Customer Reviews

Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS

5 star:		(143)
4 star:		(80)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I won't waste your time if you are a previous Garmin user. I upgraded from an EMap, bought in 2001, that has served quite well. However, after all that time there are features one desires that scream for an upgrade. Yes, the color screen, the USB capability, far larger (and commercially available) Micro SD Memory, improved maps all contribute to the many reasons to buy. This is the tops, absolutely.

However, I saw this was coming out about 6 months ago and I waited. Why? The "H" in "HCx" stands for high-sensitivity. From my EMap experiences, I knew that GPS units were very sensitive to signal. My old EMap literally had to sit on the dashboard of the car on road trips, sitting in the sun, and sometimes still losing satellites. Well, friend, that's all over.

My HCx arrived today, and I opened the box, securing two AA batteries, and turned the unit on after about 45 seconds of perusing the Quick Start Guide. Sitting in a concrete building (dormitory, with a steel door, the HCx immediately began acquiring satellites and within mere seconds had found three...inside my little "bunker". Impressed? You couldn't wipe the grin off my face. I set a waypoint for Home - in the room - and then trudged over to work. Entering another concrete building, the signal strength was still fine and I set a waypoint at my desk. I marveled over the `track" I had wandered on the way to work, zooming in to 20 ft. resolution.

Friends, this is fantastic technology. The unit is small, comfortable to operate, feels solid, well-actuated controls and is far faster to acquire satellites than my expectations.. Needless to say, it's worth every penny. It fits in my shirt pocket, not a great deal larger than a pack of cigarettes, and it is the best thing I've spent money on since the thrill of buying a VIC-20 PC at K-Mart in 1985. And a lot of technology has been issued (and passed through my hands) since then. I admit it - I'm geek - I carry daily 3 phones, a digital camera and a Space Pen.

Buy this unit. Amazon's price is current market price, so don't feel compelled to shop - I did and it was a huge headache to attempt to save $20. Your time is worth far more - don't delay another day. Hands-down, it is the one to buy, and you will be on cutting edge for several more years.

You will not be disappointed.

If you are reading this and the other reviews of the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx then you are doing your homework and wondering if this GPS is as good as all the hype makes it out to be. The short answer is YES! 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. It is small in size, but with a fairly big and bright screen (easily readable in the sun) for its size.
Every review I read touted the extra sensitive antenna and how it picked up and locked onto satellites inside of homes or buildings. Well I can honestly tell you that it does all this and does it quick. How this happens it Garmin magic. I was always told you had to have line of sight to pick up satellites, but not in the case of the Vista HCx, it can get them just about anywhere short of being in a bunker.
The menu is intuitive and easy to navigate, so much more that my old Garmin 12 map. The long story short, this little GPS is the one for everyone else to beat. If you are seriously considering a GPS purchase for hiking or navigating the back country, do not look elsewhere, this is the one to get!
The base maps in the Vista HCx are of course upgradeable through additional accessories purchases from Garmin (at substantial cost), but worth the money. How Garmin managed to pack so much into so little a package is a mystery to me. Do yourself a favor, stop reading the review and just buy one, you will not be disappointed.
BTW, I purchased mine through Amazon.com and took advantage of the free shipping. It arrived four days ahead of when it was scheduled to arrive which was a nice surprise. Amazon has a very good price and I have always been happy with my purchases through them. And no I am not getting paid to say these nice things about Amazon, I am just a very satisfied customer.

Dan...

I bought it to replace my old Garmin Etrex Vista and I am very happy with it. When comparing it to my older model these are the main differences:

Pros:
* Really high sensitivity. Now it always works inside the car, and it always works when hiking in the forest. You can just drop it into your pocket or backpack.
* Routing capability. Very useful if you have a good map, even if it doesn't give voice commands.
* Color screen rather than B/W makes it much more readable even if screen area is slightly smaller
* When saving Waypoints, now the date and time info is automatically included.
* Battery lasts at least twice
* Rapid transfer of maps and tracks through USB rather than serial!
* Compatible with the maps and logs that I already have. I transferred all the waypoints and tracks saved in my old Vista to this new model, through Mapsource without problem.
* Compatible with my car, motorbike and bicycle mounts that I already have from my Etrex Vista.
* I can still use the free maps that I used with my old Vista, from: http://mapcenter.cgpsmapper.com/catalogue.php and from
http://www.malsingmaps.com/
* Automatic date setup (from the satellites?)
* When transferring to the PC, the Active Log is now transferred as a few tracks (I guess one for every time that you have powered up the device) rather than as a long list of tracks
* When saving a track, now you can decide exactly up to which point to save back.

Cons:
* Not compatible with two of my Etrex Vista accessories: Car power adaptor (now the power comes through the USB connector) and Garmin case (now the unit is a little bit wider and shorter)
* No Favorite Waypoints menu. Has been replaced by a Recent Finds Menu?
* User Interface is sometimes confusing and not easy to find the function that you are looking for.
* WAAS setting and backlight level get to off whenever you power off the unit rather than remembering the setting (firmware bug?)
* Product Manual is very bad. It tells you how to turn things on and off, not why and when you should turn something on and off.
* No Micro SD memory included so you cannot upload any map unless you buy one.
* For the next product update, could I ask Garmin to add a Voice Recorder function to be able record a voice note associated to each Waypoint?

After being content with my Garmin Vista, I decided it was time to upgrade to the latest Garmin Vista eTrex HCx. With a new MapSource Topo USA for MAC available, and the ability to transfer National Parks Topo Version 3 from PC to MAC I thought it would be an ideal time to "upgrade" to this model. The HCx has a beautiful color screen, is highly sensitive-acquiring satellites and able to navigate much more effectively! Response is quick-virtually instantaneous. Ergonomically the toggles are awkward and its easy to toggle into the wrong place-not a big deal and I image I'll get used to it. This being said the documentation that comes with the unit is almost useless, covering just the basics. Forget about how to setup (at least for a MAC). The cd that comes with it is for PC's only and there is absolutely no information on what a Mac user needs to do. You think a quick look at the Garmin website would have these answers. Nope! Nada! The website is a joke-as is customer support. I waited 32 minutes to speak to a rep and then was told I would have to be transferred to their Mac Dept. Okay fine. Another 34 minute wait. Thats; okay, I'm willing to wait-except the tech I finally get is about as helpful as a cord of wood. No help. I ask questions he doesn't know the answers and doesn't sound like he cares-hardly a Mac enthusiast. In fact I felt like he actually dispised my call. From simple things like where's the serial number? (UPDATE: it's behind the batteries) to do I need drivers to download to make this work? (UPDATE: No you don't. In fact, if you're using a Mac, just turn it on and it's up and running-no need for "installation disc")-if you want to transfer maps to your GPS, you must download the "MapInstall" program from Garmin's website). This is a beautiful device that does what my old Vista did-except this one, is of course, much faster, and more effective-if I could get some information on it! If Garmin is going to claim they are moving toward Mac compatibility they should give a little more information to Mac user's on their website (other than press releases on how they are now Mac friendly) or perhaps a few sentences in the manual explaining exactly what Mac users need to get this thing up-and-running; transferring maps, able to communicate with Mapsource software, etc.. I would like to give the HCx five stars, but because of absolutely no assistance for Mac users on their website or manual-and because of an initial bad customer service experience I give it two stars and sit here with a $270 GPS-$200 worth of new MapSource Maps (another product-another review) and a beautiful little machine that has quicker response and is much more capable than my old Vista-but just as useless on a Mac (REVISED: It works beautifully with my Mac. Perfect!). My enthusiasm dissolved after trying to upload maps or connect to my computer.

REVISED 6/30/08: Okay, finally! I got someone at Garmin customer service (very nice in the Mac Dept.) that could explain what-exactly needs to be done to get this puppy up-and-running: I had already downloaded the Garmin MapIntsall software (which you need to open, then select the device-in this case the HCx); there you will find all your maps (in my case the Topo Natl Parks and Topo USA for Mac). With the GPS plugged into USB port you simple select all the maps you want from one set of maps and then go to the other set and select the ones there). Works like a dream! Now if they would just make this clear somewhere (and believe me, it is not CLEAR anywhere). That being said, the experience I had today was much better. While I had to wait another 30 minutes to get customer service (who told me the serial number is located inside the battery case on the back) and then another 5 minutes to get to the Mac specialist-all my questions were answered! Both techs were very nice and helpful! Today's experience would be 5 Star Customer service! while I have rated the device 2 stars-I would probably change to 4 stars. Why the missing star? Initial frustration that could have been alleviated if Garmin took the time to stuff some extra instructions in the box specifically for Mac user's and made their website a little more friendly-and informative. The 24k NATL PARKS maps are beautiful on the color screens-as are the TOPO USA 2008 for Mac. The toggles are still awkward and unruly-but I'll get used to it. So, in a nutshell; You can download multiple maps on to your Garmin Vista Hcx using MapInstall (dowload from their website) to your applications folder. Once downloaded, connect your HCx to USB and select device and have fun selecting your maps. One thing I was not real clear on until today is that "Bobcat" is strictly for viewing maps and transferring wayspoints, etc. It has nothing to do with uplading maps to your GPS. Use MapInstall to upload maps to the GPS. Today's experience brought my faith back in Garmin customer service and technology. Thanks Garmin, for FINALLY becoming Mac compatible. I'm going to be a happy camper with this wonderful little GPS!

REVISED 7/6/08: Referring to the most recent "1 Star" Review; Yes, mine locks-up/freezes, too (nothing to do with Mac) unit freezes on the trail-at least once a day. No response from any buttons-unable to do anything until holding power button for long period-reboot. This is not cool! Will call Garmin Monday and see what's up. Not good to hear they have a new chipset out and this may be the old one. After-all, I just purchased this. Will report back on what Garmin says. This sounds like an obvious defect.

REVISED 7/9/08: Emailed Garmin Monday-no response yet (3 days later)-so returned to Amazon for exchange. Amazon is great! No problem. Sent out a new one before I could box up the defective one-received replacement today! That's customer service! Will let everyone know if the problem persists with replacement unit. Amazon 5 Stars! HCx?..not so sure anymore.

REVISED 7/11/08: Garmin emailed me 4 days later and explained that the new chipset is 3.0. My software version is 2.60. Used "Web-Updater" on my Mac and said I have the latest software. Everything is working beautifully with replacement Amazon sent me. No freezes or problems of any kind. Final score: Garmin HCx-4 Stars! Amazon-big 5 Stars!

I'm a daily user of GPS's. I'm a truck driver who uses it religiously for navigation. On my days off I geocache, hunt, fish, hike, backpack, etc.
I began many years ago with a Magellan that ate 6 AA batteries every 8 hours or less, and had the satelite reception of a rock... Those were scary days!!! I'd mark my position to start, turn it off to conserve batteries, and hope like mad I could get a signal when I got to where I needed to set a mark. I made sure to have a compass too!!!
Then I upgraded to a Garmin Legend. I was amazed at how advanced it was compared to where I'd been. Then I upgraded to the Venture HC when it came out and Holly Smoke!!! The venture ROCKS!!! I threw the legend in a geocache for someone else to use.
Well folks, I passed the Venture HC to my wife when I upgraded to the Vista HCx as she's a beginner GPSR and it will serve her very well!
I researched ALL the mapping hand-helds and most of the others, and hands down the Vista HCx is by far overall the best possible GPS buy available today. The screen is easy to see, crisp, and very clear. The Use of Garmin products are simple to learn. Battery life is outstanding with the Vista HCx! I could run 2 days with the Venture HC, now I get 3 days (I got the external power cord though, so batteries are just for outside of driving now). I see some say how well it picks up reception, well folks I drive through tunnels with entire mountains on top of me, and OH YA, Venture and Vista doesn't even blink at the challenge! cliff's? tree's? child's play!
Buying maps and microSD cards aren't going to cause anyone to have to re-mortgage the house. Buy one here, and one there (or get a better job), and soon you'll have all you need. Cut the chase and get the preprogrammed microSD cards and you don't have to bother with tansfering the CD versions. Don't overbuy for what you really need, I use mine for work and play. Most people use GPS's for one or two activities and really don't use them but they overbuy maps that never get used.
If your someone who is on limited income, use some enginuity and make yourself a mount for the car. I made one with two suction cups (origionally for hanging pictured), a little bailing wire, a strip on old belt leather, and some velcro I got at walmart in the material section. We've used it for years!!! Works perfectly, and has never dropped a GPS.
Take it from someone who knows and has been through the history of GPS navegation, and has done his research for ya, The Vista HCx is one heck of a buy!!!

After tons of research on multi-purpose GPSs, I went with the Vista hcX and i'm very glad I did.

Upon receiving the hcx, it took maybe 20 minutes or so to get a feel for the thing. The manual is not much help, so with some trial and error I was able to figure out the main commands like using the navigation for cars and "Tracks" for hikes/runs/cycling. What was a little confusing is how to start a new session (i.e - for a run/hike). If you press reset in the Trip Computer menu, it will start from scratch and you can start your tracking fresh (applies for both car navigation and by foot/cycle). Then when you're finished with a session, be sure to go to the Tracks menu and click Save. Then you can name the log file to whatever (Run/mtn biking/drive to wherever). The files store as dates and clumps all of the tracks for the day together, i.e - april 17 = 4172009.gpx. For saving map data, I use a 2gb microSD sandisk which works great in the device.

There are no maps preloaded in the hCX. You have the option of buying Topo US 2008 and City Navigator North America, this can get REALLY expensive. City Navigator in my opinion is better for general usage unless you're on the trails most of the time, where TOPO 2008 might be better.

What the manual doesn't tell you is how to switch back and forth between these different map sets(CityNav and Topo). The problem is that the HCX can only use ONE map set (.IMG file) at a time. There's a free program called MAPupload(google it) that allows you to merge .IMG files (what the HCX stores your map sets as) and this is VERY helpful, as you can use the same microSD card for two or more mapsets. Problem solved! This program is necessary unless you want to buy another microSD card to split them up. It takes quite a while for the transfer (using MAPupload), but worth the wait.

What I also really like about this device is it's ability to use the GPS data as GPX files. Most sites(like Motionbased, Mapmyfitness) can use these GPX files to map it out nicely on their site. Although Mapsource, the included software, can be a bit tempermental at times. Instead of doing the "Receive from device" command which the hcx often came up undetected, I ended up simply opening the GPX file straight from the microSD card (File->Open in Mapsource) and there it was with all the average speeds, elevation, maps, etc! From here you can save the file as an individual GPX (since the hcx automatically clumps them all together by day) which you can upload to most GPS websites.

For auto navigation I love that with CityNav, it's basically the same as most auto only GPSes. It beeps at you and the backlight goes on before you make a turn, which is nice. It also recalculates if you go off route. Although you might consider getting the mount unless you want a neck ache from looking down at the the thing while driving.

Lastly for batteries, these things work great with Lithium AA batteries (i.e-energizer). The hCX has a setting for what type of battery you're using under Settings->System. It's important to have the correct battery type selected or it will show as low battery life, which confused me at first as I thought it was the battery. I bought some Rayovac NiMH Hybrid rechargeables and they've worked great so far.

I hope my hours of trial and error could help someone figure out some less than obvious things, or at least discover that this is an extremely handy device to use as an all around GPS tracker.

UPDATE: Well after 6 months of use of the hcx, i'm happy to say it's still running strong and like new. A few weeks ago, the hCX actually saved us in a 4 wheel drive trip in the woods! Long story short, We went 4 wheeling 30 miles deep into dirt roads, and the GPS safely guided us back to the main highway. At times, the hCX would want us to go left at roads that didn't exist (probably the fault of the North America map), but we followed the general direction of the road on the gps toward the highway and it guided us safely back! I also bought this cheap gps mount on ebay for less than 10 bucks from a seller named northstar_gps, and it works great!

I have read all of the earlier reviews and agree with all the "pros" listed - for the amount of features, ease of use and , size, ability to lock on a signal - there is no better GPSr in this price range.

I am an avid hiker, nature photographer and geocacher and I like to be able to recall my trips - document sites, features and sightings etc. This unit didn't let me down. Last weekend I took a day trip that included four different parks along a river system with high bluffs and DEEP ravines - in the car and on the ground, this unit never missed a beat, never lost signal lock.

The unit was located in many places - in hand, in the cup holder of a van, in a zipped fanny pack, clipped to a belt, and at lunch, on the table at a tavern - not a problem, never lost signal. :) My last unit was a Garmin Vista Cx - this unit is MUCH better - better lock and faster draw.

As far as the "cons" I've read - there are few and most are related to the price of maps, the accuracy of the maps or the manual.

Concerning the price of the maps - there is no unit that comes close, at this price, (even considering the price of buying the maps) to this unit in speed and accuracy of plot. Anyone that did ANY research would know that maps are not part of the base price (not that I like or approve).

The accuracy of the maps themselves, as far as roads are concerned, is poor (topo maps) - in my area there are major freeway junctions that have not been updated for over twenty years. The topo maps, however, are not bad - if you need road info, get the City Navigator maps.

The manual I recieved with the Vista HCx is deficient, find and D/L the manual for the Vista Cx.

The Garmin Vista HCx is a great, small, versatile GPSr that will do what you need.

I've had this almost a month now, use it almost every day when I run now to keep track of both my route and statistics. Anyway, just now the battery has gone down a bar. It has amazing sensitivity and battery life.

The worst part to me is that what comes out of the box is an almost empty map. All you see is a blank screen. Does anyone say "Yay, that's just what I wanted!"? One alternative is to buy Garmin's street and topo maps for about the same price as the product. That was not particularly what I wanted to do, and maybe you do get some extra features with that, so if those are worth it to you then be my guest. If what you want to see are the side roads, small streams (even a tiny creek behind my house shows, etc. then you do have another option. Visit this site (http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/19/) and download the 800MB map of the continental US (other world maps are available also). It downloads a ".exe" that you run, and after that when you start the mapsource program that you got on the CD with your eTrex, the ibycus map becomes one of the options on the map source dropdown list. Just click on that, zoom to a level that you see all you want to save to your device, and highlight the sections you want and save them to your device that you plugged in with the USB cable. I took everything east of the Mississippi and it came to less than a gig. That leaves me another gig on my 2G micro SD card for pictures or other maps. You can leave a donation for the map if you want to.

I haven't explored the topo maps yet, but that is coming. I'm sorry but I just can't see paying another $100 for just one map that I think they should have included with the device.

One other peeve I have is that it takes about nine clicks to reset the trip stuff (you have to do this through the trip computer - that will reset tracks and statistics, and you can select exactly what to reset as well). Of course this is offset by being able to change the data fields you see on almost any screen including the main map screen. Hint - when I use it for running or walking, I always keep it on the "trip computer" screen (available from the main menu), then just put it in a pocket or pack and forget about it. When it's on that screen, the cursor button, which is the only control on the front of the unit, becomes ineffectual. So it won't matter if something touches it. If you are on the map screen, you could wind up panning anywhere and setting up random unnamed waypoints. There may also be a way to lock the controls, which would work as well.

All in all, though, when I got it, I just said "wow!"

This is my review of the Garmin eTrex Vista Hcx handheld mapping GPS unit. I purchased this GPS in early June of 2008 and have had it about 3 weeks as of this review. I own two other GPS's: a Microsoft Streets and Trips + GPS from 2005 and a Garmin Nuvi 200 I received as a gift Christmas 2007. MS S&T is a really nice program and it works well with its accompanying GPS receiver. But, it requires that you use it with a computer (the receiver plugs into a USB port). And the Nuvi 200 is a great unit as well, but it's more for finding a route and directions while driving--finding your way to a destination.

I wanted a portable unit mostly to use while walking, hiking, or biking that would track my journey, with a color display, memory expansion capability, and alititude tracking. I did lots of online research, reading reviews and user manuals at Cnet, Amazon, and several GPS-specific sites and eventually narrowed it down to three possibilities, all Garmin: the eTrex Vista Hcx, the GPSMAP 60 CSx, and one of the new Colorado units. In the end, I selected the Vista because: I felt the Colorado was too new and I'd seen negative reviews (and it has features like 3D I didn't think I'd need), and the Vista was proven, reliable, and less expensive than the 60 CSx. Also, it had all the features I wanted and was lighter and has longer advertised battery life than either of the other two units.

In a word, I consider this unit to be: exceptional. It meets or exceeds its advertised functionality and my expectations. Some specific items:

--Accuracy: I had read some reviews that complained about the accuracy of other similar units and I was worried. But I've found this unit to be very accurate, down to within a couple meters. And in my case it seems to make no difference whether the WAAS feature is enabled or disabled.

--Altitude accuracy: not quite as good as I'd like to see, but adequate. In a couple cases while hiking it has actually been off by as much as 1000 feet in altitude, but I attribute this to the vagaries of barometric altitude measurement, not to a defect in the unit itself. In cases where the altitude doesn't seem so accurate, I find that the altitude relative to an entire track still reports where I've gone up and down hills, so I'm satisfied. Also, I have not yet tried manually setting the altitude or barometric pressure at the beginning of a trek, but I'd guess that would improve its overall performance.

--Battery Life: my first set of regular old AA Eveready Alkalines lasted slightly longer than 25 hours, the advertised life. I'd bet that I could stretch this to longer if I paid attention to turning off the backlight when I don't really need it on.

--Size: I was surprised at how small the unit is. For some reason I had in my mind that all units around this size would be a bit bigger; it's about the size of a deck of playing cards, but slightly thicker.

--Display Visibility: no problems at all here. I use the unit frequently in bright sunlight attached to my bike while wearing sunglasses and I can see the display fine from a few feet away.

--Map: the map that comes with the unit by default is entirely inadequate for anything but highway driving, but I knew this when I bought it, and had purchased Topo 2008 as well (which is very nice for both city and on-trail tracking). There are very few trails actually in the mapping software itself, but this isn't the Vista's deficiency itself.

--Sturdiness: biking can sometimes be a bit bumpy. Yay for solid state components; this GPS has worked fine over bumpy roads.

I'd highly recommend this unit to anyone looking for a handheld GPS, especially one to be used for walking, hiking, jogging, or bike riding. If you're looking for something to give you directions while driving a car, this unit is not for you--stick to the Nuvi series.

This is my third eTrex GPS receiver, and each has been a worthwhile upgrade. I started with a Legend about 4 years ago, which I thought was great at the time. A couple of years ago I bought a Legend Cx, and this provided me with the added benefits of a colour screen, expandable memory, a longer battery life and, somewhat surprisingly, a significantly better receiver - I could get a good signal under tree cover, unlike before, and even a fix inside my one-storey house, despite it not having the new SirF3 chip. I was in two minds about upgrading to the HCx model, as the only gain would be an even more sensitive receiver (but a slightly poorer battery life). So, I opted to change from the Legend to the Vista to increase functionallity. I think it was a good choice because the extra sensitivity, and quicker processing speed, seems significant and worthwhile.

The main complaints about the eTrex models appear to concern the lack of a good inbuilt map, and the extra cost of the associated Garmin-specific software needed to put this right. While these may be valid criticisms, they should not come as a surprise to anybody who has done their homework. If your main interest is in street navigation, an eTrex model is not your best option; try one of the Nuvi models, if you want to stick with Garmin. This is prinicpally an outdoor device to aid hikers: light, small, robust and tells you where you are (in terms of latitude and longitude, or local grid coordinates); it's best used in conjunction with a good topographical map, rather then being something that replaces it. The inbuilt base-map (of interstates, main roads and rivers) is only there to provide a basic reference, not for detailed navigation. The functionality of the device can be greatly enhanced by buying additional maps (whose price can be comparable with the receiver itself!), but there are several different types depending on your needs: roads/towns, topographic or marine. You can preview them (free) on the Garmin cite before you buy them, to make sure that your choice meets your needs.