Name: Philip C. Cody
Location: Ripon, WI United States
Date: 2005-09-15
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Fantastic unit, prefer over the 60CS.
Comment: After trying the 60CS and the Vista C I chose to buy the Vista C. While I like the 60CS a lot, there were several reasons why I chose the Vista C over it.
Size: while they are similar in size the Vista C is clearly smaller. On a hot day in shorts and tee shirt the Vista was much nicer to carry around in my pocket. The 60CS was definately more of a burden. The 60CS is not slightly bigger than the Vista C, by my calculations the Vista C is more than 40% smaller than the 60CS (by volume).
Price: Some of the reviews here point out that the Vista C is similar in price to the 60CS and that is definately not the case now 9/05. The Vista C can be bought for nearly $150 less than the 60CS.
Reception: tried them both in the same spots and came up with similar results. The 60CS definately has the edge but not by a huge margin. Granted, I have not compared them in a lot of different terrain. I tried them in a hilly wooded (tall hard wood) area and in the open. The 60CS is faster in getting a lock but the Vista C is still very fast (and tons faster than my old eTrex Summit).
What is really came down to for me: is the bigger screen, slightly better reception, and more ram of the 60CS worth carrying around a substantialy bigger unit and for a lot more money? For me it was not. If I was using the GPS mainly for car navigation I probably would have gotten the 60CS.
Hope this helps!
Name: Johannes A. Luijten
Location: USA
Date: 2005-10-06
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Excellent!
Comment: I have had the previous model, the eTrex Vista (so not the Vista-C) and the only thing I really missed was the routing feature. And that works just great with the eTrex Vista-C.
Love the screen, very clear.
Nice little "extras" included as well (functionailty wise).
Little suprise: the eTrex Vista-C is a little shorter and a little wider than the older eTrex models. Later I found this to be an advantage; seeing the routing is much clearer to read (more space).
Initially I read reviews of people complaining that the Vista-C did work with theirPC GPS software (iGuidance, DeLorme, etc). Well that is not entirely true; you do however need a little piece of software to get it going. It's called GPSGate from http://franson.com/gpsgate/ ($14 if I'm right). And it works.
One downside though: the maps (Garmin MapSource) are SOOOO expensive. At least the US should have been included.
Name: Amazon Buyer
Location: New York, NY, USA
Date: 2004-08-18
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Another hit from Garmin
Comment: I was reluctant to give up my trusty Garmin Etrex Legend, but I really wanted an altimeter and digital compass (for the unintiated, GPS compasses only work while you are moving). So, I took the plunge.
All I can say is... WOW. Garmin does such a great job with GPS!
The pros:
1. Brilliant color display-- better than expected. You really can read it in the light, especially with the strong backlight. Also seems speedier in terms of redraws than the old Etrex. I was a little worried that the screen is slightly smaller than before (the whole thing looks like a runt compared to the old etrex series) but honestly the color more than makes up for it.
2. Straightforward interface and controls-- Similar to the interface on the older etrex units with some new additions/ revisions. For example, you can now select which pages you can flip through from the right side key... pretty cool.
3. Weight-- practically the same as the old Etrex! Someone over there at Garmin understands what backpackers care about.
4. Battery life-- I havent' tested it to the limit yet, but if it really does last 20 hours, hallelujah! No more swapping batteries mid-trip.
5. Accuracy-- Others have complained about GPS accuracy in general, but in my testing with this unit thus far, it has been dead-on-- just like my old etrex Legend. Obviously, enabling WAAS improves accuracy. Altimeter and compass seem to function as advertised.
The cons:
1. Complexity-- There are so many features on this little thing that newbies may have a problem comprehending them all at once (I believe there are videos for those needing step by step instructions) Take it one feature at a time and practice, practice, practice. Non-auto-based GPS is NOT like an Ipod-- in order to take full advantage of it, you have to know about waypoints, tracks, routes, declination etc. It also helps to know how to navigate using traditional methods (i.e. map and compass), which you should always carry as a backup anyway.
2. Reception-- All Etrex's use a patch antenna, which used to cause me headaches due to lost satellite reception. However, I discovered that the anntenna works great IF the face of the unit points to the sky. If you don't want to tote this thing in in front of you like a geo-nerd you can belt-clip it to your backpack shoulder strap so it faces upwards. Using this method, I've hiked in some pretty thick forests in vermont, Minnesota, and upstate new york with satellite lock 99% of the time.
3. Cost-- This unit ain't cheap, but I have to say you get what you pay for. If you want something more down to earth with 75%-80% of the functionality, try the etrex legend or vista (non color). Those are a little simpler to operate as well. My old etrex legend saved my butt in the wilderness many a time, and I would totally recommend it.
Overall, I am totally satisfied. A solid upgrade to the Etrex series.
Name: Christopher Wilson
Location:
Date: 2005-11-21
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Exceeds my expectations (and they were very great)
Comment: I had been considering GPS units for several years, and experience with a family member's eTrex Legend did nothing to hurry me up. Don't even consider buying a B&W (grayscale) display GPS: you will have to stare at the screen for a long time to make sense of the map, which you can figure out instantly when it is in color. The Vista C is THE color handheld GPS as far as I am concerned:
1)The usefulness of the color screen cannot be overstated
2)The internal compass (unique to this model) means that you do not need to move to establish a heading. The view and heading on the screen changes to reflect the direction the unit is facing. This is clumsy to describe but the difference is immediately obvious during operation.
3)The large 24mb internal memory allows for downloading a lot of secondary map information to complement the internal base map, which is not bad itself.
4)Although the instruction manual is 104 pages long (this unit has features I have not even begun to explore) I was able to effectively use mine to map trails and mark waypoints within the first hour of operation, which speaks highly of the intelligent design of the menu system.
5)The unit is robust (sealed watertight to 1 meter for 30 minutes!) and battery life is very very good.
If you want to use this unit in your car keep in mind it was designed as a handheld and you will be making some compromises. You will need some type of dash mount so you can get decent satellite reception (I have been unable to find an external antenna accessory even though that would seem to be a good idea) which will place the handheld-designed controls in a difficult to use position, and the screen is a little small for dash distance viewing. Still, it would be better than no GPS, and once my unit establishes initial connection with the satellites I am able to place it in the center console cupholder and it still maintains position, although your experience with this may vary.
I have seen and handled some other GPS units, some lesser Garmins and some other brands, and even though my Vista C was a little more expensive I am not in the least sorry that I spent the extra money. To paraphrase a great man, I had very great expectations and they have been exceeded.
Name: fd1
Location: North Central MASS
Date: 2006-02-01
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Best handheld GPS for the money for outdoor activities
Comment: I was looking for something small to take hiking, snowmobiling, and plotting land boundaries and markers on maps. I have used it every other day for about a month and love it. I bought this handheld GPS after reviewing many Garmin models like the Etrex line and also the higher end handheld line. I also reviewed Magellan's lines as well.
I have had a Garmin StreetPilot III for driving from MA to SC to PA and loved it. I already had Garmin's MapSource detailed road and topographical software to use with the SP III. So going with a compatible handheld GPS that could use the software was a factor as well.
Obviously one needs to keep in mind the general limitations of any GPS system, those being the + or - accuracy of approximately 30 ft. both because of government regulation and the rotation of the earth and orbitting satellites. Also, that heavy foliage (dense cover where I could barely see sky) or extreme hills or valleys (being below a 50-100ft ledge for example)will temporarily disrupt your reception, but this is true for all GPS systems. But this GPS works well for me in the woods and hills of north central MA/southern NH.
I don't think a black and white display would've cut it, especially in shade and evening use. I would definately recommend color on any display. Color gives you so many variations for marking waypoints and is just plain easier to differentiate between things. I probably didn't need the altimeter and could've got away with a cheaper color model but I live in a rather hilly area and am just nosy as to how high or low I am compared to home, etc.
The altimeter is helpful in plotting trails, boundaries, and marks as it gives a better 3 dimensional perspective of the location you're at or going back to.
Everyone will have their own use or area, but I hope this was helpful for any similar desires or applications.
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