Can anyone tell me if this is a good model?
Garmin® etrex Legend HCx Handheld GPS Unit if the link doesn't work. I'm getting Cabelas gift certificats for Christmas and will add some of my own $ to get it rathethan get a cheaper model that I'll be disapointed with (thats why the gift certificates, it was too much to ask anyone for).
This uses standard batteries and has a microSD slot for exansion so I should be able to easily carry maps on one or more micro SD cards (same as my phone uses) or log my path.

I have the Vista HCX and I can vouch for that one, the legend isn't that much different. See below thread on the Vista, it's basically the same. They are awesome GPS's, use enloop batteries and you can go a long time on them. A 20 watt or greater solar cell will power it with no batteries and with a Fob key chain I put my micro sd cards from new egg in them. Maps on the unit currently are US,EU,Canada 100% street and topos.


http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.ph...true#Post100694

is the only difference between the vista and legen the compass and barameter, thats all i can tell?

I have plenty of eneloop cells and have a USB microSd reader already as well as a micro to mini and mico to rehular sd adapter.

Great, I only needed one 2 gig for the entire US and 1 for EU, but the topos I used the 1 gig cards because Garmin limits your maps to somewhere around 2005 per card. The NT maps will do this but the topos for Canada took me 4 of them, 2 for US and 1 for EU. Alot of cards, that's why the pill box to put them in. But they come in handy when traveling. If you decide to get one PM me after you get one. Good luck.

Hi Eugene,

The Garmin® etrex Legend HCx model is excellent. I personally don't use a mapping GPS such as the Lengend HCx but use a Map and Compass instead. I have a Garmin Etrex Camo, one of the cheapest in the Etrex line up and use it just for occasional use in difficult conditions. (I still regard it as navigational cheating though )
I've been thinking about getting a mapping GPS as they are a great way of providing wide area mapping coverage in an electronic form, but they don't really give anything like the detail or ease of using the Ordanance Survey 1:25000 scale maps we have in the UK. So for the moment the paper map still has the advantage over the electronic map.
Also as mobile phone GPS technology improves together with interactive mapping such an Google maps there appears to be no restrictions in use rather than using the proprietary Garmin Maps, which tend to be very expensive.

Hi Eugene,

Any of the etrex HCx series are top notch. The H indicates the new sensitive chip-set so it retains a satellite lock even in heavy tree cover. The Cx part indicates the expandable memory with a microSD card. I have an older Venture Cx and absolutely love it. It does great double duty as car GPSr and trail GPSr. I really wish I had waited a year for the H series chipset, though, as I understand it to be much much better.

The one caveat is the additional cost of the mapping software. The Topographic software is usually between $75-$100 and the road map software is between $100 and $150 - and is locked to a single unit. If you upgrade, you must purchase the mapping software again, too.

For detailed user reviews of many GPSr units (with a slight bias toward Garmin due to their great customer service), check out the forums over at www.geocaching.com

If you're looking for a GPS that calculates routes (road) on the fly, pay particular attention to the units recalculation speed. I have an older Garmin V model, and if you miss a turn in a tight area (like a downtown), by the time it's recalculated a new route, you've already missed that next turn, so it recalculates again, you miss the NEXT, turn, etc. Pretty worthless. It's fine if you don't miss any turns or you have a long distance between turns.

My wifes GPS cellphone does a much better job at tight city navigation. One, it speaks to you. Two, the recalculation of routes is much faster than the Garmin V. Three, you don't need to update its maps. Four, it's a lot cheaper than a dynamically recalculating stand-alone GPS, and does more stuff.

For trail navigation, I prefer map and compass. But I usually take a GPS along to verify my coordinates. I rarely need to navigate anything, mostly it's just practice with the map and compass that I do while hiking, and I use the GPS to "grade" how well I did with map/compass.

Thanks for the help guys. I'm not too interested in road navigation, mainly I want to be able to find the trails. I also want to be able to geoencode digital pictures, I've ran some of the scripts already just plugging in some published coordinates but want to be able to turn on the gps and just let it log while we explore. Thats why I wanted to be sure I had the expandable memory, I wanted to make sure I don't run out of logging space.
My father wants to pull out the old papers on the farm land and have me walk the property lines with him so he can show me the landmarks and I plan to then mark them with the gps so I have some sort of reference of my own as the landmarks fade away ( some are listed as big stump ). I was able to download a pretty good satellite image and found that I can overlay it in a program like google earth so I want to find the coordinates of some clear landmarks on the image to be able to accurately place the image on a map then my walk of the property lines will be accurate.

Have you looked at Magellan's new Triton Series?

It's the next generation (or so Magellan hopes) GPSr. They seem to have everything plus the kitchen sink.

The top of the line maps, has expandable memory, has a touch-screen, records sound, plays mp3s, has a built-in camera and an LED flashlight. Everything is supposedly integrated so I can record a memo and/or take a picture and it is all linked later to a waypoint or on your track. I've never actually held one and it's too new for info on the durability of all the bells and whistles, but it sure looks great.

Well, I got $200 in gift cards for Cabelas and they don't carry the Triton series. I waited and the HCx went on sale for $249, down from $269, so I ordered it today.