Handheld GPS Reviews - Customer reviews - GARMIN Etrex Vista HCx GPS Receiver

Manufacturer: Garmin

List Price: $299.99
Our Price: Too low to display
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Refurbished Price: $214.99
Used Price: $150.00

Average Customer Rating: -

Product details

Offers (81)

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Spotlight customer reviews:

Name: Scott G. Good
Location: Illinois
Date: 2008-02-02
Customer Rating: -

Summary: A Bittersweet Rating for the HCx
Comment: I rated the unit a 4, but there is a story behind this. I'm on my 4th Vista HCx. When I powered the first one up on occaision, the display had a white, bleached out appearance, almost like I was in direct sunlight, but I was indoors. If I turned it off, and powered it back up, the problem would go away. Garmin replaced it, saying it was a hardware problem with the board. On the replacement unit they sent me, the lanyard slot was broken right out of the box. It was a one piece plastic pin molded right to the main body of the unit. The 3rd unit had the same washed out display problem that I had with my first unit. Now I'm in the process of getting my 4th unit. It's been grueling, and anybody else, I would have been at their doorstep with the flaming torch and a pitch fork. But the Garmin support has been amazing, and they are making things right. The buttons are hard to push, and it gets a little annoying scrolling through all the screens at times. There's a lot to learn with using a GPS, and it takes practice over time to really get to know how to use it and learn all the things that it is capable of, but it's a good little unit over-all with tons of features and a great display, so I'll be patient and see how it all ends up. Anybody else, I would rate this a 1, but I'm giving them a 4. Despite the problems, it's a good unit otherwise and the support has been excellent.

Name: MB in the OC
Location: So. CAL
Date: 2008-02-11
Customer Rating: -

Summary: Improved reception over Vista CX
Comment: This unit is quite nice. Much improved GPS engine over the Etrex CX series. Naturally the software is quite mature at this point allowing a lot of customization, and they apperently got the odometer issue fixed as well.

The GPS seems to get a lock very fast even the cold start when shipped from Amazon brand new got a lock in under 3 minutes inside the house. I am in So Cal far from the Garmin factory so this was really a cold start. Holds sats well gets a fix faster than my Sirf equiped Garmins (76CX and Nuvi 370).

Screen is just a bit darker than the Etrex CX it is replacing, but not a big deal.

Pro's
Fast response on GPS
Slightly faster screen redraw than the Etrex CX (tested with same maps same area)
Very nice software, unit is flexable in functions, topo, marine, street routing, compass, altimeter, barometer
Pocket sized
Water resistant
Uses Standard Memory Cards that are affordable!
Okay base map (for US)

Con's
Should have the international basemap, really how much would it cost to add this data to the US basemap?
All the detail maps are options (so you do need to buy some optional maps to do a lot with the unit).
Screen could be larger (but device would be larger too)
Lacks speech capability
They took out tide station data (can be added back if use topo or added to other map sets if you know where to look).
would be nice to load map sets into folders and select them rather than changing cards.

All in all this is a really well evolved product, and a pleasure to use.

They need to make a routing street map with a elevation layer. So you can have a map with elevation data like a topo and also routable streets. Ideally you could turn on or off the elevation layer.

People have complained that the GPS is inaccurate with TOPO 2008. It is not the GPS the Map data in the topo maps is not accurate the streets are drawn out of proper location, its not the GPS.

Still after all this this likely the best all round GPS available today!

Name: CarCareNut
Location:
Date: 2008-03-06
Customer Rating: -

Summary: So far, so good
Comment: I recently purchased this unit. Very good so far, love the sensitivity. Be aware that the unit microSD limit is 2GB at this time.

Name: Brett
Location:
Date: 2008-04-15
Customer Rating: -

Summary: very nice
Comment: I bought this to use kayaking. My first real test of it though was on a rafting trip. The audible proximity alerts were nice. Knowing that something was coming up without having to look at the gps every 5 minutes was good. Overall very pleased. My only gripe is you have to spend a couple hundred dollars on the gps unit that just showed major highways. Had to spend another hundred to get the Inland Lakes map software to show waterways. Oh well, it was worth it.

Name: Loc Nguyen
Location: Orange County, CA
Date: 2008-05-14
Customer Rating: -

Summary: Great value for money, room for improvements
Comment: For the price, you get a great handheld GPS unit. The screen is bright and easy to read, even outdoors (don't push it though). While I do wish it had the 60CSX's big screen, I can't complain about the batter life this eTrex gets. Having that much juice is necessary for extended hiking in the wilderness. I can't imagine carrying multiple sets of batteries on a week long trek.

The UI could use more attention and the way the button's arrangement takes getting use to for a right-hander. I wish they made a version with the navigation knob on the right side. I don't like Garmin's maps much, but they get me by. I always have a paper topo map with me.

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