walk, though, it tracks with an accuracy of about 15 to 20 feet. Battery life has been good. It is very easy to use, and it is perfect for my needs. I would highly recommend it for anyone who needs to monitor their walking (or perhaps bicycling) program. Your doctor will be impressed with the records you can give him/her.
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