Garmin Legend H Handheld GPS Navigator

by Garmin

Product Features

• High-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver in a rugged waterproof case for peak performance in any environment
• Built-in basemap shows lakes, rivers, cities, roads coastlines and landmarks
• USB interface for faster map downloads; 24 MB of internal memory offers plenty of room for plenty of room for maps, waypoints, routes and saved tracks
• High-contrast, backlit 2.4-inch LCD display; four-way cursor for smooth, one hand operation
• Limited one-year warranty

› See more product details

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Manufacturer's Description (January 15, 2009)
The brightly-colored eTrex Legend H combines all of the intuitive, user-friendly features of the eTrex series with a full basemap of the Americas, the Atlantic or the Pacific and 24 megabytes (MB) of internal memory for storing optional maps. Put the great outdoors in the palm of your hand.

Put the great outdoors in the palm of your hand.

High-contrast, backlit 2.4-inch LCD display and 64 x 128 pixel resolution for clear map display. Click to enlarge.

Simple, intuitive user interface. Click to enlarge.

Pinpoint Your Location
The Legend H can receive position corrections from the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), which makes its already-accurate positioning data even more reliable. In fact, when you turn on WAAS, you can increase the accuracy of Legend H's position reporting to within three meters. The device's high sensitivity means peak performance in any environment, from heavy foliage to deep canyons.

Add More Detail
The Legend H's basemap contains lakes, rivers, cities, interstates, national and state highways, railroads, coastlines, and landmarks. And, with 24 MB of memory, you can add even more map detail with data from Garmin's entire line of MapSource mapping products (add maps in a snap with the high-speed USB connection).

24 MB is also plenty of room for waypoints, routes and saved tracks. The Legend H's automatic track log saves up to 10 tracks for retracing your path, and stores 20 routes with up to 125 waypoints per route.

See More Detail
With a high-contrast, backlit 2.4-inch LCD display and 64 x 128 pixel resolution, you'll have no problem seeing your maps. The Legend H is compatible with mapping software including topographic maps, Bluechart and inland lake maps. It also includes built-in celestial tables for best times to hunt and fish.

Handheld Performer
The Legend H is engineered for comfortable, efficient handheld use. With its slim form factor, and weighing in at only 5.3 ounces with batteries, the Legend H is ready to go wherever you might take it. The four-way cursor provides smooth, one-hand operation, allowing you to move through menus and screens with ease. The rugged waterproof case (IPX7) gives you added protection against the elements, and a pair of AA batteries gets you up to 17 hours of use.

One-Year Warranty
The Legend H is backed by Garmin's one-year limited warranty for a little peace of mind while you're on the trail.

What's in the Box
eTrex Legend H, lanyard, English/French owner's manual, quick start guide, USB cable

Product Description

The brightly-colored eTrex Legend H combines all of the intuitive, user-friendly features of the eTrex series with a full basemap of the Americas, the Atlantic or the Pacific and 24 megabytes of internal memory for storing optional maps. Put the great outdoors in the palm of your hand.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 90 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars great unit but lasts only 2-4 seasons September 28, 2009

By R. P. Akers

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review applies to many of the Etrex's, not just the Legend. I do field work in the management of natural resources, and we've used a lot of GPS's. The Etrex's are very popular because they are small, easy to use, and cheap enough that people aren't afraid to carry them (vs a $4000 Trimble unit). The Legend in particular gives good bang for the buck because it's the least expensive model that displays very useful maps.

The only problem with the Etrex's (and many other GPS's) is that their lifespan is not all that long. We've had a number of units that go two to four field seasons and then start to break down. The most common failures are in the joystick and with the screen or start-up of the unit. The joystick often starts to lose the ability to move in one or more directions. You need the joystick to move through all the menus, so the problem effectively ruins your control of the unit. The other common problem is that the unit will refuse to start up, or it will start but the screen will have odd vertical lines and lose part of the display. Both problems generally get progressively worse until the unit is useless.

I don't know how much this applies to the newer color models, which seem a bit sleeker in their construction. But they cost a good deal more.

We use GPS's commonly but not constantly. A unit might get used once a week, but might then run all day. Field season generally lasts 6-8 months.

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Basic Unit October 19, 2009

By P. Smith

If you are looking for a top notch unit for a lot of serious use in the woods, then look elsewhere.

This is my fourth Garmin in 14 years. When my GPSMap76CS died I had a choice; give Garmin $110 for a refurb GPSMap or buy this new. I chose this unit. I'm a casual hiker & geocacher that didn't need a color display, compass or altimeter. They are good to have, but not necesary. I just need a unit that points me to the next cache or can get me out of the woods when the sun starts to sink a little low

So what's great about this unit? Value. What you get for the money is impressive. The receiver is very good. Even in heavy trees I can lock up 6+ satellites. It holds a lock even when it is hanging from my neck. No wrist strap, it comes with a comfortably long neck lanyard. It has lots of features, many of which I'll never use. It's unlikely you'll need more waypoints & routes than this unit has. Navigating through the screens takes a little getting used to, but is straightforward.

What's not so great? The display is good only in decent light. It's still visible, but in less than optimal conditions you'll need the backlight. Also, the buttons on the Legend H can be little hard to use quickly as they are covered with thick rubber. It's good protection, but it can slow you down when trying to do things quickly

For entering and finding a geocache, this unit is great. For marking a trailhead and landmarks to orient yourself while hiking, this unit great. But if you do these things a lot, you'll be better served by spending some more money and getting a unit with a better display.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars inexpensive, simple January 19, 2010

By R. Brockman

Amazon Verified Purchase

I recently purchased this to replace an eTrex Venture that started going fritzy after 7 years of hard use (multiple 10' drops has caused the screen to partially fail).

After a week of hard use, I'm very satisfied with it. The eTrex Legend H has a noticeably better antenna then my old unit and acquires satellites faster. I even used it on several occasions to pick up signal inside heavy concrete structures, although metal (car bodies) still affects it a lot (100'+ off on average). It works very well sitting of the front dash so it has a clear view straight up through the glass similar to the old unit, just not on the middle console or back seat. They have also updated the interface a little bit and its better then it use to be (compared to the old unit), but still not 100% intuitive. Spending 5 minutes with the quick start guide mostly fixes that problem though.

Case Design:
The usb only cable is an amazing change over the older eTrex serial plug versions. Even with a usb-to-serial adapter and drivers my mac won't see the old units whereas this new unit had no problems being seen with GPSBabel, Quantum GIS (open source), and the downloadable Garmin software on both Snow Leopard and Windows 7. The case design is exactly the same as the old eTrex models, so I'm assuming the IPX7 "waterproofing" still reacts the same. It easily survives pouring rain, but DO NOT dunk it in streams and rivers; it permanently dies when totally submerged.

Usage:
This unit is best used as a simple recreational unit. I use it for geotagging photos, geocaching, tracking running/cycling routes, times, and speeds, and the occasional gis project. It DOES NOT have any real built-in maps other then the US interstate system, so you have to bring your own paper version or have access to google maps or something similar. That can be a real challenge for the uninitiated. Optionally you can purchase downloadedable maps from Garmin, but they tend to be overpriced. This is NOT a car navigation unit. Sure, you can use it as such with a map and it's wonderful for hiking, but you're better off with a TomTom of Nuvi for car navigation.

I said I've used it for gis, but it's not really designed for it. It'll get you coordinates within 10 feet on a good day and clear terrain so it's perfect for simple things like creating trail maps and rough estimates of land area. This is definitely not a unit for serious architecture, construction, real estate, or surveying projects. You're better off using a high-end Trimble or Sokkia unit, or better yet, hiring someone for that type of accuracy.

I have no use for the games, so didn't even try them. The games are a new addition compared to the older eTrex models. It would be nice if Garmin included a non-gps compass like the new Legend HC has, but without the $40 higher price. Overall, it's just an upgraded version of the old eTrex series with a much better antenna. Its handy, easy to use, has a decent battery life, and is reasonably rugged. For it's price it's a great little unit.