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Don
Dillon, MT
August 23, 2009
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GREAT GPS UNIT
We have purchased several of these units to use in the Wildland Fire services. Great units and easy to use. Can download basemaps from third party individuals online for use with Garmin Mapsource.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
18 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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cosninocanines
Flagstaff, Arizona
August 21, 2009
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GREAT VALUE
I replaced my old etrex Legend Cx with this Vista HCx and what an improvement. Ths accuracy and receiving capabilities are very much improved I have used it in deep narrow canyons and heavy forest areas with no loss of signal. The only thing I wish was better is the electronic compass though very accurate it is a bit jumpy.
Pros: better signal reception, fast signal reception, ea
Cons: jumpy compass
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
24 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Thomas
Fredericksburg, VA
July 1, 2009
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GREAT SIZE FOR ALL AROUND USE
This is my fourth gps. I have an old e-trex legend and decided on the new more sensitive circuitry in the Vista HCX along with the extended battery life. I use it for bicycling as well as sea kayaking and hiking. It outshines my older models and hasn't let me down. I have two complaints. One: the inability to navigate to different screens with the thumb toggle. (The legend was a little easier in this respect) Two: the mapping software manufacturer has given into greed! The earlier mapping programs permitted the use of two separate units the new NT will only allow one unit. If you have a second Garmin unit you have to purchase another complete mapping software! All in all I would recommend this to anyone wanting a light, dependable GPS.
Pros: long battery life-very sensitive receiver
Cons: hard to navigate to different screens
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
55 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Alysa
Edmonton, AB
June 22, 2009
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VERY GOOD HANDHELD
This gps is very useful for all handheld needs. It has been very accurate for geocaching, and is also very useful when your on the road.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
50 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Alysa
Edmonton, AB
June 22, 2009
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OUTDOOR GPS
The one I wanted!
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
49 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Terri
Minneapolis, MN
June 3, 2009
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GREAT GPS
This is our first GPS hand held unit. We use our GPS for geocaching, and it is quite accurate. In the open, the unit has gotten us within one feet of our cache. Not as accurate under trees, but still not bad.
It isn't an extremely user friendly device, but with a little playing around we have figured things out.
We purchased the topo maps right away because of other recommendations.
Pros: very accurate
Cons: not extremely user friendly device
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
39 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Polar Bear
Trail BC
June 3, 2009
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GARMIN ETREX VISTA HCX
I am very happy with this GPS. I have been using Magellan products for years and they have been considerably inferior to this product. This unit is highly sensitive. I use it for hiking and hunting under heavy cover. Never lost a signal once. Totally impressed. I would recommend this GPS to anyone who needs to get out on the trail
Pros: unbelievable battery life, awesome in heavy cover
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
62 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Dave
Montrose BC
June 3, 2009
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BEST OUTDOOR GPS
Great GPS Though it is my first unit, Compared to others I have seen and used, I found it user friendly, and very useful on my quading adventures. Would recommend it to anyone traveling in the back country.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
54 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Fred
Ottawa
May 29, 2009
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AWESOME UNIT!
I upgraded from the eTrex Vista, and wished I only ever bought this one to start off. Great firware, great sensitivity, nice display. Very nice unit.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
41 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Gary
Edmonton
April 23, 2009
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VISTA HCX
Great product, works inside and out. My only negative comment is about the documentation. Features and menu choices are not explained.
Pros: handy size, many useful features
Cons: documentation for this product is very poor
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
80 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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GPS'er
Ottawa, ON
April 13, 2009
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OUTDOOR GPS
This GPS is turning out to be very easy to use. We are first time GPS'ers and are enjoying this product
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
90 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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David
St Albert, AB
April 7, 2009
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GREAT ALL AROUND GPS
Wanted a GPS that would work both in the back country and as a street navigator. Although this GPS does its best work as you hike through the bush, it will also direct you street by street to your difficult to find destination.
Pros: light weight, easily fits in your pocket.
Cons: screen dark in doors. adjust backlight on time.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
56 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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rlost
Niagara,ON
April 6, 2009
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GREAT
Last GPS I used was several years ago and the improvements are amazing. Fast acquisition, light and easy to handle, excellent battery life, good screen, and very accurate. Takes readings even inside my two story house (and tracked a flight from Buffalo to Florida). The toggle actually works quite well. The user guide is not great - I found it easier just to play around with it and see what it can do
Pros: light, accurate, quick, easy to use
Cons: need to adjust screen brightness frequently, guide
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
93 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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the sportsman
qc, canada
April 3, 2009
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BEST OUTDOOR GPS
Perfect for me, light precise and do what I want....
Cons: small screen
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
99 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Jay
British Columbia
February 16, 2009
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SMALL AND VERSITILE
I haven't used the unit extensively yet, but from the small amount of use in the mountains either by snowmobile or helicopter, it has been quick accurate with minimal "black out" periods when tracking. It very easy/quick to add placemarks and surprisingly easy to navigate with the small toggle. I am using it with the Canada TOPO maps and they are also quick accurate.
Pros: small, easy to use, good tracking and placemarking
Cons: more custamization with menus/data displays
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
80 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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JB
Vancouver, BC
February 4, 2009
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GREAT LITTLE UNIT
This is a great GPS for the outdoor enthusiast. It is small enough to fit in your pocket and light enough to be hung around your neck by the lanyard that comes with it.
It has all the features you'll need. The only downside is that you have to buy the maps, otherwise the GPS is useless.
Pros: light, small, easy to learn all features
Cons: doesn't come with maps and maps
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
80 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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camiam
Manitoba
February 2, 2009
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WELL WORTH PURCHASING
Worked great out of the box. I thought I would have to purchase maps to start but it did come with basic North America which is fine. I use it snowmobiling and it is ideal. At first I thought the fact that you have to fiddle with buttons to get screen brightness up on every start was a pain but when you are out in the bright sunlight, the dark start-up screen is preferred. Easy to learn how to operate. Hardly used the manual. The top left button always gets you out of trouble. I like the joystick/button function too.
Cons: could use a bigger screen for us old guys.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
68 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Easterworker
Newfoundland
January 8, 2009
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APPROPRIATE ALLROUND GPS
This is an amazingly accurate little device. It seems a little over priced when you consider that there are only base maps included. To have all the maps you need, if you are a traveler becomes a pricey. However it Works perfect and 2 AA batteries last forever. 20 hours realistic. Amazing Feature is that waas is able to be either on or off so you do not eat up all the power and you really do not need incredible accuracy all the time!
Pros: functionality, options and potential
Cons: price
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
136 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Ian C
Collingwood, ON
January 6, 2009
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YOU'LL NEED TO SPEND MORE ON MAPS!
This is a fair GPS, and my first. The basemap is utterly useless and very, very inaccurate. You will have to spend another $100 or so to get an accurate map if you plan to use this for anything more than a high-tech compass. It's reasonably easy to use, and well made, but it needs to have WAAS enabled otherwise it's very inaccurate for positioning - up to 30m off! Sometimes takes a while to calibrate satellites. Loses contact easily indoors.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
125 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Monique
December 15, 2008
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This GPS was our first purchased. We had no prior experience with a GPS. We have found it simple to use. The directions in the manual were straight forward. Pros: easy to use, lightweight, color, easy to use with our computer. Cons: the backlighting has to be readjusted everytime it gets turned on, the backlighting goes out after a predetermined amount of time, accuracy varies sometimes greater than 3 meters even in open spaces.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
139 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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ezee
November 30, 2008
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ETRAX VISTA HCX VS 76CSX
Recent bought a Vista Hcx and have been using the unit for several weeks and also comparing it to a 76Csx.
1/ Impressed with the size and display quality - batteries also last very well - been using rechargeable NiMi 2500 ma. The jog stick works well but takes a bit of getting used too - it also protrudes and can inadvertently create a lot of waypoints if it gets compress in your back pack.
2/ Disappointed with the trip computer - initially found it poor f/w 2.6 - upgraded to 2.80 and now much better.
3/ Overall the Hcx works quite well but it does not seem to be as accurate as the 76CSX. It seems slightly more sensitive in getting satellites and the altimeter seems better but the position accuracy does not seem quite as good - the trip computer also does not seem as accurate - the following are the results from a recent outing - cycle computer calibrated against a car 16.7 Km - 76csx 16.8 Km - Hcx 14.6 km. When the tracks were down loaded into map source 76Csx 16.7 km vs Hcx 16.1Km. Comparing the tracks (logged every 2 seconds for a 2+ hour outting) when down loaded on to map source the 76Csx seemed somewhat better about half the time the tracks were very close but often they would differ by up to 25m. Based on previous tracks and trips the CSX seemed more repeatable. This trip was logged on a bike ride through very twisty trails with various types of tree cover - some clear areas - some medium size pines with snow on the branches and some areas of big hardwood trees with some snow on the branches, very few leaves. Around town the Hcx seems more affected by tall building i.e. >15 stories (multipath ??) and it does not track around corners quite as well.
3 For something small light and portable the HCX is very good - for something somewhat bigger and seemingly more accurate the 76Csx is slightly better. Note: - tried both the 76Csx and 60Csx in a store and the 76CSX locked on first and received more satellites so I bought it. It was not a thorough test but given a few minutes ??.
For casual use and fitting in the pocket I like the Vista but if I am really concerned about my location/position I prefer the 76Csx.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
118 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Art Long
November 24, 2008
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NOT DISAPPOINTED
Finally got my eTrex Vista HCx after researching it to death my first GPS unit...between repairing my truck and dealing with life in general my $ came together. I found it a steep learning curve as I need plenty of hands on and re-reading directions (I drained the first set of batteries in 2 days.) I made a point of using the various modes even when I was driving to a locations I knew. I hiked formal hiking paths in the Port Moody, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam areas of Metro Vancouver Canada. Familiarization comes with plenty of practice. I made a road trip to Quesnel BC using it to check mileages, speed and accuracy. I was impressed at the accuracy as I would check and compare intersections and side roads. I have had no problems acquiring satellites, even in my home office and in the Fraser Canyon. Needless to say it has more features than I have used yet but over the winter months I will continue to challenge myself and be ready for spring. In my humble opinion I would rate my experience with it as AAA.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
124 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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W. MacPherson
November 19, 2008
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ETREX VISTA HCX
Got all the feature I wanted. It was as advertised. Picks up satellites well. Is very accurate. Works great with Garmin's Topo Canada Mapsource software(maps). Manual could be better, but with a little practice (trial-and-error) it all comes together. Happy with product - recommend it if you want to map trails.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
125 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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W. MacPherson
November 17, 2008
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GARMIN ETREX VISTA HCX
Has all the feature I wanted. All work well. Manual is a bit vague, but lots with lots of trial-and-error you can find the features. I used Energizer 2450 mAhr NiMh batteries and thy seem to last forever. Seems to be Accurate to about 5-10 ft on the Garmin TOPO Canada MapSource maps. I am having lots of fun with the GPS and the Map package. Looking forward to spring and lots of mountain bike trail mapping.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
102 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Brien Bowen
November 17, 2008
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VISTA HCX DRIFTS BAD
I am disappointed in etrex vista hcx. I bought this because I was upgrading from the etrex legend. I find the hcx drifts up to 150 metres off course. I emailed Garmin and their reply was to update the software version to 2.8 which I did. All that did was slow down the time it takes for the sats to fix. On a geocache the legend showed me within a metre, the hcx said I was still 56 metres away. I shut it down to reload and it was better but still 16 metres off. How can I trust something that far off. It could get me lost not get me home from being lost! I will email or phone Garmin again and hopefully get it resolved. I do like the size and the compass but again I don't know if I can trust it. I still take the legend (which I gave to my son) as a backup but find I'm using the Hcx as the backup.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
115 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Andrea Boidi
November 16, 2008
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BEST ETREX ID'VE BUY
so in my opinion is the best etrex never built, i use it for bike trekking and to drive me in the city, it does all this work very well. it stay on my backbag everytime positive features, quick satellite lock, in deep foliage o urban situation, battery life is good. very recommended items thx gps city its my 3° gps buyed and its the best
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
96 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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Alan
November 13, 2008
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TECHNOLOGIST
The Garmin Vista HCx is an excellent handheld GPS. Its Small size, Long battery life, High-sensitivity receiver, Barometric altimeter, Waterproof, and Low cost are the features that sold me on this GPS. The high-sensitivity receiver is super I get signal lock in my basement. I use the Garmin Vista HCx for hiking, bicycle commuting, canoeing, in the car, and for photography. Best all-round GPS model for the money.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
121 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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John
November 11, 2008
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This is my second garmin product and to be quite honest I actually prefer it over many other gps products. Its displays are easily navigated. It is easy to see and automatically back lights at night to alert you to turns on the road. I also find the battery life more than adequate.
I primarily use this for cycling. It keeps track of my rides and most importantly total assent. It is more reliable then my current wireless cyclometer. It mounts to the handlebars using a bar adapter and the units own backplate. The Back plate that comes with the bar adapter is meant for a regular etrex ... not the HCx. This is due to the memorycard space being larger than the backplate allows for.
I currently use only 1GB of data. However, I am considering upgrading to 4GB. There is plenty of room with 1G to map your way from British Columbia all the way down to California. However, It would be nice to have more...
I considered the Garmin 705. However, the etrex HCX is a good alternative.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
116 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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John
May 22, 2008
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On a recent canoe trip I took my Venture Cx but my canoe partner has the Vista HCx. I kept getting weak signal and losing my position while he had no problem monitoring his position while both on a portage and bushwhacking to a lake. I really like my Venture, but having seen the increased sensitivity I am thinking of upgrading.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
131 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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scott
October 4, 2007
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The HCX has excellent gps signal, but so far the trip meter is useless for hiking. It only records distance and time if you are traveling over 2.5km/h. I went on a 5km hike and the trip meter told me I hiked 1.8km and was stopped longer then I was moving. (The CX I was also carrying was correct) Gamin has just released software version 2.4 which improves it. (it seems to set the limit down to 1.5-2km or so) but on tough hiking trails you are still moving slower then this. you can determine the trip distance after you get home and upload the tracks into mapsource. the track distance is correct. but the trip meter (distance, stopped time, moving time) on the handheld is useless and a huge downgrade from pervious models which seem to work just fine.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
123 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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CBA
September 11, 2007
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FINDS SAT SIGNALS LIKE A BLOOD HOUND CAN FIND SENT
Ok, so this is my 4th hand held GPS that I've personally owned, a 60CS was the last before this one. I can't believe this things ability to lock onto satellites and report accurate locations. As an example, after just being turned on, it found signals through an open door while being used in a room WITHOUT windows. The nearest window (with closed drapes) was through two open doorways (on either side of a hallway) and through living-room... at least 18ft away... just incredible. This GPS also uses external power with a common USB cable that is provided in the box so you can use just about any USB style charging adapter and you do not have to worry about the batteries when connected to a computer. I am very happy with my new Garmin Vista HCx GPS.
Recommend: YES
Tag: garmin etrex vista hcx review, etrex vista hcx review
132 votes. Was this review helpful to you?
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