Handheld GPS Reviews - Customer reviews - Garmin eTrex Venture CX Color Mapping Handheld GPS

Manufacturer: Garmin

List Price: $267.99
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Average Customer Rating: -

Product details

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Spotlight customer reviews:

Name: M. Starer
Location: Alabama
Date: 2007-04-12
Customer Rating: -

Summary: Worked just like it said it would
Comment: I had previously purchased a Magellan Explorist Handheld GPS and mapping software as a bundle. Within hours of opening the box I came to realize that there was no way that the Magellan GPS was going to make use of the mapping software. Fortunately that GPS unit was stolen prompting me to buy the Garmin eTrex Venture along with the North American mapping software and a 2 GB micro sd card from sandisk. It all worked flawlessly right out of the box. The microcard fit into a SD card adapter. I loaded the map software onto my laptop and plugged the SD card into my laptop and downloaded maps of areas of interest. I removed the micro SD card from the adapter and plugged it into the GPS unit and it actually worked to show detailed maps and points of interest (e.g. gas stations, restaurants, etc). On the road the unit worked just like a car nav system to direct you from point A to point B. I couldn't be happier.

Name: Paul J. Epley
Location: DeMotte, Indiana United States
Date: 2007-05-23
Customer Rating: -

Summary: Garmin etrex Venture Cx great for geocaching!
Comment: When I ordered this product Amazon.com said it would take several weeks, because I got free shipping. I received it in two or three days! When it arrived my wife said, "That is awfully small!" I said I wanted it small, because it would be easier to carry. I am not disappointed. This is a powerful little GPSr and it has proven to be an excellent choice for geocaching. The battery life is great and the screen is crystal clear. I haven't even purchased the mircoSD card yet, but have been able to go geocaching with no problems. It takes me within 10 to 20 feet of each cache. What fun. By the way Amazon.com had the best price over anyone else including the GPS store, Ebay, TigerGPS, and Target.com. With the free shipping deal I saved a bunch of money.

Name: Z. Zhang
Location: Chicago, IL USA
Date: 2006-12-19
Customer Rating: -

Summary: Very good hiking GPS or backup auto GPS
Comment: Just received the eTrex Venture Cx from Amazon a few days ago. Very satisfied. The device is light and rugged, the holding perfect, and user interface intuitive. The battery life is advertised as 32 hours, and so far the claim seems valid.

I intend to use it as a hiking GPS and occasionally an auto navigation GPS. My first GPS, still working, is Garmin iQue 3600. It is a good one but the battery life is only 2-3 hours. And it is too fragile to be abused in the wildness.

Here are some comparisons between the two:

- Satellite signal: The Etrex Venture picks up satellite signals faster than the iQue 3600. With good conditions it may identify the location in 5-10 seconds. It may take 7-8 seconds to start up before searching for the satellite, though. The 3600 is much slower. Neither uses the SiRF chip and it does show up. In a very cloudy day the Venture spent more than 30 seconds to get the location but that was unusually.

- Performance: The Venture has comparable performance with the 3600, which has a 200MHz processor. Performance means showing the map, zooming, and auto rerouting. User interface has instant response.

- User interface: The main difference is the use of a joystick as the input. To input the name, for example, you will use the joystick to navigate a on-screen virtual keyboard. It is indeed slower than the 3600, but is acceptable for one reason: You may only need to input the first few letters of the name and the rest letters may show up; e.g. wal for wal-mart.

- Programs: Very similar to the GPS part of the 3600 (3600 is a GPS and PDA). Has some extra programs like Sun & Moon, Hunt & Fish, calculator, stop watch, and even some games.

- Auto navigation: If you need a GPS daily for auto navigation, Venture is not the right device. It screen is less than an half of the 3600. Equally important, it does not have voice prompt. The 3600 will say, for example, "turn right at 500 yards" or "keep right", and you don't need to look at the GPS. What Venture does is to beep and show a turn sign on the screen. It gives two different beep sounds to distinguish the distance to the turning point. It is acceptable for occasional navigation if you get familiar with its behavior and does not have bad vision.

- Mapping: I have Garmin City Select 7 with the iQue 3600 and I can use it on the Venture. There is no extra charge in my case because the map has license for two devices (most Garmin maps do).

Overall it is very good product for its purpose.

Name: chileheadcraig
Location: Jax, FL
Date: 2007-01-10
Customer Rating: -

Summary: Great little GPSr that does it all!
Comment: I got this with a gift cert for Christmas, so that made it even more affordable than it is now! This has been everything I needed at a great price. I have been using it mostly for geocaching and also some navigation. I picked up an older copy of Metroguide 4, which doesn't require unlock codes, off ebay pretty cheap so I have alot of side roads that have been around longer than 5 or 6 years or so... I got the window suction mount from RAM so its right up there on the dash and the audible indicators and arrow icons work well enough for me to get where I'm going. The unit is reasonably visible up near the dash with the right sunlight, but I usually keep the backlight on. I am able to plug it into my cigarette lighter with my RAZR cell car charger since it has the USB connector. Accuracy is usually within 10 to 20 feet which is typical and I also manage to keep a signal in light to moderate tree cover.

If you are considering some of the higher models for the eTrex, don't bother... pick this up and get a 1 GB micro SD card for around $25 and use your camera usb cable and your good to go! I would certainly get this again... thanks Garmin and Amazon!

Name: Lightfoot fan
Location:
Date: 2007-01-30
Customer Rating: -

Summary: good things come in small packages
Comment: The Garmin eTrex Venture Cx has variously been described as a stripped unit, or as a GPS for someone who wants just the basics. In truth, it is a Legend Cx in a different color. It's perfect for someone who already has Garmin software and a USB cable. No memory card comes with it, but the Legend Cx only comes with a 64Mb card, and virtually everyone will want a much larger card, so why pay for the small card to begin with. Bottom line is that the Venture Cx is a flat out bargain, just about the best "do-all" GPS unit for someone who needs power and portability.

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