"With Its Easy To Use Design... Light In Weight & Compact Features... The Garmin Etrex Vista HCX GPS Handheld Is One Of Our Top Rated GPS Devices!!"
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Garmin Etrex Vista HCX Color High Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS Review
Over All Rating: 
Price: $219.00 currently priced/price may change) Return Policy: Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS has a 30-day FULL money back guarantee. The product also comes with a warranty on the following: Parts and Labor, 1 year Brand: Garmin Model #: Etrex Vista HCx Recommended Merchant: www.amazon.com About The Product: Thick foliage, steep canyons nor high rise structures cant daunt performance of the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Handheld GPS. It is a highly sensitive and receptive WAAS GPS receiver which points to your location with speed and precision that can only come from a top-end tracking gadget. So whether you are deep in the woods or in between towering buildings, the Vista HCx is a highly reliable tracking device that helps you find the directions when you need them most. The VistaHCx navigation buttons are conveniently located along the sides of the gadget so its easier on the hand, and much space is allotted for its 256-color, sunlight readable TFT screen display. It also comes with an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter that charts atmospheric pressure to determine your precise elevation. You get real-time information on changing weather conditions as you plot barometric pressure over a certain period. The unit comes with a basemap indicating cities, interstate highways, railroads and coastlines, plus lakes and rivers within the areas you try to locate. This feature helps a lot especially when you need pertinent details for your outdoor trips and adventures. You can also load additional maps to the device through a microSD card slot which reads out preloaded MapSource data with turn-by-turn directions to your destination points. |
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The Good Stuff:
 High-sensitivity chipset delivers hi-speed signal acquisition and lock for reception in narrow valleys, dense woodlands and urban jungles
Precise barometric sensor with pressure recording tracks elevation gain and loss
Electronic compass provides accurate bearing while standing still
Expandable memory accommodates microSD cards up to 4GB in capacity
Comes pre-loaded with U.S. basemap and accepts detailed maps from MapSource software which you can purchase separately
Trip-computer calculates current and average speed, sunset and sunrise, trip time and distance
WAAS-enabled (Wide Area Augmentation System) receiver delivers sub-3 meter accuracy
Audible alarms for arrival, off-course, and proximity waypoint
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The Bad Stuff:
 Tendency to lock or freeze occasionally compared to its predecessors
No alarm clock and additional maps are expensive to purchase
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Product Specifications:
The Garmin Etrex Vista HCx Color Handheld GPS includes the following standard specifications:
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Product Features:
Listed below are some of the features that come with this GPS Navigation System. Take a quick look below..  Color handheld navigator with crisp 256-color, sunlight-readable display for everyday outdoor or marine use
High-sensitivity GPS receiver gives you fast satellite lock and prime reception even under dense tree cover or between tall structures
Barometric altimeter provides extremely accurate elevation data
Electronic compass can determine your heading and direction
Fast USB connectivity you can transfer waypoints and other data to your computer
Waterproof, so it can withstand the elements or an accidental dunk in water
Automatic track log feature can save up to 20 tracks and 10,000 points
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Our Verdict:
While the eTrex Vista HCx lacks the convenience of a touch screen and wireless transfer capability, its easy to use design and features make up for the shortfalls. GPS navigators are supposed to be rugged in the first place, so this one is a true GPS performer with its ultra-clear WAAS reception. WAAS provides ground reference stations to the GPS satellites for a more accurate account of your current location. Thats the most important thing about a GPS. Added to that, its lightweight and quite compact, fits easily into your palm so its great to use while you are highly mobile and active. It comes with the most necessary requirements of the serious outdoor adventurer and is packed with features for the geocaching enthusiast. On a balance, the eTrex Vista HCx is a solid GPS performer for any adventuring purpose and a good contender as a geocaching GPS companion. |
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Customer Feedback-
"I have an old Garmin 12 Map which has served me well, but was getting a bit long in the tooth. I wanted something a bit smaller, lighter, with color screen and was water tight. The Vista HCx meets all of these needs and so many more." - Actual User Review - Amazon.com "Great handheld. Works well for any occasion from hiking, biking, and in the car. Plenty of features and great battery time. good screen that I have never had a problem seeing. I got the extra southern mountain sd card and it is great. Shows everything." - Actual User Review - Amazon.com "I certainly agree with the other reviews about the amazing accuracy of this little GPS. My favorite feature is that I can use it inside the car and get road directions to a geocache, then switch to a TOPO map and hike the rest of the way there. We used to hold the old GPS outside the window to get a line-of-sight-fix." - Actual User Review - Amazon.com "I did notice that my new HCx lacks a few features that I liked with my old Cx. The HCx has no alarm clock which I liked to use in my hotel rooms, and it lacks tide predictions that I enjoyed using at the beach. Also, the ability to view screen on the HCx is tougher to see without the backlight on compared with the Cx. Bottom line, if you don't need super sensitive reception, stick with the cheaper Cx." - Actual User Review - Amazon.com |
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